A review by shansometimes
Depression & Other Magic Tricks by Sabrina Benaim

Like a whole lot of other people, my introduction to Sabrina Benaim's poetry was her performance of "Explaining My Depression to My Mother," which went viral in 2017. It has stuck with me and still affects me all these years later. It's included in DEPRESSION & OTHER MAGIC TRICKS, along with other resonating poems about breakups, loneliness, and mental health. I favored the ones about mental health, and I love Benaim's ability to evoke emotion and explain—in very few words—feelings and experiences that are very hard to describe.

I'm not always a fan of certain modern poetry styles, but I appreciate that Benaim brings a unique angle. Still, the writing style made it impossible for me to connect with some poems, and I think her more recent collection (I LOVE YOU, CALL ME BACK) is a stronger representation of her talent.