More To Life

by Jacob Lasher

More To Life centers around the highs and lows of mental illness. Through brave and vulnerable poetry, Jacob shares original works to convey a clear perspective of how one's upbringing can influence his or her future.

Genres: Poetry, Mental Health, Psychology, Mental Illness

160 pages, Paperback

Published January 11, 2019

Reviews

[Andreas Michaelides · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
MORE TO LIFE by Jacob Lasher is a beautiful collection of short and long poems that have as a primary goal to heal the heart of people that are suffering from mental illness.Poetry for me is something deeply personal, and I take my hat off to the author that took the big step to present to the world his soul through his poems.The book is separated into four parts. Cause and Effect, The Unraveling, The Titanic’s Foundation, The high and LowsYou will find all kinds of poems in the book, some of them will make you sad, others happy.The complexity and at the same time the simplicity of the poems evokes a plethora of emotions and feelings bringing a cathartic result to one soul and spirits.It is a book that you can read now and read again in the future, and you will get different meanings and understand issues that didn’t think of them the first time you read it.Highly recommended.

[Christopher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jacob Lasher's More to Life is a collection of poems that coherently tell the story of Jacob's upbringing and his mental illness during his teenage years and adulthood. That's an aspect of the book that I really enjoy - the fact that it really does tell a pretty linear story from start to finish. Some of the poems even sort of leave you on a thought that the next poem picks back up on. It is therefore almost (not quite but almost) like a novel told through poetry, and I actually do know that the author is a fan of Ellen Hopkins, so I am left wondering if he was inspired by her at all. For purposes of respect and privacy, I will not go into any kind of detail about how I know him, but I actually do know Mr. Lasher on a relatively personal level, and I am glad that I ventured to read his work because I have come away from it with such a deeper understanding of him as a person. The book is, at times, very difficult to read because of how brutally honest and straightforward that it is, but that disturbing honesty also makes it difficult to put down. I think that it is so important for people who have experienced trauma and mental illness to be blunt and honest about it because there is a stigma that needs to be deconstructed, even if it's just a brick at a time. People need to listen, even if (and maybe even especially if) it makes them uncomfortable. I think that, when it comes to a lot of art, it hasn't done its job if it hasn't disturbed you on some level, and Lasher doesn't pull any punches in More to Life. Its blunt honesty, in fact, should make it pretty accessible to those who fear poetry because of its tendency to hide statements and emotions underneath layers of metaphors and analogies. Lasher, for sure, makes use of some figurative language at times, but most of the poems are written almost like letters - letters to people who have hurt him, letters to loved ones, letters to himself, and so forth, and I say that a lot of it is like letters because a lot of it is very conversational or at least feels that way. As someone who has also suffered his fair share of mental and emotional breakdowns due to a diagnosed mental illness that I have struggled on and off with for most of my life and who has even, like Lasher, spent time in a psych ward (although my experience there was unfortunately not anywhere near as positive or as uplifting as his seemed to have been), I found myself vehemently connecting to and relating to several of his poems, even fervently nodding along in agreement to some of them. Favorites of mine include "Glass House," "Trophy Children," "Interview," "Scriptures," "Counting," "Something I Wish I Knew Back Then," "The Worst Part," and "Addiction II." (That is by no means to say that those are the only poems that I particularly enjoyed reading but rather that those are the brightest highlights - the ones that stuck out the most to me because of their language and/or because of ways that I was able to connect with and relate to them.) One of the best aspects of More to Life is also that while there are dark and depressing poems in the book (which, as I said, isn't a bad thing because I think that awareness is so important, and I am certainly no stranger to writing dark and depressing poetry), there are also more uplifting ones, and I think that the book gradually and steadily moves toward the light as it progresses. As I said, it reads almost like a story, so you get to experience Jacob's move from darkness to light as the book progresses, and that makes it very rewarding. On multiple occasions, not just within the poetry itself but also within the fact that he includes the phone numbers to suicide prevention hotlines and crisis hotlines at the back of the book, Lasher reminds his readers that there is hope no matter how deep a hole that you feel trapped in; there is salvation, and that is such a powerful and important reminder for some of us.

[BAM · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Journey

This book is actually one that I enjoyed reading. I enjoy reading poetry that comes from the heart, poetry that comes from the soul. Words that make me feel something. I love contemporary poetry, but a lot of the 1-4 liners are like songs on repeat. Mundane. Repetitive. This book is not that way. I gave it five stars because of the content itself. I gave it five stars because the author takes you on a journey through a life of abuse and his struggle with mental health because of it. As a woman who had a similar upbringing as a child, the words really spoke to me and that’s all I could ever ask for while reading a Poetry collection. Thank you Jacob for sharing your truth. Highly Recommend this for anyone struggling to accept their past.

[Jacob Rundle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poetry isn't the sect of the writing spectrum, but Jacob Lasher's poems are moving. You can feel the emotion in his words. I give him 5/5 because of the emotional response that his writing stirred within me. They all are simplistic but powerful. Tales of abuse, the scars that accompany, and how one lives his or her life with those scars.

[Trizah Kelvin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A life changer!
Poetry is a language that commands and cultivates the real meaning of the message being put across; when implemented correctly, it touches the soul and mind. It makes a deeper connection to the reader. Jacob lasher has masterly done all this in the book "MORE TO LIFE." A poetry book that is one of a kind, I couldn't put it down. The book includes a collection of poems that remain the most elusive and touching poems I ever came across. Its not just ordinary poems, but verses that motivate and give more hope to readers, even though they might be passing through tough times. Struggling with a mental illness, mostly at a tender age, is not a walk in the park, and the author perfectly shows this in the book. However, the most important thing is learning how to get out of it and overcome everything that comes with it to emerge as a changed person. The book depicts how we should interpret life and forget about the past occurrences that make us slaves of the past. It gives ways that the author used to overcome mental illness in a correctly organized manner that is easy to read and understand and that those suffering for the same can apply and get better. This is a book for every person who needs a change in life; if anyone ever feels disturbed, this is the copy they need to have close to them always. I give this book the big thumbs up! I highly recommend it!

[G. Cribbs · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 🌟🌟🌟🌟 stars due to some minor yet distracting typos and grammar problems. However, totally worth reading from beginning to end anyway.

Lasher takes the reader section by section on the journey of a survivor. Surviving many challenges, each difficult in and of itself to survive, let alone all together including: childhood sexual assault, mental health challenges, addiction, suicide, self-harm, identity, and sexual orientation.

What I learned was Lasher's ability to face those challenges head on, and to find ways to survive and thrive. Lasher discovered himself along the way, even though, at times, he also lost himself. This struggle is palpable in the poems. I'm glad I read this and I will not be the same.

Thank you, Lasher for your bravery, vulnerability, and visceral honesty.

Powerful read.

[Lilia Perez · Rating 5 out of 5]

More To Life by Jacob Lasher made a huge impression on me. I have read wonderful poems and prose and I still very impressed. Emotions overwhelm me. Jacob Lashe is very talented sings. He managed so accurately and deeply to describe the feelings and experiences of people who experience incredible emotions and experiences that I felt these emotions on myself. Empathy and the ability to better understand the world of other people and their feelings are great gift for our souls. I love poetry very much. For me, this is the music of words and soul. This book exceeded all my expectations and surely More To Life has become one of my favorite! This is more than just 5 stars. This is the brilliant priceless poetry of the soul!

[T.J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book of narrative poetry is a beautiful, rich, sad and ultimately uplifting chronicle of a young man's endurance of child abuse and the resulting internal pain with which he still struggles. Much of the book is dark, but the overarching theme of hope for the future never fails to shine. The poetry itself is luminous. Highly recommended.

[Laurie F · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is one of the most important books for me. I read a lot, but More To Life by Jacob Lasher made a huge impression on me. Emotions overwhelmed me, and I still am impressed! Jacob Lasher is an incredibly talented writer! I am looking forward to his new books!

[Sierra Barela · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was absolutely amazing! It is filled with many lovely poems that display the hardships life has to offer. I recommend this book to anyone who is going through a hard time. Sometimes reading is the best form of therapy!

[Marie Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was refreshing and honest. Very different from any poetry book that I've ever read. I anticipate more from the author and hope I don't have to wait too long.

[Tammy Wolf · Rating 1 out of 5]

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