Fragments (zine), Book Review About Heartbreak and Isolation

It’s a zine that very aptly follows the internal self-reflection and questioning of a 20 something year old, not quite woman, not quite girl, but something in between. Fragments captures this isolating, heartbreaking walk into adulthood and the depression accompanying it. Throughout the zine, the speaker/narrator asks themselves about identity and, questioning their own questions about identity and home, launching into a self-interview, then sliding between poems and brief, fleeting ephemera caught between the pages. Fragments doesn’t hold back on the harder aspects of feminism and being a woman like in “Woman and the many colors of fire.” Then the speaker/narrator prompts readers with self-introspection in questions like “Whom do we become when we leave our homes?” “What becomes of the home when we leave?” Every question leads to an answer, but not to a conclusion. Ultimately, the speaker walks with those in a similar situation, holding their hand throughout the pages, saying I see you, I hear you, you are not alone.

This book would have hit me so hard at that approximate age when I was having an identity and home crisis. I think I would be afraid to have write in response to the prompts offered at the back for others to self-reflect and find their footing, at that particular time.

The design of the zine kinda gives the vibes of a photo album reel, very nostalgic and intimate. Some of the poems are in small fonts and might be difficult to read for those who need larger ones.

Overall, an excellent read I recommend.