A review by karis_dl
How to Cure a Ghost by Fariha Róisín

fast-paced

2.0

I’ve seen a lot of talk about this poetry collection so I understand that my take on this might be a bit hot, but I didn’t really like it. I think the themes that Róisín touches on are interesting and important, themes like loss, identity, familial relationships, inherited trauma, racism, etc. However, the writing itself was not engaging, exciting, or moving to me. It very much feels like Instagram or tumblr poetry that’s begging to be reposted. Maybe I’m being too harsh but I found the collection to be repetitive and redundant. I understand that the author is working through these concepts but the writing feels stagnant. I did find it interesting to compare how she write about her father with empathy versus how she speaks about her mother with a very complicated tension. But other than that her use of both language and form felt uninspired to me. I think the best thing about this book is that it is physically quite enjoyable —the size, the use of colour on the pages and the ink, as well as the accompanying illustrations throughout. Other than that it’s just not for me.