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happylilkt's review
4.0
Diaz is an incredible poet. I think her poems about her brother's addiction are especially fantastical and grueling. Powerful stuff for anyone who loves / has loved someone in addiction.
hannahrose_99's review against another edition
4.0
nairijan's review
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.5
One of my favorite modern poets, Natalie Diaz absolutely took my breath away with this first collection of poems. When My Brother Was an Aztec really foregrounds dysfunction, within the individual, the family, and the colonized society. Beautifully drawing on and honoring mythology and history, this collection of poem shines with unforgettable imagery and a mastery of poetic craft (in the abecadarian, tercets, and ghazal within).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse
yves000's review
5.0
This collection is a bold ride and worth the read. With every poem I found myself reading each line slowly, if not repeatedly, to fully absorb its magnitude. That’s not to say it’s slow in its pacing...I just felt compelled to keep up and really take a good look around. Not a word goes to waste and the images aren’t trite or overdone. Diaz is wildly talented and does not hold back — the narration never seems to doubt or pity itself during this entire nightmarish, honest, and at times relatable outpouring.