i do not fear being alone, i fear being forgotten i fear irrelevance”
Overall, this is a really beautiful and moving collection. I especiall 4 Stars
i do not fear being alone, i fear being forgotten i fear irrelevance”
Overall, this is a really beautiful and moving collection. I especially enjoyed it’s structure—breaking the book into categories, ending a section with words that function almost like titles, and the varying line breaks.
In particular, I thought the author was able to really beautifully express feelings of isolation and grappling with sexuality. Some of those lines and poems hit me hard and continued to ring in my head once I was finished reading.
But there’s also a few poems and sections that felt a little… stale. Not that they were poorly written, but just that they didn’t seem to add anything new to conversations or topics already addressed. I think these poems were also the ones I found to be a little too ‘on-the-nose’ in terms of topic and emotion.
In Conclusion:
This was really well structured and had several sections I adored, I’m interested in seeing how Michelle Smith progresses as an author and focuses in on their strengths.
I received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review! ...more
“And I think about all the things we could be if we were never told our bodies were not built for them.”
15-year old Xiomara lives in a w4 Stars
“And I think about all the things we could be if we were never told our bodies were not built for them.”
15-year old Xiomara lives in a world where her mother controls her life at home and society tries to limit her elsewhere. But Xiomara will not be silenced. She discovers the world of slam poetry and finds her voice.
The whole story is written in verse, and I found the audiobook particularly powerful, as Xiomara uses her poetry to articulate and fight against the daily injustice in her life. This includes her complicated relationship with her very religious and controlling mother, the rape culture prevalent at her school, and how she’s been taught to view her femininity negatively. These were all important topics handled with depth and care.
Overall, I found these poems incredibly intimate and raw. You don’t just spend time in Xiomara’s head, but instead in the gaping wound in her chest. You feel what she feels. Because of this, her development felt particularly personal and I stayed completely invested.
I do feel the resolution was slightly rushed. Certain abuses were forgiven very easily and it made me a little uneasy. While I liked the ending, it felt less organic than the rest of the story.
In Conclusion:
This is an intense story that focuses on a complex girl and the power of voice....more
“Some view our sable race with scornful eye, ‘Their colour is a diabolic dye.’ Remember, Christians... Negros, black as Cain, May be refin'd, and j
“Some view our sable race with scornful eye, ‘Their colour is a diabolic dye.’ Remember, Christians... Negros, black as Cain, May be refin'd, and join th' angelic train.”
This was a for-school-read that I really ended up enjoying. First published in 1770, Phillis Wheatley was a remarkable young woman. A slave in the American colonies, Wheatley spent years not only learning English, but developing a power with words. She became the first African-American poet published, with success as far reaching as Europe.
Reading her works from a 21st Century viewpoint is somewhat odd. Not only is the language itself more difficult, but the some of the themes extremely dated. Engrossed in religious fervor, several of her poems reflect the ideas of Calvinism, including predestination-- that there's a God with a specific plan for everything. In one work, Wheatley even goes as far as stating, “'Twas mercy brought me from my Pagan land, Taught my benighted soul to understand that there's a God, that there's a Saviour too.”
Most of my class found this understandably off-putting and antiquated. And I'm certainly not trying to claim it isn't. But the subtle message of her works is stronger. Believing in a sovereign God, it can be inferred Wheatley viewed her slavery as part of a predestined plan to bring her to Christianity, but that does not mean she agreed with the practice itself. (In fact, she spent most of her life vehemently fighting against it.)
In Revolutionary-Era America, the literate were predominantly white, due to the restriction of access to education. Wheatley seems keenly aware of her audience. She didn't use poetry as a way for blatantly calling for the abolition of slavery, but instead uses her poems as a lyrical way of advocating equality, by appealing to their shared religion. In quotes like the one I've place at the top of this review, she politely, but firmly reminds "Christians" that all races are equal in their God's eyes. To be frank, she's continually calling out their hypocrisy.
I found it intensely courageous that someone so young was so dedicated to spreading a message so important, whether the world was ready to hear it or not.
In Conclusion: Definitely not for an afternoon of light reading. Intensely powerful all the same....more
Quick read for school-- if I can call poetry from 1650 quick??
Basically this is the opening to her poetry anthology-- the first published by an AmeriQuick read for school-- if I can call poetry from 1650 quick??
Basically this is the opening to her poetry anthology-- the first published by an American, according to my course. And Bradstreet starts all, "Oh, I'm just a feeble woman, I could never write long poems about war and life and love-- oh wait, I DID."
And I'm always down for snarky women defying societal expectations, even if this wasn't an easy read. I'm not one for poetry, but I thought this flowed well....more
"Oh darling, loving and staying isn't always the same"
Gorgeous words covering many facets of life and the emotions that go wit4.5 Stars
Overview
"Oh darling, loving and staying isn't always the same"
Gorgeous words covering many facets of life and the emotions that go with them.
I received a copy in exchange for an honest review, thanks to the publisher Kingdoms in the Wild for the opportunity!
Pros:
Again, the language here was just spectacular. I don't usually enjoy more abstract poetry, but the grit and polish of the word choices really pulled me in. There was a strong emotional element laced into every line of prose that made it all seem completely real, tangible and visceral-- even if the specific poems were not.
Cons:
At times the formatting made things almost difficult to read or seemed to change the meaning. This was especially true when large portions of the text would be bolded or italicized, and it just seemed too much emphasis. I wish the words had been left to stand on their own.
In Conclusion:
Beautiful collection filled with exquisite wording and phrases, albeit with some odd formatting....more
13-Year-Old me had a poem published in this anthology, so I'm obligated to give it five-stars, right?
For real though, this book still sits proudly on 13-Year-Old me had a poem published in this anthology, so I'm obligated to give it five-stars, right?
For real though, this book still sits proudly on my shelf, as one of the books that solidified my love of reading. All of these stories, while certainly not Pulitzer winners, were written by kids who love reading and writing. It's very fun and will always hold a special place in my heart. ...more
One of the first poetry collections I’ve read in a while, and one I really enjoyed. I understand there has been a rise in ‘modern-cont4 Stars
Overall:
One of the first poetry collections I’ve read in a while, and one I really enjoyed. I understand there has been a rise in ‘modern-contemporary’ poems, or ‘tumblr-speak.’ From what I’ve seen people either love or hate it.
I personally really enjoyed it. I’m by no means a poetry connoisseur but I believe poetry should be a very personal thing. I care little about the formatting and more about the words themselves. For me, poetry is always a hard thing to review because it is so personal, so this is going to be short and simple
Pros:
This addresses some really powerful and harrowing topics I believe are very relevant to women today. Again, very personal to even read and I think Rupi Kaur managed to convey of difficult ideas and emotions in very short works
I liked the variety both in length and style with the poems and I thought the illustrations fit very well.
A strong theme of self-confidence and finding strength in one’s self ran throughout this entire collection—each section builds upon it until it cultivates in the last fourth. Overall, I think it’s a very important message and I enjoyed the way it was handled.
Cons:
This did get a little repetitive. The collection is split into four sections and I couldn’t help but feel like perhaps each section was a little longer than it needed to be. Beautiful words, just conveying thoughts that had already been expressed several times.
In Conclusion: Powerful stuff, just felt a little repetitive in places! ...more
“I wish I could explain, what it was like. Fingers counting the bones that were becoming me.”
No, this book isn’t perfect.
Yes, 4.5 Stars
Overview:
“I wish I could explain, what it was like. Fingers counting the bones that were becoming me.”
No, this book isn’t perfect.
Yes, the writing style isn’t for everyone.
But it is single-handedly the best book about eating disorders I have ever read.
All too often eating disorders are romanticized into some pretty girl with a shy smile meekly pushing a plate of food away from her. Or it’s all treated like an after school special where someone faints, is told a few kind words, and then are magically "fine.”
Eating disorders are what the name implies—disordered thinking. A disordered relationship with food that creeps into all aspects of someone’s life. The reality is harsh, gritty and not-always pretty to look at, but it’s also not as straight forward as we want to imagine it is.
I received an ARC of this in exchange for an honest review via Netgalley. Thank you to the publisher and author for the opportunity!
Pros:
This was a visceral, realistic and incredibly personal account of mental illness. Catherine Alene's writing style forces us into the mindset of Raesha as her entire manner of thinking slowly changes. It bleeds into her relationships and her hobbies without holding back.
Some passages in this were absolutely gut-wrenching for me, not because they were so dramatic, but simply because they weren’t. Raesha’s actions are easily justifiable and common-place to her, even when she knows they shouldn’t be. I lack the words to truly express how powerful I found it. Which is why I’m rounding up to 5 stars.
The author's note at the end of this was almost as powerful as the book itself. I applaud Alene for writing something so personal, and handling it with such grace.
I don’t typically read 'horse books,' but something about this setting and the animals involved really worked for me. It wasn’t the primary focus, but it felt natural and like the huge part of Raesha’s life it was.
I love, love, the focus on familial relationships in this. Raesha’s relationship with her father was handled in a realistic and beautiful way, the same as her relationship with her best friend and deceased mother. YA contemporaries all too often focus on romance as some sort of tethering pole, and while romance was present, it was secondary to Raesha's own characterization and arc.
Cons
Cody and Raesha’s relationship was very interesting at the start, but he didn’t seem very supportive. I understand she changes in ways he doesn't comprehend, but he simply seemed judgmental and not conducive to her healing. It felt realistic, but I wish it had been addressed.
I was initially thrown by the writing style, especially since I was unaware this was told in verse. At times the verse really didn’t seem like poetry, but rather short, descriptive sentences divided by line breaks. While I got used to it and the manner of story-telling, I can see how others would not. I’m not entirely certain the book benefited from being told in verse, and couldn’t help wonder if it would have been better as a straight-forward novel.
I can completely see how others DNF-ed this book due to the choppy writing style, but I believe they are missing out on an important and masterfully told story.
In Conclusion
Gripping, beautiful novel in verse. The poems themselves don’t particularly stand out, but the story as a whole is one of the best portrayals of eating disorders....more
I initally purchased this several semesters ago, for an English course I was taking to fill a gap in my credits. I found it again today, while unpackiI initally purchased this several semesters ago, for an English course I was taking to fill a gap in my credits. I found it again today, while unpacking once again. For the first time, I sat down and read all 90 pages of this in less then an hour. Then I had to re-read a few places because I'd loved them so much.
A beautiful and intimate collection of poems, both tragic and hopeful. It's always hard for me to review poetry, because I don't really know what to say. But I adored the wording in this, and Groff seemed to pour emotion into every page. ...more
Written in verse, Skyscraping revolves around Mira discovering her parents not only have an open marriage—but that her father is bis 3 Stars
Overview:
Written in verse, Skyscraping revolves around Mira discovering her parents not only have an open marriage—but that her father is bisexual. Taking place in 1990s NYC, this book touches upon several big themes and topics, including: HIV/AIDS, sexuality, first love and family dynamics.
I just don’t think it said anything new about them, or said them in particularly interesting way.
Pros:
Give me more characters who love “unconventional” school subjects, please! Mira loved astronomy and it was a strong repeating theme in this book, and I thought it worked very well.
And give me more characters with diverse and “unconventional” sexualities, please! Mira’s parents had a very interesting dynamic that I wish was expanded upon more.
I thought the poetry throughout was well-done and aided the story telling. It allowed for Mira’s confusion and emotions to show clearly and several repeating motifs clearly illustrated her development.
Cons:
As I said before, this book touches upon several interesting themes—but that’s all it does. Touch. The material several really grappled with any of the big issues or the overreaching effects of any of the topics. I’m not sure if the format was a limiting factor or what, but it only really seemed to skim these important themes.
While Mira’s emotions were clearly illustrated in the prose, I know very little about her as a character. To be honest, I felt very little for any of the characters. For some reason I just was unable to connect with them, and I think it really lessened the effect of later plots.
Even though the summary gives a different impression, this didn’t end up really being anything new? It ended up like most 90s movies, where a girl on the cusp of high school graduation has something happen that upsets her and ultimately changes her world view. It’s an important story, this one just felt riddled with cliché.
In Conclusion:
Some beautiful verse to tell an otherwise lack-luster story. Several heavy themes and topics are dealt with in passing while the main undergoes a typical coming-of-age story. ...more
“repeat after me: you owe no one your forgiveness.
- except maybe yourself.”
I just inhaled this in under an hour, and before I beg 4 Stars
Overview:
“repeat after me: you owe no one your forgiveness.
- except maybe yourself.”
I just inhaled this in under an hour, and before I begin re-reading I’m going to try to construct a review.
I received a free copy of this from Netgalley. Thanks to the author and the publisher for the opportunity!
Pros:
I lack the words. This was just a beautiful and moving collection. I know some people have a problem with the tumblr-esque style of spacing in this (similar to Milk and Honey) but I believe poetry is anything you want it to be. (Something even mentioned explicitly in this.) I thought the typography was gorgeous and only further illustrated how powerful these words are.
I’ve had problems with previous poetry collections being either too heavy or too light, but this was perfect balance. There were segments dedicated to anger and sadness, and those dedicated to love and joy.
This really captured the nature of healing, including the highs and lows that come with it. This also starts some interested discussions about abuse by realistically depicting the complicated relationship one has with an abuser-- especially when it's a parent. It's not clear cut love OR hate.
These poems explore an entire lifetime—everything from grief to love and all the in-betweens.
Cons
My only problem with this was I thought the final section was a bit overstuffed. It touched upon several topics relevant to modern day feminism, and while all very important, it felt like a bit much.
In Conclusion
Powerful collection that almost all women can relate to in some aspect....more
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