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sodrewrites's review
4.0
"Time is rumored to heal all wounds. No one claims it erases them."
Even the Saints Audition pulled me in closely, held me tighter than a distant relative quickly becoming familiar, and sat right next until I devoured the very last poem. I could not put this book down. And while this book was not on my radar, I was instantly lured in with one look of the cover. Even if you weren't sure of the subject matter, the title and beautifully haunting cover illustration alone would make the most unbothered person curious. So, I went into this poetry collection with a completely open mind and was pleasantly surprised.
Even the Saints Audition reads like a series of letters to the Church Girls who've experienced shame and fear of looming punishment for committing sin. And because I was raised in the church, I could relate so much to the experiences Jackson highlights in her poems. She confesses "impure" thoughts, mourns the loss of her "fun" aunt, and shares moments of overwhelming depression in such a raw and lyrical way, I somehow felt connected to her-- as if I was eavesdropping in on her life's story.
Jackson made me feel things, made me question things, and made me hopeful that she'd found a peace in sharing her truth with such brilliant metaphors and rhythm. Though Jackson and I may not share the same feelings about growing up in the church, I appreciate the honesty and heart she poured into each of these poems. It's def worth the read.
Major thanks to Netgalley and Button Poetry for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Even the Saints Audition pulled me in closely, held me tighter than a distant relative quickly becoming familiar, and sat right next until I devoured the very last poem. I could not put this book down. And while this book was not on my radar, I was instantly lured in with one look of the cover. Even if you weren't sure of the subject matter, the title and beautifully haunting cover illustration alone would make the most unbothered person curious. So, I went into this poetry collection with a completely open mind and was pleasantly surprised.
Even the Saints Audition reads like a series of letters to the Church Girls who've experienced shame and fear of looming punishment for committing sin. And because I was raised in the church, I could relate so much to the experiences Jackson highlights in her poems. She confesses "impure" thoughts, mourns the loss of her "fun" aunt, and shares moments of overwhelming depression in such a raw and lyrical way, I somehow felt connected to her-- as if I was eavesdropping in on her life's story.
Jackson made me feel things, made me question things, and made me hopeful that she'd found a peace in sharing her truth with such brilliant metaphors and rhythm. Though Jackson and I may not share the same feelings about growing up in the church, I appreciate the honesty and heart she poured into each of these poems. It's def worth the read.
Major thanks to Netgalley and Button Poetry for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
kristy_k's review
2.0
I’ve come to love most poetry released by Button Poetry, but this on was just okay. I particularly liked the poems on Job (from the Bible), but felt others were too similar to the Instagram poets I tend to stay away from (only longer).
babiefats's review
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.5
I really enjoyed this collection. It was a narrative that felt entirely human. From childhood to adulthood the reader is let into the private thoughts of the author in a way that builds a scene around the inner workings themselves. This was relatable in a way that was perfected by the lack of clean cut storylines and tied up loose ends. Well done and beautiful use of form in poetry. So much rested at the end of a line and phrase, and the intentionality in punctuation could be seen.
Would reread.
Would reread.
micahlee17's review
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
andrealianne's review
5.0
should be required reading for all former church kids. I am blown away. Raych Jackson weaves together Christianity, Black womanhood, depression, grief, and familial relationships to create a beautiful collection. The story of Job is dissected. The concept of sin is meditated on. Traditional hymns are turned into erasures. The pain and confusion of coming of age in a suppressed environment where a girl's purity is more valued than her inquisitiveness and sadness rings so clear and bittersweet. I can't wait to read what Raych Jackson writes next.
"I sin & misery wanders
into my home. I get saved
& it never leaves."
(from "After church she gets high again")
"Is it even my body if I am made in his image?"
(from "Jonah was trapped before he met the fish")
"I sin & misery wanders
into my home. I get saved
& it never leaves."
(from "After church she gets high again")
"Is it even my body if I am made in his image?"
(from "Jonah was trapped before he met the fish")
bananafreckles's review
3.0
This collection is a heartfelt exploration of what it's like to be a person prone to questioning the theology they're taught since childhood. I was especially interested on the "On Job" poems which push back against the lessons we're "supposed" to learn from the story. On the other hand, I was a little disappointed in the hymn erasure poems; they didn't seem to be saying anything all that different from the originals, and I thought they could have pushed it much further. I appreciate the intersectionality of many of these poems, giving glimpses into experiences that I both can and can't relate to.