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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
fast-paced
I picked this up at the library based on the cover, and that is the only thing this book has going for it.
These poems sound like those fake deep Tumblr posts I used to eat up in 2013 while in High School, but cringe at now.
A lot of these feel very haphazard, there were multiple poems where I read a line and felt like that was the stopping point, but then just unnecessary word vomit kept it going. Then others felt like (rightfully) rejected lyrics.
Some of the poems have some deep themes to it, but the lack of curation and editing water them down and turn them into shallow dribble.
These poems sound like those fake deep Tumblr posts I used to eat up in 2013 while in High School, but cringe at now.
A lot of these feel very haphazard, there were multiple poems where I read a line and felt like that was the stopping point, but then just unnecessary word vomit kept it going. Then others felt like (rightfully) rejected lyrics.
Some of the poems have some deep themes to it, but the lack of curation and editing water them down and turn them into shallow dribble.
reflective
sad
fast-paced
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
I can’t carry all this weight, so I must put it somewhere and somewhere is with you.
It’s always really hard for me to review poetry, especially when it’s not formal verse (so, you know, most English language poetry these days). So much of it is feelings and vibes, so I guess that’s what I’m basing my impressions on, in big part.
This felt a lot like reading a personal diary, to the point that it made me vaguely uncomfortable and I had to remind myself that no, I hadn’t somehow stolen a secret notebook from under one of my favorite singers’ pillow, I’m allowed to read this. There were some extremely poignant lines, as well as some small parts of otherwise meandering poems where suddenly a mixture of rhythm and rhyme showed up to create clarity and shine a light on an idea. Those really stuck with me.
The way certain imagery showed up across various poems both did and didn’t work for me. Sometimes, those persistent motives linked snippets of life and emotion together in interesting ways, other times, I was a bit like, “Can’t you use a synonym just this once, for variety?”
I think I prefer Halsey’s lyrics to their poems, but this was an interesting experience still. I especially appreciated the poems that spoke about her relationship with creativity and her mental health.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Abandonment, Alcohol
emotional
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
“i drew what i wanted to be, and what was forbidden to me. i wondered if all artists did the same.”
automatically a favorite because it is so inspirational to me. bought it for the cover art & title and because it’s a poetry compilation. seemingly unrelated pieces she had no place to put, i want to do the same someday. i felt her thru this & FUCK if i can’t relate to “i’ve realized that nobody is safe as long as she is alive and every friend that i know has a story like mine.”
automatically a favorite because it is so inspirational to me. bought it for the cover art & title and because it’s a poetry compilation. seemingly unrelated pieces she had no place to put, i want to do the same someday. i felt her thru this & FUCK if i can’t relate to “i’ve realized that nobody is safe as long as she is alive and every friend that i know has a story like mine.”
"Because when I write it all down I have to face it but when I hold it inside I can pretend it's okay"
I think unfortunately I much prefer Halsey's songs over this collection of poetry! Only a few stood out to me, including the below poems:
I want to be a writer
Battles
She's still one of my favourite artists and probably the longest person I still consistently listen to but I didn't really connect to these poems!
I think unfortunately I much prefer Halsey's songs over this collection of poetry! Only a few stood out to me, including the below poems:
I want to be a writer
Battles
She's still one of my favourite artists and probably the longest person I still consistently listen to but I didn't really connect to these poems!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Toxic relationship
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
I am sad. Why you ask? Because I know Halsey has for years faced horrific backlash for her singing capabilities and for some of the lyrics in her songs. Despite this backlash, I had fallen in love with so many of her songs from Graveyard to Drive, because it was relatable and deeply moving. This book featured none of these ideas I have connected to Halsey. The book was horrifically written, and that's if you could classify any of this as poetry. It failed to be moving emotionally and felt rather just like a factual biography rather than an emotional moving poetic tale that I had expected. Honestly, this is a biography, not poetry, and to quote her own song, You should be sad.