Review of Dear Self

[WADonnelly]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Dear Self" by Ruby Dhal.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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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.

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Dear Self
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[Kavita Shah]

It sounds like an emotional reflection and it will make for a good read. Monotonous sentences can be boring but the book sounds really helpful. Thank you for a delightful review!

[WADonnelly]

It sounds like an emotional reflection and it will make for a good read. Monotonous sentences can be boring but the book sounds really helpful. Thank you for a delightful review!

Yes, regardless of the occassional monotony, it is a very helpful book. Thanks for your comment.

[Miriam nkere]

What a good book of love, self love is like the greatest gift one can give to himself/herself, great review.

[TheMazeRunner]

Long and monotonous sentences can ruin the book. This could be a good piece. Nice review!

[El_limitless]

Self-help books are my favourite. I love to read and learn from the author's many experiences. Great review.

[Durgeshwari Dolas]

Books which express the journey of author's life, I think are more easy to connect. In this chaotic life, we always neglect ourselves that's a harsh reality.
Thank you for your beautiful review!

[Shreeya Tambe]

Sounds like a good read. Thank you!

[WADonnelly]

What a good book of love, self love is like the greatest gift one can give to himself/herself, great review.

I completely agree, thanks for stopping by!

[WADonnelly]

Long and monotonous sentences can ruin the book. This could be a good piece. Nice review!

They can be very detrimental indeed. Thanks for commenting!

[WADonnelly]

Self-help books are my favourite. I love to read and learn from the author's many experiences. Great review.

In that case, I hope you give this book a go!

[WADonnelly]

Books which express the journey of author's life, I think are more easy to connect. In this chaotic life, we always neglect ourselves that's a harsh reality.
Thank you for your beautiful review!

That is very true. It is definitely easier to connect with the author when they share about their life. Thanks for the comment.

[WADonnelly]

Sounds like a good read. Thank you!

Thank you for stopping by to leave a comment!

[Reader-247]

I m so glad that people are making self care a priority. Thanks for an insightful review

[The frant1c reader]

It is wonderful to learn how the author channelises her pain and experiences into important life lessons others need to learn from.
Thanks for such a good review!:D