A review by katnortonwriter
Necessary poisons by Andrea Blythe

fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

2.5

This was a 2.5* read for me, although to some extent the fault is mine. I saw “horror” and “poetry” and got all excited, but failed to realize that this collection is composed entirely of found poems.

Intellectually, I think this is a compelling exercise, but the poems didn’t make me feel much. I feel like this is often the case for me when it comes to found poetry. Yes, I can analyze the meaning, which in this case forms a semi-coherent story in which the narrator is a palimpsest, just at the poems themselves are a form of palimpsest in a way. But just because I can think about these poems doesn’t make me feel much, if anything, about them. This is 100% to do with how I enjoy poetry, and what I want from the experience of reading a collection. Not for me, but I think fans of Stephen King in particular (who wrote the MS in which these poems were found) will enjoy the nesting-doll effect of works within works.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book as an ARC.