Depression & Other Magic Tricks

I cried when I saw her video on Facebook telling her mom about her depression. She gave voice to the insanity in my mind that I have trouble describing to non suffers. Amazing book, amazingly brave woman! Thank you!!

my grandmother says
heartache is
a hungry caterpillar
that must be fed
so it can grow
wings
& fly away
(“feed a fever, starve a cold”)

the girl gets carried away.
she is the sugar cube,
love is the cup of
darjeeling – she
dissolves,
faster
than
you
think
she
will.
(“magic trick 001”)

I’d never heard of Sabrina Benaim before spotting (and immediately downloading) a copy of her poetry book, DEPRESSION & OTHER MAGIC TRICKS, on NetGalley. Later I learned that a live reading of her poem “Explaining My Depression to My Mother” went viral a few years back, with over five million views on YouTube, reportedly making Benaim “one of the most-viewed performance poets of all time.” And indeed, it is awesome and lovely and well, well worth the hype.

Though “Explaining My Depression to My Mother” is indeed one of the fifty-three poems found in DEPRESSION & OTHER MAGIC TRICKS, you should definitely check out Benaim’s reading as well; her performance is brimming with frenetic, nervous energy that lends the poem an added sense of urgency. Anyone who has found themselves trying to explain the invisible, elusory monster that is depression to a non-believer will relate to lines like this:

mom says happy is a decision.

OR

mom says i am so good at making
something out of nothing,
and then flat out asks me if i am
afraid of dying.
no,
i am afraid of living.

After the sudden death of my husband earlier this year, I had to make my family understand just how bad my anxiety and depression had gotten in the years since I left home. Like, it was literally a matter of life and death. Survival. Luckily, everyone around me seems to understand what I mean when I say “depression” – thank pop culture or my younger sister, whose issues maybe paved the way for the revelation of mine – but “social anxiety” is a whole ‘nother mess. People hear “social anxiety” and think: Shyness. Introvert. Quiet. Loner. Misanthrope. What they don’t hear is “mental illness.” Drugs (maybe) and therapy (definitely) and professional help. “Explaining My Depression to My Mother” is heartbreaking and darkly funny and entirely too relatable, in more ways than I’d like.

Despite the collection’s title, not all of the poems explicitly focus on depression. Love, grief, parental estrangement, self-esteem, friendship – all make an appearance here, and why not? Life is a multi-faceted thing. Yet many, if not all, of the poems are tinged with an air of sadness, and why not? Depression sinks its poisonous tentacles into everything, it seems. It cannot be cornered or contained. It’s like that darned fog in Stephen King’s “The Mist.”

Aside from the obvious – birds of a feather, and all that jazz – I like DEPRESSION & OTHER MAGIC TRICKS for two reasons: I actually “got” most of the poems, and it’s feminist AF. In this way, it rather reminds me of another book of poetry, Amanda Lovelace’s THE PRINCESS SAVES HERSELF IN THIS ONE. If you enjoyed one, most likely you’ll dig the other.

File DEPRESSION & OTHER MAGIC TRICKS under “seven small ways in which i loved myself this week.”

** Full disclosure: I received a free electronic ARC through NetGalley. **

Because I have seen her most popular poem in the videos, I heard her voice throughout the book. Each word I read, just out at me from the pages. It felt like I was in the same room, listening to her talk. Listening to her depression. Listening to her magic tricks, and the words that pop. 

There are so many things about this poetry collection that spoke to me. It's just one of those things that blow you away and you don't know it until you find the poem that is exactly you.

This happened as I read 'the loneliest sweet potato'. I adored the repetition and each word hit me like a ton of bricks. At the end, each brick lifted as if they weren't heavy and the whole world floated away. I cried and I couldn't pick up the rest of the book. I had to let it sit for a while. 

Depression and Other Magic Tricks is Sabrina's debut book. For sure, I will be picking up another one by her. Outstanding.

Depression and Other Magic Truths is by Sabrina Benaim, Canadian poetess, spoken word and dance performer, she lives in Toronto. This superb debut poetry collection explores many truths surrounding the stigma of mental illness: depression is no longer a taboo topic, the many ways of coping and working through episodes, and most important, the path to recovery and wellness is possible.

Close to her mother, Benaim was concerned how she will talk to her: “explaining my depression to my mother”. In the darkness of her illness she fears death—not her own but her mother’s. Leaning on her mother for support she writes: “I am afraid of living/Mom, I am lonely/I think I learnt it when Dad left;/how to turn the anger into lonely/the lonely into busy…” Parental abandonment is difficult to deal with in any case, and was symbolized by an abandoned house.

In the poem “single” Benaim writes about her fondness for sweat pants, careless grooming habits, and avoidance of answering the phone. “the loneliest sweet potato” recalls going to the supermarket, the effort to hide her depression as she chooses her lemons and avocados, the effort it takes to appear like everyone else. “how to unfold a memory//the Kentucky heartbreak shuffle” is a telling longer autobiographical poem of rural country life: barrels of Kentucky Bourbon, cornmeal fried catfish, the street lamps, swings on the wrap around porches, the American Flags, and the sweltering heat.
It was surprising that the organized poetic sequences beginning with “magic trick 001” to the final “magic trick 005” deal with symbolism and creative metaphorical lyrics. Many of these verses feature an enjoyable lighter direction, away from the seriousness of depressive illness. The titles of most of the poems are usually featured in lower case: “so my friend tells me she identifies as a mermaid”- “on platonic love being the real thing”- seven small ways in which I loved myself this week” .

On occasion, Beyonce serves as a popular muse in modern (Millennial) poetry. Benaim’s poems that include Beyonce: “dear Beyonce” (I)- “dear Beyonce” (II). Previously, “There Are More Beautiful Things Than Beyonce” (2016) was a poetry release by Morgan Parker. Beyonce appeared on social media in her maternal glory over the summer (2017)-- inside a spectacular floral arch with her newborn “beybe” twins.
This thoughtful insightful collection is hopeful and encouraging, illustrating numerous ways Benaim faced her troubles and depressive symptoms—fortunately she wrote poetry, found love and happily recovered. **With thanks to Button Poetry/Exploding Pinecone Press via NetGalley for the direct e-copy for the purpose of review.

This collection was all right, but I found it to be just a bit disappointing. I had heard a little bit about Sabrina Benaim prior to picking this up, so I was quite eager to experience her work. However, though I did enjoy it to some extent, this collection wasn’t quite as good I was expecting it to be. The poems themselves were quality—Benaim has quite a talent for expressing herself in a vivid way, and speaks intelligently on many subjects that can be difficult to fully comprehend. However, while I did enjoy this collection, it did not click with me in the way I would have liked. Her writing style did not flow overly well for me so I never quite got fully into it.

I thought Benaim’s way of tapping into and clearly conveying her feelings was very good, and it was easy to connect to her and feel her emotions on a deep level. Despite my feelings on the collection overall, I could definitely see how raw and poignant her words were. These poems deal with many of Benaim’s personal experiences in her life so far, and sheds some light on her experience with depression—a great way to help open minds on the subject of mental illness. I wish I had enjoyed it a bit more, but overall, I think this is a beautiful collection that many readers will love and relate to.

When I asked Netgalley and Button Poetry to read and review Depression and Other Magic Tricks, I was unaware that it was by the performance poet who so exquisitely spoke of her depression in "Explaining My Depression to My Mother".

Sabrina Benaim openly share her thoughts, feelings, and keen words with us on many things in this book of poetry. This is life, and love, this is reality; and she alternately wants to embrace them, rest in them, do battle with them, hide from them. This author has guts, and is very brave in her vulnerability.

I feel for this young woman; I have at times been this young woman. I wish her well. I would also wish her freedom from fear and pain and anxiety, but have learned through the years that this would be freedom from the complex wonder of life, and life is to be celebrated for it is a magnificent journey.

Many thanks to Ms. Benaim, Netgalley and Button Poetry for allowing me to review this clever slice of life

poetry and i usually don't mix / we repel like opposing ions / my synapses don't fire / when sparked by verse / however / a flame was lit at the start / kindled by depression and anxiety / yet heartbreak's oxygen did not fan the flames / satisfied yet / desiring more like / 'explaining my depression to my mother' / a conversation'

i don't know sabrina benaim / never heard her voice / yet depression and i are old buddies / we dance around each other / and make somber music / in the dark recesses of my mind / we love yet hate / one another but / we continue our duet

at times i am sure my getaway car / has obscured my shadow in dust / then i turn the corner / and the sunlight causes me / to glance behind with horror / my shadow has grown large / absorbing the light / and creeps closer / as it follows / sabrina you exhale with eloquence / shine light upon the dark / adjust focus so we can see / the hope depression conceals

anxiety can pick me / out of a line up / loneliness of knowing / in a crowded room / i'm the only one / from my tribe / despair at lack / of understanding / treated like a curiosity / different / not enough

heartbreak / a foreign land / i am an alien there / yet made clear / by hearing sabrina

dark / depression / loneliness / heartbreak / anxiety / despair / swirl into one / flood of emotion / aching / desert of nothingness / numbness / muddy clay that distorts / yet resilience / hope / light

gratitude / netgalley / gratitude / button poetry / gratitude / independent book publishers association / lasting impression / set aside other words / drink in this offering / to be returned to again / and again / to sip / to guzzle / to absorb / no regrets

"is it just easier to look at yourself in the mirror if you are not human?"

I've never read Sabrina Benaim's writing before, but the title and cover of this poetry compilation caught my eye in a bookstore and convinced me to sit down and read it on the spot. What I found inside was a series of achingly real, often melodramatic, but always sincere poems that adopt a unique style and voice that I (think) worked really well for the content.

"Depression & Other Magic Tricks" is partly a self-assessment / illustration of Benaim's own life with depression and anxiety and part bittersweet reflection on romantic relationships. The two themes intermingle more often than not, and when Benaim finds ways to bridge the gaps between them her poetry is at its most striking. Her wordplay is surprising in its poignancy, and some of the metaphors and images that she employs are so stunning that they force you to slow down just to unpack them.

As someone who also lives alongside various mental health issues, Benaim's illustrations skirt the line between hyperbole and honesty with a care and finesse I greatly appreciated. For a series of poems that are deeply personal to Benaim and her experiences, she nevertheless does a wonderful job at conveying them in ways that allow them to retain their personality while also being easily relatable to an outside perspective.

The more relational poetry, however, lacked some of the distinctive "punch" that made her other poems work so well for me. Again, Benaim's language is fluid and full of imagery, but the relational narratives she goes into can feel a bit too familiar. This familiarity is magnified by the repetitive structure of Benaim's poetry, which usually serves to emphasize the monotony of dealing with mental health issues, but sometimes overstays its welcome and drifts into a more melodramatic, stream-of-consciousness style that didn't work for me as well as I wanted it to.

Still, for a relatively brief compilation, Benaim's "Depression & Other Magic Tricks" is a stirring and unique poetry debut that I have no qualms about recommending. Benaim has a distinct and refreshing poetic style that aptly captures the evocative, emotional complexity of mental health and its impact on life and relationships. Even though it sometimes strays a bit too far into self-indulgence, this remains an impressive debut from a writer I very much hope to read more from in the near future.

3.5/5

my grandmother says
heartache is
a hungry caterpillar
that must be fed
so it can grow
wings
& fly away
(“feed a fever, starve a cold”)

the girl gets carried away.
she is the sugar cube,
love is the cup of
darjeeling – she
dissolves,
faster
than
you
think
she
will.
(“magic trick 001”)

I’d never heard of Sabrina Benaim before spotting (and immediately downloading) a copy of her poetry book, DEPRESSION & OTHER MAGIC TRICKS, on NetGalley. Later I learned that a live reading of her poem “Explaining My Depression to My Mother” went viral a few years back, with over five million views on YouTube, reportedly making Benaim “one of the most-viewed performance poets of all time.” And indeed, it is awesome and lovely and well, well worth the hype.

Though “Explaining My Depression to My Mother” is indeed one of the fifty-three poems found in DEPRESSION & OTHER MAGIC TRICKS, you should definitely check out Benaim’s reading as well; her performance is brimming with frenetic, nervous energy that lends the poem an added sense of urgency. Anyone who has found themselves trying to explain the invisible, elusory monster that is depression to a non-believer will relate to lines like this:

mom says happy is a decision.

OR

mom says i am so good at making
something out of nothing,
and then flat out asks me if i am
afraid of dying.
no,
i am afraid of living.

After the sudden death of my husband earlier this year, I had to make my family understand just how bad my anxiety and depression had gotten in the years since I left home. Like, it was literally a matter of life and death. Survival. Luckily, everyone around me seems to understand what I mean when I say “depression” – thank pop culture or my younger sister, whose issues maybe paved the way for the revelation of mine – but “social anxiety” is a whole ‘nother mess. People hear “social anxiety” and think: Shyness. Introvert. Quiet. Loner. Misanthrope. What they don’t hear is “mental illness.” Drugs (maybe) and therapy (definitely) and professional help. “Explaining My Depression to My Mother” is heartbreaking and darkly funny and entirely too relatable, in more ways than I’d like.

Despite the collection’s title, not all of the poems explicitly focus on depression. Love, grief, parental estrangement, self-esteem, friendship – all make an appearance here, and why not? Life is a multi-faceted thing. Yet many, if not all, of the poems are tinged with an air of sadness, and why not? Depression sinks its poisonous tentacles into everything, it seems. It cannot be cornered or contained. It’s like that darned fog in Stephen King’s “The Mist.”

Aside from the obvious – birds of a feather, and all that jazz – I like DEPRESSION & OTHER MAGIC TRICKS for two reasons: I actually “got” most of the poems, and it’s feminist AF. In this way, it rather reminds me of another book of poetry, Amanda Lovelace’s THE PRINCESS SAVES HERSELF IN THIS ONE. If you enjoyed one, most likely you’ll dig the other.

File DEPRESSION & OTHER MAGIC TRICKS under “seven small ways in which i loved myself this week.”

** Full disclosure: I received a free electronic ARC through NetGalley. **

Because I have seen her most popular poem in the videos, I heard her voice throughout the book. Each word I read, just out at me from the pages. It felt like I was in the same room, listening to her talk. Listening to her depression. Listening to her magic tricks, and the words that pop. 

There are so many things about this poetry collection that spoke to me. It's just one of those things that blow you away and you don't know it until you find the poem that is exactly you.

This happened as I read 'the loneliest sweet potato'. I adored the repetition and each word hit me like a ton of bricks. At the end, each brick lifted as if they weren't heavy and the whole world floated away. I cried and I couldn't pick up the rest of the book. I had to let it sit for a while. 

Depression and Other Magic Tricks is Sabrina's debut book. For sure, I will be picking up another one by her. Outstanding.

Depression and Other Magic Truths is by Sabrina Benaim, Canadian poetess, spoken word and dance performer, she lives in Toronto. This superb debut poetry collection explores many truths surrounding the stigma of mental illness: depression is no longer a taboo topic, the many ways of coping and working through episodes, and most important, the path to recovery and wellness is possible.

Close to her mother, Benaim was concerned how she will talk to her: “explaining my depression to my mother”. In the darkness of her illness she fears death—not her own but her mother’s. Leaning on her mother for support she writes: “I am afraid of living/Mom, I am lonely/I think I learnt it when Dad left;/how to turn the anger into lonely/the lonely into busy…” Parental abandonment is difficult to deal with in any case, and was symbolized by an abandoned house.

In the poem “single” Benaim writes about her fondness for sweat pants, careless grooming habits, and avoidance of answering the phone. “the loneliest sweet potato” recalls going to the supermarket, the effort to hide her depression as she chooses her lemons and avocados, the effort it takes to appear like everyone else. “how to unfold a memory//the Kentucky heartbreak shuffle” is a telling longer autobiographical poem of rural country life: barrels of Kentucky Bourbon, cornmeal fried catfish, the street lamps, swings on the wrap around porches, the American Flags, and the sweltering heat.
It was surprising that the organized poetic sequences beginning with “magic trick 001” to the final “magic trick 005” deal with symbolism and creative metaphorical lyrics. Many of these verses feature an enjoyable lighter direction, away from the seriousness of depressive illness. The titles of most of the poems are usually featured in lower case: “so my friend tells me she identifies as a mermaid”- “on platonic love being the real thing”- seven small ways in which I loved myself this week” .

On occasion, Beyonce serves as a popular muse in modern (Millennial) poetry. Benaim’s poems that include Beyonce: “dear Beyonce” (I)- “dear Beyonce” (II). Previously, “There Are More Beautiful Things Than Beyonce” (2016) was a poetry release by Morgan Parker. Beyonce appeared on social media in her maternal glory over the summer (2017)-- inside a spectacular floral arch with her newborn “beybe” twins.
This thoughtful insightful collection is hopeful and encouraging, illustrating numerous ways Benaim faced her troubles and depressive symptoms—fortunately she wrote poetry, found love and happily recovered. **With thanks to Button Poetry/Exploding Pinecone Press via NetGalley for the direct e-copy for the purpose of review.

This collection was all right, but I found it to be just a bit disappointing. I had heard a little bit about Sabrina Benaim prior to picking this up, so I was quite eager to experience her work. However, though I did enjoy it to some extent, this collection wasn’t quite as good I was expecting it to be. The poems themselves were quality—Benaim has quite a talent for expressing herself in a vivid way, and speaks intelligently on many subjects that can be difficult to fully comprehend. However, while I did enjoy this collection, it did not click with me in the way I would have liked. Her writing style did not flow overly well for me so I never quite got fully into it.

I thought Benaim’s way of tapping into and clearly conveying her feelings was very good, and it was easy to connect to her and feel her emotions on a deep level. Despite my feelings on the collection overall, I could definitely see how raw and poignant her words were. These poems deal with many of Benaim’s personal experiences in her life so far, and sheds some light on her experience with depression—a great way to help open minds on the subject of mental illness. I wish I had enjoyed it a bit more, but overall, I think this is a beautiful collection that many readers will love and relate to.

When I asked Netgalley and Button Poetry to read and review Depression and Other Magic Tricks, I was unaware that it was by the performance poet who so exquisitely spoke of her depression in "Explaining My Depression to My Mother".

Sabrina Benaim openly share her thoughts, feelings, and keen words with us on many things in this book of poetry. This is life, and love, this is reality; and she alternately wants to embrace them, rest in them, do battle with them, hide from them. This author has guts, and is very brave in her vulnerability.

I feel for this young woman; I have at times been this young woman. I wish her well. I would also wish her freedom from fear and pain and anxiety, but have learned through the years that this would be freedom from the complex wonder of life, and life is to be celebrated for it is a magnificent journey.

Many thanks to Ms. Benaim, Netgalley and Button Poetry for allowing me to review this clever slice of life

poetry and i usually don't mix / we repel like opposing ions / my synapses don't fire / when sparked by verse / however / a flame was lit at the start / kindled by depression and anxiety / yet heartbreak's oxygen did not fan the flames / satisfied yet / desiring more like / 'explaining my depression to my mother' / a conversation'

i don't know sabrina benaim / never heard her voice / yet depression and i are old buddies / we dance around each other / and make somber music / in the dark recesses of my mind / we love yet hate / one another but / we continue our duet

at times i am sure my getaway car / has obscured my shadow in dust / then i turn the corner / and the sunlight causes me / to glance behind with horror / my shadow has grown large / absorbing the light / and creeps closer / as it follows / sabrina you exhale with eloquence / shine light upon the dark / adjust focus so we can see / the hope depression conceals

anxiety can pick me / out of a line up / loneliness of knowing / in a crowded room / i'm the only one / from my tribe / despair at lack / of understanding / treated like a curiosity / different / not enough

heartbreak / a foreign land / i am an alien there / yet made clear / by hearing sabrina

dark / depression / loneliness / heartbreak / anxiety / despair / swirl into one / flood of emotion / aching / desert of nothingness / numbness / muddy clay that distorts / yet resilience / hope / light

gratitude / netgalley / gratitude / button poetry / gratitude / independent book publishers association / lasting impression / set aside other words / drink in this offering / to be returned to again / and again / to sip / to guzzle / to absorb / no regrets

"is it just easier to look at yourself in the mirror if you are not human?"

I've never read Sabrina Benaim's writing before, but the title and cover of this poetry compilation caught my eye in a bookstore and convinced me to sit down and read it on the spot. What I found inside was a series of achingly real, often melodramatic, but always sincere poems that adopt a unique style and voice that I (think) worked really well for the content.

"Depression & Other Magic Tricks" is partly a self-assessment / illustration of Benaim's own life with depression and anxiety and part bittersweet reflection on romantic relationships. The two themes intermingle more often than not, and when Benaim finds ways to bridge the gaps between them her poetry is at its most striking. Her wordplay is surprising in its poignancy, and some of the metaphors and images that she employs are so stunning that they force you to slow down just to unpack them.

As someone who also lives alongside various mental health issues, Benaim's illustrations skirt the line between hyperbole and honesty with a care and finesse I greatly appreciated. For a series of poems that are deeply personal to Benaim and her experiences, she nevertheless does a wonderful job at conveying them in ways that allow them to retain their personality while also being easily relatable to an outside perspective.

The more relational poetry, however, lacked some of the distinctive "punch" that made her other poems work so well for me. Again, Benaim's language is fluid and full of imagery, but the relational narratives she goes into can feel a bit too familiar. This familiarity is magnified by the repetitive structure of Benaim's poetry, which usually serves to emphasize the monotony of dealing with mental health issues, but sometimes overstays its welcome and drifts into a more melodramatic, stream-of-consciousness style that didn't work for me as well as I wanted it to.

Still, for a relatively brief compilation, Benaim's "Depression & Other Magic Tricks" is a stirring and unique poetry debut that I have no qualms about recommending. Benaim has a distinct and refreshing poetic style that aptly captures the evocative, emotional complexity of mental health and its impact on life and relationships. Even though it sometimes strays a bit too far into self-indulgence, this remains an impressive debut from a writer I very much hope to read more from in the near future.

3.5/5

Depression & Other Magic Tricks by Sabrina Benaim is a powerful book of words. The themes of this book deal with mental health, love, and family. Her way of twisting words is a talent. The first time I head of Sabrina was her poem, 'Explaining My Depression to My Mother' on YouTube. Her ability to perform her poetry is only a part of her art because I enjoy reading this book as much as I enjoy her performing them. The formatting of the book helps to know how to read it.

One of my favorite lines is from the poem (i) and it goes 'we were no full moon. in my poems you are the dream of you. the falling stars are just glitter just thousands of tiny LED lights.' Because of all the great play on words, the picture it paints, just over a good read. Other poems book I enjoyed was 'on releasing light' and 'so my friend tells me she identifies as a mermaid...'
Overall this book was a meaningful read, that I had to keep reading, because of the beautiful writing.
(I was giving this book through NetGalley for an honest review.)

Sometimes I need beautiful, empathizing words to help me process my mood when life goes a bit haywire. Poetry collection: Depression & Other Magic Tricks was glowing on my computer screen looking for reviewers so I took it as a sign that it was meant to be. As is typical with any art form, I found myself connecting with some of Sabrina Benaim's poems more than others but they were all very good. My favorites include Explaining My Depression To My Mother, Girl Beside You, A Plain Truth, How to Fold a Memory, The Other Side of a Memory, On Releasing Light, Poem From Last August California Trip//Yearly Maintenance, Girl Behind You, and Seven Small Ways in Which I Loved Myself This Week. This collection discusses themes related to mood, mental health, family, relationships, and self-care. The about the author section indicates Ms. Benaim is seasoned in the art of poetry slam, a type of performance poetry, and I could visualize voice and movement for many of these poems. I personally have never heard of Sabrina Benaim before but I now have a new writer of beautiful words to keep an eye out for!

Thank you to the following for permitting me access to an advance reader's copy (ARC) of Depression & Other Magic Tricks. This generosity did not impact my honesty when rating/reviewing.
Source: NetGalley
Author: Sabrina Benaim
Publisher: Button Poetry, Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA)
Pub Date: 22 Aug 2017
Genre: Health, Mind & Body, Poetry

Depression & Other Magic Tricks is versatile, beautiful and profound. Sabrina Benaim writes about difficult topics and life in an open and honest way. She describes what it's like to have mental health problems and her poetry about depression is fantastic. It's impressive, understandable and not too heavy. It felt like I was allowed to see what it's like to be in Sabrina Benaim's head, which is an incredible precious gift to offer. She also writes about love and family, two universal topics she approaches in a gorgeous genuine way.

The poems in Depression & Other Magic Tricks are all different in structure, composition and rhythm, which is something I loved. The poems are moving, compelling and inspiring. Sabrina Benaim has a brilliant way with words. I love how she plays with them and she managed to keep surprising me over and over again. Her sentences are stunning and they often took my breath away. Depression & Other Magic Tricks is a fascinating and extraordinary collection of poems and I highly recommend it.

I have received this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I had read that this book was a collection of poems about depression, love and heartbreak, and normally I don’t love poetry much, so I hesitated for a long time before getting it. Still, I’d forgotten it was a poem collection when I got this book in Netgalley, and the first poem threw me off: I’m not a fan of modern-looking poems which read like a stream of thoughts, stressful and not entirely constructed to make sense to a reader outside of the author’s head. So I glared a bit at the book and mentally scowled at myself for having gotten it. Then I kept turning pages.

And turning pages, and turning pages. The poems changed and, while the first is still my least favorite one, I started to enjoy them. Sabrina speaks in soft, quiet verses, stirring your emotions ever so slowly. My heart broke at her poem “explaining depression to my mother“.

mom,
my depression is a shape shifter;
one day it is as small as a firefly in the palm of a bear,
the next, it’s the bear.
those days i play dead until the bear leaves me alone.

The truth in these verses hit me like a soft-spoken acknowledgement. From then on, this book and I understood each other a thousand times better, and I came to love this poem best, followed by untitled (i) and untitled (ii). I don’t love the Beyoncé parts, but that’s okay. The poems in the middle of the book are my favorites, and I feel the urge to buy this to read more quietly and patiently.

I wanted to make these poems last, and I wanted to devour them. So I took several breaks to ponder and listen to instrumental music, and even then the book didn’t take more than half an afternoon to read.

This book has a sadness to it, but it’s not inherently sad itself. It’s just very emotional.

Trigger warnings: depression, anxiety.

Taking advantage of a rainy day, I began this anthology with high expectations. Now, Benaim's spoken poetry is memorable - her strong voice brims with raw emotion and honesty. It's distinguishable, but where it might have played strongly as spoken poetry, it fell flat as written poetry. Many of the poems didn't seem to fit the title of its collection. I was confused because a few felt under-developed.

However, I won't say this for all of her poems because I enjoyed follow-up a prayer / a spell, an ode to sunday, first date, and seven small ways in which i loved myself this week. Individually, these poems really shine through and leave their mark.

I am not sure how I had not heard of Sabrina Benaim previously, but this was my first experience with her work. I am looking forward to more from her! These poems were really raw and heartfelt. There were many that spoke to me about anxiety and depression. I would recommend this collection to anyone who enjoys modern poetry and especially those who struggle with depression or who want to better understand those who do.

* Thank you to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for providing a digital copy in exchange for an honest review.*

Depression and Other Magic Tricks is a poetry collection about how depression intersects with personal life, especially with love. It is a very personal collection, the poems are an honest recollection of living with mental illness. Sabrina writes about everyday tasks and heartbreak, talking with family and health professionals. Many of her experiences resonate so much with me.

It's a beautiful and incredible book that you definitely should check out.

*Got from Netgally to review*

I read this book in one sitting, even when I hadn't planned on reading much at all. I was just going to read a poem or two to see how I felt about the book. I was sucked right in. The poems are touching, heartbreaking, and hard to read at times, because I relate to them so much. The poem about explaining depression to your mother really resonated with me.

The writing style is different if you do not read a lot of poetry. I could feel the emotion and pain behind the words, even for the poems I could not personally understand.

Beautifully written.

I kept on feeling like she was speaking about something very heart felt to her, but that I had to be there to truly appreciate it. I felt left out reading most of the poetry. There was 1 poem however that REALLY touched me and felt like she was talking directly to me. All-in-all it was a good read. The author is very descriptive in an imaginative way. It reminds me a lot of a Tori Amos song. Enjoy!

*I received this book from NetGally in exchange for an honest review.

If you struggle with depression or know someone who does, this book is for you! I was aware of Benaim through some of her performance poetry videos and she has somehow given the same amazingly real voice to the struggle with depression in this book. Benaim writes beautifully and truthfully from her soul. I am definitely recommending this book and am planning on buying a hardcopy for myself even though I already have an ebook of it!

I absolutely loved reading this book and definitely plan on buying my own copy in the near future. I found myself relating to most of the pieces in this collection especially with the struggle of depression and anxiety and the difficulties that come along with psychological issues. I cannot wait to pick up my physical copy of this book.. I already look forward to rereading this.

I loved this book! Struggling with depression and Anxiety myself, her
book was easy to read and something I could relate to. This book is
a treasure, one that I would feel good about giving to a friend as a gift!

I have long since loved Sabrina's poem "Explaining My Depression to My Mother", but this book made me fall even more in love with how she is able to describe such heavy topics as depression & anxiety with such grace and eloquence. This book really resounded with me.

Absolutely adored the book. Benaim's style is very modern and quirky, but positively wonderful. Ignore the bad reviews. This book is raw and funny and comforting and literary genius all in one. A big thank you to Sabrina for putting this out into the world!

At times bleak and dark, at times hopeful, somewhat adolescent at points, but entirely universal and relatable. The jewel was the piece where Benaim attempted to describe her depression to her mother - so achingly honest and real and sad.

*Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC, provided by the author and/or the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I’m not sensitive I’m highly succeptable to feeling a lot.. everything, she is brilliant. I searche specifically for her work 1 left at the book store....searching for her when where does she do readings ?? Anyone know ??

This is my first time reading a book/ poetry by this author. I received an ecopy through NetGalley. The cover intrigued me. The poetry in this book was different than what I am use to. Some of them really made me think and I enjoyed them, and others I couldn’t really get a grasp of the emotion I felt I needed to be able to fully enjoy the poetry.

I pre-ordered this book and waited anxiously for months for this to come, because I had seen the "explaining my depression to my mother" video online and thought the rest of the book would be just as good as that, but unfortunately its not. This book has text all over the place making it hard to read, and its very incoherent. It seems like everything is very random, in my opinion.

I am very disappointed with this book. I read about half of it. As another writer stated, it's very incoherent and just doesn't make sense. Very confusing and not a good read at all. I only bought it because I liked the poem about explaining depression to mom, I felt like I related to that one a lot. So I was expecting to be able to relate to a lot of the poems and "be in my feels". But everything was very disappointing and meaningless to me. Not what I expected at all.

This is high school level writing, I cannot stress enough how distraught I am that other aspiring poets don't get any recognition but Benaim is allowed to charge this amount for a book this unpolished, untrained, and uninspired.