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A review by virgilsaeneid
Conversations with Monsters: On Mortality, Creativity, and Neurodivergent Survival by Charlotte Amelia Poe
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
5.0
Thank you Netgalley for providing this ARC.
Conversations With Monsters feels like a love letter to every struggling artist who's ever been called "different." It feels like a friend sitting down with you and holding your hand. As my first creative non-fiction read, I found Conversations With Monsters a delightful read that I devoured in less than an hour. As a twenty-year-old writer struggling with anxiety, depression, and finding my place in the world as a neurodivergent person, every page of Poe's book had me pointing at paragraphs that described my experience in such an innate way. I genuinely believe this is one of my most annotated books- both because I adore Poe's writing style and because I felt so incredibly seen. This book almost felt like reading back my own experiences, especially when Poe discusses how they would delete their anxiety and struggle with maths in a moment, but not their autism. And I sat up straight in my seat and pointed at the page because you get it!! You get it!! (Hard agree on removing the struggle with maths, because I have been grappling with my dyscalculia longer than I can remember. The same goes for the anxiety, I'm tired of having social interactions feeling sick to my stomach.)
Conversations With Monsters is a quintessential read in my not-so-humble opinion. Like you must read it. I demand you read it. Because I'm simply going to be thinking about this book forever now. This was one of the easiest 5 star-ratings I've given to a book. From its lyrical prose to its neurodivergent-friendly structure, Conversations With Monsters is a welcoming exploration of love, grief, and autism.
Conversations With Monsters feels like a love letter to every struggling artist who's ever been called "different." It feels like a friend sitting down with you and holding your hand. As my first creative non-fiction read, I found Conversations With Monsters a delightful read that I devoured in less than an hour. As a twenty-year-old writer struggling with anxiety, depression, and finding my place in the world as a neurodivergent person, every page of Poe's book had me pointing at paragraphs that described my experience in such an innate way. I genuinely believe this is one of my most annotated books- both because I adore Poe's writing style and because I felt so incredibly seen. This book almost felt like reading back my own experiences, especially when Poe discusses how they would delete their anxiety and struggle with maths in a moment, but not their autism. And I sat up straight in my seat and pointed at the page because you get it!! You get it!! (Hard agree on removing the struggle with maths, because I have been grappling with my dyscalculia longer than I can remember. The same goes for the anxiety, I'm tired of having social interactions feeling sick to my stomach.)
Conversations With Monsters is a quintessential read in my not-so-humble opinion. Like you must read it. I demand you read it. Because I'm simply going to be thinking about this book forever now. This was one of the easiest 5 star-ratings I've given to a book. From its lyrical prose to its neurodivergent-friendly structure, Conversations With Monsters is a welcoming exploration of love, grief, and autism.