Your choices as a young person can set the trajectory for your life -A review of Tolu A. Akinyemi’s You Need More Than Dreams

Title: You Need More Than Dreams

Author: Tolu A. Akinyemi

Publisher: The Roaring Lion Newcastle

Year of Publication: 2023

Number of Pages: 66

Category: Poetry

The young people, or Gen Z as they are commonly referred to, are so absorbed in their own little worlds. Regardless of gender, they all seem to like daydreaming. The master of reality checks, Tolu Akinyemi, is here to shake them out of whatever daydreams they may be having about their future goals, relationships, or even their careers.

Akinyemi graciously imparts his experiential wisdom upon the younger generation, a commendable act given the prevalent sense of aimlessness and yearning for guidance among the youth.

He graciously imparts both his moments of despair and triumph to his esteemed readership. He exhibits no sense of shame in divulging his errors to his youthful audience. “You Need More Than Dreams” is yet another exceptional masterpiece crafted by the esteemed Tolu Akinyemi.

In ‘Best of my Youth’ the young readers are made aware by this poem that they are not the only ones facing difficulties and that others are going through what they have, but the good news is that Tolu Akinyemi provides advice on how to deal with them: The best of my youth was a roller coaster of emotions/There were nights when the stars aligned and I bloomed into a sparkle/ On others, I became a shadow.

Read also: Being black does not make one lesser -A review of Tolu A. Akinyemi’s Black Inferior

The author discusses several issues, including sexuality, peer pressure, self-love, insecurity, social media, relationships, and the difficulty of finding role models. Some of the poems may frighten a young reader, while others may cause the readers to reevaluate their priorities and begin making better use of their time.

Some parts of the book will undoubtedly be dogeared as reminders of who they are. Truthfulness and realism characterize Akinyemi’s writings.

At times, the author stresses the importance of not wasting time. His tone is neither comforting nor threatening; rather, it’s more like that of a sympathetic uncle yelling in your ear from a distance.

As is customary with this author, this book is full of insightful observations and advice. In Magic, Akinyemi says: Don’t live on the prism of dreams and make believe/You are magic/ walking on two legs.

Every challenge that the young reader is currently facing is one that the author has faced before. However, the young reader will gain the knowledge necessary to avoid making some of the errors that the author has made.

What will parents discover about the troubles they unknowingly cause their children? When will parents learn about the issues that they have placed their children through without their knowledge? Either they will demonstrate greater empathy as a result, or they will become defensive.

If you’re a young person, reading this book will give you renewed hope since you’ll understand that you’re not the only one dealing with all of these difficulties. If you aren’t prepared to follow the author’s advice, you may need to put this book down or begin getting used to adapting and appreciating life right away.

About the reviewer

Titilade Oyemade is a business executive in a leading organisation and holds a degree in Russian Language. She’s the convener of the Hangoutwithtee Ladies Event and the publisher of Hangoutwithtee magazine. She spends her weekends attending women conferences, events and book readings. She loves to have fun and to help other women have the same in their lives. Email: [email protected] Social: @tiipreeofficial