Buffy’s House of Mirrors by Kim Malinowski was a walk through unfamiliar territory for me. I did not watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer so I was not familiar with the character references, which I think helped me to approach these poems objectively. Malinowski imposes real-life emotion and need onto the fantasy world of demon-slaying, attaching make-believe to real-life struggle. The demons she fights are body-image, emotional pain and mental distress. She has taken a popular trope and made it into something personal and far more powerful than fantasy. I never had any interest in the television series, but I am very impressed with how Malinowski applies it to a subject that is much too hidden away and needs to be made more visible.

(ARC provided by Querencia Press)

Domestic Bodies by Jennifer Ruth Jackson. This is the poetry I want to write. Poetry that hits you in the center of your chest, the words seeping into your bloodstream and becoming part of you. Jackson’s language speaks to you as if in tongues, you read the words, hear them, feel them in your soul. In her writing Jackson allows herself to be vulnerable, allowing readers to see her fears, her hurts, and her scars. She creates images with incredible lyricism; we are taken to childhood afternoons skipping stones and lunches in Mother’s kitchen, living in the moment, unaware of anything other than the haven of home. Some of her pieces have the essence of classic faerie tales, recipes of power and ritual handed down through generations of matriarchs. She faces illness with such courage–waiting for the worst while holding on to a dream of hope.
Jennifer Ruth Jackson writes about life. She writes hope, pain, sorrow, anger, and quiet happinesses. Her words speak truths our world needs to hear. (ARC provided by Querencia Press)

Reading The Edge of Hope by Robin Williams is like looking into a mirror. So many of their experiences parallel my own, reading their words feels like having a conversation with a kindred soul. Williams’ book addresses such topics as mental illness, sexual assault, and homophobia, so I advise readers to approach this volume with caution if these are sensitive topics for them.
Williams’ poems take aim at topics we are too often told to stay away from. They are loud, angry, sorrowful; they hurt your heart as you recognize your own heartache and anger in them. Williams tells their readers that they have the right to be angry, they have the right to feel betrayed, and they do not have to apologize for their feelings. Robin Williams refuses to hide their emotions to make others feel comfortable. This is a lesson we should take to heart. (ARC gifted by Querencia Press)