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

Dear Senthuran is such an extraordinary book! Emezi's writing is poetic, powerful, funny, and full of uncomfortable and brutal honesty. this is a trans memoir, a memoir of indigenous cosmologies, a memoir of mental illness - but also not just not being of this world. It's a memoir about transition and transcendence. I read a review that said Emezi is arrogant, but what's wrong with that? Such a stunning piece of work about too many things to list in a review, not for the fainthearted.

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lbelow's review against another edition

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5.0

These letters are personal, philosophical, poetic, and rich with emotion. So many of their lines moved me in ways I wasn't prepared for. This isn't a book I'll soon forget.

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slimebold's review against another edition

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reflective sad slow-paced

5.0

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namedconquer's review against another edition

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reflective medium-paced

5.0

"world-bending" - a term used a few times by the author is perhaps the best way to encapsulate these heart-piercing, mindblowing & incredibly audacious letters compiled into a memoir.

It is all the questions & answers you'd find in the sacred space between self & spirit, between human & heavenly. It's a book that really demonstrates how one archives destiny & divinity - practical, not pompous but so poetic in many regards.

What struck me most was how I believed every word regardless of how far-fetched & fantastical it should come across. More than anything it gave me faith that will stretch beyond what is humanly considered possible or acceptable.

I have great respect for Akwaeke Emezi's journey & what they will continue to teach & bend for us so that hopefully we can all access the truth & power of what we really are.

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passionyoungwrites's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

5.0

“What is love if not a shield thrown up around you when you are too injured to throw it up yourself?”

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This memoir is written in letters. Mostly to others, but also written to themselves. They spoke on every area of their life. From family past, identity - both gender and body, suicidal ideations, self - acceptance, romantic relationships, friendships, their home life, and even the ups and downs of following purpose to include their journey in the publishing world.

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The author uses this work to explain some of the happenings in their first work, Freshwater, and how it made it into the world. Though it isn’t in a traditional format, it is definitely a great work that helps to shape and mold an image of who Akwaeke is and how they view and shape the world around them.

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reneereads's review against another edition

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challenging dark sad medium-paced

3.0

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principite's review against another edition

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challenging emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

Loved this book for us creatures! Huge trigger warning for suicide ideation and graphic description of suicide

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