Review of You, This Is Me...OVER?!

[Rhodahams]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "You, This Is Me...OVER?!" by Clinton Beaudel Dooley.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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You, This Is Me…OVER?! is a collection of poems and essays written by Clinton Beaudel Dooley. The book was written to discuss issues surrounding PTSD in combat veterans, serving the double purpose of helping victims of the disease as well as raising awareness for their loved ones. It consists of 83 poems and essays grouped into 16 sections that narrate and describe the author's journey to recovery following a traumatic event. The book is filled with a range of issues from rage, guilt, depression, and suicide to more abstain concepts like time and existence.

The book begins with Clinton narrating the events that led to him seeking help. After a failed suicide-homicide, he is admitted, and here he develops his creative outlet of writing. Some of the poems in the book express his love for his wife, his experiences as a Green Beret in Afghanistan, his trauma, and the realizations he discovers along the way.

The book has a lot of positives. The author makes numerous rhyme schemes, sometimes switching them mid-poem. He even makes use of free verse, as seen in pieces like "My Queen." He expressed himself using metaphors, analogies, and even onomatopoeia, sparing no expense to communicate with his reader. In the poem "WALTZING WITH THE DEVIL," Clinton expresses the mania of that experience not just with words but with fonts which was a stroke of genius. I must also commend the brutal honesty and vulnerability shown in this book especially considering Its author's experience as a soldier. Also, for the most part, the language used in the book is very simple and easy to follow. The author also does a good job of encouraging self-reflection in the reader. He also addresses the difficult issues surrounding PTSD in veterans, pulling no punches, and for this, I salute him.

The book comes with only a little negativity; the poems featured in the "YOUR HIGHER SELF" section of the book were a lot more abstract and were relatively more difficult to understand in comparison with the rest of the book. I also found a few errors in the book.

For the negative reasons stated above, I would deduct a star from my rating. I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. Although this book had its negative side, it did not take away so much from my satisfaction in the book; as a result, I cannot rate it any lower. I recommend this book to combat veterans, their friends, and family. People who love unfiltered poetry would enjoy this book.

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You, This Is Me...OVER?!
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[Ifesi]

I love poems. Thanks for an amazing review. Looking forward to reading this book.

[Elenimo Chembe]

This book is available for me to review, and I wanted to see if it is worth it. I don't enjoy poetry as much as nonfiction but this book seems unique since it's a mixture of poetry and essays. I will add it to my bookshelf.

[Stephanie Williams]

I am interested and excited to see what this book holds in store for me. I love poetry and I am always down to read a good book. Stay tuned.

[Waliyat_24]

War PTSD is never a good thing to face. I hope everyone going through this finds their peace.

[Phooko Tebogo PC]

I'm still trying to wrap my head around the title...but anyway thank you for a brilliant review.

[Eze Michael]

PTSD is an existential crisis that affects the person experiencing it, and it also affect the environment within the person. Id love to see what kind of thing the author constructs to help the case. Thanks for your review.

[TrishaCleve]

This review is well-crafted and informative. This review kindly points out negative aspects Dooley has in his book, however, it is written so that a curious mind would still pick up this work to investigate. I do, however, think that the range of people that would enjoy this book is much larger than that mentioned at the end of this review. I enjoyed the book, and I have never read any raw poetry, nor am I affiliated with the military in any way.
Thank you for your quality review.

[Chandelier Eden]

Seems like a nice poem, your review was easy to follow and had concepts that can be easily related to. You did a good job in relating the major themes of the book.