Review of When I Am Someone Else

[Kristy Khem]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "When I Am Someone Else" by Kilayla Pilon.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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When I Am Someone Else is a book of poems. It was written by Kilayla Pilon, a Canadian poet. The poetry in this book evokes powerful emotions that stem from drug addiction, mental illness, abuse, body image issues, growing old, and the loss of loved ones. Each poem in the book is brief and only consists of a few short lines. There does not seem to be a distinct rhyming pattern. The book contains less than 70 pages of poems. Each one captures a different theme. Some of the poems are written from a first-person perspective and others are written from the point of view of a third person.

Although all of Kilayla Pilon’s poetry revolved around sensitive topics, I enjoyed reading about the characters’ emotions and thoughts. They provided an insight into the minds of the most troubled people in our society. Sometimes, I wonder if drug users regret their decision. This was explored in one of the poems in this book. The poet described the physical agony of using drugs and drinking alcohol before concluding the poem with this line; “Oh, how I wish I’d never lit that very first match”. I think this refers to the character’s first experience of smoking cigarettes or marijuana. One line that resonated with me was, “I went from one to two to three to four before I realized that I wasn’t me anymore”. One doesn’t need to have huge problems to experience this feeling of losing oneself. In fact, having a busy lifestyle with no time to do anything relaxing has made me feel like this in the past; I felt like a robot.

Based on what I have read in this book, I can confidently state that the poems in this book are relatable to many people. Mental illness affects many people today. Growing old and losing loved ones in our life are things that everyone can relate to. People who have experienced abuse and drug addiction may also make a connection to the characters in the poems. References to God, demons, and a fire-filled purgatory will be clearly understood by those who are familiar with these elements of Christianity.

In my opinion, poems are an abstract expression of creativity. Poetry should make readers think, assume, analyze, and feel. The poems in this book do not have individual titles, so it is not always easy to understand what each poem may be about before it is read. At first, I suspected that the book contained one long continuous poem, but this isn’t the case because different points of view were used and the topics vary. I do not see the lack of separate titles as a flaw because it can allow the reader to make their own deductions about the characters, the poet, and the experiences being described. For example, while I read the poems, I wondered if the poems depicted one person’s experiences or different people’s emotions. Then, I realized that this didn’t matter because people can experience multiple things at different times in their life. In this way, Kilayla Pilon’s poems transcend time and age.

There was nothing that I disliked about the book. I think it was well edited because I only saw one minor error. Kilayla Pilon’s poetry is interesting, unique, and relatable. It deserves 4 out of 4 stars. Older teens and adults who would like to read poetry about social issues, emotional pain, and sadness will like this book the most. Sensitive readers should be aware that this book contains sensitive topics like drug use, self-harm, and mental illness.

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When I Am Someone Else
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[Khushboo Barwar]

I love poetry and this book sounds amazing with it’s reference to the drug usage agony, finding yourself completely unrecognisable once you start losing yourself. Will definitely be reading it. Thanks for this great review.

[The frant1c reader]

Presenting emotions with such intensity using few words is tough. The author's skills are commendable. Thanks for such a lovely review!

[Beaky]

I have read and own this book, and I must say it is filled with so many breathtaking poetry. It really is a must read.

[marta baglioni]

Unfortunately, I know the feeling of looking someone you care for in the eyes and not recognizing them due to mental illness. I am really curious about this book. Thank you for the amazing review!