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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
I received an early copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Release date: March 6th, 2018
Read on my blog.
This was one of the best and most powerful debut poetry collections I've read.
I loved the composition and how all the poems together told one story - I read the whole thing almost in one sitting because I was eager to know what happens next. The way Cyrus described every small detail of his two very different relationships was captivating, both the toxicity of the first relationship, and the little, loving, everyday moments of the second.
As someone who's used to fiction, reading some of the poems was strange - there were some events that weirded me out and yet I couldn't really "disagree" or judge, since this was someone's real, actual life, not the relationship of two fictional characters. I'll have to get used to this if I read more personal poetry, but I still enjoyed the poems in this collection.
Release date: March 6th, 2018
Read on my blog.
This was one of the best and most powerful debut poetry collections I've read.
I loved the composition and how all the poems together told one story - I read the whole thing almost in one sitting because I was eager to know what happens next. The way Cyrus described every small detail of his two very different relationships was captivating, both the toxicity of the first relationship, and the little, loving, everyday moments of the second.
As someone who's used to fiction, reading some of the poems was strange - there were some events that weirded me out and yet I couldn't really "disagree" or judge, since this was someone's real, actual life, not the relationship of two fictional characters. I'll have to get used to this if I read more personal poetry, but I still enjoyed the poems in this collection.
5/5 stars
NetGalley provided me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
This is a poetry collection about falling apart and putting yourself back together.
I loved that this collection was told in a chronological order. It definitely helped with following the story of abusive ex to wonderful wife. There was so much raw pain and heartbreak, and it was just so amazing to see a guy be vulnerable. It really makes me hope that other guys will somehow read this and know that it’s okay to feel emotions and to feel them this intensely.
NetGalley provided me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
This is a poetry collection about falling apart and putting yourself back together.
I loved that this collection was told in a chronological order. It definitely helped with following the story of abusive ex to wonderful wife. There was so much raw pain and heartbreak, and it was just so amazing to see a guy be vulnerable. It really makes me hope that other guys will somehow read this and know that it’s okay to feel emotions and to feel them this intensely.
that was beautiful. i felt the beginning, i went through the beginning with my first love. the second part was such a beautiful, moving love story. i loved everything about this wonderful collection.
The anthology is split in two. A before and after if you will. The before being about a bad relationship, and the after is about love, finding that person who understands you, who knows you. And you feel the heartbreak, in the first half; and then in the second half, you feel the love. The second half also focuses on building a new life and creating new stories. It made me hopeful and just like the first poem says – I’m lacing my boots with my words and dropkicking the world – I’m ready to face the world head on.
Parker is one of those poets who paints pictures with the words in the poems. As you read their poems, it’s like you’re not simply reading anymore, you’re more floating gently and listening to the words. If it makes sense. This is the first poetry book I’ve read from Parker and I’m definitely wanting to read more.
Favourite Quotes:
her shadow:
what is more innocent than a girl and her cat?
I’m not sure if the next quote is considered an official quote from the anthology but I do like it very much:
I’m lacing my boots with my words and dropkicking the world.
a web of hopeless romantics:
we have the entire world/at our fingertips,/so why should we limit ourselves/to only what’s around us?
Parker is one of those poets who paints pictures with the words in the poems. As you read their poems, it’s like you’re not simply reading anymore, you’re more floating gently and listening to the words. If it makes sense. This is the first poetry book I’ve read from Parker and I’m definitely wanting to read more.
Favourite Quotes:
her shadow:
what is more innocent than a girl and her cat?
I’m not sure if the next quote is considered an official quote from the anthology but I do like it very much:
I’m lacing my boots with my words and dropkicking the world.
a web of hopeless romantics:
we have the entire world/at our fingertips,/so why should we limit ourselves/to only what’s around us?
I loved this collection so much. It had me crying multiple times, first from heartbreak and later from joy. It's a beautiful debut from a truly talented poet, and I highly recommend it. I can't wait for their next work.
From the first poem it was clear to see how much feeling there was in the words comprising some 178 pages of insight.
The first half of the book, about a toxic relationship that broke and was reassembled time and again, was heartbreaking because of the pain and how, even telling yourself you wouldn't let the same thing happen to you, realizing the possibility it out there for the people we love to hurt us. Lies, betrayal, false hope, it's all here.
There is also potential, personal growth, and finding your way to a better place. Confidence, self worth, those things exist too.
"i am mine before i am yours."
Watching Cyrus through his poems was a journey from reliance on this past person through recovering and eventually finding a new and lasting love. The pieces that show his meeting Amanda (Lovelace, author/future wife), dealing with his ex trying to come back, and the forward movement he and Amanda share as a couple was visual, heart felt, and written so well that the words were more than that. They became tangible things I could imagine feeling myself. Some moments were more personal and hit me dead center. Being able to evoke those emotions in readers is a great skill of poets and Cyrus in particular.
As to the style of the poems, it is clear that he shares a style similar to that of Amanda. The structure and the format of the title in italics at the end rather than the beginning of the poem, will be familiar to readers of The Princess Saves Herself in This One. Each one flowed well and made consuming the book pleasant, even with the poems that were about difficult times.
Easily one of my favorite collections of the year, DROPKICKromance is a volume that everyone ought to try out, from fans of poetry to new comers unsure where to start.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The first half of the book, about a toxic relationship that broke and was reassembled time and again, was heartbreaking because of the pain and how, even telling yourself you wouldn't let the same thing happen to you, realizing the possibility it out there for the people we love to hurt us. Lies, betrayal, false hope, it's all here.
There is also potential, personal growth, and finding your way to a better place. Confidence, self worth, those things exist too.
"i am mine before i am yours."
Watching Cyrus through his poems was a journey from reliance on this past person through recovering and eventually finding a new and lasting love. The pieces that show his meeting Amanda (Lovelace, author/future wife), dealing with his ex trying to come back, and the forward movement he and Amanda share as a couple was visual, heart felt, and written so well that the words were more than that. They became tangible things I could imagine feeling myself. Some moments were more personal and hit me dead center. Being able to evoke those emotions in readers is a great skill of poets and Cyrus in particular.
As to the style of the poems, it is clear that he shares a style similar to that of Amanda. The structure and the format of the title in italics at the end rather than the beginning of the poem, will be familiar to readers of The Princess Saves Herself in This One. Each one flowed well and made consuming the book pleasant, even with the poems that were about difficult times.
Easily one of my favorite collections of the year, DROPKICKromance is a volume that everyone ought to try out, from fans of poetry to new comers unsure where to start.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received this from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
“The road between us
was fractured beyond repair
but we refused to let it
crumble away into dust,
so we tarred up the cracks
and hoped it would
be enough.
— the wound closed but the bleeding didn’t stop”
OOH LORD THIS WAS GOOOOD.
I went into this with decent expectations. I had heard about Cyrus a little bit on twitter and when I saw he was coming out with a book I got pretty interested. This was really great! I’ve been reading quite a bit of poetry lately and this stood apart from the crowd. It wasn’t too much of anything. It wasn’t over the top, preachy, whiny, lovesick. I really dig his writing. It felt different and not generic. This collection bounces from talking about breakups to falling in love again and the process in between. I really loved how this was formatted! I tend to complain about that sometimes, how it feels like it’s not a cohesive piece of work or that it’s almost confusing, but this definitely was a win for me! I loved how he wrote about heartbreak but not in a bitter way. It felt very raw and genuine and not just flat out anger (which is perfectly fine and is still good in certain books/formats). I can’t wait to read from Cyrus in the future and DEFINITELY am planning on buying this one!
“The road between us
was fractured beyond repair
but we refused to let it
crumble away into dust,
so we tarred up the cracks
and hoped it would
be enough.
— the wound closed but the bleeding didn’t stop”
OOH LORD THIS WAS GOOOOD.
I went into this with decent expectations. I had heard about Cyrus a little bit on twitter and when I saw he was coming out with a book I got pretty interested. This was really great! I’ve been reading quite a bit of poetry lately and this stood apart from the crowd. It wasn’t too much of anything. It wasn’t over the top, preachy, whiny, lovesick. I really dig his writing. It felt different and not generic. This collection bounces from talking about breakups to falling in love again and the process in between. I really loved how this was formatted! I tend to complain about that sometimes, how it feels like it’s not a cohesive piece of work or that it’s almost confusing, but this definitely was a win for me! I loved how he wrote about heartbreak but not in a bitter way. It felt very raw and genuine and not just flat out anger (which is perfectly fine and is still good in certain books/formats). I can’t wait to read from Cyrus in the future and DEFINITELY am planning on buying this one!
I was sent this book as an advanced copy by the publisher via NetGalley for reviewing purposes, but all opinions are my own.
TW: abuse by a partner
This is a poetry debut I was highly anticipating and I wasn't disappointed.
I don't really know how to rate and especially how to review modern poetry other than by gut feeling, and this collection/memoir was so honest and raw that I couldn't help but empathize with the author and what he went through. No matter who you are or what medium you use, it takes courage to open up as much as he did, especially when it comes to the first part of the collection.
The story begins while the author is in an abusive relationship with a woman and through his poems he describes all the phases they went through and how he was constantly made to feel like he was not enough and he still hoped that everything would fix itself.
He clang to the happy moments and the promises that this woman made, he kept forgiving her for the things she did and putting up a strong facade for the rest of the world while he worked as a pro wrestler.
I also think at least part of the relationship (if not all) happened long-distance, and a few poems also touch on that aspect.
After many years he finally managed to leave her for good, and as with all relationships ending his world was completely changed, plus he came to fully realize how much this woman had abused him and his feelings. At some point during this fase, he met the now-poetess Amanda Lovelace and they fell in love, and the rest of the collection is about the initial part of their relationship.
Reading this second part was cathartic because although it's by no means says that "love fixes everything", it does describe that, through a healthy relationship, they both managed to face their demons, together or on their own, but always supporting each other and being open about everything.
I don't really want to judge the style of this kinds of poems because I feel like it's not my place, besides I think they manage to get to the point and they're powerful that way and more accessible to anyone. I did find that a few were a little too simple, but overall it was a great and honest collection.
TW: abuse by a partner
This is a poetry debut I was highly anticipating and I wasn't disappointed.
I don't really know how to rate and especially how to review modern poetry other than by gut feeling, and this collection/memoir was so honest and raw that I couldn't help but empathize with the author and what he went through. No matter who you are or what medium you use, it takes courage to open up as much as he did, especially when it comes to the first part of the collection.
The story begins while the author is in an abusive relationship with a woman and through his poems he describes all the phases they went through and how he was constantly made to feel like he was not enough and he still hoped that everything would fix itself.
He clang to the happy moments and the promises that this woman made, he kept forgiving her for the things she did and putting up a strong facade for the rest of the world while he worked as a pro wrestler.
I also think at least part of the relationship (if not all) happened long-distance, and a few poems also touch on that aspect.
After many years he finally managed to leave her for good, and as with all relationships ending his world was completely changed, plus he came to fully realize how much this woman had abused him and his feelings. At some point during this fase, he met the now-poetess Amanda Lovelace and they fell in love, and the rest of the collection is about the initial part of their relationship.
Reading this second part was cathartic because although it's by no means says that "love fixes everything", it does describe that, through a healthy relationship, they both managed to face their demons, together or on their own, but always supporting each other and being open about everything.
I don't really want to judge the style of this kinds of poems because I feel like it's not my place, besides I think they manage to get to the point and they're powerful that way and more accessible to anyone. I did find that a few were a little too simple, but overall it was a great and honest collection.