Poetry Mini-Reviews #1

Wahey! Mini-reviews are so helpful so here! Have 3 reviews in 1 post! All three books in this review are poetry – and all ones I really enjoyed.

I received these e-arcs through Netgalley and the publishers in exchange for free and honest reviews. Quotes given in these reviews might not necessarily be in the published versions. The image header is my own and the link in the books’ title links back to the Goodreads page. All opinions expressed are my own. 

The Future

Neil Hilborn

Stars: 4

I’ve watched Neil from Youtube so I was happy to see this book on the Read Now’s on Netgalley (aka also the worst place to be if you’re terrible at restraint like me. It should be renamed to something like People who can’t restrain themselves – but that’s too long, so we can shorten it to PWCRT – we’ll have to work on the pronunciation or even rewrite the renaming).

I read (well in this anthology it mentions) that he wrote some of these while on the road and I can just see that – waiting at a petrol station or in the queue at a coffee shop and just furiously scribbling on a notepad or the back of a receipt. And I love it because it’s so raw – which is something that’s a theme with him – rawness in his writing. He writes poems that are to the point, ones that are real.

What I love about poetry (and slam poetry in particular) is that different people can find different meanings in the poems. I think it’s so important for writers to talk about mental illness and to not treat it like something that should be stashed away in the corner. It shows that it can and should be commonplace, it should be showcased, it should be discussed.

Favourite quotes: 

The Ballad of Fuckknuckle Jones

• He’s the kind of guy who, when he says you’ll be fine, is probably right. The end isn’t coming soon, just what’s next.

All Ages:

• What’s more punk rock than living despite all that which has tried to make you not?

Psalam 12, In Which the Author Alienates His Audience, Part 2:

• Your cat is the best thing that happens in your day; your cat is the best thing that happens in your cat’s day.

Going to Wales:

• …right now I’m inventing castles and in one of them is a dragon.

The Future 

• I know tomorrow is going to come because I’ve seen it. Sunrise is going to come,
  all you have to do is wake up.
• I saw the future, I did, and in it I was alive.

 

Dropkick Romance

Cyrus Parker

Stars: 3 (and a half)

The anthology is split in two. A before and after if you will. The before being about a bad relationship, and the after is about love, finding that person who understands you, who knows you. And you feel the heartbreak, in the first half; and then in the second half, you feel the love. The second half also focuses on building a new life and creating new stories. It made me hopeful and just like the first poem says – I’m lacing my boots with my words and dropkicking the world – I’m ready to face the world head on.

Parker is one of those poets who paints pictures with the words in the poems. As you read their poems, it’s like you’re not simply reading anymore, you’re more floating gently and listening to the words. If it makes sense. This is the first poetry book I’ve read from Parker and I’m definitely wanting to read more.

Favourite Quotes: 

her shadow

• what is more innocent than a girl and her cat? 

I’m not sure if the next quote is considered an official quote from the anthology but I do like it very much.

• I’m lacing my boots with my words and dropkicking the world.

a web of hopeless romantics

• we have the entire world/at our fingertips,/so why should we limit ourselves/to only what’s around us?

 

The Witch Doesn’t Burn in this One

Amanda Lovelace

Stars: 4

I thought I loved Princess (The Princess Saves Herself in this one) more than Witch, but I loved them both for different reasons. I also have the third book so I can’t wait to post that review. Where Princess speaks more of self-love and self-acceptance, Witch is about taking all that self-love and -acceptance and using it to show others you are unafraid of them or the world or trials that appear in your path. Witch is about facing those who said ‘you can’t’ with a ‘watch me’.

Witch is also about reminding yourself you’re strong, that you can go ahead. It’s about finding that power within you and using it. It’s a message to the world that we will fight back. We will let you know when we’ve had enough and we’ll stand up and I mean, I think if you read this poetry books, you’d probably find that out.

Lovelace has quickly become one of my favourite poets. I believe I found her on Pinterest  – or a few of her quotes and really liked it! Which is cool because I’m slowly getting into expanding my list of genres I read.

Favourite Quotes:

bewitching

• women: we can spin g o l d out of d i r t

bewitching ii

• women: we can magic f i r e out of a i r

women are some kind of magic ii

• I’m pretty sure you have w i t c h c r a f t running through those v e i n s

 

I definitely recommend all three of these books to people who are wanting to branch into poetry. Be warned that there are some content/trigger warnings for the different books, so please research them (I know Amanda has a list on her website and I believe at the start of the book).