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mulders's review against another edition
dark
reflective
fast-paced
3.75
my hands love to make war of love
My first read of 2024! A short collection of poems, each one more visceral than the last. I especially adored It's Alive!, Masturbating in the Synagogue Bathroom and Recognizing Your Monsters— the latter leaving a hole in my gut I believe will only be filled by reading more Sam Sax. The illustrations accompanying the Bestiary poem, broken up and spanning all through the book, made my heart ache and sigh. I swallowed this collection whole, in one sitting, and while the themes weave together beautifully, some imagery can feel a little repetitive, especially when it works better in one poem than in another. Still, definitely recommend, especially to fans of Richard Siken.
schedzuly's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.5
mossfloor's review
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
bethanyalexis's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
lareinadehades's review
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
darlingbudsofrae's review
4.0
"Isn't it funny how you once believed nothing in this world could disgust you?"
It's funny because it's true LOL
Honestly, my only tidbit about this is its formatting style but putting that aside, I think the overall collection is profound and very well-written. I wouldn't personally recommend this poetry if you're into purple prose and stuff because this basically has zero filters, which I also think this is the double-edged sword of this collection. The lack of metaphors and pretty stuff makes some of the lines and pieces seem forced, but the stripped down content is also what makes this so charming to read. The fascinating thing I find about this collection is that it literally does undress itself (and I'm not talking about the little illustrations), you just know that the poems get more and more precious with every page and it's just so ugh.
PS.
I made lots of annotations on this one but my favorite pieces are Hands and It's Alive!.
cgcpoems's review
3.0
3.5 stars. this collection is so incredibly visceral. it’s also very cohesive, which I could definitely appreciate.