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blue_charlesss's review
3.0
At times, this soars. There's a real power/anger to these poems. They pick at and stir up a familiar queer anger and power in a way no other collection has for me. Some of the longer pieces that stretch through the first 2/3rds of this especially shine.
However, the stylistic choices towards more text-speak (shortening things like to into "2" and with to "w/") often felt more pretentious than anything else, and the vulgar aspects of these poems (while intentionally shocking) often didn't connect for me.
Overall, not my favorite, but a lot of that comes down to personal preference, and there's a real spark in these poems. Anyone invested in queer art/liberation should be reading this, even if they don't love the work by the end.
However, the stylistic choices towards more text-speak (shortening things like to into "2" and with to "w/") often felt more pretentious than anything else, and the vulgar aspects of these poems (while intentionally shocking) often didn't connect for me.
Overall, not my favorite, but a lot of that comes down to personal preference, and there's a real spark in these poems. Anyone invested in queer art/liberation should be reading this, even if they don't love the work by the end.
dhaydon95's review
challenging
funny
fast-paced
4.0
This is a puzzling, mysterious book, which are my favorite types of reads. Abi-Karan has a stellar ear for sound, and their form is adventurous. It's a book I'll return to many times.
anxious_librarian's review
The cover caught my eye so I picked it off the library's new shelf, and before I knew it I was caught up. I didn't stop until I'd finished. Poetry isn't something I read often, but the subject kept me going, and honestly so did the prose. It was queer, it was relevant, it was fucking raw.
Thoughts while reading:
* frantic, language as powerful and radical as any riot
* another reviewer (Emily) said it perfectly "pro-queer, pro-revolution, pro-kink, pro-body, pro-fucking, anti-prison, anti-racism, anti-cop, anti-capitalism, anti-mainstream"
* stream of consciousness, very good for my not-always-good-at-understanding-poetry brain
* fisting?
* queer, queer, justifiably angry queer
* I LOOK UPON MY OWN DISFIGUREMENT
& SUDDENLY REALIZE I AM BUILT OUT OF PARTS
I FOUND WHILE OUT DIGGING W/HOLES
THAT I WANTED TO FIT INTO
* kinky
* poetry with teeth, words as weapons
* want to experience again
Thoughts while reading:
* frantic, language as powerful and radical as any riot
* another reviewer (Emily) said it perfectly "pro-queer, pro-revolution, pro-kink, pro-body, pro-fucking, anti-prison, anti-racism, anti-cop, anti-capitalism, anti-mainstream"
* stream of consciousness, very good for my not-always-good-at-understanding-poetry brain
* fisting?
* queer, queer, justifiably angry queer
* I LOOK UPON MY OWN DISFIGUREMENT
& SUDDENLY REALIZE I AM BUILT OUT OF PARTS
I FOUND WHILE OUT DIGGING W/HOLES
THAT I WANTED TO FIT INTO
* kinky
* poetry with teeth, words as weapons
* want to experience again
poetryamano's review
challenging
hopeful
5.0
These poems challenged me in the best way! Truly necessary poetry at the intersection of queerness and anticapitalist thought.
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