You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Scan barcode
auger's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.75
I am the first to say that modern poetry can be disappointing to say the least. Vuong avoided everything that makes modern poetry cringy. He is quite criptic and the way his scentences start as one thing and end up as another is remarkable and very kawakami. Love it and will reread it many times over.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Cancer, Death, Mental illness, Racism, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicide, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Death of parent, and War
jayisreading's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
4.0
Hmm, I don’t think this collection hit me as hard as his previous one, Night Sky with Exit Wounds, but maybe it’s because Time Is a Mother was different in tone and approach. It felt as though there was a kind of shift that occurred, where Night Sky with Exit Wounds focused a bit more on the grief and trauma he inherited, while Time Is a Mother focused more inwardly and related to his own grief and memory. Furthermore, this collection really highlights the significance of losing his mother, which is a new and crucial theme to consider. These poems felt a bit more experimental, almost as though Vuong was trying to figure out what other affective approaches existed.
The collection was a little polarizing for me. The poems I didn’t care for, I really didn’t care for, but the poems that really struck me were absolutely provocative and/or breathtaking. My two favorites were “Amazon History of a Former Nail Salon Worker” and “Künstlerroman,” and I felt that the latter especially demonstrated Vuong’s poetic talent. It had stunning imagery and was packed with so much emotion. It was easily the best poem from this collection that I would say is the must-read.
Some favorites: “Beautiful Short Loser,” “Rise & Shine,” “The Last Prom Queen in Antarctica,” “Dear T,” “Not Even,” “Amazon History of a Former Nail Salon Worker,” “Künstlerroman,” and “Almost Human”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Cancer, Sexual assault, and Sexual content
Minor: Racism, Suicide, and War
callmeamelia's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Cancer, Racism, Suicide, and Death of parent
pollyflorence's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Death, Mental illness, Racism, Grief, and Death of parent