Reviews

The Verging Cities by Natalie Scenters-Zapico

nuhafariha's review against another edition

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4.0

This short collection is a love poem to broken borders, blood left in the sand, bones whittled dry by institutionalized racism and imperialism. It is gritty, smash your face like an ICE agent level of gratuitous violence. Within the violence, there is humanity, there are people trying to find love, relationships and hope. Stirring deep emotions as tumultuous as the borderlands, Verging Cities is a winning collection.

reillyreadslol's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective fast-paced

4.0

caeleigh's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad fast-paced

4.0

madalcna's review against another edition

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4.0

Natalie Scenters-Zapico is the most candid, raw and unapologetic contemporary poet I've ever read.

ceah_reads's review against another edition

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The border is construct and violence, a theme which runs through Natalie Scenters-Zapico's heartbreaking, beautiful borderlands poetics The Verging Cities, an exploration of the twin cities of Ciudad Juárez and El Paso, both shrouded in fog, both bleeding. The shame and pain of xenophobia and la migra intertwine with defiance, a sharp, painful, beautiful reminder of the humanity on both sides of the border.

friendcat67's review

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5.0

The Verging Cities is very much a contemporary poetry book. It offers a very hard, graphic image for the reader to comprehend but the meaning behind each poem is very necessary and very relevant.

For me, this book was on par with rupi kaur's and Warsaw Shire's poetry. It is brutal, it is honest, and it hides no emotions. For the border reader, for those trying to understand, and for others who want an honest look, this is the poetry book for you.

jamesflint's review

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adventurous challenging slow-paced

3.0

imiji's review

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challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

5.0

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