hey_itsbee's review
adventurous
informative
4.25
4.25 stars. This stunning collection was described to me as an "anti-pastoral," and it certainly lives up to this challenge in the best way possible. Void of greenery, of lush meadows, and with no mention of trees until the penultimate poem, Johnson gives us the primordial.
The boundaries between body and Earth are violently broken down into a new kind of love language. In each poem, Johnson delves into the infinite worlds of the infinite particles that make us up, casting away a sense of identity for kinship with air, water, and fire.
Many concepts (honey, spines, etc.) are reused throughout the poems, though as a means of connection or repetition, I couldn't always tell.
A welcome addition to poetry for those (like me) who tend to find comfort in natural poetry - Johnson takes the entire concept and turns it on its head in an enchanting way.
The boundaries between body and Earth are violently broken down into a new kind of love language. In each poem, Johnson delves into the infinite worlds of the infinite particles that make us up, casting away a sense of identity for kinship with air, water, and fire.
Many concepts (honey, spines, etc.) are reused throughout the poems, though as a means of connection or repetition, I couldn't always tell.
A welcome addition to poetry for those (like me) who tend to find comfort in natural poetry - Johnson takes the entire concept and turns it on its head in an enchanting way.
akmistyrose's review
dark
tense
fast-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror
Moderate: Death and Gore
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