Reviews

Dear Senthuran: A Black Spirit Memoir by Akwaeke Emezi

micicj's review against another edition

5.0

My first Emezi book, and it certainly won’t be the last! Excellent storytelling that is deeply personal and reflective. Got me out of a reading slump.

emmalina113's review against another edition

5.0

I need time. But I know I've never read anything like it.

jwtindall's review against another edition

3.0

Another captivating book from Akwaeke Emezi. This one is quite personal, very spiritual, which is both good and challenging for me as a reader. Good in the sense that I find Emezi's voice to be so deep and otherworldly that it gets me thinking, but challenging in that sometimes I can get a bit lost. This one dives a lot into Emezi's experiences as a writer, as someone battling with life, of someone experiencing money, opportunities, and relationships in new ways. Some chapters are fantastic, others not so much. A solid 3 stars if not almost 4.

jennifercrowe's review against another edition

informative reflective medium-paced

4.5

whitcam430's review against another edition

5.0

This was so powerful and gave so much insight to all of their works that I have read. I have read 3 books by them and they have all been hard, yet powerful and amazing reads. Reading this memoir was illuminating to how much the author has but their literal self into the work. Emezi is a favorite author.

kelceg's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

t_kanjaye's review against another edition

4.0

Rounded off from 3.5 stars.
Out of all their work, I found this one a bit over done, but whatelse can I expect from a god. Dear Senthuran is a captivating read that can sometimes be exhausting. However despite my exasperation with some parts of the book, there's is no denying that Emezi is- at the very least- an extraordinary writer.

frehiwet's review against another edition

5.0

This is my first read of Emezi’s work and this is probably the most beautiful writing I’ll ever see in a memoir. I’ll be thinking about this read for a bit.

carrietmills's review against another edition

5.0

I adore Emezi's work: The Death of Vivek Oji still makes me tear up if I linger too long in thought while waiting at stoplights. Freshwater opened up the long forgotten emotions around past trauma, allowing me to tap into the vestiges of a younger self, a younger mindset and worldview. So, I came into Dear Senthuran: A Black Spirit Memoir with high expectations.

I never worry about sounding arrogant; I think I have accepted that I am, in fact, outrageously arrogant. So be it; what else would anyone expect from a god?

Emezi identifies as an ọgbanje, emerging into self awareness of their god status tangled in a human body. At first glance, this makes their stories seem unrelatable, existing in an inaccessible plane. But it is precisely that many of the experiences documented in the book are so painfully human that the writing hits deep, pierces through the armor, comforts the spirit. After my hysterectomy, I craved others' experiences, desperate to hear how others advocated in a system obsessed with fertility above human rights. Emezi captures that aggravating and liberating experience flawlessly.

It was considerably difficult to convince a doctor to remove an uninjured organ, even though my wholeness depended on its absence, especially because that organ was reproductive and they thought I was a woman.

In ways, it is difficult and yet easy to blow through. Much of the subject matter is difficult and pings triggers, but there's something restorative to the way Emezi voices these experiences, bringing a sense of calm.

amanda_lee's review against another edition

4.0

Such a unique and honest memoir. Emezi is so honest and open about their identity, mental health, success, and so much more. They are an Ogbanje and show how it is to experience the world in their body.
I really like how it's told in letters. The writing is nothing short of captivating.