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charlottereadsthings's review
challenging
dark
emotional
relaxing
fast-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Eating disorder and Rape
acmoellering's review
4.0
Has anyone ever, so concisely, described what it is to be a young woman who is queer, who has an eating disorder, who is learning how to feel, who has a complicated relationship with her mother? This is poetry that shies away from the contrived and stands boldly, with both feet planted, in the middle of honestly and bold self-exposure on the path to healing. This is poetry that helps others along a path that was not easy for the author to walk, but she is, at every turn, willing to share her pain and healing with others for their sake and hers. This book feels like community. It feels like hope and bitterness and self-love and forgiveness. It is a book that grows with you, and aches with you. It is a masterful debut.
kelseymn18's review
2.0
I was really looking forward to this book based on the reviews. Plus, I was excited to read a book by a fellow Minnesotan. A lot of reviewers compared it to [book:Milk and Honey|23513349], which I absolutely loved, but this collection doesn't even come close in my eyes. My biggest problem was I couldn't relate to 90% of the poems. This collection is written for a very specific type of woman with specific life experiences, and if you don't share those experiences, you won't connect with this book.
jessmaeshelley's review
5.0
I'm trying to gather my thoughts on how I can accurately describe this wonderful collection of poetry but all I can say is that it is beautiful!
I first came across Blythe Baird on Youtube. She read a poem on Button Poetry called 'When the fat girl gets skinny' and I immediately felt connected to her writing. She is one of the many amazing women who have inspired me throughout this year with my own poetry and introduced me to (my now favourite form to write in) slam poetry.
Her writing explores brutal honesty to do with roles of women in society, feminism, mental health, sex and just life in general. You can see the development of her writing throughout the course of the poetry book (as it is separated into three parts) and what you see is something exceptional; the journey of a woman who has felt like nothing and grown into her own comfortable skin with a very intelligent mindset.
The end of the poetry book left me with a sense of wonder, not satisfaction. And rightly so! As life doesn't always wrap up nicely with a bow and live happily ever after. It leaves you with the idea that she has come so far, but has a long way to go. Recovery is never easy!
Blythe Baird encompasses so many emotions within simple and honest words and has become one of my all time favourite poets alongside Sarah Kay, Sierra DeMulder, and Sylvia Plath.
52 books around the year challenge: 45) A book related to a hobby or passion
I first came across Blythe Baird on Youtube. She read a poem on Button Poetry called 'When the fat girl gets skinny' and I immediately felt connected to her writing. She is one of the many amazing women who have inspired me throughout this year with my own poetry and introduced me to (my now favourite form to write in) slam poetry.
Her writing explores brutal honesty to do with roles of women in society, feminism, mental health, sex and just life in general. You can see the development of her writing throughout the course of the poetry book (as it is separated into three parts) and what you see is something exceptional; the journey of a woman who has felt like nothing and grown into her own comfortable skin with a very intelligent mindset.
The end of the poetry book left me with a sense of wonder, not satisfaction. And rightly so! As life doesn't always wrap up nicely with a bow and live happily ever after. It leaves you with the idea that she has come so far, but has a long way to go. Recovery is never easy!
Blythe Baird encompasses so many emotions within simple and honest words and has become one of my all time favourite poets alongside Sarah Kay, Sierra DeMulder, and Sylvia Plath.
52 books around the year challenge: 45) A book related to a hobby or passion
daringreader13's review
5.0
5.0 out of 5 stars
Really enjoyed this! So many wonderfully written poems
Really enjoyed this! So many wonderfully written poems
witchy_woo_13's review
5.0
Find review here http://blithebibliothecary.blogspot.com/#!/2017/02/give-me-god-i-can-relate-to.html
bookswithabi's review
4.0
This was a beautiful collection of poems. I love Blythe Baird's blunt, honest voice and her amazing truths about being female.
I found her poem "Pocket-sized Feminist" on YouTube, and after watching every slam poem she had on YouTube I decided to pick up this book.
My favourite poem was definitely 'Theories About The Universe' because it shocked me so much. It at first seemed such an innocent poem and then this changed so drastically.
I would definitely recommend reading this book in the order they are laid out in, because you kind of learn more about her in each poem and it kind of develops as you progress through each poem. There were some poems that I wasn't that keen on, but that's not to say they were bad, they just didn't have such a big impact on me personally. However, she has changed my view on poetry and I will definitely pick up anything else she releases in the future.
I found her poem "Pocket-sized Feminist" on YouTube, and after watching every slam poem she had on YouTube I decided to pick up this book.
My favourite poem was definitely 'Theories About The Universe' because it shocked me so much. It at first seemed such an innocent poem and then this changed so drastically.
I would definitely recommend reading this book in the order they are laid out in, because you kind of learn more about her in each poem and it kind of develops as you progress through each poem. There were some poems that I wasn't that keen on, but that's not to say they were bad, they just didn't have such a big impact on me personally. However, she has changed my view on poetry and I will definitely pick up anything else she releases in the future.
brittanybarnard's review
5.0
There was nothing about these poems that I didn't love. Buy this for everyone. Literally everyone.