The strength of Camonghne Felix's writing left a searing impression. Felix's experiences tell a story that reads like literary fiction. From an early age, the author experienced trauma that set her on a path to physical and mental pain, unlike most people. I admired Felix's ability to put her life into memorable prose. I admire her survival and success, a true triumph. I greatly appreciate being able to read this masterpiece.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of the book.

Review in progress and to come.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I zoomed through this book, but that doesn't make it light reading. It's a really beautifully done self interrogation, a prose poem that refuses to blink away from capturing real moments of the author's life. It's worth a read through the sheer artistry of the writing alone, although the personal elements and themes are also beautifully articulated. It was a really lovely read, all in all!

Dyscalculia is a poetic memoir from author Camonghne Felix that discusses the aftermath of a breakup that causes her to revisit the traumas of her past. The style of this is not for everyone, but I absolutely loved Felix's abstract, poetic, lyrical approach to her experiences, as well as the juxtaposition of her literary style with her use of mathematical motifs.

Thank you to One World for the eARC!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

My Selling Pitch:
Do you want a prosaic angry, sad girl book about heartbreak and mental illness?

Pre-reading:
Pretty cover. I'm hoping for an angry, sad girl book.

Thick of it:
Dyscalculia

phantasmagoria

Never in my life have I had a book begin with Aight boom. It feels like the text you start an essay with and delete later. Like buckle up motherfuckers I’m about to learn you a thing.

Okay tea-I am screeching. I love the language shifts in this book

This is glorious.

I’m too stupid for this reference. I don’t know Certeau.

dolorous

Girl, some self-respect, please. Fuck him-not literally.

I knew this wordy maniac was a Cap. Unhinged narcissism is bred in the deep of winter

Gemini and Taurus-what a conflicting nature

zeitgeist

This book is gorgeous.

I don’t quite agree with that. I don’t crave humiliation. Or I guess you could argue that she’s saying either you crave it or you crave inflicting it on someone else-which that I might agree with. A new top test haha

I’m not cultured enough to know Fiona Apple, but it sounds like I should.

agnostic

ontological

Oh sweet fuck, she is a Capricorn.

keloids

No, tell me everything, gorgeous.

praxis

I’ve not even finished the book, and I’ve already put a Pango alert on it.

Update, I bought it.

I don’t want to say all Pisces boys are toxic bUttttt…they’re always such sad boys, and sad boys vs sad girls are such wildly different breeds of toxic.

Bestie, he drives a trash truck. The idea that people tell you who they are is really-

I have loved nearly every single line in this book, and I think it is fundamentally gorgeous, but that werewolf line was cringy. Somehow inexplicably, enjoyably cringe, but cringe as fuck.

Dappled desire may be one of my new favorite phrases. It’s so juicy in the mouthfeel. Like melted dark chocolate. Or is that just me being a horse girl?

Oh, dumb, insecure men. Reading this book, I feel like she’s way more talented than he’ll ever be. Stay mad, buddy.

Thank goodness I’ve seen Mad Men to get that reference.

anamnesis

ululates

I love heartbreak books. Please keep writing them.

metathetic

algedonic

It was absolutely worth it. I wish I could read it for the first time again

Post-reading:
This is gorgeous, and I’m not sure what else to say other than it should go on the must-read list for angry, sad girls. It’s beautiful and flowery and heartbreaking and intellectual and approachable all at once. It’s hot pink. It fits. It works. The tone shifts are so abrupt and do so much work. I feel like I could possibly see people getting annoyed with its unconventional structure, but then they aren’t the audience for this book.

Who should read this:
Angry, sad girls
Mental Illness girlies

Do I want to reread this:
Yes, yes, yes

Similar books:
* In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado-heartbreak story told in an unconventional structure that is literary and gorgeous
* Corinne by Rebecca Morrow-bittersweet love story, people finding themselves in the wake of toxicity
* My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh-the original angry, sad girl book
* Sam by Allegra Goodman-angry, sad girl coming of age book

A beautiful lyrical debut by Camonghne Felix!!

Gorgeous poetry that I’ll never forget. I’m definitely going to purchase a physical copy of this one. I felt that the prose was missed a little due to formatting of the digital arc.

I finished Camonghne Felix’s book Dyscalculia in a frenzy, determined to get to the end in one sitting. Felix writes of love, trauma, and mental health - the details of each written with such honesty and poignancy as she describes a breakdown following a break up. I was particularly moved by the way she detailed how mental illness affects relationships, often finding myself made breathless by a sentence. That said, the writing style is not my favorite. It’s a little too disjointed and stream of conscious in parts while I prefer a more straightforward narrative.

‘Dyscalculia’ by Camonghne Felix was beautifully and movingly written. A quick but powerful read, I highly recommend, just be sure to check trigger warnings beforehand.

poetic and heartbreaking, felix broke me and put me back together. i loved how this was written, with so much heart and power and gusto for exposing herself so bare like that and letting everyone in

I've never read anything quite like DYSCALCULIA before. Camonghne Felix's roots as a poet shine through, of course, but her innovative form and lyricism aren't the only qualities that make this book stand out. What begins as a story of heartbreak spirals into Felix's past and unfurls again to tie the results of childhood trauma to the realities of adulthood and the very real implications of navigating relationships and life at large as a neurodivergent person. I would recommend this book to anyone who has felt like they don't have the words to explain the world around them. DYSCALCULIA is oftentimes a difficult read, but ultimately makes the case for human strength and our propensity to adapt and grow in the face of adversity.

T​hank you Netgalley for letting me read and review this book. ​Dyscalculia ​is a poetry, non-fiction memoir about the author. Camonghne has gone through a lot of trauma in her life. She shares so honestly about everything she has been through. There's her childhood trauma that leads to mental health issues and a difficult relationship with math. And much more. Some trigger warnings: self harm, panic attacks, child abuse, sexual abuse, suicide, and abortion. This book is definitely a difficult read and won't be for everyone. Make sure you are in the right headspace to read it.

​I loved the writing style. It is different from most other books that I've read. It is an accessible read. I learned a lot while reading Dyscalculia. I learned more about adhd, bipolar disorder, and dyscalculia. It is difficult seeing her struggle so much, and not getting a proper diagnosis for a long time. However, I know a lot of people will be able to relate to that pain, including myself. ​It was relatable with how she describes the feeling of being on medication. I'm glad she was so open and honest about everything she went through and her feelings. ​I am not a poc, but I related to the story in other ways, especially ​when Felix wrote about depression, anxiety, panic attacks, sexual assault, medication, and self harm. I am glad that she kept going to new therapists and trying new medications, it gives me hope that I will find the right medication and diagnosis for myself in the future. It gives me hope to keep hanging in there and to keep trying. Things really can get better. I am thankful she shared her story, and shared her healing journey.

I highlighted ​a lot in the ebook copy.​ I highlighted so many quotes and ​wrote so many notes. One of my favorite reads of the year. I can't wait to read Camonghne's next book.

​Just a few ​quotes I liked:
"Pythagoreans believed that there are three ways humanity improves, one of which is dying. Death is biological, but where it is also metaphysical is where I find delight."
"I fed and grew and grew until my need was the size of my shame and my shame was the size of a mountain, where I teetered at the edges of my desire and ignored him with my indecision and my impulses."
"Black girls get to write about benign heartbreaks too. Proud and saccharine and pathetic."

​Page count: 240 pages
Star rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Publish date: February 14, 2023
Author: Camonghne Felix

This is the sad, unhinged hot girl book I’ve been waiting for. The one that reads the way I wish my angsty teenage diary did, if I had had an MFA and real woman problems at fourteen. This is the story of a girl, then a woman, coming undone by trauma and, later, a breakup. It’s told in poetic fragments that had me reading the entries over and over.

Felix is both a poet and political writer, so the prose is sharp and lyrical. This is short—I read it in one sitting— and packs a serious punch. One interesting part of the reading experience is reconciling the mess of the person on paper with the real life Felix. Reading this made me feel human.

Read this if:
-You loved Sorrow & Bliss*
-You reach for no plot // just ~ViBeS*~ books
-Your genre of choice is “trauma.”

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

*NOTE* I do not like to rate memoirs.

A remarkable, powerful, poetic, beautifully harsh memoir. Camonghne Felix is deft with her words even if math wasn’t her strong suit. The range of emotions and the ability Felix has to describe them in such a lyrical way will make this story one that stays with me for a long time.

TW: SA, Self Harm, Suicide

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House- One World for the gifted copy.

The format was a bit jarring at first, but once I realized this was supposed to read more like a poem than a standard structured memoir, it began to make more sense. I was still a little confused at times though.

It's difficult to rate and review books like these since they're so closely intertwined with someone's life and their trauma. While it didn't personally resonate with me, I think many readers will find this reading experience cathartic.

I'll note that I had been expecting this book to be more about dyscalculia based on the title and the description, but although the story is framed around the author's dyscalculia diagnosis, there really isn't much discussion of dyscalculia beyond that. If you want a traditional memoir about someone's experiences growing up with dyscalculia, this isn't it.

I adore Felix's poetry, so I figured her memoir would be poetic and fascinating, and I was not disappointed. The connections she makes are by turns esoteric and deeply, DEEPLY visceral, and her accounts of her breakup and mental breakdown are by turns hard to read and beautifully rendered.

Camonghne Felix writes about her experience with mental illness, heartbreak, and dyscalculia.
I enjoyed the book. It was very accessible and conversational. It resonated with me in a lot of ways, I went through similar trauma. It didn’t feel mashed together like most poetry collections I’ve read. I really liked the glimpse into her past intermingled with the pain of the present and anxiety for the future. By the end your heart is as full of hope as Felix is.
The end was probably my favorite. I think maybe I’ve grown past people seeing my pain, and needing to feel seen for it, and now I need someone to see my recovery and optimism despite my pain. I think this works for people seeking either. Whether still healing from trauma or mental illness or recovering.
I’m writing this whole watching a poetry reading by Felix for eCornell and I will definitely be reading more by her.

An unconventional memoir told through a poetic style. The writing in this memoir was beautiful and poignant. The author’s ability to concretely describe the emotions she is experiencing is amazing. The juggling back and forth between childhood and adulthood really showed how trauma changes brain chemistry and grows up with you.

I did expect to read more about her experience with dyscalculia considering the title and it was used more as a storytelling device rather than an experience. There were also some snippets of prose that I believe belonged somewhere else and halted my reading experience.

Thanks to Net Galley and Random House for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I really hate to rate someone's memoir but this book was decent at best.
I appreciated the writing style and raw honesty of this book. There are passages where it is only one page and others that are a few pages long. This book is definitely a fast read that you can read on your way to work or while getting your hair done!

During this novel, Camonghne talks of her childhood trauma and how she loved a man so much it drove her to madness. I liked that Camonghne talked about her suicides attempts and hospitalizations, which are huge no-nos in the black community (in other words "what happens in this house STAYS in this house").
I could relate to being misdiagnosed by a mental health professional, so I really appreciated that aspect. I liked how raw and personal this book was and I think a few black women (or anyone in general) can relate to heartbreak and how it can almost kill you.

Now, since this is such a fast read it is somewhat repetitive and confusing. There are some passages that seem to repeat almost immediately (I had to go back and read the passages twice) and some parts that were super confusing. One such part was about a car accident. I'm not sure how or why it fit in but hey!

Overall, it was a decent read and it helped that it was fast.

This is a unique little book that moves between humor and despair with easy. Felix shares a lot with the reader in little fits and spurts. I couldn’t always keep up but I appreciated it.

A cohesively chaotic book in the likes of 90s black classic films, Dyscalculia is sure to be one of my favorite books this year. The intriguing, hard-hitting, and introspective writing lured and did not let me go until I finished. I would recommend this book to anyone looking to read a great non-fiction poetic memoir.