Nonfiction: Dyscalculia by Camonghne Felix

It is interesting how a title can both interest and repel a reader, and I can certainly say I experienced both of these things when I first came across Dyscalculia: A Love Story of Epic Miscalculation by Camonghne Felix. The title comes from a real learning disorder that affects a person's ability to understand number-based information and math. I fought against my instinct to be disinterested in a scientific title, and after reading the description, I decided to give the book a try.

Genre, Themes, History: This is a nonfiction book that explores the author's life, and more specifically, her experience with dyscalculia, bipolar disorder, and how both factored into a relationship that becomes the center of a fair amount of the story. Written in something closer to poetry than prose, Felix starts in her early life, when the words dyscalculia, bipolar disorder, ADHD, and various medications are introduced into her life, before moving through adolescence and into early adulthood, when she will meet 'X' and begin the relationship that will shape the rest of the book. The book deals with mental health and self-harm, moving in a linear fashion that often does not feel that way.

My Verdict: This is one of those books that contains a lot of power in not a lot of pages, which is something I will always marvel at. Part of it could be the poetic prose style that the book is written in, but it can also simply be the story Felix is telling. With an honesty and a frankness that I can only applaud, Felix tells her story plainly, and succinctly, and in no uncertain terms. The small jumps across and through time may make things confusing for some readers, as some scenes feel slightly off-balance, but this may have been intentional. And even if it was not, it is certainly still affective in helping to bring the reader into Felix's world. Anyone looking for a quick, honest, and powerful read will not be disappointed in this book.

Favorite Moment: I enjoyed reading about Felix's conversations with her mother, which are sprinkled throughout the book.

Favorite Quote: Felix's mother gives her some incredibly true and powerful advice: "Nobody has to care about what hurts you because that's not their job. It's not the world's job to understand you, it's your job to understand the world. And the more you understand it, the more you learn how to get around it. The more you understand it, the more you understand who you can trust and how far you can stretch. You cannot wait for them to understand you, or they will kill you. You have to do it."

Recommended Reading: I recommend Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi.