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wouterk's review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
2.0
I was not the audience for this book, but also objectively I had some trouble with it. Still I think there is an audience for it and it even might be a large audience. Let's start with the positives. This is a book filled with a clear message of affirmation and love. You are worth being here and your journey matters and that is true. Throughout the book you will find great art that fits the poetry and prose very well. And yes there were several poems that I found really beautiful and that struck me, but that is maybe 5-10% of the whole colleciton.
As for my complaints they are threefold but probably very personal. First, I bought this book as it was presented as a poetry collection but as I said some of it reads more like prose or just sentences. And even though I'm very aware of some poetry styles where a spoken or written paragraph is fit to a timbre, this did not feel like that. At times, some of the poetry felt like a few sentences with random breaks. And at some pages the author did not even pretend there was a poetic structure but just made it a paragraph (which in a sense is good).
But that brings me to my second complaint. There are 100+ different poems, slurs or paragraphs in this book and the repetition was increasingly rampant. I can appreciate themes or recurring concepts in poetry collections but by the lack of variation in metaphors and a translation of abstract concepts to images and feelings, I got somewhat bored and impatient to read through the bundle and a lot of terms started to sound like empty platitudes.
And then third is very personal and might be a reason why it actually might fit other people very well. And this one is on me, as I should have not just gone for a great title but also researched the author. So many of these poems (also some beautiful ones) are so much rooted in Christian faith, which just did not jive with me. It makes claims of affirmation feel very stale and hollow to me, personally. I cannot base my worth on the love or attention of some greater being, or being part of some great Light. Therefore, the claims felt more baseless even, than when it would just say "you're worth it" without any substantiation. Rather give me no reason than a faulty one. But as I said, this one is on me. Whoever can find their peace in their faith I have no qualms with and I wish them all the benefits it gives.
So, in summary, the tone did not jive with me, but also objectively as a collection I feel it felt kind of flat. I feel like saying it was all a little bit convenient, cliché and the easy way out, but I think that would not do justice to the author. So I'll just keep it at the typ of poetry was not really up to my level of intricacy and depth.
As for my complaints they are threefold but probably very personal. First, I bought this book as it was presented as a poetry collection but as I said some of it reads more like prose or just sentences. And even though I'm very aware of some poetry styles where a spoken or written paragraph is fit to a timbre, this did not feel like that. At times, some of the poetry felt like a few sentences with random breaks. And at some pages the author did not even pretend there was a poetic structure but just made it a paragraph (which in a sense is good).
But that brings me to my second complaint. There are 100+ different poems, slurs or paragraphs in this book and the repetition was increasingly rampant. I can appreciate themes or recurring concepts in poetry collections but by the lack of variation in metaphors and a translation of abstract concepts to images and feelings, I got somewhat bored and impatient to read through the bundle and a lot of terms started to sound like empty platitudes.
And then third is very personal and might be a reason why it actually might fit other people very well. And this one is on me, as I should have not just gone for a great title but also researched the author. So many of these poems (also some beautiful ones) are so much rooted in Christian faith, which just did not jive with me. It makes claims of affirmation feel very stale and hollow to me, personally. I cannot base my worth on the love or attention of some greater being, or being part of some great Light. Therefore, the claims felt more baseless even, than when it would just say "you're worth it" without any substantiation. Rather give me no reason than a faulty one. But as I said, this one is on me. Whoever can find their peace in their faith I have no qualms with and I wish them all the benefits it gives.
So, in summary, the tone did not jive with me, but also objectively as a collection I feel it felt kind of flat. I feel like saying it was all a little bit convenient, cliché and the easy way out, but I think that would not do justice to the author. So I'll just keep it at the typ of poetry was not really up to my level of intricacy and depth.
carebcut's review against another edition
5.0
This book expresses the inner world in a way that only poetry can. I enjoyed ending my day reading a couple pages and stopping to savor the love and truth written. These short verses poems heal and encourage and bring hope to those that read them. Highly recommend this book.
wendythegeekgoddess's review against another edition
2.0
Ehh…
I wanted to enjoy this, I really did but…
- There were not start and stopping points making it hard to put down because I just didn’t know when I could stop
- It lacked something. While there were a few poems that made me feel deep emotions they were very few and far in between. It just lacked depth.
I love poetry, I was just disappointed in this one. =(
I wanted to enjoy this, I really did but…
- There were not start and stopping points making it hard to put down because I just didn’t know when I could stop
- It lacked something. While there were a few poems that made me feel deep emotions they were very few and far in between. It just lacked depth.
I love poetry, I was just disappointed in this one. =(
ladygodivas's review against another edition
This book was exactly what I needed to finish off this year. I've had a really tough year and this book helped me change my perspective and look more on the brighter side of life. This is perfect for when you need encouragement, love, and comfort. Just pick a random page and you'll be alright.
dreaming_ace's review against another edition
5.0
This was a nice "gentle, gentle" book of poetry and illustrations that reminds us all how to care for our hearts and what we feel, our minds and what we think, our bodies and what we do, and our souls or who we are. I am glad a friend gave me a copy to both read and keep. I think I will dip back into this collection regularly.
blackbirdiebooks's review against another edition
3.0
The art and aesthetic of this book is beautiful.
Very spiritually written
This poetry is great for a person who is looking to take the leap on a new adventure or has gone through a path change
Very spiritually written
This poetry is great for a person who is looking to take the leap on a new adventure or has gone through a path change
chuskeyreads's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
Broken into four distinct sections - for the heart, for the mind, for the body, and for the soul - this book of poetry is not only inspirational, but hopeful. Just the right amount of self-reflection needed to gain a little more perspective on life and pain and uncertainty and all the other negative emotions we feel when things don't seem to be going in our favor. The book is beautifully illustrated, with some of the poems handwritten across the page. It feels more like a poetry/art journal than a book of poetry - in a positive way. The only real criticism, however, is that some of the poems are typed or handwritten in such a tiny font that it was sometimes difficult to read.