Reviews

Disclaimer: I am not super into poetry in general. However this is an extremely powerful collection, and there is so much within each poem that left me wanting to have a longer conversation with the poet.

askatknits's review against another edition

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4.0

Challenging poems that speak volumes, but the redacted poems... wow. Brilliant.

callant's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

isabellesbooks's review against another edition

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3.5

It’s always difficult for me to rate poetry collections. This one was a mixed bag; some poems I thought were fantastic, and others were strung together like gibberish. Lots of run on sentences and confusion on my part, but the author was brutally honest in a way I really appreciated. Overall I love the concept and the fact that this book exists, but some of it fell through for me. Still worth reading for the perspective, and oh gosh, those blackout court document poems that will hit you in the gut.

buttercupita's review against another edition

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Not going to rate this because I don't have the chops to rate poetry collections (don't know that I've ever read through an entire one before....). This was the perfect companion piece to Cuz, a memoir I read last month in which Danielle Allen examined the too short and very sad life of her 15 year old cousin who was incarcerated for over 10 years and then murdered once freed. Felon helps capture what might have been his voice (there are some glimmers in Cuz, but this is a much fuller view.). Enlightening and moving.

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