A review by lexisbooked
I Had a Brother Once: A Poem, a Memoir by Adam Mansbach

4.0

I was expecting this to break me, and it did not disappoint. Mansbach writes a story that is equally well-crafted and personal. Though the medium of poetry, he shows the reader who his brother David was before, during, and after his death, as well as how he affected those who were left behind. Anyone who has experienced the loss of a loved one to suicide can relate to the honesty and reality that Mansbach writes. The only criticism I had against the book is that the chapter breaks were kind of weird. Some would carry on to an entirely new part of the story and others continued where the last chapter left off. It seemed as though they were only there to break up the long poetry, but I think I would have preferred it as one large piece. Overall, I recommend this to anyone who has felt the pain of losing a loved one to suicide or just wants to read a personal account from someone who has.

Disclaimer: I received a free e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.