"Shards"

“Shards”

Written by Fariha Khayyam

 

 Fariha’s poetry is haunting and beautiful, similar to gothic romance poetry. I felt like I was reading this while being placed into a dark garden with moonlight, or as if I was on top of a mountain. This feels very ethereal to me, but I can understand the pain, the sadness, and the hurt that was written down into poems here. It reminds me of the feelings of sadness and beauty found in Guillermo Del Toro’s creations.

“Shards” is separated into four sections, in order of telling the story within the poems. We have: “The Shattering”, “The Redemption”, “The Rising”, and “The Reforming”. This reads like an epic, similar to “Beowulf”. It’s natural and spiritual, and it feels like it needs read while standing on a mountain. Very wonderful to read and enjoy. I feel like I can go conquer a country now.

  My favorite poems in this collection are:

·        (Some pages have poems without titles): pages: 14, 24, 26, 28, 36*, 52*, and 56.

·        “What Scared Her”

·        “Maybe a Little Different”

·        “Tangled, trapped, but alive”

·        “Let Me, Just Me”

·        “Freedom”

·        “Unleashed”

·        “Nothing Can Stop Her Now” *

·        “Stubborn”

·        “Go Wild”

* I thank Fariha for sending me an e-copy of this book to read and review. *

"No One Here Belongs More Than You"

“No One Belongs Here More Than You” by Miranda July

Review Written by Diana Iozzia

            “No One Belongs Here More Than You” was a different reading experience than I usually have when I read a book of short stories. This book is full of little stories about love, sex, and other dramatic life experiences.

            The stories are very unique, about topics I have heard about but I have never read about before. One is about a peep show worker who is in love with her ex-roommate. I think that it’s important to recognize that feminists could really enjoy this book, because it’s about love and sexual freedom. I think that Ms. July tried very hard to create short stories that other people would read, and truly, they are creative. However, I think that they are just too much for me. I found myself struggling to read through the stories, because they weren’t intriguing.

            I thought that the fact that every one of the stories was first person was interesting, but it made it a bit difficult to decipher between the characters. I can guarantee you can name one of the characters that existed in the story, but I wouldn’t be able to remember which story they exist in.

"The Secret Year"

“The Secret Year” by Jennifer R. Hubbard
Review written by Diana Iozzia


Young love lost. It’s a very important and very sad theme in many young adult fiction novels, but I think this is one of the best ways to describe a young love falling apart due to the death of one partner. In “The Secret Year”, Julia dies in a car accident, and we learn how she and Colt were in a secret relationship. You have your tropes; a beautiful blonde popular girl falls in love with the awkward yet handsome and kind boy from the wrong side of the tracks. His life is so wrong he has tires and old cars strewn across his front yard.

Julia and Colt had a lovely sugary high school relationship when they were together, often swimming together in a lake at night. Their love feels very pure, and it reminds me of many young adult novels, such as “Thirteen Reasons Why”.

I feel compassion for Julia, because she was never happy in her own shoes. She liked stepping into Colt’s and loving him, so it’s very sad when you remember that she was dead. I fully recommend this to anyone who wants a very different and sad young adult novel to sulk with. It’s not happy clappy. Boy meets girl, boy loves girl. Girl dies. Boy mourns girl.

"The Moon Said No"

“The Moon Said No” by Casey Renee Kiser

Review written by Diana Iozzia

            “The Moon Said No” is a collection of poems that depict depression, sex, suicidal themes, self-harm, and alcohol consumption. These poems are not for the faint of heart, and to be honest, maybe I am a part of the group of those who do not enjoy these poems. They are very raw and sharp, very sassy and sad. Some are angry and scary. I like happy poems. These are not happy poems. Some of them are lighter, but they are not light enough for my standards.

            Naturally, everyone is allowed their own opinions on poetry. I think poetry is a form of artistic expression, so naturally, not everyone can agree artistically. I liked the hour I spent dedicated to reading this. It’s very easy to eagerly consume this book, however, I just didn’t like the poems as much as I had hoped. The dark themes and profanity did not allow me an experience to relate to. It made me feel uncomfortable and unhappy. I don’t think that’s the intent.

            I used to be the kind of person who liked raw and edgy emotion, but I’m not anymore, so I can’t relate to this. I liked the metaphors used in the poems, however.

            I do commend Ms. Kiser for writing a good collection of poems, they are just not my style, so I politely critique.

*I received this complimentary copy from the author herself.*

"Small Crimes by Andrea Jurjevic

"Small Crimes" by Andrea Jurjevic

Review written by Diana Iozzia

“Small Crimes” was an interesting book of poetry. There are many small and some longer poems that really pack a punch as you read. I am a person who has a strong stomach. Usually, poetry does not make me feel emotional, but I did notice a bit of emotion being felt by myself. Andrea’s poetry is very sad and emotional, painting a very clear picture of the events that shaped her life. Many of the poems in this book are really well written, and I enjoyed reading them.

Her take on very important government events and affairs that impacted her life was interesting, because it does not relate to my own life. There is lots of foreign language used in the book, translated in the index at the back of the book. There are also dates and times that help you understand the events that she is writing about. Some of the poetry was very dark and emotional, so that's where my love for poetry differs. I love happy poetry, but this poetry by Andrea was very dark and sad. It is still enjoyable poetry, and it was written very well. Unfortunately, this is just not poetry I choose to read on my own.

I did notice that some of the poems were too descriptive, as if she added extra detail just to be more descriptive, but it wasn’t to a positive affect.

I enjoyed the poems "Too Educated”, “Back When I Knew How to Speak”, and “Hotel Scandinavia”.

"Dear Strangers" by Meg Mullins

"Dear Strangers" by Meg Mullins

Review by Diana Iozzia

The book "Dear Strangers" by Meg Mullins is an interesting romantic yet suspenseful novel. This book is for anyone whose stared at strangers before, become curious at how their lives might be. This one is for those who look at windows and wonder what is inside that room. Meg Mullins depicts a family in such a realistic and natural light. The son, looking for his long lost adopted brother. The daughter, an alcoholic and sex addict. The new girlfriend of the son, a photographer of strangers.

We meet an ensemble of characters who paint a portrait of a seemingly normal family in the United States.

Characters long for the past, nostalgia is in the air. The characters are so intertwined with each other, that they reflect aspects of each other. Have you ever wondered why someone close to you begins to pick up on your catch phrases and starts to like your favorite foods?

Meg Mullins dissects her characters and shows the sides that the characters want to hide, but cannot. Their interactions prove that they are not only characters, that they are so humanistic, they feel real. I recognized these characters, because I know people like them. I recognized my fiance in the son. I recognized myself in the girlfriend, her curiosity always winning and helping her lose her battles.

I really enjoyed the realism and the sadness in these characters. Everyone of them is longing for the past, but they just cannot capture the high that the past once gave them.