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selenaskitels's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
3.0
raccoonbirb_'s review against another edition
reflective
sad
fast-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol and Death
Minor: Sexual assault
anishinaababe's review
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
5.0
A lovely collection of poetry reflective on being an Indigenous woman in Winnipeg's North End. In the first half, you're guided through the North End and meet a variety of young woman that live there. Katherena ties in these lovely allusions to nature and really gives you a look at the adventurous, yet tragic life these woman can lead. In the second half, we get a sorrowful retelling of losing a loved one and the cruel reality of little importance people place on Indigenous lives.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Incest
elizabethlk's review
5.0
I've been meaning to read Katherena Vermette's work for a little bit now, as I hear such positive things, and after reading volume one of A Girl Called Echo and realising it was fantastic (it's fantastic btw, and I absolutely recommend it), I figured I definitely needed to get on top of reading more of her work. So today I gave North End Love Songs a shot.
I've read a fair bit of poetry this year so far, and this is easily one of the best collections I have read. The first section, Poised For Flight, was incredibly beautiful. Using birds as the framework to tell women's stories just worked wonderfully. The second part, Nortendluvsong, was an interesting read, and I was captivated by the language used to describe the trees. The third part, November, is probably my favourite section. Vermette uses her poetry to tell the story of her own brother, who went missing when they were both teenagers, and was later found dead. Given the subject matter, it is quite obviously heartrending and emotional, but it is truly breathtaking, and this kind of poetry is what keeps me reading poetry, and is what keeps me writing poetry. The final section, I Am A North End Girl, is probably the most uniquely styled, but makes for an excellent read. Vermette tells a first person story through dozens of voices of women, each of them incredibly real.
I definitely recommend North End Love Songs. Vermette is an incredible writer, and an incredible poet. Anyone who likes poetry should read this. Anyone who lives in Canada should read this.
I've read a fair bit of poetry this year so far, and this is easily one of the best collections I have read. The first section, Poised For Flight, was incredibly beautiful. Using birds as the framework to tell women's stories just worked wonderfully. The second part, Nortendluvsong, was an interesting read, and I was captivated by the language used to describe the trees. The third part, November, is probably my favourite section. Vermette uses her poetry to tell the story of her own brother, who went missing when they were both teenagers, and was later found dead. Given the subject matter, it is quite obviously heartrending and emotional, but it is truly breathtaking, and this kind of poetry is what keeps me reading poetry, and is what keeps me writing poetry. The final section, I Am A North End Girl, is probably the most uniquely styled, but makes for an excellent read. Vermette tells a first person story through dozens of voices of women, each of them incredibly real.
I definitely recommend North End Love Songs. Vermette is an incredible writer, and an incredible poet. Anyone who likes poetry should read this. Anyone who lives in Canada should read this.
asgard793's review
3.0
Katherena Vermette steeps readers into the cold, angst-ridden landscape of Winnipeg's north end through piercing poetry. The rhythms of life and tragedy are reflected through her words in a way that makes her feel close, yet worlds away. The Indigenous experience, and the motifs of nature and the seasons cradle the reader's emotions before throwing them overboard and scooping them back up again, forcing them to watch. North End Love Songs demonstrates Vermette's short-form talents before her long-form breakout work, The Break. This collection can be read as a companion to that remarkable piece of literature.
cemo's review
5.0
I've only recently gotten into poetry and North End Love Songs has drawn me in even more. It was beautifully compiled and thought provoking. I definitely encourage it as a read if you like modern poetry that packs a meaningful punch.
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