A review by njdarkish
Unfollowing You by Komal Kapoor

4.0

I really enjoyed this book of poetry. I tend to like it when a collection follows a single narrative thread from beginning to end. This narrative thread, though not original (it's the story of getting together and then breaking up) is very relatable and is explored in a way that is modern, with the use of technology and cultural references (that are very Gen Y/Millenial) as both a point of reference and in the way the poetry is presented. This could easily be hokey, but I really enjoyed it here. An example that I absolutely loved was comparing the time with the lover to "a trip to Taco Bell/great in the moment/regretful the next day." I laughed out loud when I read it because it was extremely clever yet relatable. The references don't feel forced or awkward, they naturally fit the modern age, especially considering how often things like Netflix and the like now fit into modern relationships.
My only critique of the book is relative to the pages that show the layout of a phone screen. Some of these were used to great effect, such as showing an unsent text asking a question about whether the lover is seeing other people, but many of the pages were just the layout of a phone texting screen without any material. I'm hoping that this is just something unfinished in the ARC I read and that the official release will add to those, but if not many of them felt out-of-place and like they were a missed opportunity for more clever writing.