Genuinely one of the finest poetry books I've read. 

Gothic poetry is still fairly new to me. One thing I've noticed is how many people try to either mimic Poe or write very anachronistically. Eli managed to take inspiration from the gothic greats while weaving in his own narrative. I was impressed by not only the writing but the imagery. I tasted the grass. I smelt the blood. I felt her touch. 

This isn't a collection of poems, it's a story. You feel his decline from infatuation to madness. Yes, parts feel sparse, as if you're missing parts of the story - yet it makes sense. He writes when his passion is high. Passion comes from the extremes of love, distress, fear, and loneliness.

Every part of me wants to dive deeper into this. I want to sit in a class as we analyze every line. There is so much here to pick up on in future re-reads. This is definitely on my list to buy asap. Undoubtedly, this is 5/5 stars.