Cover Image: I Didn't Ask to Be Crazy

I Didn't Ask to Be Crazy

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Member Reviews

''I didn't ask to be crazy'' is a poetry collection full of thoughts we sometimes all think about but are now in book form, this collection explores the sense of self in a society where you are constantly being judged or misjudged.

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This was an interesting read. Some of the poems really appealed to me. It's obvious Sadee Bee poured herself into this words. While it's not one of my favorites, it is definitely one to appreciate.

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A hauntingly beautiful collection of poems.

Please read with discretion as there are some very sensitive topics discussed

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Mental illness is something you can’t explain to people. Even if you give them a story they still won’t understand why your feeling this way. As for me I still don’t understand myself half the time. I have my good days and bad days as well, but I never understand why I get a certain way, till this day I still can’t control it. This book showed me that I’m not alone.

Some may have it worse than others but I’m always here if any of you need a friend😊

That’s what I found in this book, a friend to keep me out of my dark places. Thank you for this great book of your deepest thoughts ♥️

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So many of the pieces in this collection resonated with me. They were powerful, raw and heartbreaking. I encourage anyone who struggles with their mental health to read this so they can feel less alone. And then I encourage anyone who doesn’t struggle with their mental health to read it so they can better understand their loved ones who do.

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Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me with a digital arc of this book, in exchange for an honest review.

TRIGGER WARNINGS: mental health disorders - depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, suicidal thoughts & tendencies, self-harm, mentions of death, racial stereotypes, gender stereotypes.

This powerful and meaningful novel dictates the harsh experiences that this personal representation of a Black woman, ensures with regards to her mental health. It is written in the format of free-form poetry, as well as narrative extracts, all of which outline the struggles that the persona is tasked with facing. The negative issues in this novel are what enhances its powerful influence, as the author manages to portray these detrimental issues in ways that evoke a myriad of emotion and understanding amongst her readers.

This book is beautifully written as it focuses on the poet's craft and how their writing style can effectively portray the societal issues faced in a modern day society. Mental health is not only discussed as a whole, but also specifically with regards to women, and how society treats the average Black woman, who behaves "dramatically" or "angrily." The personification that is littered throughout this book, is tremendously done, in my opinion, as it brings words to life - literally. The depiction in "Twenty-six letters" is significantly powerful, as well as the humanization and ironical feminization of Anger, and how it correlates with the views of mental health as a societal issue.

There could be criticisms with regards to the narrative and poetic techniques utilized, as well as the way that the author portrays such serious topics through her own methods. However, this stunning work of poetry impacted me in ways that caused me to resonate with the words being provided to me, as well as the deeper meanings between every statement provided to us, the readers.

Overall, this book is so beautiful and I highly recommend it to anyone, as long as they carefully heed the trigger warnings that I listed above. The topics in this novel are discussed magnificently, and I personally appreciate this novel so much, as I have strongly connected with it and the author's writing style.

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"We save our truest selves for the ones we love, and even that level of openness can be difficult."

A collection of personal essays and poems that deals with mental health, trauma and the stigma surrounding mental health/illness.

I honestly thought that this collection did not hold back and I could relate to a lot of what was being said. I admire and respect the author for how they wrote such powerful essays and poems with their personal experiences attached.

My only regret is the collection being so short! I finished it in under an hour!

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Firstly, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher/author for a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

When I saw the book blurb, I immediately wanted to read it as I too share the author’s diagnoses. However, because of this common background, I found myself frustrated by the author’s preface focusing on stigmatisation entirely in the negative. Yes, it is true that there is stigma attached but through talking about bipolar and BPD with friends and family - and more tellingly strangers and acquaintances - I haven’t experienced any subsequent negativity. I hope that readers of this collection aren’t dissuaded from sharing their own mental health stories. It has given me more strength than I can say.

Regarding the poetry, I could relate to the content which propelled my reading, but I’m afraid I found the style to be unpolished and simplistic. I totally get that when experiencing bipolar lows, that kind of simple phrasing is the best we can often muster so it does reflect that lived aspect. However, for me, it didn’t make a gripping read I’m afraid.

Wishing the author all the best upon publication and in the future.

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This was phenomenal! I will be picking up anything this author writes. The writing was so touching and brilliant, so provocative, it made me think a lot. The conversations with death got me shaking but also feeling so helpless and hopeful at the same time. Just wow.

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The cover is absolutely gorgeous! This is very good about explaining how mental health is and how you might act around other people because of it. I can relate to this, because I have my own mental health issues. This did make me feel a lot and the writing was very good. I would recommend to anyone who like poetry, learning or reading about mental health and how it affects people.

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Sadee Bee offers a frank view into her world, in this vulnerable collection of writings. Bee’s voice is strong and consistent throughout, with an intimate and conversational tone that instantly makes you feel like you are sitting talking to an old friend over coffee.

I found the essays to be more original and compelling than the poetry but both have an important message to share, provoking thought and empathy. Unheavenly Matrimony was a stand-out piece in the collection for me; sharing deeply personal reflections with a powerful sense of rhythm and many beautifully creative turns of phrase.

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3.5 Stars
Perhaps my expectations are to be blamed cause I thought that I will enjoy this poetry and essay collection more than I actually did. It dives into a topic that is one of my favorites to read about, i.e, mental illness. But I simply couldn't connect or sympathize with some of the emotions and their inferences of the author. But overall it's still a good book.

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The poetry collection I Didn’t Ask to Be Crazy, written by Sadee Bee, raises awareness about living with mental health issues. It touches the emotional and dark side of life that can often get left out of people’s eyes. Because the collection is based on the author’s personal experience and life, it is transformed into an even more powerful work.
The order of the poems and essays in the collection is perfectly thought through. It is as though the story begins, told in poems and essays, with the author’s grey hard times of despair. The collection then continues expressing better times in the author’s life.
There is a good author-reader connection. That, I believe, is important, especially in poetry. That, as mentioned, creates a very personal aspect of the work, which helps the readers to realise and understand the struggles, thoughts, emotions, and actions expressed in the work.
The lining of the poems, from a reader’s point of view, is well done too, creating a nice reading flow with appropriate pauses. Here, it could have been an issue of the lack of punctuation marks, however, the author has dealt with the lining well.
My rating is 5 out of 5 stars! I was very impressed by the writing and the story itself. I don’t think there is anything negative to be said about the order, edit, or plot of this poetry collection. It is a powerful message, raising awareness of a significant issue.
I would recommend this book to every adult who loves a poetry collection, talking about an issue that is relevant everywhere around the world!

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3/5

PERSONAL OPINION AHEAD!
I honestly loved how it started. with the poem which was in a prose format "I Didn't Ask To Be Crazy". Speaks a lot for itself, but as this book gained velocity, it didn't pull me into it in one go. I felt as if my soul was being pulled out in pieces, and I found it hard to join back the pieces. I have always been into books which heavily talk about mental illness in a very raw format. I felt this book somehow had a diluted version. These pieces were beautifully expressed with melancholic undertones. I personally would recommend it to people who enjoy the subject more than the poetry itself.
This book left me wanting a little more of what was in there. Kudos to the author though! great work.

I would like to thank Netgalley for providing me the free copy in exchange of a review.

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Perhaps maybe my expectations were the reason I didn't like this as much as I was expecting too.

This collection of poems and personal essay centered around Bee's mental health issues.

Perhaps at the beginning I was expecting something deeply personal and devastating which I didn't get. While certainly this is a collection that has a lot of love and strength put into it, it didn't connect with me the way I expected.

My person favourite parts of the collection was "the night I burnt my suicide note" and "I am dying even though I'm alive." Perhaps this was because I related to these sections deeply and they reflected my own thoughts and feeling at times through my journey with mental illness.

With poetry and essays not everything resonates with everyone and I guess aside from those 2 nothing else did on a level that would have made me feel a type on kinship.

Though despite that, maybe from the perspective of someone who does not suffer from mental health issues this would make them feel different. As much as this is a personal and visceral piece if writing I can't help but feel that this was not meant for me. That doesn't mean that I would not recommend it though because I absolutely would.

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Thanks to Netgalley and BooksGoSocial for the ARC of this!

I don’t read a ton of poetry, but when I do I love to see if focus on things that I find very relatable, in this case mental health. The poet struggles with suicidal thoughts, which is not something I’ve ever dealt with, but I found it moving all the same. I enjoyed the essays most of all, because I sometimes struggle to read poetry, though I wish I enjoyed it more. Overall, I found this to be a moving collection that gave insight into the author’s struggles.

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This book is a collection of poetry and short essays about mental illness. The author shares her journey with bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder and PTSD through creativity and raw honesty. It is a collection designed to convey the message "you are not alone.” Though the book theme is dark and so is the severity one face when they’re in their darkest phase of life.
I can easily relate to each poem as I was reading I was going back to my own memory lane which is not always rainbow. In order to write about mental illness, the pain and experiences with suicidal thoughts takes so much strength and one need to be brave to convey your thoughts out in the wild.
This book is beautiful you need to read this.

Highly recommended.

Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

Thank you @netgalley and @booksgosocialgroup for the #drc in exchange for a honest review.

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“Queerness within me will not be subdued
My brown skin, my wild spirit, my sensuality
They exist for me and no other
My femininity exists in the wails of those before me
Ancestors who fought for my strength
For theirs”

Sadee Bee's poetry is powerful, lovely, and complex, spanning everything from grief and devastation to comfort and joy, all at once. Her poem titles are also one of my favorite parts of this work! I received a copy of this through Netgalley.

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The poems in this are heartbreakingly honestly and raw.

This book gets straight to the point. Showing you what goes through the mind of someone with a mental illness.

I picked this one up because I have family and friends with bipolar and/or bpd. And reading this did really help understand it better.

I think this should be read by more people. It lets you in. Shows you what's really going on. The fact she feels she has to hide her illness is just proof of how society deals with mental health. And something needs to change.

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Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read and review this book!

While one can tell how honest Sadee Bee is being in this collection, the poetry as a whole wasn’t for me. However, I really loved the short essays she included in this book and would read more of those.

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