A review by mattiedancer
Nothing Will Save Your Life by Nancy Jo Cullen
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
4.75
Writing: 5⭐️/5
The writing in this collection of poems is technically sound but, beyond that, some poems spark from the page, their form glimmering their ideas to life. Even when the topic is hard or dark, Cullen has a manner of casting it to light. The writing is both dark and hopeful, cynical and encouraging, remorseful and eager.
Approach: 4.5⭐️/5
Many of the poems focused on aging, death, religion, and grief. While a few poems felt too short and a few others felt like their form didn’t match their theme quite perfectly, Cullen hit the mark much more often than she missed. And, when the miss was there, it was subtle, a bit of something off, a piece or two missing.
Who Should Read This Book?
- Those looking for a stark, abrupt poetry book about grief, religion, death, and aging
- Fans of contemporary poetry about darker themes
Content Warnings?
- Misogyny, death, death of a parent, illness, religion, trauma
Post-Reading Rating: 4⭐️/5
For all the glimmers of hope stashed through the book, I felt morose once I was done reading.
Final Rating: 4.75⭐️/5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Drug use, Grief, Dementia, Eating disorder, Misogyny, Sexism, Death of parent, Terminal illness, Cancer, and Medical content