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michael_benavidez's review against another edition
4.0
This is a hard book to review.
It's a fast read, and for the most part it's a good read. Like anything that contains multiple stories (in this case, stories in the form of poems), there are some better than others. But that isn't to say that the lesser poems hurt the book overall.
I love the ideas that Justin gives, he creates some really elegant ideas, and throws about some abstract and straight forward things that really are inventive. However, sometimes it seems like he's stretching so far, and for the sake of the poem forces some kinda cheesy sort of rhyme schemes in order to complete the story. Other than that, they really are good poems.
The one part in which he does excel is the horror aspects. He seems to have complete control of the horror thoughts and just disturbing imagery in these poems, more so than the others. This really makes me excited to dive into his other poems book which seems to primarily on horror.
It's a fast read, and for the most part it's a good read. Like anything that contains multiple stories (in this case, stories in the form of poems), there are some better than others. But that isn't to say that the lesser poems hurt the book overall.
I love the ideas that Justin gives, he creates some really elegant ideas, and throws about some abstract and straight forward things that really are inventive. However, sometimes it seems like he's stretching so far, and for the sake of the poem forces some kinda cheesy sort of rhyme schemes in order to complete the story. Other than that, they really are good poems.
The one part in which he does excel is the horror aspects. He seems to have complete control of the horror thoughts and just disturbing imagery in these poems, more so than the others. This really makes me excited to dive into his other poems book which seems to primarily on horror.
aj_locke's review
3.0
Like a box of chocolates was an interesting collection of poetry. One word to describe it would be eclectic. The author writes about various topics, some dark, some lighter, and the poems themselves varied from more literal to a bit more metaphoric.
As a poet myself, I read this collection with a more critical eye, looking for depth and nuances and things that made me stop and think. This collection was more on the simpler side, which is not a bad thing. The differences between the pieces showcases the author's range of creativity. I have read a lot of poetry that I just could find no meaning to, but with this collection I was able to see where the author was going with his words, what picture he was trying to build for the reader, or what emotion he was trying to invoke.
It's a good start towards a serious path as a poet if that is what the author wishes to pursue. Go on and give this a read.
As a poet myself, I read this collection with a more critical eye, looking for depth and nuances and things that made me stop and think. This collection was more on the simpler side, which is not a bad thing. The differences between the pieces showcases the author's range of creativity. I have read a lot of poetry that I just could find no meaning to, but with this collection I was able to see where the author was going with his words, what picture he was trying to build for the reader, or what emotion he was trying to invoke.
It's a good start towards a serious path as a poet if that is what the author wishes to pursue. Go on and give this a read.
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