Review of Dear Self
Posted: 15 Jun 2021, 10:49
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Dear Self" by Ruby Dhal.]
Dear Self by Ruby Dhal is a beautiful self-help book exploring both the writer’s and the reader’s deepest emotions. As the author navigates their own experiences and feelings, readers often find themselves within the words on the page as they relate to their own experiences and emotions. In Dhal’s pain, we find our own, and in her love, we discover ours. This book is raw and engaging, and it seeks to uncover what self-worth and self-love really mean. Through examples of pain, struggle, loss, love and joy, Ruby Dhal encourages the reader to grow and see the potential for great happiness in their life.
This book is divided into four sections: Self-love/Self-worth, Heartbreak/Moving on, Love and Healing/Well-being. These concepts are explored through various prose pieces that present things to learn from the author’s experiences in order to improve one’s life or self-reflect. The structure of this book makes it easy to work through at a slow pace if desired, and it can even be read in non-chronological order so that one could read it in a way that best suits them. With a friendly conversational tone, this book replicates the ease of a conversation between friends - the author opens up and confides in the reader, making way for the reader to do the same.
One of the most compelling elements about this book is that it is consistently honest. At times I worried that it presented a path to emotional healing through rose-tinted glasses. However, the positive encouragement and affirmations are paired with the author’s candid recounting of their mistakes and struggles. This depiction of both the light and dark sides of healing enables readers to forgive themselves for having an imperfect emotional journey and encourages them to continue on that journey regardless of ugly and painful moments.
Despite Dhal’s refreshing honesty, there were a few parts of this book that I did not like as much. There occasionally seems to be an oversimplification of ideas or actions that the reader should take towards improving their mindset; this lack of depth does not assist the reader. An example of this is that the author tends to repeat a phrase perhaps five or six times in consecutive sentences as if writing a motivational speech. Rather than appearing motivating, these phrases come across as monotonous.
I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. I could not justify giving four stars due to the somewhat inconsistent writing skill as described above. Also, I do not believe that this book has been professionally edited due to the number of errors I found. That said, this book has the potential to immensely help someone in need of emotional support and guidance. It is a helpful guide and companion, so I would recommend this book to those seeking to improve their mental health and well-being.
******
Dear Self
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Dear Self by Ruby Dhal is a beautiful self-help book exploring both the writer’s and the reader’s deepest emotions. As the author navigates their own experiences and feelings, readers often find themselves within the words on the page as they relate to their own experiences and emotions. In Dhal’s pain, we find our own, and in her love, we discover ours. This book is raw and engaging, and it seeks to uncover what self-worth and self-love really mean. Through examples of pain, struggle, loss, love and joy, Ruby Dhal encourages the reader to grow and see the potential for great happiness in their life.
This book is divided into four sections: Self-love/Self-worth, Heartbreak/Moving on, Love and Healing/Well-being. These concepts are explored through various prose pieces that present things to learn from the author’s experiences in order to improve one’s life or self-reflect. The structure of this book makes it easy to work through at a slow pace if desired, and it can even be read in non-chronological order so that one could read it in a way that best suits them. With a friendly conversational tone, this book replicates the ease of a conversation between friends - the author opens up and confides in the reader, making way for the reader to do the same.
One of the most compelling elements about this book is that it is consistently honest. At times I worried that it presented a path to emotional healing through rose-tinted glasses. However, the positive encouragement and affirmations are paired with the author’s candid recounting of their mistakes and struggles. This depiction of both the light and dark sides of healing enables readers to forgive themselves for having an imperfect emotional journey and encourages them to continue on that journey regardless of ugly and painful moments.
Despite Dhal’s refreshing honesty, there were a few parts of this book that I did not like as much. There occasionally seems to be an oversimplification of ideas or actions that the reader should take towards improving their mindset; this lack of depth does not assist the reader. An example of this is that the author tends to repeat a phrase perhaps five or six times in consecutive sentences as if writing a motivational speech. Rather than appearing motivating, these phrases come across as monotonous.
I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. I could not justify giving four stars due to the somewhat inconsistent writing skill as described above. Also, I do not believe that this book has been professionally edited due to the number of errors I found. That said, this book has the potential to immensely help someone in need of emotional support and guidance. It is a helpful guide and companion, so I would recommend this book to those seeking to improve their mental health and well-being.
******
Dear Self
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
