I hope you enjoy my book review of “Unsaid” by Asmita Rajiv. I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review. Let me know what you thought of my review and what you thought of her book! We all see things differently, which makes it extra special when we’re able to see things similarly.
Unsaid: Book Review
Unsaid by Asmita Rajiv
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
“Some tease, provoke, entice. Some run away, some hide. A memoir of my thoughts…the ones that I could catch.” – Asmita Rajiv
Before I even read this book, I was drawn to the cover art. Although the pictures inside were quite different, the raw black drawings felt appropriate to a manuscript about our unspoken thoughts.
Asmita says early on that she chose to veer away from a clear organization, and I feel like it worked well for her. It is a mixture of short-form poetry paired with her artwork (reminiscent to Rupi Kaur), traditional poetry, and prose.
I can see why she named it “Unsaid,” but these also feel like conversations that we do have. It feels like the thoughts we think when we’re trying to break through into healing, like conversations full of vulnerability, and how we ache to share our ideas and breakthroughs with others.
“Unsaid” is for anyone that wants a word of encouragement sprinkled with understanding. I received an eARC, but I recommend a printed book so that you can take her suggestion at the beginning. Turn to a random page, and ask yourself what you think about the entry. Ask yourself how those words relate to your life right now. Maybe it will resonate, and maybe it won’t.
In her last letter to us, she accepts that we might disagree with her conclusions or have some of these same thoughts. For instance, in “Anatomy of a Thought,” I was reminded that laying our thoughts bare can take away some of their power, and some things are not better left unsaid.
Thank you, Asmita Rajiv, for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. I feel privileged to have read your words.