raethereviewer's reviews
856 reviews

Pilgrim Bell: Poems by Kaveh Akbar

5.0

Finally got around to reading my favorite poets’ favorite poet and I understand the hype now.

Harriet Tubman: Live in Concert by Bob the Drag Queen

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This was genuinely such a fun read. I enjoyed the way that the history was blended into the narrative and the characterization of Harriet Tubman felt so true to who she was and who she’d be if she magically came back. I hope Bob the Drag Queen continues writing because this was so creative.

Out of the Woods by Hannah Bonam-Young

5.0

This was so different from any other romance I’ve read before. I don’t think calling it a second-chance romance can encapsulate it accurately. This is a love story about learning how to love yourself as an individual when you can only remember yourself as a unit with your partner. It’s about growing through grief. It’s about the importance of a community that you can depend on, even at your lowest. It is truly a work of art.

Night Sky with Exit Wounds by Ocean Vuong

4.5

I finished this in one sitting at a bookstore cafe. My preference still lies with Time is a Mother but so many of these poems made me feel on a visceral level, even when I had trouble understanding the more metaphysical metaphors. This collection is so cohesive and I truly enjoyed the experience of reading it.

Home Is Not a Country by Safia Elhillo

5.0

I’m beating myself up for taking so many YEARS to read this. It’s been on my shelf collecting dust since it was released only for me to eat it up in two days when I finally crack it open. I absolutely loved the way Nima’s story represents so much of the diaspora experience. There’s an element of magical realism that I wasn’t expecting but was integrated into the novel so well. Safia Elhillo is an amazing poet and an amazing storyteller.

Next To You by Hannah Bonam-Young

4.0

This was perfect for getting me out of my reading slump. Their love story is so cute and beautiful and well-earned. It just has one of my romance icks toward the end but I think it’s handled as best as it could be.

Forest of Noise: Poems by Mosab Abu Toha

5.0

My heart continues to split open for Palestine. Mosab Abu Toha is truly one of the best poets I’ve ever read. I need to add physical copies of his collections to my personal library so I can read and annotate and do it all over again with every single one of these poems.

I Was Told There Would Be Romance by Marie Arnold

adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I haven’t had a YA romance make me GIGGLE this hard in so long. It’s such a perfect book for bridging the gap between Ya and MG.

The Summer I Ate the Rich by Maritza Moulite, Maika Moulite

dark emotional tense

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I may be biased but I love everything that Maika and Maritza write. It was so fun seeing zonbi lore in a mainstream novel and I can’t wait to see more from this duo.

Goldenrod: Poems by Maggie Smith

4.5

I really enjoyed this collection. There were quite a few political poems interspersed throughout which makes me see this as a critique of the pastoral so it was right up my alley. I annotated a lot of these poems while reading and encountered some new-to-me vocabulary.