Five Trips By Kendis Gibson Book Review

The memoir, Five Trips, explains the author’s traumatic childhood experiences, his extreme struggle with mental health as an adult, issues surrounding his career, race and identity, and narrates the process of his healing through five psychedelics journeys.

Spoiler-free Plot

Five Trips is a memoir by Kendris Gibson that explains his personal journey as he tries to heal through five psychedelic experiences.
The book starts with an insight into the challenges he faces in his early years, from getting abused at the hands of a relative to having to go through the grief surrounding the death of a loved one.
He moves to New York City at the age of 12, where he starts living while confronting challenges about his race, career and identity. The move to New York allows him to get into different social surroundings and sparks his interest in the field of journalism, which later becomes his career.
The book revolves around his struggles of self-discovery through psychedelics. In each psychedelic trip, he navigates through personal and social issues related to his identity and mental health.
Through this book he encourages readers to rethink their concept of mental health.

My Take on Five Trips

Five Trips by Kendris Gibson was an interesting read exploring many heavy topics, including mental health, personal identity, the pressure he faces being the only Black journalist in a white industry, and how psychedelics helped him by breaking psychological barriers and helping his healing.
He shows the power of psychedelics by saying:

“Psychedelics showed me that healing is not linear; it’s a winding road filled with detours, but each trip brings me closer to understanding myself.”

Throughout the book, we witness Gibson as he sorts through his past traumas.
Readers can feel connected to the story. His explanation of the challenges he faced regarding his mental health can serve as a ray of hope for many readers. His honesty about his mental struggles was refreshing, and his detailed narrative also connects readers to the story.

Gibson uses a first-person perspective that makes the book more engaging and allows readers to deeply understand his struggles. The book addresses heavy topics in a vulnerable way.
For instance, Gibson narrates his anxiety attack during an important interview with Beyoncé. He adds humor to the scene while also maintaining the seriousness of the challenge he was facing, which lightens the mood for readers.

Gibson represents challenges many people in the BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) community face, making it relatable for readers with similar experiences.

Overall, I would recommend Five Trips to anyone interested in personal growth or mental health. It is a helpful guide for those interested in exploring different methods of dealing with mental health issues.

“To confront my trauma, I had to confront myself, the person I was and the person I feared becoming.”

Content Warnings and Ratings

This book is suitable for mature audiences as it contains heavy topics like PTSD, depression, racial discrimination, and some descriptions of psychedelic trips that may be intense for some readers. In summary, Five Trips by Kendris Gibson is a thought-provoking memoir.

---