Reviews with content warning for Suicide - Dear Senthuran: A Black Spirit Memoir

I’m sure this resonates for others, but it’s not for me. Not least because the extensive discussion of suicide and self harm was triggering for me, so go into this having read content and trigger warnings.
Otherwise I can’t tell if it’s just that I’m uncomfortable with someone being so confident or if I genuinely think they’re delusional in a harmless way. But none of it hit with me and I didn’t enjoy the writing style either.

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alexchig's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

I can't give this an accurate star rating so I will just explain my thoughts. Ever since I read Vivek and Freshwater I have been enthralled with Akwaeke's writing, but I didn't know much about them as a person. Naturally, I was excited to read the memoir of someone as fascinating as them. It completely exceeded my expectations as it actually challenged some preconceptions that I didn't know I had. The memoir starts off with Emezi identifying themselves as an African ogbanje spirit, a God-like rather than human being. I immediately tried to rationalise what I had read; "you mean metaphorically right?". I had read Freshwater with the assumption that the ogbanje was a metaphor, but Akwaeke specifically calls out people for believing that (oops!). I think that as Westerners many of us (myself included) want things to be palatable, in sync with our own realities, simplified even. Akwaeke wants us to just accept indigenous realities the way that they are. Reading this has pushed me to explore my own prejudices more than anything else.

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maaaans's review against another edition

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dark reflective medium-paced

5.0

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mscalls's review against another edition

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challenging dark informative mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

3.5

Powerful.

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egmamaril's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced

4.75

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wholeottabooks's review against another edition

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emotional informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

5.0

I don’t think I’ve ever read a more vulnerable memoir than this. Emezi is one of my favorite authors and I don’t think anyone elses writing can even begin to compare. Emezi is out of this world and beyond our time. They discuss non binary non human forms of life, the dedication and sacrifice it takes to reach your dreams, the solitude upon reaching them, and so much more. I wanted to hold Akwaeke and tell them how much they mean to me.. how much their mind, heart, and soul, and words speak to me… This memoir has many valuable life lessons and I think it’s one that’s meant to be savored, cherished like a sacred text, and studied for reflections.

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janeanger's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective fast-paced

4.5

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