Child of the Moon

by Jessica Semaan

In between being your mother and father,
I forgot to be your daughter
And became the child of the moon

"In her debut collection, Semaan offers an upfront &moving glimpse into the true nature of healing: an imperfect, nonlinear journey"—Amanda Lovelace, bestselling author of the princess saves herself in this one

An illustrated poetry collection about finding light in the darkness. Set against the backdrop of the Lebanese Civil War and the author’s turbulent family life, Child of the Moon is a powerful reflection on her journey through fear, shame and despair, and the unconditional love that helped her begin to heal from childhood trauma. 

Genres: Poetry, Nonfiction, Adult, Asia, Mental Health, Mental Illness, Ebooks

200 pages, Paperback

First published January 8, 2019

Reviews

[Alex ☣ Deranged KittyCat ☣ · Rating 4 out of 5]

After taking half of a Xanax a minute ago, I don't know what to say about Child of the Moon. Semaan's first acknowledgement is to her therapist. That's bold, even if it's sad. How do we end up so broken? How come we have to be traumatized by our parents, friends, partners etc.? And why, oh why, don't we ever get all the answers? Or even if we do get some answers, we still feel broken.

I visited the darkness and returned with a book of poetry

Semaan's writing is raw and straightforward. She says all the awful truths I try so hard to forget, to act as if they are not there (even if my own therapist strongly advises me not to).

Alone in despair
Drenched in sweat
I opened my eyes
I am a burden
I deserve to die
I checked my phone
No one to call
I am a burden
I deserve to crawl

So why should you read this collection? Maybe because you need to know you are not alone even if it may seem that way. Even if you're desperate and cannot breath. Even if you just want it all to stop... everything to stop. You are not alone.

Grief #3
Mourn the many selves you have not become
Mourn so you can make space for the self you have always been

*I thank Jessica Semaan, Andrews McMeel Publishing, and Netgalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

[destiny ♡ howling libraries · Rating 4 out of 5]

The bad news is you can only heal yourself.
The good news is you can only heal yourself.

Child of the Moon is a poetry collection and a story—a tale of abuse, healing, survival, colonialism, immigration, self-loathing, feminism, pride, and finding everything we need within ourselves (with a little help from the moon, of course).

Trauma robbed me of my potential.
May all my pain turn into healing so the women who come after me don't have to carry it
and can live their potential.

Semaan's writing style isn't my favorite—far from it, to be honest—but the messages being portrayed in this collection are so powerful, and important, and beautiful. My heart ached for her throughout the entire thing, and I feel grateful to have been allowed this glimpse into the author's life.

Thank you so much to Andrews McMeel Publishing for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Beatrice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Andrews McMeel Publishing for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Raw and eloquently written poems. Ms. Jessica Semaan unapologetically expressed her feelings and struggles into words and I felt it. Her poems are also uplifting but not in a preachy way. What makes this collection powerful is that it exudes sincerity. I enjoyed it and finished it in one sitting.

Many thanks to my dear friend, Justine, who recommended this to me. (Check out her review by clicking her name)

[Fanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Personal and panoramic. A diverse collection in terms of two-liners, one-liners, and even some prose making it to the pages along with illustrations, it smoothly explains the essence of self-love, of finding oneself before finding others who can make us happy, of growing through time and pain, and of appreciating our own beauty. Other themes explored include colonialism, immigration, and feminism that have strengthened each page even further. A dynamic set of poems filled with truth and important messages.

↣ digital copy received via the netgalley.

[Justine from Novels and Panda · Rating 4 out of 5]

“To become the woman I am
I had to see that my head is full of voices that are not mine
Voices of systems of whiteness, colonialism, patriarchy
And every day I must purge, so for a moment I can see her
Reaching up to tell me she’s got a plan, a dream, a vision”

A very straightforward narrative of experiences of pain, loss, oppression, trauma, woven into something beautiful, healing, acceptance, forgiveness, and love!

Child of the Moon is touching, has reached out to me from the author’s perspective of cathartic freedom. Expressing what’s it was, and what will be. With the feeling expressed in the beginnings was overwhelming for me. And what I liked about it is that when you progress reading farther in, there is these feeling that you’d catch. Feelings of empowerment as a person of cultural minority, as a woman, and my personal emotional pieces of baggage too.

I love the voices that say that it is okay to feel emotions, it is okay not to be okay too, it’s is okay to fail, it is okay to be happy, it is okay to be where you are, and as a person who values mental health, these are mantras of positivity. I love the empowering tone it gives off the readers. Not only with mental health but with the systematic oppression happening around, men dictating what is what, which is which, that my way it the only way, Semaan’s isn’t afraid anymore, it’s all written raw and straightforward, damning it all to hell.

Lastly, the illustrations throughout the book were splendid! They are addicting to stare at, the colors and the pen strokes, I adore them. (I am not an art critique but I really love them!) Plus the incorporating of the art with the workpieces of poetry complemented most of them.

Copy provided by Andrews McMeel Publishing in exchange for an honest review. All views and opinions are my own and don’t necessarily reflect the author, the author’s work, the publisher, nor any other group of people, nor receive any monetary compensation for doing this review. All quotes may not be exactly as it is in the final release of the book.

More Child of the Moon • Instagram • Twitter • Ko-Fi

[Sassy Sarah Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Child of the Moon by Jessica Semaan

3.75 stars

“You are not a victim. You are closer to God in your pain.
For your pain is the source of your creation. And creation
is divine. Your pain is the source of healing yourself and
others. And healing is divine.”

Poetry is hard to review. It’s personal, introspective, and often times it’s more for the writer than the reader. It’s cathartic and meant to be freeing. Child of the Moon is a process that seems to show that. The beginning is very bitter and angry. I could feel the resentment at the trauma Semaan faced and I was put-off. I’ll be honest, I wasn’t feeling this poetry book because of its bitterness. Then, I kept going and I connected more, especially in the last section—Flower Moon. I believe this is because I am more in the same healing process of the Flower Moon than of the opening—Blood Moon. I had once been bitter and enraged, but now when I think of that person I once was because of the trauma I experienced I want to weep (and shout praise to God for healing me past that brokenness). I am happy I read this because I am big believer in talking about trauma. I believe that the trauma we experience makes us who we truly are down to our core. Vulnerability is so important and I find that we live in a society where everyone wants to be vulnerable, but not actually go past the trauma. Meaning we share our trauma, but not the process of healing. The trauma is ugly enough to compare like our latest Instagram selfies, but God forbid, we compare the ugliest thing we as humans experience—healing. Healing is ugly, but even more beautiful. Because you can’t get to beauty until you’ve faced ugly. Semaan does that with her poetry collection and I respect her for that. I needed a day to ruminate and think about this collection and I like it more and more the further I get away from my first impression. Also, the art in here is colorful and so great.

The problem I have with this collection is the simplicity of the poems. My biggest complain is that the vast majority of the poems are lists. I love lists, but I don’t think it always works in poetry format. Your list could be the realest and truest thing out there (Healing #1 & Healing #2), but that doesn’t make it a poem. It makes it a powerful image that will be pinned on Pinterest. She also has a tendency to write a lot of two-lined poems. It’s all very tumblr and quick. I’m not opposed to this form of expression, but it isn’t really a poem, more of a reflection of a conceptual idea. The only poem I liked that did this style was “Faith”.

Poems I Recommend:
 Despair
 When you can’t love yourself
 When your home is a faraway land (my favorite)
 Sitting with the child of the moon
 What they called you
 You are not a victim
 Alone by the creek

(This is my favorite art in this collection and I had to take a photo of it!)

“It’s never too late to bloom.”

Whimsical Writing Scale: 3

Art Scale: 5

Plotastic Scale: 3.25

Cover Thoughts: I like the cover a lot, but I’d love it so much more if some of the striking art that’s inside was exhibit on it.

Thank you, Netgalley and Andrews McNeel Publishing, for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

[🌸 Tana 🌸 · Rating 4 out of 5]

29/05/2019

It is not hard to love yourself
it is just easier to hate yourself

I finally liked some poetry again!!!! I saw this collection in Urban Outfitters. Since that was where I found Milk and Honey and loved it, I decided to take the jump and try some poetry again after a lot of disappointments. And the gamble payed offfff!

The poetry was beautiful, it didn't romanticize anything but showed it for what it was: mental health problems suck and help is only possible with therapy. Trauma won't be fixed by love or anything else. No "do yoga and feel the rain on your face" poems that I see so much. She actually thanked her therapist in this and wrote some poems about them. It's sad that life is this fucked that she has so much trauma, but the fact that she talks about therapy and doesn't try to make trauma a beautiful thing, is perfect to me. As someone who had a horrible childhood, I recognized her feelings, even if I didn't recognize the situations. Other ones, like the one below, I recognized all too well.

To have a narcistic parent
is to believe you have to constantly prove
That you are worthy of love
because their version of loved is conditional
and fleeting

Also: there are some beautiful drawings in here.

conclusion: I may have found a new favorite poet. Please check this one out.

[emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

“a conversation with the moon
i feel scared about getting older
it’s ok. in my eyes, your youth is timeless
i feel that i missed the boat
it’s ok. my boat will dock forever waiting for you
i feel that i am not enough
it’s ok. you mean the world and the seven seas to me
i feel that i can’t do it
it’s ok. there is nothing you need to do for me
i feel that i am too much
it’s ok. you are just enough for me
i feel that i am too little
it’s ok. you are just the right size for me
i feel afraid that you might leave
it’s ok. i will be there and won’t leave
i feel that i want to leave you
it’s ok. leave, and i will be patiently anticipating your return
i feel that i love you too much
it’s ok. our love is beyond too much or too little
i feel that i should have loved you sooner
it’s ok. for you have loved me without knowing it since the beginning of time”

🌙🤍

yeah, i loved this. i have nothing more to say.

[Angie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rating poetry is hard.

Poetry is personal, and this collection is intensely so. Semaan explores the trauma that has permeated her life for many years. While I come from a different background than Semaan, I found myself relating to and being inspired by a lot of what she wrote.

Having said that, I wasn't as engaged by the style of her poetry as I might have liked. I found some of the pieces to be a little too on-the-nose, and I didn't connect with the rhyme scheme of some of her poems.

Semaan is saying some important things here, and judging by the ratings here on GR, she's helping a lot of people with her work. So chalk my rating up to a stylistic divide.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

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As a note, a copy of this novel was sent to me via NetGalley by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinions in any way. Review also found here at Booked J.

Child of the Moon is one of the best collections of poetry I've read in years. Hands down, it truly is. The first thing you should know about Child of the Moon is, it's crackling with energy and despair and hope and shame and fear. We seek comfort in connection in our poetry, and this is one of those collections that is so gripping--you, too, will have whitened knuckles from holding it so tightly. From the very start, I felt as though I'd already seen a glimpse of Jessica Semaan's soul and that was a feeling that I could never shake.

You see, every line of Child of the Moon is so potent that, at times, it becomes a little overwhelming to the reader. This is not a bad thing. In fact, it's remarkable. I think that, while I felt truly connected to the prose even within the first page, it truly clicked with me whilst reading the passages from "Top 10 Self-Doubt Tracks (On Repeat)" and in every moment after that, I just knew, with a jolt of electricity, just how special this collection was. Semaan has a gift in exploring the darkness of ones self and it's just... incredible to read. And impossible to put down.

There's this aching quality to many lines in this book that I can't bring myself to describe. Perhaps it goes back to how potent the writing, the sheer emotion, is within Child of the Moon. But, I physically ached throughout this collection. There are far too many emotions and moments to acknowledge with it, but that merely tells you of the quality--that at its core, Child of the Moon reflects Semaan's soul and you cannot, and should not, look away.

This book is best reserved for the night-time. It's not unlike looking to the moon at the same moment many others do--you look into the sky and you just know there's someone on the other side, and you are suddenly... not so alone. There's this tone of understanding in so many of these poems, towards the end, and the way it ties into the themes and Semaan's prose is beautifully done. "Crater" is one of the most perfect, and simplistic, examples of this fact.

Semaan hits readers with a blunt honesty in poems like "When Nothing Can Take Away the Pain" or "The Many Ways I Suppress Myself" or asks the questions on the tip of our tongues via "How Did We Come to Disintegrate?" and then picks you back up, trying to piece her own self back together, with added commentary in "Paris, 2017", "Standing Rock, 2016" and "Healing #3"--the truth is, there is an abundance of poems to cite as must-read in Child of the Moon.

Which is just proof that you should read the collection.

Overall, Child of the Moon is a piece of art that demands to be heard. I loved it from start to finish. Told in a compelling prose, armed with stunning illustrations, Child of the Moon is something you won't soon forget.

Child of the Moon will be available January 8th, 2019. Just in time to start a new years journey.

[Hiba Alany · Rating 3 out of 5]

Had some good content but again... I feel that modern poetry lacks depth.

[Sraah · Rating 5 out of 5]

so many statements in this are a projection of my own thoughts and anxieties
i fell into this, no, i crumbled.
self doubts are real and hard to live with, especially when others may not understand the struggle
constantly thinking the worst, believing the worst, knowing the worst is happening; even when it's not.
it's all in my head.
but it's real enough, right? i have to fight that, though.
we have to be better for ourselves and others, we have to search far into who we are, under the surface, we have to fight the dark cloud that swarm our heads and hearts

"you do not have to achieve anything for me to love you, i will love you even when you fail."

when this book spoke about parents and being raised, i understood. striving constantly for that motherly love and acceptance, almost becoming fixated on it so you carry it into other areas of your life, searching for that love from someone else, feeling desperate for something you didn't receive as a child that you still want, no, need, as an adult.

i understand the way the mind twists things into being negatives even if they're being told to us as positives.

"in awe of what it takes to be a human"

getting to know my pain instead of seeing it as an enemy, unwrapping it's layers and learning about myself have helped me become more accepting of myself, finding the better parts, seeing that, yes, sometimes broken is beautiful, because broken is only a chance to put pieces together again in a way that is stronger than before, and better understand the lines across the surface, it just shows where i've been

i want to trust what people say.

"trauma robbed me of my potential" or maybe it gave me the doorway to be who i should be, with a deeper knowledge and understanding of how things work, and what others go through, maybe i've been looking at it wrong all along and my trauma is a blessing to being a better person. instead of defining myself by the bad, i need to see it in an obscured way that shows me the good it has caused.

"behind the grief, the forgiveness
behind the forgiveness, the love
behind the love, more love"

i am learning this process, of letting go and moving forward and letting joy in, positivity, love. more love.

"healing is not only about you."

"to heal is to sit in full presence with what aches. once it feels seen, heard, honored, it will retire to the backseat, and only then can you drive."

i needed this. i've been learning before i read this but seeing it from someone else makes it more clear. i can't let my pain control me. or make me someone i'm not, when i can be more.

"it takes one human to make us feel seen, heard, and safe for us to move the mountain in our way"

i found that person last year and they've helped me a lot with getting to the point i'm at today, where i can attempt to be better than i've been and notice when i've been holding myself back, not someone else, not my past.

"the bad news is you can only heal yourself
the good news is you can only heal yourself"

"they took your childhood but you can claim your adulthood"

"don't trust anyone who cannot show their anger, fear, or sadness. if they can't be in the company of their shadow, they won't have company for you when you are in yours."

i don't like this scary thought, i want to believe people are more abstract than that, that just because they can't face their own doesn't mean they won't support you through theirs. i want to give the benefit of the doubt and protect those people who can't handle the darkness even if i attempt to.

"i became a better person only when i saw i was a bad one, too"

i recently wrote something similar to this and agree so fully and love that it's here in front of me, this is so important to realize and admit, to yourself and others. i've hurt people even if i didn't mean to, and i can't deny it just because i didn't intend it or see it, their feelings are valid and i have to own up, that my words sometimes will hurt, that just because i think i'm loving positively, sometimes negatives sneak in. other people's feelings are valid even when i'm the cause of their bad feelings, i can't take that truth or perspective from someone, i can only say you're right and i'm sorry and i'll do better.

"i am the abuser and the victim
[i realize i have become both
trauma is a complex beast
that turns us into who we fear most]"

acceptance of this is the only way to find a way out of the cycle, to end the abuse.

"fuck changing yourself
[i stopped wanting to change myself
instead i began becoming more myself]"


"love is chanting in the background, even when you can only feel the tears hitting your face.
sometimes you just have to close your eyes and listen a little harder."

[Lois (thecarrotstories) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Healing <3

In this debut poetry, author Jessica Semaan brings us on a journey of walking from darkness into light. With her childhood traumas caused by the Lebanese Civil War and broken family background, she writes her honest experience of fear, shame and despair that is slowly healing through the touch of unconditional love.

Focusing on self love and the struggles she faces, I found comfort and, through that, courage to face the challenges in my daily life. It is a very powerful book with so much honesty and truth. And hence, I would recommend it to everyone.

Thank you Jessica for sharing your life and turning your experiences into art and empowerment.

I want to thank Andrews McMeel Publishing for allowing me to review a copy of this book through NetGalley. This book publishes in Jan 2019.

[Kirsten Tattersall · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

"To the women that sweat, cried, bled for me
I dedicate this ink to you"

This book is a relatable, emotional, and honest take on trauma and healing. It's her debut collection and I cannot wait to see what she does next.

[Ivy♌ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Child of the Moon by Jessica Semaan is an openly raw, honest and touching poetry collection filled with grief, loss and hope.
A deeply moving collection whereby the Author strips bare to the intimate parts of her life's journey through grief, forgiveness, and healing.
The notion embedded by the author to embrace ones pain felt through loss and trauma to work past it and learn to heal is prominent and profound.
Notably the authors courage to share her experience of loss, war, difficult parents and an internal turmoil of being someone else and the journey to find herself is truly humbling and relatable.
A thought provoking and honest collection that I deeply resonated with and enjoyed imensly.
4.5 stars

Thanks to Jessica Semaan, Netgalley & Andrew McMeels Publishing for this advanced copy in return for an honest review.
(All opinions are my own and are unbiased)

[Charvi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm very picky when it comes to poetry so this might just be me but most of the book fell flat for me. While some of the poems were really nice, on a whole the book failed to evokemy emotions so the whole thing felt just okay.

[Anne Oftedahl · Rating 4 out of 5]

An ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This collection is filled with heartbreaking and powerful poetry and I loved it

[Hanna K. Brojan · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75/5⭐️

[Victoria Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this book up from Netgalley.com as a preview to review.

I can honestly say this is a terrific book, the poems in here are so real and raw and i could relate to almost every single one of them. I decided to read this at work in my downtime, and ended up reading the whole thing, i couldn't put it down.

[J.D. DeHart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poetic words and images combine for a delightful reading experience. Recommended for readers who love verse.

[Selena · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was given this book as a birthday gift because I'm obsessed with the moon and call myself a daughter of the moon. I thought it would be less personal and more generally moon-related but it is a very raw account of the author's trauma. I would want to recommend this to trauma survivors because she does a really great job of letting you know that you're not alone in this, but it might be triggering to someone not very far along in their healing journey. As someone who has struggled with mental health but is in a much better place now, I almost did not want to finish reading the book. Thankfully, it does get hopeful in the last part of the book. It's just hard to be re-immersed in that sea of negativity once you're past that part of your life. I liked the cultural aspects of the book, especially the story of Leila & Nour.

[Perrixall · Rating 5 out of 5]

« Shame is protecting me from death
But shame makes living full of regrets
Shame is a never ending hole
Shame has no soul
Shame is a trickster extraordinaire
Shame will choke you and give you just enough air
Shame is bacteria that feed on secrecy
Shame fears your sympathy
Starve your shame by speaking it out loud
Starve your shame by typing it real hard
Shame has no place
Shame, thank you, but you overstayed »

Cried a river, marked a thousand passages, watched myself travel along those pages as a fellow child of the moon

My therapist will hear about this (in a threatening way)

[Katherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 stars from me. It was alright; it had it's moments. Poetry is probably notoriously hard to rate /review because it depends on how much it resonates with you as a reader. Definitely some beautiful, powerful lines. But some of it also felt... un-real, or manufactured, possibly overworked? When there was rhyming, it usually felt forced. The theme of grappling with pain and trauma and the uneven journey towards self healing did really resonate with me, and when it was good, it was empowering. New Moon is the strongest section, particularly the first half. It's so short that it's worth reading the whole thing once you start.

[Paul Ramos · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The moon sees you even on the nights you can’t see through.”

Child of the Moon by Jessica Semaan is actually the first poetry book I have ever finished. Every single page had a different sentiment, some were heartbreaking, some were witty and some were just hard hitting. I would recommend reading this book at night because of its central theme.

Some of the verses in this book really spoke to me, it read me, it resonates me and I love a book that is completely relatable. Especially the ‘half moon’ chapter. The whole experience with this book was a plethora of feelings and a myriad of emotions.

Most of the poems start out in a raw/honest tone and ends in a comforting note by the author. I had noticed she also used repetition in some of the selections which is one of the poetic devices that I had come to love. Illustrations in between the pages were really well done and completes the visual aspect of this book.

I am considering purchasing a physical copy of this book which gets released on January 8, 2019 (perfect for starting the year). And to end this review with a quote:

"It is not hard to love yourself
It is just easier to hate yourself
Tomorrow is another day"

I just want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for giving me a free copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased and honest review.

[Hayley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This poetry book was really good. I liked how each poem was nice and short and didn't use to many metaphors. The fact that each poem was free verse really let you relate and it was nice to see everything just flowing instead of having to stick to a strict poetry format. Through each person's situation is different I found all the poems were written so that everyone could see something in it that related to their own life. I liked how all of the poems were written using normal English instead of old English which makes it hard to understand. Really good book, I found it really touching. Even though the poems were short and some were really simple I did find that they had very powerful messages attached to them if you look deep enough. Great read and I'm glad I got the chance to check it out. I found that these poems while simple were very powerful, and the flow to them was beautiful. The best thing about them was that even the shortest poems that were only like three lines were still just as powerful as all of the longer poems.

[Sanah]

I got Child of the Moon from NetGalley and researching the book a little bit, I got very excited by the author's predictions and promise for the book. I read her website and liked what I saw, so obviously, I got myself a cup of tea and started reading it that very minute.
Now, poetry is personal, of course, but this book did nothing for me. Maybe I am spoilt because of Salt by nayyirah waheed that makes me feel so much with every verse, that rarely does another poetry book match up to that. While there were sparks of brilliance, however, the rest seemed a lot like incomplete verses or prose. I really wanted to like the book because the poet's story is such an incredible account of love, loss, courage, and resilience that I had hoped would be translated into words. For me, it fell short.

[KayCee K · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this poetry book! I found that it was powerful and moving. I really loved the writing style. The was the poet wrote these strong poems. Like with every poetry book, I wasn't crazy about every single poem but more of them I did enjoy. There was a lot that I could relate to. I have fun looking and seeing all the art throughout these pages. I also liked how the art reflected the poetry. I love the way Jessica plays with worlds and weaves her feelings out into poems that made me feel and made me think. Overall, this is a wonderful read and moved me.

[ᯓ★raquel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you, Andrews McMeel Publishing, for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I cried while reading this book because I started remembering words and feelings I never shared and never knew I had. Everyone goes through trauma in different ways. I found this poem to be honest and relatable to my own traumas. I am a child of the moon, and I understand.

"To the women that sweat, cried, bled for me
I dedicate this ink to you"

This collection of poetry was so raw and honest and the journey through healing was so beautiful and well-written.

[Jessica C · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really, really enjoyed this collection. I related to so many of the poems, and even the ones I didn't, I felt so empathetic. I felt as though I grew close to the author, and it was inspiring. This collection has everything I look for in poetry- emotion, relatability, and realness. It was truly moving and I look forward to more from this author.

[Misty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jessica SemaanChild of the Moon
This is an easy, quick read but one that I already know I will go back through many times to let the lines of her prose lead me to more self-introspection. The author is a survivor of so many hardships and yet she has found a way to keep the light in her soul shining to lead not only herself but so many others through the darkness. I began the journey through this book knowing nothing about Jessica Semaan, and even though our lives are drastically different, traversing these pages left me with a rare feeling of kinship from encountering things in print I haven't found courage or means to express.
Things I liked about this book:
-the beauty of her poetic language is not bound by any set format or structural rules
-it gave me ideas for journaling prompts to use for my own healing work
-there is lovely original art that accents the writing and expanded my imagination
-she challenged herself to give a bold and honest exploration of the complexity of how abusive relationships, especially during childhood and adolescence, create a lifelong inner dialog that prevents self-acceptance
-the book can be used for awareness and education to encourage deeper discourse about the stigma surrounding mental health and mental illness, and the pressures in American society to conceal or heal in only one prescribed way
-her writing bears witness that our humanness connects us in ways far outweighing any perceived "otherness" we've been taught about race, gender, culture, nationality, status, class, or sexuality