Reviews

Ghost of by Diana Khoi Nguyen

mepresley's review

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dark emotional reflective sad

4.0

Some of the experimentation with form just wasn't for me and made the poems harder to read. Yes, it forced me to slow down more, which is always nice, but I'm just not a fan of breaking words off in the middle or black text against the background of a grey photograph. On the other hand, I loved what she did in terms of repetition with difference -- for example, "bewilder, we bewilder what we fill in what bewilders us to fill in what" (21) and "it keeps me alive it keeps me alive it keeps me alive it keeps" (37)--and these poems all held together very well, speaking to one another, and to grief and loss.

My favorite poems were "Triptych" (#1), "Family Ties," "Triptych" (#2), "An Empty House is a Debt," and "Future Self." 

"Triptych" (#1)

a woman still
             burying herself
                                                             pulling off the world
                                       like fly's wings

"Triptych" (#2)

what may sound between appearance and disappearance, between sound and silence, as something
that is nearly nothing--

"An Empty House is a Debt"

What is a maze if there is nothing to find in the maze.

"Future Self"


Mending in a daybreak that casts every shadow
                                                           except your own; 
the starved fern that keeps growing, 
uselessly--

frogjeanine's review

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5.0

this was genuinely painful to read, and being able to actually talk to nguyen about her experiences was insane. easily the best book from WoW

dmsehnert's review

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dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

4.5

emmagrace13's review

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fast-paced

3.0

windbreak's review

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4.0

she is all about the puns. and water

lyss_cypher's review

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dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

inhindsight's review

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emotional reflective fast-paced

5.0

tea_and_bookies's review

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reflective sad slow-paced

3.5

Painfully reflective. 

returnofsaturn's review

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emotional reflective slow-paced

3.75

martinalitty's review

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emotional sad tense medium-paced

5.0