writeramyshannon's review
5.0
Masterpiece poetry
The book intrigued me when the author was nominated for one of my Best Indie Titles of 2017 awards on my author blog, and the author was nice enough to share the story with me for a review. I love a good poem. I think of a good poem as one that pulls in the reader, and invokes emotion, shows and makes the reader feel something, and see life through the eyes of the poet. Vanleerdam is one remarkable poet. I was drawn in immediately by the first and title poem "Nova" and it only got better from there. The words bring a light of life and show the reader how the author feels, invoking emotion within this reader. Bravo. Each page turning revealed the next poem. One of the other poems that brought me in was "Blue". It was short and to the point, and luring. Again, I must repeat myself, masterpiece poetry.
The book intrigued me when the author was nominated for one of my Best Indie Titles of 2017 awards on my author blog, and the author was nice enough to share the story with me for a review. I love a good poem. I think of a good poem as one that pulls in the reader, and invokes emotion, shows and makes the reader feel something, and see life through the eyes of the poet. Vanleerdam is one remarkable poet. I was drawn in immediately by the first and title poem "Nova" and it only got better from there. The words bring a light of life and show the reader how the author feels, invoking emotion within this reader. Bravo. Each page turning revealed the next poem. One of the other poems that brought me in was "Blue". It was short and to the point, and luring. Again, I must repeat myself, masterpiece poetry.
jckang's review
5.0
Mix of poetic styles, some rhyming, others not, but all with a cadence and rhythm where I could hear the author’s voice. The author’s word choices and structures fit whatever theme and emotion the particular poem calls for, from the vibrant, descriptive language of the title piece, Nova; to the simplicity of Teflon and Torn, with the clever questions of the first and the jagged pace of the second.
I felt Rogue Wave in particular, with the clever word usage in the last line just leaving me giddy when I should probably have been horrified; and Wine Cups, which made me think of classic epic fantasy stories. Firefighter’s imagery left me amazed.
If I have one complaint, it is that the collection bounces around in themes, so given how stirring the collection was for me, I felt the rhythm of emotions from poem to poem was uneven.
I felt Rogue Wave in particular, with the clever word usage in the last line just leaving me giddy when I should probably have been horrified; and Wine Cups, which made me think of classic epic fantasy stories. Firefighter’s imagery left me amazed.
If I have one complaint, it is that the collection bounces around in themes, so given how stirring the collection was for me, I felt the rhythm of emotions from poem to poem was uneven.
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