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catapocalypse's review
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
This book was so bold a creation, so extraordinary an experience. It is essentially a follow up to Freshwater, this time rightfully labeled as memoir. It's their story as a series of epistolary essays. I'd recommend reading Freshwater first, since it will provide additional explanation and context for things like their ȯgbanje identity, the brothersisters, some of their relationship with Yshwa, and more about their childhood and youth (Since I had already read it beforehand, I am not certain how much may need clarification without it). Dear Senthuran touches on those things, but its focus is more on their adulthood as well as philosophy behind their identities, spiritualities, relationships, work, life, etc.
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.
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.
Content Warnings
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
nerdyprettythings's review
dark
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
As always, Emezi’s writing is great. There’s repetition in the letters, but each of them does build on the author’s early writing days through the publication of Dear Senthuran. Emezi never shies away from difficult topics in their writing, and this book embraces them wholeheartedly, from suicide attempts to dreaming about murdering people. I’ve always been into it - their writing feels so honest. But here, the content was disturbing in a way it hasn’t been for me before, not least because the stories that show the author’s humanity - their struggle with mental illness, their heartbreaks, their hard work and determination to live off their writing - are all chalked up to god’s intervention. From the perspective of someone who’s intentionally moved away from religion, it’s really uncomfortable to hear someone so quickly dismiss humanity (“I hate humans”) while clinging so strongly to religion and godhood as a reason for living. Emezi explicitly rejects the idea that any of it is a metaphor. So while I read the humanity in their stories, my reading of it was denied by the text itself.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Mental illness, Murder, and Transphobia
Minor: Cannibalism
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