ARC review; thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Random House | Dial Press Trade Paperback for the access to the ebook.

I don't usually have good luck with contemporary poetry. Not that I'm an expert or anything, it's just that the last collections I've read have been lacking and superficial, and failed at making me feel something, anything. Even so, I keep trying whenever I find one, and this one caught my eye on NetGalley. I'm so glad I requested and got it!

Joy Sullivan has a voice and it was a delight to read her poems. I highlighted so many lines that stood out to me and I know I'll revisit many of the poems, so I'll be adding this book to my library as soon as I can.

This poetry collection is tender and sweet, sad and hopeful. I found myself relating to a lot of the things Joy communicated through her poems, and that's what I look for in poetry. That even if we live such different lives, something about our humanity still allows us to connect because you were brave enough to share yourself. That's the depth and authenticity that other poetry collections have lacked for me, and I'm glad this has it.

I'm even left feeling like I know a few things about this author as a person because I feel like she truly shared not only her perspective and her words but also her experiences and the core of who she is. I just loved this!