The Struggles and Growth of a Man

The Struggles and Growth of a Man #1

by Jamell Crouthers

Do you ever wonder what goes on in a man's mind and the things they think about? The daily struggles that men go through in life? Well here is a poetry diary of a young man in his 20s named Robert. Robert talks about his daily life from the neighborhood he lives in, his childhood and family to growing up and maturing into a man in a society where things are criticized and not discussed.

He deals with a drug-addicted mother, a father who isn't around, a drug infest neighborhood with no male role model in his life. Throughout his growing process he talks about his growth along with his past mistakes and learning from a man who cared about him most, his high school guidance counselor.

His mistakes that he was able to escape from, couldn't be prevented by his younger brother who ends up incarcerated and Robert deals with the guilt of not being able to keep his younger brother off of the street corners of his neighborhood. Robert talks about how men do struggle and we all need a listening ear, a helping hand and a warm heart to help us grow. The journey of self-reflection and his future are what he chronicles in this poetry book and he looks to better his life one day at a time.

90 pages, ebook

Published March 2, 2016

About the author

Jamell is a poet, author, blogger and podcaster who has taken on a journey of writing in the prime of his life. He has been writing poetry since the age of 13 but never thought he could utilize his talent to tell stories and write books. He is not the traditional author as he writes his books in poetry format with a focus on storylines and societal issues.

After publishing 13 books (so far), his goals and plans are to continue writing books on taboo subjects that aren't discussed enough in today's world and bringing those main subjects to the forefront. Jamell's blogs tackle societal issues, how he writes his books, his journey as an author and some motivational blogs that will get you to focus on your goals. His goal and moniker is, "to change the world, one book at a time."

All of Jamell's books are written in poetry format, it's different than the traditional book that you would pick up and read. My books tackle issues that are currently going on in America and in the world.

In his spare time, Jamell is always listening to music, traveling when he can, running, playing basketball and working on various projects such as books, audio books, and writing shorter poems. Jamell loves to read books that have good story lines and are intriguing to the mind.

Reviews

[P. English Literature · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jamell went in raw, unflinching and in that poetic form that made me sit longer and rethink my own reality. This piece dives into the layered struggles of a man navigating poverty, family dysfunction, role models both absent and present, and the weight of societal expectations. What struck me most is how Crouthers deliberately withholds the narrator’s race, forcing me to confront my own assumptions. It is a clever device: the story resists being boxed into stereotypes and instead insists on being read as a universal account of human struggle.

Now, the text doesn’t glorify hardship; it rather exposes it. From childhood marked by instability, to the search for role models in the wrong places, to the responsibility of being an example for a younger brother. It is a meditation on the inheritance of pain and the fight to break cycles. As someone with a younger brother, I was especially moved by the narrator’s awareness that his choices ripple outward. The role of being a model, even when unprepared, can weigh heavier than one’s own survival.

Crouthers also examines how media and society distort values shaping men into consumers, performers, or stereotypes, rather than individuals capable of depth and care. He questions what it means to love, to build relationships, to define success, and to heal from trauma while carrying generational scars. Now, these questions are beyond me, as I wonder the same thing in my daily life.

This is not a polished memoir but a poetic diary, intentionally raw. That rawness is its power. It mirrors the jagged edges of growth: not smooth, not linear, but honest. It is both a mirror and a challenge, asking me and fellow readers not just to empathize with the narrator but to reflect on our own lives, assumptions, and responsibilities. This is a masterpiece, the mirror of our reality.

[Luanna Helena · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Struggles And Growth of A Man, written by Jamell Crouthers, gives readers a real and in depth look at the inner workings of a man's mind through the poignant and sometimes tumultuous thoughts of a fictional character, Robert. This internal monologue set to poetry not only guides readers through this often mysterious landscape of men's minds, but also provides insight along the way.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Struggles and growth of a man is an apt title for this book. Our society does not place much value on men who are open with what they feel, so this book is a welcome insight into the daily life of a man. Robert is a young man in his 20s who chronicles his daily life in the form of poetry. Everything from his family’s struggles with drugs to the lack of male role models and the perils of his neighborhood where he grew up. In all the darkness and hardships of Roberts life, he has one bright spot: the high school guidance counselor.
I found this to be a very enlightening book about a mans struggles and his feelings on certain situations. Episodes of guilt over things I would never feel guilty over or even feelings of inadequacies where I would have thought the man would be fine. I think that we need more of these kinds of books that allow us to see into others lives so we can understand their points of view.