A review by epellicci
My Name is Why, by Lemn Sissay

dark reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

My Name is Why is a beautifully written and heartbreaking journey through the betrayal by social services of Lemn and hundreds of children like him living in care in the UK. This memoir pairs Sissay's painful discovery of, and reaction to, the records that the Wigham Local Authority kept of his time in the care system, with his own accounts of what was really happening. Unsurprisingly the book is poetic, but also concise. There is a no-nonsense impression in Sissay's writing which feels very honest, and paired with the subject matter, raw. Listening to it in audiobook form, I found it incredibly lyrical, and a testament to Sissay as a poet. Rightfully hurt and angry, at times it was difficult to get through. Throughout Sissay's youth, the people who were meant to protect him overwhelmingly failed to do so, often twisting the narrative to pin the blame on him while he was still just a child. 
The book ends quite abruptly which I found slightly disappointing. It felt a little bit like by the end, Sissay had run out of steam, although you can hardly blame him given what reliving his youth must be like. An otherwise impressive but dark book. 
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