sarina_langer's review

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4.0

I don't think I'll shock anyone if I admit that I don't usually read poetry? Ducarte's poetry caught my attention on Instagram where she posts short poems and snippets sometimes, so I wanted to give this a go.

I do find it harder to review, because every poem stands by itself. They're all short, and I couldn't read more than one or two poems at a time; not because they weren't good, but just because I wanted to appreciate each poem properly, rather than jumping into the next one right away. Reading one after the other--or reading the whole book in one go--felt a bit like devaluing the individual poems. This isn't a book that wants to be rushed. It's a book that wants you to take your time with it.

I find it hard to share excerpts for the same reason. It's odd to only share four lines of a longer poem, because the words are supposed to make one whole. It's not like sharing a line from a novel, which can shine on its own. The words in Hiding Bones belong together.

Hiding Bones goes perfectly with your morning tea or when you're waiting for your train to arrive.

Ducarte has a beautiful way with words, and her talent shines in her poetry.

My favourites were definitely the darker poems. I adored The Mirror, Wretched Things, Mad Alice, Nimble Jack, and Wolf <3

I'm not saying I'm converted to poetry, but I will keep an eye out for more of Ducarte's! Hiding Bones was a lovely little introduction for me, and I look forward to whatever she writes next.

kieranl's review against another edition

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fast-paced

2.0

storine's review against another edition

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Definitely not the collection for me

motherhorror's review

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5.0

I don't know how great of a judge I am when it comes to poetry. For me, as just a reader/observer, poetry seems very personal--almost like a free flow of thoughts about one's emotions/ideas so I'm not entirely sure it's up for judgement.
Also, I don't think I'd know *good* poetry from *bad* poetry. Is there such classifications? Again, I'm new to this arena.
However, that being said, I know what I like. I know what I enjoy and I very much enjoyed Holly's poetry book, Hiding Bones.
Broken down into themes:
Love
Life
Mystery
Nature
I loved Love & Mystery poems the most. They really spoke to me. Specifically, "Whiskey and Wine" and the poem, "Dillinger" reminded me of a love story from the show Peaky Blinders! So I really loved that one.
In the section of Life, I liked the poem "Pomegranate Seeds" and the picture.
I loved all the poems in the Mystery section, notably "Itchmark", "My Belle" and "Robotic Anatomy"
Overall, this was a beautiful book that appears to be a glimpse into the author's soul--so I read it with care and respect. I hope Holly keeps writing!
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