Reviews

Hold Your Own: Poems by Kae Tempest

etekaipaanui's review against another edition

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4.0

I’m not going to sit here and claim to know anything about structure and prose, because I know fuck all about structure and prose.

What I will say, is that I have never been so lulled and hypnotised by words in my life. A visitor came by half way through reading this, and I came up with the most tedious small talk I could conjure in an attempt to get him to go so I could continue (it didn’t work so I resorted to awkward silences and he was soon gone 😈).

This collection of poetry covers themes of Greek mythology, sexuality, gender, feminism, technology, hypocrisy, war, prophecy, and the influence media and technology has on us and is well worth picking up.

Just pls do it ok.

thekitschwitch's review against another edition

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5.0

this is the best collection of poetry i have ever read. it is both transcendent and grounded, both subtle and raw, it screams and it whispers. it is genius.

zilver's review against another edition

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4.0

4.5

this book makes my heart ache.

krissyranae's review against another edition

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5.0

I loved this. Simple as that.

rj_novotny's review against another edition

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emotional sad fast-paced

5.0

graceedelman's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

hellowormemoji's review

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5.0

I have a lot of trouble enjoying rhyming poetry. It can feel repetitive and too similar. This is the opposite of that. This book is magnificent and surprising. The cadence is distinct. Tempest does an incredible job remaking the art of rhyme.

lorayne's review against another edition

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5.0

It's been a while since I read a poetry book. Kate Tempest does such a beautiful job weaving together the story of Tiresias in a modern setting with the complexities of what it means to be a man, a woman, a teenager, and a child. I love the comparisons she makes--poetry is "one of those handbag dogs, yapping and scared of the rain"--and the personification she uses--"Poetry trembles alone, only picked up to be taken apart." Her imagery is startling at times and comforting at others. This is a book I will often go back to. Everyone should read this. I believe it will become timeless as Tiresias has become.

jonnyfox's review against another edition

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5.0

Let's face it, Kate is a modern master who will be taught in schools and only truly revered once it's too late

undermeyou's review

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4.0

It was hard for me to rate this. The subject matter and tying it in to mythology was beautiful and intelligent. Rhyming poetry is always so restrictive to me that I feel so much is missed by trying to adhere to a guideline or template. This was a 4 for me because of that. I felt too much missed opportunity to love it the way I thought that I would, but the actual quality is a 5.