A review by howlinglibraries
Apocalyptic Mannequin: The Definition of Body is Buried by Stephanie M. Wytovich

4.0

But now in this clearing, now against these odds,
the maiden becomes the mother becomes the crone becomes
the night, and all those left hanging, all those left burned,
will rise and dance in her glory, this the second coming,
the rebirth of Eve.

Having experienced small doses of Wytovich's writing here and there in anthologies I've picked up along the way, I knew I was in for a treat and so I've been meaning to read one of her full works for some time, and I have to say, The Apocalyptic Mannequin did not disappoint!

Horror poetry is in and of itself an unpredictable bag, and I find this to be more and more true, the more of it I read. Often, the horror is mingled with, if not outright buried by, metaphors and commentary, and while there's absolutely nothing wrong with that, it was a bit refreshing to pick up a collection that laid on the terror and macabre so thoroughly. (Don't get me wrong, though, there are plenty of poems in this collection that cut deeper than the surface, reminding us that no action is without consequence, and regaling us with the co-morbidities of simply being a woman in our society.)

This is not a collection for weak stomachs, and I found myself unsettled time and time again by the sheer violence and gruesomeness of many of the descriptions (which I mean as the utmost compliment, naturally). If you enjoy horror, poetry, or both combined, I strongly recommend you pick up this collection. If you're one of the handful of people I've seen insinuate that poetry can't be horrific, well... I believe Stephanie M. Wytovich would like to have a few words with you.

Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!