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translove's review
5.0
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, and Self harm
Moderate: Medical content, Outing, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Sexual violence, and Transphobia
melaniereadsbooks's review
5.0
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Mental illness
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Rape
foreverinastory's review
5.0
I've had the pleasure of reading both Freshwater and The Death of Vivek Oji so I knew I would be inhaling Emezi's memoir as soon as I could. Dear Senthuran has solidified Emezi as one of my favorite authors of all time. Any time they come out with something new, I will be reading it immediately.
This memoir is not an easy book to read. Emezi has chronic depression and has lived through several suicide attempts. Reading about their struggles and how being an author on tour only exacerbated their depression is something readers and fans almost never see. We see the shiny, polished author who puts their best face forward during the extent of the tour where as many cities as possible are crammed in.
So much of this book is about pain. But it's also about becoming who you are. The thing I related to the most was Emezi's struggles with gender and defining exactly what their gender was. Plus dealing with dysphoria and taking steps to treat it. They also discuss how this impacted their relationship with their mother.
This book took a knife to my soul and it felt like someone finally understood the thoughts in my head I haven't been able to verbalize. Read this book as soon as you can.
CWs: Death, emotional abuse, homophobia, medical content (gender affirming surgeries), misogyny, racism, religious bigotry, sexism, self harm, sexual content, suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts, toxic relationship, transphobia, body horror, mental illness (depression).
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Medical content, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racism, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, and Transphobia
catapocalypse's review
5.0
Emezi's goals were to write truly of their personal experiences and to put those ideas out there for Black readers in particular. That said, I strongly urge other white readers not to shy away. We need to read and think about these things with honest reflection. So much of how we've harmed others and ourselves comes out of operating on narrow views and letting bad ideas calcify into accepted norms. Learning that this isn't how things are or should be helps work on dismantling these cages. There is still so much in here to relate to, and a lot that we can also find freeing, if we're willing to listen and think on it.
I would advise being prepared to go into this in the right headspace. It's at least as brutal and breathtaking as Freshwater, with a lot of heavy things covered in heavy detail. There are in-depth looks at depression, suicidal ideation and attempts, death, and a small section including fantasies of cannibalism.
I took my reading slow to let things percolate and avoid being overwhelmed. It was such a rewarding experience. Emezi remains a favorite, and I look forward to their upcoming projects.
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Mental illness, and Infidelity
Moderate: Cannibalism, Blood, Gore, Grief, Sexual assault, Transphobia, Homophobia, Sexual content, Medical trauma, Death, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Chronic illness, Islamophobia, and Murder
tinytrashqueen's review
4.5
Graphic: Sexual content, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Medical content, Infidelity, Emotional abuse, Death, Chronic illness, Body horror, Blood, and Animal cruelty
Moderate: Ableism, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Bullying, Car accident, Drug use, Misogyny, Outing, Sexism, Transphobia, and Violence
caseythereader's review
5.0
- DEAR SENTHURAN is a look inside their brain, their heart, their soul. It's an extended discussion of how to deal with a world that does not want you, on several levels. It's the pain and joy and revenge of making space for yourself anyway.
- Even beyond the larger ideas explored, the actual writing and words of this book are expansive, visceral, horrifying and elegant. They are truly a master of their craft.
- Also, I've listed content warnings below: please take them seriously. Emezi does not hold back on some graphic descriptions, particularly about suicide and self harm.
Graphic: Abandonment, Blood, Body horror, Cannibalism, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Eating disorder, Gore, Grief, Homophobia, Infidelity, Medical content, Medical trauma, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Transphobia, and Violence
sjanke2's review
Graphic: Blood, Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Homophobia, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Toxic relationship