Originally published on Reedsy Discovery. The concept behind Bhat’s We Of The Forsaken World is original and interesting. He imagines communities living on the periphery of global advancement, and how the people living within them have similar stories to tell even when it seems they live worlds apart. Bhat’s writing is poetic and expansive. He … Continue reading Review of We of the Forsaken World, Kiran Bhat
You: A Novel in Verse by Micalizzi is an attempt to imagine and craft a love story told from beginning to end. At times there are glimpses of a poet beginning to flourish and bloom but for the most part, this collection captures love and loss very simply. Micalizzi’s verse is often limited by his … Continue reading Review of You: A Novel in Verse, A. T. Micalizzi
Originally published on Reedsy Discovery. Marilia - strong-willed, erudite and fallible. Cole has delivered a heroine so humbly human I found pleasure in reading fantasy again. Marilia’s entire story is one of struggle, defiance and vulnerability. Not once is her trajectory predictable. She is not invincible. She is frustrating at times in her quarrels with … Continue reading Review of Marilia, the Bastard, Morgan Cole
Originally published on Reedsy Discovery. Scarlet Shadows by Scylla Grand is a short yet powerful collection, carefully curated to reveal a journey of turmoil and lingering hope. Grand’s style reminds me of Wendy Cope, Emily Dickinson or Sylvia Plath, as she blends the straightforward with the whimsical. The collection is divided into three parts: Invisible, Inertia … Continue reading Review of Scarlet Shadows, Scylla Grand
Originally published on Reedsy Discovery. I expected Conversations with Women to be about women through a male gaze. I expected to grimace at Campbell’s attempt to capture the female experience. Both expectations were to be proven false within the first few pages. Campbell provides an outlook which is original and unique; an outlook which challenges … Continue reading Review of Conversations With Women, Cebo Campbell
When S. K. Nicholas announced the X and I snippets on his blog were to become a novel, I stopped reading them. I knew at that moment I wanted to read the novel as a whole; I wanted as much as possible to be a surprise. I knew it would be beautiful. What I did … Continue reading Review of X and I, S.K. Nicholas
For The Sender by Alex Woodard is unlike anything I’ve ever read before. Through letters, prose and songwriting, Woodard reveals how he unravelled his own journey of growth and healing by trusting the process and listening to other voices telling their stories. The letters from Emily, Kim, Alison and Katelyn cover a myriad of feelings … Continue reading Review of For the Sender, Alex Woodard
Originally published on Reedsy Discovery. Rain and Embers by Ali Nuri is one of the best poetry collections I have read in a while. His talent lifts each page and the words situated on it to tell a vivid story about identity, belonging and displacement as well as exploring love and what it’s like to live … Continue reading Review of Rain and Embers, Ali Nuri
A GIRL IS A SHAPESHIFTER is Higgins’ debut poetry collection - pieced together alone and across six months, it follows the voice of a young woman intent on loving herself fiercely and making a mark on the ever-widening world around her. From the opening poem, ‘nice to meet you’, I was in love with Higgins’ … Continue reading Review of A Girl is a Shapeshifter, Jasmine S. Higgins
Bray’s debut novel A Song for Issy Bradley is a beautifully written tale about how a Mormon family chooses to grieve and move on from a tremendous loss. Throughout, Bray weaves stunning images which capture how differently a mother mourns to her seven year old son, or her deeply religious husband. The story is also … Continue reading Review of A Song for Issy Bradley, Carys Bray
