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lovecommamelis's review against another edition
4.0
You’ve heard of FOMO, also known as the Fear of Missing Out, which spurred due to our increasing use of social media; however, what if we flip that narrative into an ironically positive view? Ana Božičević’s "Joy of Missing Out" is a masterful book that talks about the lows and highs of one’s life and death through an utmost unconventional method of writing poetry. She utilizes abstract expressions that we’re all accustomed to feeling and translates them through obscure yet tangible images, leaping from image to image.
For instance, when illustrating love, a reoccurring theme that includes how the speaker yearns, copes, or lives with or without her lover, she can portray love as a coat or even as seahorses reporting back data to the speaker that she is beautiful.
To add on, Božičević incorporates comedy when portraying these abstract expressions. She does this by using online slang, such as lol and abbreviating words like “you” into “u”. An example of her comedic genius would be when she writes “With my mind I got braver and / Looked out the window / (the OG browser)”, for I couldn’t help but giggle at the well-placed interruption, making her use of online lingo relatable to her audience (Božičević 54).
Despite how comedic her poetry can be, it’s also harsh and serious at times for when she dives into social commentary. Božičević opens up about femininity, publicizing this fear that women should be youthful and beautiful in order to be marriageable, a norm that has been widespread on social media and even prior to our generation. Even so, she retorts this norm by letting her poetry describe “unladylike” actions the speaker does, such as drinking, attempting to find a job or working a job, using vulgar language, and having multiple lovers; this illustration of commentary reveals how, like the title, she uses juxtaposition throughout to express her contrasting views and images. All in all, the “Joy of Missing Out” is an existential piece that discusses the full spectrum of life even through all its grotesqueness.
Check out this review on @canwediscusspoetry on Instagram!
For instance, when illustrating love, a reoccurring theme that includes how the speaker yearns, copes, or lives with or without her lover, she can portray love as a coat or even as seahorses reporting back data to the speaker that she is beautiful.
To add on, Božičević incorporates comedy when portraying these abstract expressions. She does this by using online slang, such as lol and abbreviating words like “you” into “u”. An example of her comedic genius would be when she writes “With my mind I got braver and / Looked out the window / (the OG browser)”, for I couldn’t help but giggle at the well-placed interruption, making her use of online lingo relatable to her audience (Božičević 54).
Despite how comedic her poetry can be, it’s also harsh and serious at times for when she dives into social commentary. Božičević opens up about femininity, publicizing this fear that women should be youthful and beautiful in order to be marriageable, a norm that has been widespread on social media and even prior to our generation. Even so, she retorts this norm by letting her poetry describe “unladylike” actions the speaker does, such as drinking, attempting to find a job or working a job, using vulgar language, and having multiple lovers; this illustration of commentary reveals how, like the title, she uses juxtaposition throughout to express her contrasting views and images. All in all, the “Joy of Missing Out” is an existential piece that discusses the full spectrum of life even through all its grotesqueness.
Check out this review on @canwediscusspoetry on Instagram!
lifeinpoetry's review against another edition
4.0
This felt very fresh and modern, an enjoyable read that felt light after the heaviness of the past few books. The energy and tone of the collection made the textspeak and language from internet culture seem natural. The use of textspeak may make some overlook this book but the aside where the speaker reveals themselves shows this is more than surface glitter. My favorite title was '👻'.
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