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tropical_depression's review against another edition
2.5
I hardly enjoyed this. It was repetitive (and not in a good way) and the poems ran into each other with hardly any distinction. You read one poem, you read them all. There was only one or two poems that I actually found enjoyable.
themoonlightarchive's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
4.0
Although this is not Chloe N. Clark’s first poetry collection, Escaping the Body is the first of her work that I have consumed. With diverse themes such as trauma, loss and the body, this collection left me with a nostalgic feeling, verging on melancholy.
The imagery was vivid and vulnerable, each poem beautifully written and relatable. There were some parts that felt repetitive, especially toward the middle, but with a style more narrative than descriptive, this collection was able to hold my attention to the very last word. The references to science fiction and horror as well as the homages to Houdini helped with that.
Overall, I truly enjoyed this poetry collection and can’t wait to pick up more of Chloe N. Clark’s work.
I received an advanced reader’s copy of this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I received an advanced reader’s copy of this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Body horror and Grief
Minor: Sexual assault and Sexual content
nimmzi's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
5.0
I absolutely loved this poetry collection! The writing is beautiful, vivid and sensorial. So many vivid images came to my head while reading this poems, that encompass so many human emotions. I found it very diverse in themes and imagery, loved the references to sci fi, horror and historical figures. This was the first work I read by this author, but it will certainly not be the last.
Thanks to Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to review this amazing work!
Thanks to Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to review this amazing work!
liteartha's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
4.5
it's rare that i find a collection of poetry that reads so very smoothly. through nature and myth and magic tricks, through the body and beyond it, this collection remains thematically consistent without exhausting its subject matter. it is an empathetic, thoughtful, and clever reflection on the human condition and i found it genuinely gorgeous throughout. clark's poetic voice, while contemporary, has a classic feel to it and i can easily see myself recommending this collection to a broad range of readers. this was my first foray into her work, but will definitely not be my last.
thank you to netgalley and interstellar flight press for providing this digital review copy in exchange for an honest review
thank you to netgalley and interstellar flight press for providing this digital review copy in exchange for an honest review
ioreads's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
3.5
I'm not really used to poetry books. If I'm honest I never felt like I was emotionally smart enough to get them - which may or may not be true. This book was a big step in making me realize that poetry is about much more than just understand the meaning behind every verse - it's about the feelings you're left with after reading them, whether they make perfect sense to you or not.
The imagery in this is stunning and the way Chloe N. Clark paints with words makes this a truly interesting and inspiring experience. Her verses make you feel like the body is something bigger, the bigger somethings are the body and all of the above are feelings. However, there were some clear ups and downs in my experience with this collection - in some moments I was thoroughly immersed by every poem, in others they just started to feel a little flat - and maybe a bit repetitive.
As it always is with poetry, though, I am sure that the ones I found less interesting will be someone's favorites out of this book.
Like I said before, in the end it is all about how each poem makes you feel - and Escaping the Body is absolutely bound to make you feel a lot.
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!
The imagery in this is stunning and the way Chloe N. Clark paints with words makes this a truly interesting and inspiring experience. Her verses make you feel like the body is something bigger, the bigger somethings are the body and all of the above are feelings. However, there were some clear ups and downs in my experience with this collection - in some moments I was thoroughly immersed by every poem, in others they just started to feel a little flat - and maybe a bit repetitive.
As it always is with poetry, though, I am sure that the ones I found less interesting will be someone's favorites out of this book.
Like I said before, in the end it is all about how each poem makes you feel - and Escaping the Body is absolutely bound to make you feel a lot.
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!
agniguha01's review against another edition
4.25
An account of the body, explored through surrealism, hauntings, magic and nature. It explores the body in relationships, in trauma, in remembrance. Memories and dreams form an integral tool in the existence of the physical body. It traces histories of the body and all the places it has and does exist.
The poet explores gendered violence, toxic relationships and the ecology of balance through commonplace objects and routines.
I was expecting more dark and horror elements, but I was still hooked! The book is divided in sections and first section was probably my favourite.
The poet explores gendered violence, toxic relationships and the ecology of balance through commonplace objects and routines.
I was expecting more dark and horror elements, but I was still hooked! The book is divided in sections and first section was probably my favourite.
rachelunabridged's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
3.0
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!
I'm always a little hesitant to read contemporary poetry, but this was a pretty good collection. I enjoyed the imagery and the surreal quality of the writing. There was definitely a strong use of horror throughout the collection. Bones, corpses, demons, and zombies used to explore topics such as death, loss, relationships, and the female experience. Not all of the poems were winners for me, but my overall impression was positive.
I'm always a little hesitant to read contemporary poetry, but this was a pretty good collection. I enjoyed the imagery and the surreal quality of the writing. There was definitely a strong use of horror throughout the collection. Bones, corpses, demons, and zombies used to explore topics such as death, loss, relationships, and the female experience. Not all of the poems were winners for me, but my overall impression was positive.
nataliedc's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
3.25
~thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free eBook of this ARC! ~
A haunting exploration of the body, the world and everything in-between featuring natural and magical motifs, some really creative inner rhymes and a tone full of yearning. Wish this pushed the boundary between magical realism and sci-fi/fantasy and/or horror a little more, but overall was a solid collection of poems that truly demonstrates the technical abilities of the author.
A haunting exploration of the body, the world and everything in-between featuring natural and magical motifs, some really creative inner rhymes and a tone full of yearning. Wish this pushed the boundary between magical realism and sci-fi/fantasy and/or horror a little more, but overall was a solid collection of poems that truly demonstrates the technical abilities of the author.
marilwyd's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
3.5
ARC GIVEN BY NETGALLEY FOR A HONEST REVIEW
What I enjoyed is that the poems actually had some meat to them, when reading new release poetry I’m always apprehensive that it is insta poetry, this was not that. I’m so glad for that.
In other places, sometimes it’s more like prose rather than poetry, in my opinion. It’s just a paragraph about something. I feel that is the collections main let down, in those places I found it hard to concentrate.
What I enjoyed is that the poems actually had some meat to them, when reading new release poetry I’m always apprehensive that it is insta poetry, this was not that. I’m so glad for that.
In other places, sometimes it’s more like prose rather than poetry, in my opinion. It’s just a paragraph about something. I feel that is the collections main let down, in those places I found it hard to concentrate.