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A review by reba_reads_books
Native Guard by Natasha Trethewey
2.0
I enjoy poetry that's fast-paced with a fresh message. I enjoy slower poetry as long as its message packs a punch. Having said these two things, if we disagree it may just be a matter of taste.
This author is talented but language heavy. The poems pulled me down with them and kept me reading (and at times re-reading) at a slow pace. Therefore, I was only able to get through a few poems every other day.
As far as the message goes, this book seemed to be about only a few things... most of them auto-biographical and, therefore, unrelatable to me as a reader. I've read other Southern poets' autobiographical work that I've enjoyed very much, because I could relate to at least a few overarching themes within it. I couldn't find those kinds of themes within this work, so I simply did not connect to it.
This author is talented but language heavy. The poems pulled me down with them and kept me reading (and at times re-reading) at a slow pace. Therefore, I was only able to get through a few poems every other day.
As far as the message goes, this book seemed to be about only a few things... most of them auto-biographical and, therefore, unrelatable to me as a reader. I've read other Southern poets' autobiographical work that I've enjoyed very much, because I could relate to at least a few overarching themes within it. I couldn't find those kinds of themes within this work, so I simply did not connect to it.