Thank you to NetGalley and Mariss Ijaz for supplying me with an ARC copy of The Broken Few.
The Broken Few is an emotional and impactful poetry collection that I am going to hold close to my heart for a long time. I see my own mental health struggles on these pages and it’s a validating feeling to see your feelings put into words when you couldn’t. I feel the solidarity and even companionship to know I’m not alone. I received my copy as an e-arc and I will be buying a physical copy- which I don’t do very often. I’m already in anticipation to read it again and be able to annotate. I am a person to reflect on the pain in the their life to cope through it, but, please be aware of the trigger warnings before reading, including self harm and suicidal ideation.
Let me tell you, I was STRESSING during this book. This last book of the trilogy was everything I didn’t know I needed. I’ve been hanging on a cliffhanger for months waiting for it to come out and THEN waiting for my Libby hold to come in. (You know this is after reading The Luminaries and then waiting for The Hunting Moon to come out. Susan Dennard you had me in a chokehold.) I absolutely adore Winnie and Jay and all of the characters. I see so many of my own quirks in Winnie and I respect her loyalty so much. The Whispering Night is jam packed with mystery and adventure and may or may not have left me sobbing which may or may not have been in a good way.
Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books, and Tianna Clark for supplying me with an ARC copy of Scorched Earth to read and review.
Clark’s poetry structure immediately stands out to me as a reader. It is melodic while holding a strong control over the pace of the reader. Clark’s voice shines through her writing- it is clear that these poems are meant to be performed out loud. It was refreshing for me to read long poems that contrast the current popularity of two-liners in contemporary publishing. Clark draws inspiration from and references other great poets and pop culture figures, from John Keats to Nelly. These references coalesce in a way that is unexpected and creates a unique experience for the reader- I had many “ah-ha” moments as I read. In Scorched Earth, you’ll find themes of womanhood, sexuality, queerness, and the black identity. I was overwhelmed with emotion as I journeyed through this well curated collection. My personal favorites are “Self-Portrait at Divorce” and “Self-Portrait at 35: Terror.”