Review - If You Feel to Much by Jamie Tworkowski

Series: Standalone

Genre: Nonfiction/Memoir 

Source: Purchased 

Published - May 2015 

Hardcover - 208pgs

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Rating: 5/5

If You Feel Too Much is a celebration of hope, wonder, and what it means to be human. From personal stories of struggling on days most people celebrate to words of strength and encouragement in moments of loss, the essays in this book invite readers to believe that it’s okay to admit to pain and okay to ask for help. If You Feel Too Much is an important book from one of this generation’s most important voices.

I'm a beginner when it comes to poetry, but I think that works well for this book since it isn't strictly poetry or memoir. It’s a little bit of everything. Jamie is experimenting with writing, essays and poetry. Really he just writes down his thoughts and tries to make sense of the world and it is often quite moving. He recounts many instances of love and loss from the past ten years throughout this collection. He is a light in the darkness and I need that sometimes.

In 2016 I saw Jamie speak twice in person and I watched a broadcast of one of his talks online. He is a warm lovely person which he conveys so well through this work. I love it. I cried. I laughed. My heart was heavy and my spirit was uplifted. Jamie's words just speak to my soul and helped me a lot over the past year.

I'm biased because TWOLHA is an organization I love and one which Jamie helped form. I really enjoyed this book. The writing can be incoherent if you don't know what prompted the particular essay which is my only complaint. Overall, I would highly recommend this book.