History of Present Complaint by H.L.R

SYNOPSIS

After a traumatic psychotic episode, a nameless young woman recounts past psychiatric crises in an attempt to make sense of her present and fight for her future.

A genre-defying debut collection of prosetry, History of Present Complaint reveals the devastating reality of living with chronic mental illness. HLR writes of the human experience in her distinctive style: knock-out blows of blistering truths are tempered with shots of sardonic British humour, and the lines between fact and fiction, safety and danger, sanity and insanity are blurred beyond recognition through her bold poetry and sharp prose. History of Present Complaint is a damning depiction of under-funded mental health services and serves a vital role in giving a voice to the voiceless, shining a light on the darkest corners of the human condition and forcing the reader to see what has been there all along.

REVIEW

Despite how short this piece is, it presents a deep and resounding gravitas that leaves you speechless.

Weirdly enough, I do know a little bit about this topic about mental health and the strain that there is on the services provided. I studied about it in a criminology class at university and it left a mark on how little was being done for such an important part of all our wellbeing. But HLR struck that cord differently. Instead, flipping roles where alternatively you are the one experiencing mental health in a broken system, rather than being the onlooker being told of the situation. You are in the driver's seat.

This is truly a powerful piece which not only looks at how we treat those with mental health but society around us. It is more important than ever to have some form of empathy and understanding as to what people are going through mentally. It is an incredible source to look over again and again, whether it be for yourself or for someone else.

The difference that this piece has is that it portrays a story within poetry itself. Anyone of any age or capability would not just be able to follow it but figure out their own feelings towards the system. It is universal.

I think that this is a piece that I will take with me everywhere I go. It's indeed a hard topic but it's an important one that makes it truly special.

RATING: **** (FOUR STARS)

BUY LINKS

Amazon: History of Present Complaint: Amazon.co.uk: R, HL, Douglas, Craig: 9798703799475: Books

Comments

Blog Tour: The Beast Hunters Dark Sovereign by Christer Lende

REVIEW So we are back in the world of the Beast Hunters for a sophomore instalment where we see Ara, Khendric and Topper back on another adventure. But this time with a difference. Instead of the world building from the previous book, we get to delve into a mystery with darkness starting to make pace in the background. We meet new characters, some good and some not so much. Not only do we have the overarching themes of beasts but also political intrigue and secretive plots. It is far more intricate than the previous instalment where the characters are making decisive and confident choices. Especially for our fave apprentice, Ara. If you want to get away from the current world affairs, this book will serve as an escape from reality. What these last two books do remind me of however, is a tv show. Why I say this is because it felt kind of episodic but they both have reinvented themselves with different themes. I found this to be quite good actually. This is because it feels l...

Why?

Hey guys. I bet you are probably wondering what is happening, especially as there was such a big week last time. Well to start I am becoming more busy than ever. I have a huge amount of revision that needs to be going on. This is why I have now decided that from next week, the new post day will happen on a Saturday. I am only doing it so it is more convenient for myself and maybe I will be able to provide much more content. Obviously the only reason why I may not strictly keep to this day for posting though, is if there is a specific blog tour or an interview which I feel is too important to miss. So for the time being I wish you a nice week, and I will be seeing all of you on the new posting day next Saturday. Where we will start with the posts with a bang. Including a review for a Dan Brown book and more content to see! So if you don't hear from me in a while, it doesn't mean that I'm dead... I just means that I am renovating the experience for you on my blog! C...

Sounds Like Love by Ashley Poston

It’s been a while since I’ve really enjoyed a romance book but I have found that Ashley Poston, Queen that she forever will be, has got me out of that rut. This time with her newest work, Sounds Like Love. If I’m being honest I wasn’t so sure at first whether I would like the concept of someone listening into your thoughts. But the more that I read on, I changed my mind. By the way that it was written and handled was perfect. It gave that fantasy element but still grounded in that sense of reality. I should have never doubted the process after all! Sounds Like Love follows two main characters, Sebastian and Joni. Both in the music industry and both experiencing a difficult period in their lives, be it personal or professional. At first, I was not sure how the two MCs who gel, but the fantasy element of the book really helped drive their relationship. It kind of reminded me of that film with Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore, Music and Lyrics. But better. There aren’t really any ...

Birthday Talk!

Hello. I'm finally back! As some people may already know, I was unable to post last week. To be straight up and honest, it was because of the fact that I had a lot of exams to revise for this week. Which I am now glad to officially announce that I have to only face one left. There was also a big momentous occasion that took place this Thursday. It was my 18th birthday at last. So to celebrate this, I want to show you all the relevant cake that I had received from my Auntie, which she actually made herself. All the credit goes to her! I know that you cannot really read the text from the picture, but from what I have analysed (yes, using those fancy words!) it is a diary of Annie, Darren Shan's younger sister in the Saga of Darren Shan. Which, for those people who know me very well, I love this series and have read it over five times. The best story to contribute in celebrating me turning an adult! The smell of the cake is absolutely amazing...

The Fabulous Kiera Cass's Books!

Hey! I'm Kiki and my main objective for this blog is to go through with you, the reader, the books I am reading- as well as giving those tough old criticisms. Of course, if you have already scrutinised this blog quite a lot already, you would already know that this is true. So far I have read 20 books during this year. Yeah, I know not as much as the book tubers which on average they read 100 each year. But I'm not perfect- I'm only human! So who will be my first victim I see? I'm only joking! The first author who will be under my scrutiny will be the delightful and funny Kiera Cass with her entries including The Selection, The Elite and The One. Here we go... Genre : Dystopian Romance The Selection!- 3 stars The Criticisms! Throughout the whole of this book there was little going on. Probably because of the fact that there is two more books afterwards, and Kiera is trying to prolong the time when the action actually does happen, which is probably so then...