Camonghne Felix

This is a particularly dark collection of poetry. In one poem there's a line about being all edges, all corners and this is certainly not a smooth ride. With topics ranging from rape to suicide, self harm to drowning, don't expect to relax and feel comfortable. I listened to this, as read by the poet, and it has something about it that make it hard to stop listening to. Of all the collection, the one that stood out for me as being radically different in tone was titled "Imagine" in which she show more marvels that her younger sister is going to go to university and study something that could well lead to her being an astronaut. The bemusement that her little sister seems to be set on such a different path and the wonder that this young woman was her little sister is so entirely different from the rest. show less

"The need to storytell is compulsive and agnostic; unfortunately / everything I need to know about
my self becomes document."

Camonghne Felix was meant to be a poet- that much is evident from the very first page. She uses her words to make the reader feel emotions, and she does it very well. Felix doesn't get fixated on giving readers a specific timeline of events. She puts the reader in her head, exploring her thoughts and feelings, as a poet should.
My only complaint with Dyscalculia is show more that it wasn't long enough. This isn't just an "I wanted more!" compliment; I don't feel like there was as much substance in this story as there could have been. It didn't feel fully fleshed out. I loved the emotion, but I wanted more story. show less

Yeesh, incredibly brutal and beautiful. So hard for madness to be seductive, especially when you are in the thick of things.

Camonghne Felix opens her deepest thoughts in this awe-inspiring memoir. The book contains beautiful passages in a poetic style.

She reveals the trauma she had when she was just eight years old and raped by her cousin. This started a series of reports: police, detective, doctor, lawyer and then years of therapy with all kinds of treatments. She had difficulty with mathematics (dyscalculia) and struggled to learn like others. She was in and out of therapy as she tried to self-harm show more herself.

Finally, as an adult, a psychiatrist was able to give her a correct diagnosis. He immediately could tell from her past reports that she had a Bipolar II disorder with mood swings from high to low. He said trauma can change the brain’s chemistry. Her mom told her when she was ten years old that her brain was different and it wouldn’t be easy. Now she said, “you’re back.” Finally, she had a new outlook on life.

This is a short account of her life with ups and downs, written from her heart. It’s especially helpful for many that can relate to what she has endured. She associates herself to the Pythagoreans and says: “Each life is your chance to reconstruct the walkway on your path back to your Creator.”

My thanks to One World and NetGalley for allowing me to read this advanced copy with an expected release date of February 14, 2023. show less