Book Review for Meaningless Destruction by Shannan Mitchener
Meaningless Destruction, by Shannan Mitchener, is a touching collection of poetry that delves into the thoughts of individuals who have mental illness, and how it affects their thoughts and emotions.
The poems in the collection reflect the joys and sorrows of a person that struggles to cope with mental health. From the correlations made between perceptions and reality, to the relatable fact that humans can do more harm than even the most feared creatures, Meaningless Destruction shows the sharp contrast of how more vulnerable hearts perceive the world. Mitchener describes the pain of living with a mental illness, as well as the ways to deal with it, and the lessons learned from it, all of which is shown in a small, yet insightful book.
When I read the poems in this book, it gave me chills. I loved the soothing, yet sad voice that filled the pages, as well as the lessons I learn at the end of each poem. One of my most favorite poems out of this collection details the fact that when you’re drowning, you’ll seek out anything, even an anchor that further drags you down. It ties in with the fact that when we feel we’re lost, we’d seek comfort from anyone, even if it harms us in the long-run. This poem is just one of the few that I enjoyed dearly, and it’s something that I enjoyed.
What’s more, it does reflect the struggles that everyone, even the mentally ill, have to go through. When you’re more vulnerable, you don’t know who to trust. You may feel like you’re alone, and even when you’re doing everything you can, sometimes there are going to be days when you feel hopeless. There are going to people who don’t understand your condition and will isolate you for it. Even so, these poems serve as a reminder that you’re stronger than you seem.
I liked this collection. From learning to love someone, to comforting yourself, to dealing with harsh lessons in life, living with a mental illness is an eye opening experience, many of whom will have to deal with. Even so, this book offers comforting words, as well as hard truths, to live by. Because of this, I’ll give this collection a 4.7 out of 5.0 stars, and recommend it tot those suffering from mental illness.
