jaykosumi's review against another edition
4.0
4.5
I’m really glad I picked this one up after seeing snippets of Lee’s poems on Instagram and being intrigued. He definitely has a way with words that’s both immersive and atmospheric and I highlighted several lines that had clever word play, a careful choice of metaphors that complimented the themes of the poems, or that just struck me right through the heart.
I love how cohesive this collection is. It sticks to the themes of grief, trauma, depression and alcoholism, instead of stretching itself too thin as some other poetry collections I’ve read. The focus on a singular narrative allowed the author to write in-depth about his experiences. I loved how certain poems required more careful attention and a re-read to be properly understood, while others were more straightforward, thus conveying the depressive tone. It’s hard for me to find myself impressed by a lot of modern poetry, but this one blew me away and you could tell Lee put a lot of effort and passion into this one.
The only reason I’m not giving it five stars is because I felt the collection dragged at times, so it took me a while to read. Also—and this is very trivial, as it boils down to personal preference—I have discovered that the poetry I absolutely adore is the more abstract kind, that tells a broader story than just the writer’s personal experiences and struggles. Obviously, this isn’t a flaw of the book or author, but as all reviews are subjective, I couldn’t bring myself to give it a full rating, given it’s not *that* kind of poetry.
But with all being said, please pick up this book if you’re looking for poignant and beautiful poetry to read. If you find yourself connecting with the themes, it might even be a tearjerker for you.
I’m really glad I picked this one up after seeing snippets of Lee’s poems on Instagram and being intrigued. He definitely has a way with words that’s both immersive and atmospheric and I highlighted several lines that had clever word play, a careful choice of metaphors that complimented the themes of the poems, or that just struck me right through the heart.
I love how cohesive this collection is. It sticks to the themes of grief, trauma, depression and alcoholism, instead of stretching itself too thin as some other poetry collections I’ve read. The focus on a singular narrative allowed the author to write in-depth about his experiences. I loved how certain poems required more careful attention and a re-read to be properly understood, while others were more straightforward, thus conveying the depressive tone. It’s hard for me to find myself impressed by a lot of modern poetry, but this one blew me away and you could tell Lee put a lot of effort and passion into this one.
The only reason I’m not giving it five stars is because I felt the collection dragged at times, so it took me a while to read. Also—and this is very trivial, as it boils down to personal preference—I have discovered that the poetry I absolutely adore is the more abstract kind, that tells a broader story than just the writer’s personal experiences and struggles. Obviously, this isn’t a flaw of the book or author, but as all reviews are subjective, I couldn’t bring myself to give it a full rating, given it’s not *that* kind of poetry.
But with all being said, please pick up this book if you’re looking for poignant and beautiful poetry to read. If you find yourself connecting with the themes, it might even be a tearjerker for you.
qtdinh's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
5.0
Broke me into pieces. The trio of erasure poems are masterpieces
zuly's review against another edition
5.0
I’ve known nights so cold the body is unlikely
to bleed. I have braved my own heart and swung
a hammer so honestly that smoke curled off
the nail. Still there was no sound. Each moment
of winter is so faint and silent it is a memory
even as you live it
❤️❤️❤️❤️
Somewhere there is a classroom
comprised of all my dead friends—
as they were once—pledging allegiance
to a Polaroid developing forever.
to bleed. I have braved my own heart and swung
a hammer so honestly that smoke curled off
the nail. Still there was no sound. Each moment
of winter is so faint and silent it is a memory
even as you live it
❤️❤️❤️❤️
Somewhere there is a classroom
comprised of all my dead friends—
as they were once—pledging allegiance
to a Polaroid developing forever.
cgcpoems's review against another edition
4.0
an absolutely stunning debut collection of poems. i’m having trouble finding good words to describe it, but just know this is the type of collection that compels you to get out your own journal & pen in its wake.
lunasxi's review against another edition
5.0
"if old age is not actually defined by age but by one's proximity to death, i grew up with a group of thirteen year olds who were a thousand years each."
➵ 5 stars.
➵ 5 stars.
bonylegged's review against another edition
4.0
I received an ARC through #netgalley.
An excellently written and crafted collection of poetry. I enjoyed it immensely. Button poetry's publications rarely disappoint!
An excellently written and crafted collection of poetry. I enjoyed it immensely. Button poetry's publications rarely disappoint!
morgyyreads's review against another edition
4.0
4.75/5 Stars
Michael Lee's poetry is absolutely astounding and covers hard-hitting topics such as losing a friends to violence as well as addiction and recovery with a delicate touch. His prose feel almost melodic in the best way possible. There were some pieces I personally couldn't connect with that kept me from rating this a full 5 stars, but rating it just 4.5 felt too low at the same time so this one sits at a lovely 4.75. I adored this collection and would highly recommend it.
Michael Lee's poetry is absolutely astounding and covers hard-hitting topics such as losing a friends to violence as well as addiction and recovery with a delicate touch. His prose feel almost melodic in the best way possible. There were some pieces I personally couldn't connect with that kept me from rating this a full 5 stars, but rating it just 4.5 felt too low at the same time so this one sits at a lovely 4.75. I adored this collection and would highly recommend it.