Scan barcode
lowbrowhighart's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
5.0
Graphic: Death, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Gun violence, Sexual violence, Racism, Suicide, Blood, Sexual assault, Cancer, Mental illness, Drug use, Self harm, Sexual content, War, Xenophobia, and Police brutality
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
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”
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, and Grief
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Cancer
Minor: Racism, War, and Suicide
itshollyiguess's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
5.0
Graphic: Grief
pollyflorence's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
4.5
Graphic: Cancer, Death of parent, Death, Racism, Grief, and Mental illness
More...