It started off strong, then my enjoyment tapered off a bit, but perhaps it was not meant to be read in one go, as I did.

"mom says happy is a decision.

my happy is a high fever that will break.
my happy is as hollow as a pin-pricked egg."

One of the best poetry book about depression I have read. Some I can relate to and give me a glimpse into other people who also suffer. My favorite one was "Explaining My Depression to My Mother" (https://youtu.be/aqu4ezLQEUA) it captivated me and hit me so hard.

"She asked if I am afraid of dying; no I am afraid of living"
Thank you, NetGalley and Button Poetry, for my eARC of Depression & Other Magic Tricks. I received this eARC in exchange for an honest review; this does not affect my opinion. Any quotes mentioned below are taken from the ARC and are subject to change upon publication.

I didn’t quite get to the heart and the passion that lives inside this poetry book until I watched Sabrina say aloud many of the poems she keeps in this book in her performances on YouTube. However, the one that really shattered me on the inside due to its beauty and anger was “Explaining my Depression to my Mother”


https://youtu.be/aqu4ezLQEUA


This piece was desperation and bargaining and being fed up and hurt all at once and I wouldn’t have truly gotten that without Sabrina’s voice. Her flare and flavor make her words come to life in a way that they couldn’t have been on their own. It made me wish that I could have watched her perform all the poems in this book, because that’s when her words curl around you and shake you up, that’s when you find how truly beautiful her poetry is.


Sabrina’s poetry is poetry meant to be sung and screamed and belted out into the air. You are meant to find its rhythm and how it’s rhythm syncs with your own. Depression & Other Magic Tricks is brilliantly imagined it’s words coming for the jagged edges of a girls truest form.

When I saw her on the button poetry channel with her one poem, I knew I was hooked and needed more. So when I found out that she had a book coming out, I was pumped! This was SO. GOOD. It centers on depression, anxiety, and love. The pieces for both depression and anxiety were out of this world. The last poem actually made me cry I related so much. If I could form the words to describe what it's like every day dealing with those two things, it'd be all the things said in this book. It was real and raw. I loved it so so much. The only reason it's not a full 5 stars is cause...honestly I got a lil lost sometimes?? I'm no poetry buff. But it was a lil hard to follow sometimes. But it could have also been the way it was formatted on my device. But it was still spectacular and I can't recommend it enough! Can't wait to read more from her in the future!

Copy provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review, thank you.


I really love listening to Benaim's poems out loud, her work on Button Poetry always stands out and that doesn't change in her book.

Her use of imagery and metaphor is so stunning in this book. Her words paint pictures of how it feels to be in love, to be heartbroken and to be sad and it's done so beautifully throughout this book. Certain lines hit you in the gut without you even anticipating it - they seem so simple, but they just make you pay attention, 'in my poems you are the dream of you' in particular.

I feel like these poems are really meant to be said out loud and not written, Explaining Depression To My Mother and On Platonic Love Being A Real Thing in particular are poems that read like stories and so work better for out loud poetry.

A deeply personal collection of poems that showcases how brilliant her work is

I usually avoid leaving written reviews for poetry, because when I do I always feel the need to preface the review with the disclaimer that I know nothing about poetry. Is poetry truly as intimidating as I make it out to be, or have I been taught that poetry is this intellectually challenging, inaccessible area of art best left to professors and the poets themselves?

Anyway whatever the point is moot ‘cause this felt less like poetry and more like long, artsy, juvenile Instagram captions.

I could go into detail about all the different reasons why I didn’t care for this book, but it all seems unnecessarily harsh. I guess this collection just wasn’t for me.

I wanted to love this more than I did. Button Poetry is on my Favorite List of Things and they never fail to put out great content. The author comes from the world of Spoken Word and Slam-style poetry, many of the works in this collection come across better when you keep that in mind and “hear” them as you read.

I was left a little torn. Some pieces I really loved and others felt like they were trying way to hard to be POETRY – too many metaphors, too many convoluted comparisons. Some felt like space-fillers. The ones that hit the mark? Phenomenal and worth the purchase of the book on that alone.

I think it’s a good read for anyone who is a fan of her spoken word stuff and if you’re not, it might be best to familiarize yourself with her style before diving into this one so they can be fully appreciated.

I don't read a lot of poetry as I find myself having a hard time focusing and processing it, but I wanted to give this collection a shot. Mental health is such a huge part of my life and it is healing to hear others' personal experiences. I found myself relating to many of Benaim's words and enjoyed reading them in this art form.

When I asked Netgalley and Button Poetry to read and review Depression and Other Magic Tricks, I was unaware that it was by the performance poet who so exquisitely spoke of her depression in "Explaining My Depression to My Mother".

Sabrina Benaim openly share her thoughts, feelings, and keen words with us on many things in this book of poetry. This is life, and love, this is reality; and she alternately wants to embrace them, rest in them, do battle with them, hide from them. This author has guts, and is very brave in her vulnerability.

I feel for this young woman; I have at times been this young woman. I wish her well. I would also wish her freedom from fear and pain and anxiety, but have learned through the years that this would be freedom from the complex wonder of life, and life is to be celebrated for it is a magnificent journey.

Many thanks to Ms. Benaim, Netgalley and Button Poetry for allowing me to review this clever slice of life

I absolutely loved this book of poems regarding mental health issues, particularly depression. Reading this book of poetry was slightly cathartic for me. 10 years ago I went through a major depressive episode and I can relate so much to the poems in this book. I am definitely looking forward to getting a physical copy of this book.

Because I have seen her most popular poem in the videos, I heard her voice throughout the book. Each word I read, just out at me from the pages. It felt like I was in the same room, listening to her talk. Listening to her depression. Listening to her magic tricks, and the words that pop. 

There are so many things about this poetry collection that spoke to me. It's just one of those things that blow you away and you don't know it until you find the poem that is exactly you.

This happened as I read 'the loneliest sweet potato'. I adored the repetition and each word hit me like a ton of bricks. At the end, each brick lifted as if they weren't heavy and the whole world floated away. I cried and I couldn't pick up the rest of the book. I had to let it sit for a while. 

Depression and Other Magic Tricks is Sabrina's debut book. For sure, I will be picking up another one by her. Outstanding.

I hadn’t read a poetry collection in quite some time and, boy, am I glad I did. Benaim’s debut poetry collection showcases her talent and her authenticity, making her an author to watch out for. She has a very unique, distinguishable voice, one she’s not afraid to use.

Her poetry is all about mental health, family, and love. At least that’s what the summary of the book promises; if I’m being honest I saw a book that was a bit more focused on romance, unrequited love, heartbreak, and loneliness. The collection is not as powerful as it promises to be, but still it has lots of potential; Benaim’s talent and honesty are undeniably there and I expect to see a lot more in the future.

As far as the poems themselves go, I have to say I was not overly impressed. Sure, there were some of them that I really enjoyed or related to, even some particular quotes that I expect will stay with me for a long time, but overall their themes and structure weren’t groundbreaking. It’s good poetry but not excellent poetry is all I’m trying to say. Still, it’s a book I am glad to have read and one I strongly recommend.

**An ARC was provided via Netgalley in exchange of an honest review**

While I loved her on button poetry with her poem "Explaining depression to my mother" I have to say that this book didn't work for me. I was very excited when I saw that she was publishing a book, and was expecting it to arrive. Then I learned it was, obviously, a poem book rather than a book explaining or talking about depression as such. But I enjoyed so much seeing her reading/feeling the beforementioned poem that I thought "Why not? I know I don't usually go for this kind of books, but her interpretation was so emotive, so raw, that I can like her book". Wrong of me to think that.

See, the book itself is great for people who like her work, it has her style and talks about depression and family and things that you feel or felt and have made you this way you are now. But what I really liked was her interpretation of the depression poem. So reading her did nothing for me, most of her poems were jumbled up words. I even went to see more of her readings to see if they could help me feel more the book, but no luck. She has some good ones here and there on the book, but the majority of them seemed like jumbled up words to me, some without making much sense and being a mere chain of words that tail together so she can began anew verse (the first poem, "Hello" is proof of this).

So, sadly it wasn't a lecture I enjoyed, even thought I wanted.

Depression & Other Magic Tricks is an absolutely beautiful book of poems. I first stubbled upon Sabrina Benaim on a facebook video (it was the video after the video you just watched, ya know?) and the poem she read was Explaining My Depression to My Mother. After reading the book the poem still remains my favourite. Benaim does such a beautiful job of emotionally defining depression and anxiety in a way anyone regardless of whether they've had experience with it can relate and feel. Throughout the whole book Benaim manages to do this will all of her poems. I was constantly trying to remember my favourite lines only to stumble upon another favourite line a moment later and then again another moment later. Let's just say that the whole book is one giant favourite line. I'm recommending this book to everybody (friends, family, strangers). I believe everyone has something to take away from the book and can relate to at least one poem. Wow. Just wow.

This collection of poetry will appeal to anyone struggling with mental illness(es). For others, it will provide a peek at the myriad thoughts coagulating in one's brain as a result of their illness.

That said! I related to *many* of the heartfelt and raw poems in this collection. I was moved beyond belief by many, in particular "the slow now" and "the loneliest sweet potato". Some poems offer wry insights into the often illogical thought patterns we experience during particularly difficult depressive funks, perfectly giving voice to often inexplicable feelings. The compassion the poet infuses each poem with radiates off the page and is felt extremely keenly.

Impressive! This collection of poems is raw and filled with depth, covering mental health from a uniquely personal perspective. These offer insight into daily life coping with depression.

Waking up to the news that Sabrina Benaim had released a poetry collection genuinely put a smile on my face this morning.

Depression & Other Magic Tricks-- bookspoils

Depression & Other Magic Tricks is the debut book by Sabrina Benaim, one of the most-viewed performance poets of all time, whose poem “Explaining My Depression to My Mother” has become a cultural phenomenon with over 50 million views. Depression & Other Magic Tricks explores themes of mental health, love, and family. It is a documentation of struggle and triumph, a celebration of daily life and of living. Benaim’s wit, empathy, and gift for language produce a work of endless wonder.

Full review with excerpts: https://bookspoils.wordpress.com/2017/08/27/review-depression-other-magic-tricks-by-sabrina-benaim/
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2104213931