Hey bookworms!
Guess who’s back?! Yes, I am finally done with school and I can focus more on blogging and bookstagram. It’s been a while since I’ve done a review and what better than a poetry book review? I had the pleasure of reading Alicia Cook’s new poetry book I Hope My Voice Doesn’t Skip, which is the sequel to Stuff I’ve Been Feeling Lately.
*before we begin, huge thanks to Ms. Cook and NetGalley for a copy
Title: I Hope My Voice Doesn’t Skip
Author: Alicia Cook
Genre: Poetry, Contemporary
Publication Date: 5 June 2018
Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆/5
This collection of poetry features works on love, loss, and finding strength within yourself. It starts off with a series of short poems that are simple with a lot of thought put into them. The next section features longer poems with lots of meaning. The literature isn’t too flowery and it feels personal. I was able to sense every emotion Alicia felt or had intended to put into the poem. I was able to sense some growth in her poetry when comparing it to Stuff I’ve Been Feeling Lately – this collection features poems with more personality and feels as if she is opening up more to the audience.
Unlike with Stuff I’ve Been Feeling Lately, I related to this collection way more on a personal level. I too lost a cousin very unexpectedly and I know the pain Alicia went through and after years, it still feels unreal. A few of her poems had me on the brink of tears because it followed her loss.
This Isn’t About the Number Six (an excerpt)
6 weeks before you died, we sat together.
You were sad, and I was mad,
but we managed to laugh and joke
about our crazy mothers.
We ate sandwiches together.
We hugged and shared our last words.
Of course, we didn’t know then
they would be our last.
6 seconds before I knew you were dead,
I wasn’t thinking about you.
I was thinking about the test
I had just sat down to take.
It was on Shakespeare’s sonnets.
Then my phone rang.
…
This collection shows beautiful, raw emotions that let’s the reader know just exactly what she wants to say. I adored the format of the book where it isn’t divided into sections based on a common theme. Instead, it goes on with her music theme where it feels like the poems have been put on shuffle so you’ll never know what kind of poem you’ll read next. I could be in tears for one, yet feel powerful and hopeful in the next. I love how Alicia just writes and writes and with this collection it feels as if I’m reading a diary or journal. I could not find any flaw to it either. Lastly, bonus points for the trigger warning page at the beginning that only tells you the possible triggers but also includes the title of a poem that contains the most triggers. Not only that but she even goes as far as labeling the poems with a trigger warning right after the title.
In the end, I would absolutely recommend this collection to everyone and cannot wait what the future holds for Alicia and her poetry.
Top 5 Wednesday will be put on hold for the rest of the month. I want to plan out what I’ll be posting first, then organize myself and get back on track.
Until next time!
Sounds like a beautiful collection! 👍
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It is! I highly recommend it 😊
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