A review by mattiedancer
Paint Me Like I Am: Teen Poems from Writerscorps by Bill Aguado, Richard Newirth

emotional hopeful reflective sad

4.0

Writing: 4⭐️/5 
This is a collection of poems written by teenagers. While the writing is definitely inconsistent (sometimes within poems), the glimmers or even glarings of talent are well worth reading. For nearly every poem chosen, I can see why it was chosen: either for their clear voice or clear understanding of their chosen themes. In particular, several poems were so engaging and stunningly written that I found myself looking into the author, to see if they had pursued their talent further. 

Approach: 4⭐️/5
The poems all vary in writer, and therefore vary in approach. I found this a really wonderful read because of the drastic changes in approaches from poem to poem. Similarly, when I encountered poems I didn’t love, the approach changed for the next poem. This all being said – as to be expected with a range of young authors – the skill level definitely varied, but there was more good (and good potential) to be found in this collection.

Who Should Read This Book? 
  • Fans of poetry
  • Poetry fans looking to support Writerscorps

Content Warnings? 
  • Death, gun violence, abuse, child abuse, child death, racism, racial slurs, misogyny, sexism, gaslighting, 

Post-Reading Rating:  4⭐️/5
A well-rounded collection

Final Rating: 4⭐️/5
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