Publication date: 27 Mar 2018
Published by: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Genres: Poetry
From celebrated Lebanese-Canadian poet and speaker, Najwa Zebian, comes this revised and expanded edition of her debut collection.
Mind Platter is a compilation of reflections on life as seen through the eyes of an educator, student, and human who experienced her early days in silence. It is written in the words of a woman who came from Lebanon to Canada at the age of sixteen and experienced what it was like to have fate push her to a place where she didn't belong. It is written in the voice of every person who has felt unheard, mistreated, misjudged, or unseen. The book contains over 200 one-page reflections on topics we encounter in our everyday lives: love, friendship, hurt, inspiration, respect, motivation, integrity, honesty, and more. Mind Platter is not about the words it contains, but what the reader makes of them. May this book give a voice to those who need one, be a crying shoulder for those who yearn for someone to listen, and inspire those who need a reminder of the power they have over their lives.
My Thoughts
This book was a bit of a shot in the dark. I had never heard of the author before and when I requested the book there was only two reviews one giving the book 1 star and the other giving the book 5 stars. So I went into this book having no idea what I would think of it. In fortunately this book was not my cup of tea.
What really put me off was the format. Every poem was in a paragraph form as if they were philosophical thoughts they she had written down. I know lots of people loved this style but it meant that every page looked the same and gave the book a bit of a dull format.
Also I didn't think this book was particularly beautifully worded. It felt like something you would say off the top of your head to your mate. This obviously worked for the relatability for some but again made the book feel dull
In conclusion, I feel in part I went into this book expecting it to blow my mind, so I had far too high expectations. For that reason while I am giving this book 2 stars I think that it was me not the book. We just didn't gel.
*This book was given to me for free by netgalley in return for an honest review, therefore this doesn't effect my opinion*
