A review by serendipitysbooks
The Poet by Louisa Reid

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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