Powerful.

I loved the style this book was written in. It covers very heavy topics but in a way that made me laugh, cry and think. It's written like a thesis and this made it even more poignant.

Likely to be quite polarising, I think you'll either love it or hate it. For me, it is very much in the love category.

This book has mentions of self-harm, drugs, and suicide.

"On walks to campus, while I'm on the phone ,...., hearing a retelling of Mother's rant about Father missing another one of B2's elementary school events because of the extra work hours, I'm overhearing student conversations about their current stocks investments and comparing family crests. These colliding realities have taught me that the grass truly is greener on the other side. The reason: while they have the time and energy to water it, we're still trying to figure out if the seeds are in this month's budget."

The Unfortunates is a book written like a thesis, from a black girl in a white university. A place that is built to keep her out and struggling with her health, herself, hiding secrets, and everything in between. Her friendships, relationships with her parents, and her devoted fear of failing makes for a well-rounded, realistic character. Everything about this book had me hooked, it had me thinking and rethinking everything I knew about her, and myself. I'd like to devote more of my time to rereading and highlighting parts of this book for other readers to see, to ask them if they felt it move something inside them too.

Chukwu's style and format were incredibly creative and pertinent, and her footnotes were an interesting read on their own. I'd like to read more of her writing, and I'd also like to petition universities in America + Britain to give this out as a Things You Should Know Before Applying leaflet :)

This is such a powerful book about our struggles with mental health. What the author does so well is tackle the issue powerfully but also with biting humour.

Although I don't think this book will be for everyone,it definitely was for me