Official Review: Mind Your Head by Jordan Cosmo
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Official Review: Mind Your Head by Jordan Cosmo
[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Mind Your Head" by Jordan Cosmo.]
4 out of 4 stars
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In Mind Your Head, the author, Jordan Cosmo, bares her soul to the readers. In an early age, Jordan along with her four siblings had to move to America to support their dad's vision of becoming a missionary professor at a Bible college in Portugal. Jordan was not too excited about this move as she did not want to leave her friends. However, there was nothing that she could do about it. Since their move to Portugal, their life remained far from a bed of roses. Apart from the language barrier, there were many social and cultural differences. Jordan was struggling to fit in this new environment, but things were more complex than just a geographical change. She had never felt like a typical girl and had always been a tomboy, but with time, she realized that this was more than just an urge to dress up like boys. She found herself attracted to girls and not boys. Being raised in a typical Christian family, who believed that homosexual relationships are a sin, Jordan kept thinking of ways to "convert" herself into a heterosexual. Failing in her attempts to change the way she felt in her heart, she drowned herself in the well of self-hatred and low self-esteem.
Mind Your Head is more than a memoir of Jordan's life. This book reflects on the age old beliefs and convictions. There are so many contradicting opinions in our religions that, at times, it becomes hard to justify these with logic. Although the roots of Christianity were deep buried in her heart, she failed to present her case to anyone who defeated her faith with logic. Nevertheless, the fear of not receiving salvation made her give up on her love relationships multiple times. In order to cope with loneliness, she surrendered herself to drugs. She prayed to find an answer from God, but there was no answer. There had been times when she got so depressed that she thought suicide would be a much better option than living a life with no love. The darkness prevailed all around her.
The author's words are filled with the emotions that she must have felt during her self-loathing days. I knew that the life of LGBT community is tough because of the way society behaves around them. I understood, till now, that due to the lack of social acceptance, many homosexual people feel rejected; what I did not know was that they struggle with self-acceptance, as well. Through Jordan's writing, I discovered how many people try to "convert" themselves to straight people just to make peace with their religion, society, God, and themselves. They choose to be in a fake relationship to please their family and prove themselves to be "good humans." However, Jordan raises a very valid point in this context,
The author, Jordan Cosmo, has selected a narrative style of writing to write this thought-provoking memoir. She has shared many anecdotes to keep this book an entertaining read. The diversity of topics -- like the culture of Portugal, Jordan's attempts to hide her identity, many facts from the Bible, the lifestyle of missionary kids, etc. -- managed to maintain my interest intact throughout the read. There is no boring moment in the book, and I applaud the author for it. Moreover, her frank narration has been a breath of fresh air. After reading this book, I feel closer to the LGBT community, and I thank the author for making it happen.
I would rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. The readers who are open-minded about the LGBT community and wish to gain a perspective about them must read Mind Your Head by Jordan Cosmo.
******
Mind Your Head
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
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4 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
In Mind Your Head, the author, Jordan Cosmo, bares her soul to the readers. In an early age, Jordan along with her four siblings had to move to America to support their dad's vision of becoming a missionary professor at a Bible college in Portugal. Jordan was not too excited about this move as she did not want to leave her friends. However, there was nothing that she could do about it. Since their move to Portugal, their life remained far from a bed of roses. Apart from the language barrier, there were many social and cultural differences. Jordan was struggling to fit in this new environment, but things were more complex than just a geographical change. She had never felt like a typical girl and had always been a tomboy, but with time, she realized that this was more than just an urge to dress up like boys. She found herself attracted to girls and not boys. Being raised in a typical Christian family, who believed that homosexual relationships are a sin, Jordan kept thinking of ways to "convert" herself into a heterosexual. Failing in her attempts to change the way she felt in her heart, she drowned herself in the well of self-hatred and low self-esteem.
Mind Your Head is more than a memoir of Jordan's life. This book reflects on the age old beliefs and convictions. There are so many contradicting opinions in our religions that, at times, it becomes hard to justify these with logic. Although the roots of Christianity were deep buried in her heart, she failed to present her case to anyone who defeated her faith with logic. Nevertheless, the fear of not receiving salvation made her give up on her love relationships multiple times. In order to cope with loneliness, she surrendered herself to drugs. She prayed to find an answer from God, but there was no answer. There had been times when she got so depressed that she thought suicide would be a much better option than living a life with no love. The darkness prevailed all around her.
The author's words are filled with the emotions that she must have felt during her self-loathing days. I knew that the life of LGBT community is tough because of the way society behaves around them. I understood, till now, that due to the lack of social acceptance, many homosexual people feel rejected; what I did not know was that they struggle with self-acceptance, as well. Through Jordan's writing, I discovered how many people try to "convert" themselves to straight people just to make peace with their religion, society, God, and themselves. They choose to be in a fake relationship to please their family and prove themselves to be "good humans." However, Jordan raises a very valid point in this context,
Reading her memoir, I, as a reader, found myself moved by her selection of words, logical explanations, dilemma, and heartbreak. I cannot even imagine the feeling of being trapped and having no one to help me out. I pity the society that slaps so many rules on the humans that the thought of suicide seems more tempting than the thought of breathing.I wondered about that Bible verse that said,'God is love.' If God is love, and love is God, then didn't my love for Deni come from God?
The author, Jordan Cosmo, has selected a narrative style of writing to write this thought-provoking memoir. She has shared many anecdotes to keep this book an entertaining read. The diversity of topics -- like the culture of Portugal, Jordan's attempts to hide her identity, many facts from the Bible, the lifestyle of missionary kids, etc. -- managed to maintain my interest intact throughout the read. There is no boring moment in the book, and I applaud the author for it. Moreover, her frank narration has been a breath of fresh air. After reading this book, I feel closer to the LGBT community, and I thank the author for making it happen.
I would rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. The readers who are open-minded about the LGBT community and wish to gain a perspective about them must read Mind Your Head by Jordan Cosmo.
******
Mind Your Head
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Like Anki_Real_Reviews's review? Post a comment saying so!
"A great book should leave you with many experiences, and slightly exhausted at the end. You live several lives while reading." ~William Styron
Latest Review: The Engine Woman's Light by Laurel Anne Hill
