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2.93 AVERAGE
2.93 AVERAGE
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
I started reading this book when it first came out. I just continued and when I first started reading I was in awe, then I read more books before going back to this as well as I grew up. This book feels like it was written by a sad 14 year old. I like the art though gotta give Gabbie that.
I was among the small minority that enjoyed Hanna's first poetry book, Adultolescence. It gave me Shel Silverstein vibes, which I really enjoyed, and unlike everyone else, I liked the simple, mostly short format of her poems. And, of course, the art was very good. With Dandelion though, I must admit disappointment.
I still like many of Dandelion's poems, and the art is still very good. Hanna also added to this book a section in the back called Letters to Strangers where she's written actual letters to people she's encountered in her life. These are very introspective and thoughtful, and they just make you feel good reading them. But she also includes a lot more long-form poems that I don't think are always very strong. I imagine Hanna took all of the (very intense) criticism of Adultolescence to heart and decided to include more long-form poems in Dandelion in an effort to not get so many critiques about her poems being too simple or sounding like tweets. This is an understandable choice, and I'm not saying I think none of Dandelion's long-form poems are any good. I really like some of them. But every poem I don't like in this book is one of her long-form poems, and I do feel that her best poems in Dandelion are short-form.
As far as the critiques saying her poems are too simple or sound too much like tweets, I'm going to reiterate what I said in my review for Adultolescence. I don't like these particular critiques, as they do not actually examine a works Quality. Why, in Hanna's particular poetry, is the simplicity or it's tweetlike nature a sign of poor writing? None of the reviews I've seen that gave either of these critiques ever go any deeper into why this is a problem, so all I can surmise is that social media has warped their understanding of what makes good writing, and the deriguer right now is that simple is bad.
Like in my review for Adultolescence, I won't say here that Gabbie is a masterful poet. She is not. But her poems in both Adultolescence and Dandelion are enjoyable to read, and she always has very suitable artwork to match. I look forward to seeing her writing grow and improve the more she writes.
I still like many of Dandelion's poems, and the art is still very good. Hanna also added to this book a section in the back called Letters to Strangers where she's written actual letters to people she's encountered in her life. These are very introspective and thoughtful, and they just make you feel good reading them. But she also includes a lot more long-form poems that I don't think are always very strong. I imagine Hanna took all of the (very intense) criticism of Adultolescence to heart and decided to include more long-form poems in Dandelion in an effort to not get so many critiques about her poems being too simple or sounding like tweets. This is an understandable choice, and I'm not saying I think none of Dandelion's long-form poems are any good. I really like some of them. But every poem I don't like in this book is one of her long-form poems, and I do feel that her best poems in Dandelion are short-form.
As far as the critiques saying her poems are too simple or sound too much like tweets, I'm going to reiterate what I said in my review for Adultolescence. I don't like these particular critiques, as they do not actually examine a works Quality. Why, in Hanna's particular poetry, is the simplicity or it's tweetlike nature a sign of poor writing? None of the reviews I've seen that gave either of these critiques ever go any deeper into why this is a problem, so all I can surmise is that social media has warped their understanding of what makes good writing, and the deriguer right now is that simple is bad.
Like in my review for Adultolescence, I won't say here that Gabbie is a masterful poet. She is not. But her poems in both Adultolescence and Dandelion are enjoyable to read, and she always has very suitable artwork to match. I look forward to seeing her writing grow and improve the more she writes.
medium-paced
Quite literally maybe the worst poetry book I have ever read. Nothing feels like it has emotion in it; it reads like something that was thrown together in 10 minutes.
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Gabbie Hanna does it again! I thought Adultoscense was amazing and couldn't be topped, but she brought the same fire to Dandelion. The letters at the end where so fantastic, I would read an entire book on those alone. Relatable and funny and everything I needed it to be.
I enjoyed reading this. I didn’t like every poem; however, I still adored many and loved all the illustrations. My favorite poem was “Two.”
Where do I start; this was perfection. Every story I love. I can’t give you my top 5 like adultolescence because all the poems would make my list. The writing style was beautiful. I love the section of the Stories I Have To Get Drunk To Tell. The Drawings were beautiful again. I need Gabbie release a third book but for right now I will continue listening to her music which I also recommend.
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced