anneacker17's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
lelex's review
4.0
I liked this. Learned a lot of new words and had my dictionary open most of the time, like a few other reviews recommended. My favorites were Sonnets for Kudryavka, Apology, with Stigma, and Drop-kick Aria. The continual references to dire wolves and bees and various animals was so so good.
"I don't teach my girls to brave the violence of sun, sons, or stings. When resources run out, don't sit there and behave. Abandon hive."
"Under the hives you shiver, you prowl; oh puff adder, ibex, blood hook & bees: what can the sand or teeth believe?"
"Mammal as asteroid, ultimate runaway. Who are you, whose kismet matches the greats - a martyr for thought, like Socrates? Will you drink the hemlock of space? You, Laika, original cosmonaut."
"The lightning in my temple wards off wolves."
"I stirred five bullets in your burned porridge, stole the money you sewed into the mattress, and took a bus south of my sorrow"
"I won't go to bed hungry. I wait for your footsteps, slicing an apple with a borrowed knife."
"If I could do girlhood again, I'd ask to be scarier. Less whimpering - more pyromaniac urges, more flirting with kerosene."
"I don't teach my girls to brave the violence of sun, sons, or stings. When resources run out, don't sit there and behave. Abandon hive."
"Under the hives you shiver, you prowl; oh puff adder, ibex, blood hook & bees: what can the sand or teeth believe?"
"Mammal as asteroid, ultimate runaway. Who are you, whose kismet matches the greats - a martyr for thought, like Socrates? Will you drink the hemlock of space? You, Laika, original cosmonaut."
"The lightning in my temple wards off wolves."
"I stirred five bullets in your burned porridge, stole the money you sewed into the mattress, and took a bus south of my sorrow"
"I won't go to bed hungry. I wait for your footsteps, slicing an apple with a borrowed knife."
"If I could do girlhood again, I'd ask to be scarier. Less whimpering - more pyromaniac urges, more flirting with kerosene."
f18's review
dark
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
Valentine for a Flytrap despite being the first poem in the book remains my favourite.
Content Warnings
Minor: Racism, Sexual content, and Animal death
readingwithmoe's review
2.0
Dnf’d at page 62 of 106 really wanted to like this poetry collection but didn’t really understand the poetry so I didn’t force myself to read the last half
hollyevaallen's review
5.0
Absolutely stunning. I got lucky just finding this by chance at a used book store and buying it since I thought the cover was gorgeous. Well little did I know what I was about to discover. These poems are amazing. They’re surreal, vivid, and unusual. Tired of the same, drab romance poems or shock-value based “edgy” poetry? Try this- it’s artful, unique and leaves an impression. The poem about Laika (the soviet space dog) really affected me. What I will say is that these aren’t for people with a meager vocabulary. People who have trouble with English might not find these poems accessible as the word choice is quite advanced. Really that’s the only issue. These poems are amazing and instantly became some of my favorites. Highly recommend.