4 out of 4 stars
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C.M.C. The Unseen by Marcus C. is a short collection of poems and reflections that reveal the author's struggle with depression and self-harm, as well as his survival of that dark episode in his life. Many of the poems are accompanied by explanations describing what Mr. C. intended them to mean, and where he was in his life at the time of writing them. The prose pieces are written in the first person directly to the reader in a conversational style. Together, all of the 41 pieces are an honest examination of a troubled time in the author's life, and how he overcame it.
Mr. C. is 19 years old at the time of writing the collection, but much of the poetry and prose in the book deals with issues faced by young and old alike. In the prose piece "The Architect" Mr. C. describes himself as a builder of walls that protect his heart and spirit from being broken. The autobiographical "Behind The Mask" expresses the author's grief over loving his father, as well as his survival of being bullied and the ensuing emotional distress. "Beautiful Souls" discusses the true beauty that can be found when one looks beyond superficial appearances.
The overall tone of the book is melancholy, although Mr. C. does note positive change in his life in places throughout the collection. Grappling with depression while hiding it from the people around him is a recurring theme. For example, in "Behind The Mask" he writes, "They had no clue how often I cried myself to sleep, how I'd cut myself, or how I contemplated ending it all. There was rarely a day that went by when I didn't think about taking my own life."(Location 508 in the Kindle edition) "5 Rules" reveals his method of surviving the darkness of those earlier teen years, and encourages readers not to give up when they are in seemingly hopeless situations themselves.
This compilation will resonate with sufferers of depression and/or self-harm, and I recommend it to people who may have a loved one in the same situation. The author is young, but many of the pieces can be appreciated by adults of all ages as well as teenagers; the themes of loneliness, isolation and fear of sharing oneself are universal elements of the human condition. Readers offended by profanity may not enjoy this anthology, as it contains expletives.
I rate C.M.C. The Unseen 4 out of 4 stars. The poetry and prose included is honest, thought-provoking and touching. The collection appears to be professionally edited, with only one grammatical error noted.
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C.M.C. The Unseen
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