Reviews with content warning for Emotional abuse - The Poet

The Poet is a novel that made me feel deeply uncomfortable and that is a credit to the author. It's not my usual type of novel; I enjoy poetry but tend to like it to be neat, rhyming and closed. This is not the case here. This is messy, tangled and yet has a form all of it's own and it shines a light on the messy, tangled relationship at the heart of the novel. It's lyrical and poignant, yet unnerving as it highlights the toxicity and abuses of power. It's not an easy novel to read, and it may well come with echoes of your own trauma as you read it. But it's a worthwhile read.

The narrative comes through clearly. As do the emotions; the anger, the hurt, the pain and the loneliness. In few words it captures how bad relationships can make you feel small, unworthy, not good enough. There are several homages to other notable literature, but the very personal and individual story is what stands out. The imagery stands out and makes you feel the rawness and the brokenness, even as it is also a tale of strength and of revenge.

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serendipitysbooks's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

The Poet is a chilling read, an examination of a toxic relationship between Emma, a promising student, and Tom, her much older professor. Not only was he controlling, abusive, emotionally manipulative, gaslighting and more, setting out to sabotage her self-confidence and studies, but he then attempted to pass her work off as his own. If the first part of this novel in verse was cautionary and chilling, the second part was more uplifting and empowering as women came together, to support Emma, to validate her experiences, and to help her extract the most delicious revenge. An important look at me too issues in the academic world. It does a great job showcasing red flags in relationships (sadly these seem easier to spot from outside of a relationship than from inside it) and transmitting the righteous rage Emma and others felt. I also found the secondary storyline, relating to women whose contribution to the literary canon has been ignored by scholars, interesting and timely.

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fluffy1st's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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writtenontheflyleaves's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

The Poet by Louisa Reid 💣 ad/gifted by @doubledayukbooks
🌟🌟🌟✨

💣 The plot: This novel in verse follows promising poet Emma as she sinks into an abusive relationship with her former Oxford tutor, Tom. Handsome, successful and domineering, Tom gradually takes over Emma's thoughts, life, and even her research - until she and another student decide to get revenge.

I picked this up because after reading the university sections of Saltwater by Jessica Andrews I was itching for another feminist book set against an academic backdrop. In that sense, this book didn't disappoint - Oxford is a vivid setting for this novel and Reid captures how stifling the university environment can be. I loved that this was not a romantic Oxford, but a darker one.

This critical view of the university also supported the creation of Tom as a believable villain. The arguments he and Emma had were almost painful to read, and his particular brand of misogyny-veiled-in-academia was powerfully written.

That said, though, this book didn't quite hit the mark for me overall. In a verse novel, the language has to be razor sharp throughout to really succeed, and while there were some turns of phrase I liked - "I'm as easy to wipe clean as a table after lunch" - there were more moments where the writing felt a bit trite.

The unravelling of the plot also sacrificed depth for momentum: the final third of the novel is dedicated to Emma's revenge, and while the plot itself was clever, it's glossed over too quickly and the complexity of Emma's feelings towards Tom that was powerful in the beginning is totally flattened.

💣 Read it if you love a revenge plot, particularly against abusive and misogynistic men, want to read a book about women at Oxford, or if you're a fan of Charly Cox and Rupi Kaur as the themes tackled here are similar.

🚫 Avoid avoid avoid if abusive relationships are a difficult topic for you right now, or if you're only rarely interested in poetry.

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headinthepages's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.5

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baratheonbooks's review against another edition

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challenging dark sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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lakelandreader's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

3.75

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