4 stars
I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoy reading Casey Renee Kiser’s poetry, a fact that is unsurprising considering this is her seventh book that I have read.
What I like most is the tell-it-like-it-is style of her poetry. It’s so refreshing to read poetry that feels like talking to a friend. There is a closeness in each poem that instantly bonds the reader to the page. The poems don’t get bogged down in describing a perfect summer day or a lost love from yonder years. Instead, these poems get in your face with bold images and harsh lines, complete with profanity (another thing I think poetry can benefit from).
I can see how not everyone would like such poetry, but I for one love reading her books. It’s a different kind of poetry- dark and hard, but I wouldn’t change a thing (although I do kind of have a thing for James Franco, so there’s that).
Some of my favorites from this collection were “Ocean Table-turning”, “Shadow Stab,” “We Didn’t Have the Heart”, and “Date Night”.