Book Review: She

She (used to refer to a woman, or girl) is a book of poetry by Natasha MacFarlane.  I discovered Natasha quite recently when she was featured on Housewife Hustle‘s Follow Friday.

The book is a story of She and her struggle with mental illness demons, told in poetic form.  It covers a number of common themes that occur in mental illness, including the relentless attack of inner demons while a mask shows a very different picture to the outside world.  It also touches on going through the daily routine all while faking it, hating the reflection in the mirror, and self-loathing.

Some lines I particularly liked:

“As she wiped her tears from her cheek,
​The ink appeared on her paper,
​For when she cried, her heart spoke, ​
And her tears became her book.”

“Fear the women who stand in front of the gates of hell and smile”

While She has faced a very long journey with her mental illness, She finds the strength to keep challenging the demons, even though at times they seem too strong for her.  I liked how that strength was intermingled with the difficult parts of the story.

I really liked the closing note from the author:

“Whatever your battles are, fight them with all your might. You are stronger than whatever haunts you.”

You can find Natasha on her blog Thoughts with N .

She is available on Amazon.  10% of proceeds are donated to the Manitoba Mood Disorders Association.

You can find my other book reviews here.

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