I’d like to thank the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book through NetGalley.

I love this poetry collection! Honestly, it was so raw and captivating. I bookmarked literally half the book. It brings up important issues such as toxic relationships and I enjoyed the fact that the writer showed that you can move past those experiences and learn to love yourself again. The poems felt very personal and I can't say there was anything that bothered me. It goes from trauma to love and from heartbreak to achieving self-love. Also, it is important to note that the writer was thoughtful enough to put a trigger warning just before the beginning of her journey, because it really starts of strong and it may not be suitable for everyone, since some poems are very detailed and knowingly raw to the point that the writer's feelings stay with you. I loved it, hence, the 5 stars!

I am not the biggest fan of modern poetry, but if you are a fan of works similar to "Milk and Honey" or "The Princess Saves Herself in This One" I think you might enjoy this. However, I didn't connect to most of the poems and didn't find much to resonate on.

Though I like some lines from some of the poems. I wasn't impressed by this. I feel all Instagram or social media poets sound the same and this could easily blend in the sea of millennial poetry that's overly angsty and cliche. I yearn for the structured and well-developed poetry of real poets.

2.5/5 stars... and I reserve the right to change my rating in the future because I'm still not quite sure where I've landed with this one (this is one of those times I dislike the 5-star rating system).

I had very high expectations for this book, and maybe that is the crux of the problem of why I didn't end up enjoying it very much. I went into this poetry collection having just read 2 of Meggie Royer's books of poetry, which was also probably another reason why I didn't like this one as much as I "should have" ...because Meggie Royer is now one of my all-time favorite poets.

Basically (and I hate to say this) I didn't see anything special with this book. It didn't make me feel very strongly, the words weren't put together in that oh-so perfect and gut-wrenching way I love in my opinion, and I felt like I had read all of these poems before. I think I'm just tired of the broken and short style of poetry. That style loses it's punch after a while, and just ends up seeming undetailed, lazy, and stoic.

If you're looking for contemporary poetry that will leave you emotional, I would recommend "The No You Never Listened To" or "Milk & Honey." As I find more I will definitely recommend them in a blog post or video. But for now I will just say that unfortunately I was not impressed with this one.

Recently I have been reading a lot of poetry books. Although these books are relatively shorter than fiction books, they usually take a longer time to read. When someone puts their thoughts into a poem, it takes time to decipher the meaning behind.

The Cover
It is very simple, with a few floral outlines and a light pink background. So aesthetic! I fell in love with it immediately.

The Book
This is a beautiful poetry book. The poems in it are mostly about love, and they are full of emotion. My heart was deeply touched.

Honestly, this book is pretty wonderful. Once I read the very first page I could see so many good things about this book. Yet, unfortunately I couldn't get into the book that much, I don't really know what's wrong though. I just don't get the story so much.

At last, if you're into a poetry book of if you're one of those Rapi Kaur's fan, you might as well need to check this one asap. :)

The feeling that the author poured into this poetry is crystal clear. It is full of love, heartache, sadness, forgiveness, longing, anger, and a plethora of other emotions. It really spoke to me and I am sure there are many others out there who these words will resonate with. Powerful!

I found this work to be bittersweet and quite relatable. I cried more than I wanted to but that's usually the case when it comes to good poetry. 10/10 would recommend

I’m just starting to appreciate the beauty that is poetry so I don’t have a lot to go on when reading books of poetry. I want to first say I thought the trigger warning right in the beginning for suicidal ideation, descriptions of sexual trauma, racism, and sexism was definitely a must for this book. I think all books with such triggering content should have warnings in the beginning just like this.The way it was broken up into 4 sections, inception, longing, chaos, and epiphany added so much to the story in my opinion.

I have always enjoyed the prose Ellen Hopkins writes in, which made me want to pick up poetry books in the first place, and this book did not disappoint. I was written so beautifully, and everything flowed seamlessly. I had no trouble keeping up with the story, and it was intoxicating. I read the who book in one sitting.

Overall I feel like if these triggers will not bother you, you should definitely read this book. Even if you are not the biggest fan of poetry, or like me are just getting into it, there is something in this book for everyone to appreciate.

A young poet comes of age, and reaches a level of self-awareness and maturity in exploring themes of love, longing and at times the yearning of unrequited romance, in “the chaos of longing”. This is an intense beautifully written volume of poetry by K.Y. Robinson. Ms. Robinson holds a B.A. in journalism and a M.A. in history from Texas Southern University and is based in Houston, Texas.

In her introductory poem: “1.7.93”- Ms. Robinson describes a “cocoa brown” hunchback teen, who “swallowed poetry” in those days, without considering heaven or hell. A tragic event happened to her around this time, which she detailed in this poem. This event undoubtedly colored and affected her life in unexpected ways. This was the only concrete biographical poem in the book-- in addition to “deferred” where her mother and father’s attitudes were mentioned, her father turning to drink, also “faada” and “mother’s nature” were briefly added. The theme of mental illness which influenced Ms. Robinson’s life are explored in: “magic” - “faithless” – “manic depression” - “stigma and shame”.
The next part is “longing”: the titles of the poems are quite revelatory and erotic. Opening with the poem “melanin” love at first sight and the dreams that follow, easing into “naked thoughts” of desire to be a one and only. The explanatory nature of “fellatio” – “electric bodies” – “beautiful stranger” – the poem “uncensored” unfolds on the page: “thrust in your eyes/against my pages/repent with me/ in unison/until you surrender/to loves doctrine”. The writer emerges with “the grace of a pen” and the splendor of (unrecognized) words in “muse”-- also the composition of love in “poetry” and “poetry ii”.

The poems are more reflective with the thrill and satisfaction of a romantic connection. There remains the slight of uncertainty regarding the progression of a serious commitment-- in “smitten” – “path” – “entrails” –“the good guy” – “one wish” – “tone deaf” – “nocturnal melody”. With “chaos” the poems related to unavailable men, “resentment” – “shameless” – “when you met Laura” – “tunnel vision” - “in another life” – in “alchemy” it become known that only the dark side of his leaded heart was felt, as it was with someone else. With the final theme of “epiphany” there was a simple poetic wisdom in learning from mistakes, with the journey of “self -love ii” also “the galaxy is yours” that celebrated the wonder of life.
* With thanks and appreciation to Andrews McMeel Publishing via NetGalley for the direct e-copy for the purpose of review.

I am not the biggest fan of poetry. The poems have to be something special for me to considering putting the effort towards getting the book either buying it or finding it at the library. There are very few poets I would put that effort towards. The only effort I had to put forward was downloading this book, but from what I read I will gladly put effort into this author. I will look for her books. I will push people to read it. I will become a cheerleader for her success. She has won me over. 

The poems ranged from identity to self-love. The poems are so deep and necessary. This is the type of poetry that I needed in high school and college when I started doing activist work. This is the type of poetry I needed when I moved across the country for a fresh start. This is the type of poetry I need now as I am trying to navigate the world. This book applies to so many people and experiences. There were poems that discussed being black that I could not relate to on a perfect match, but the feelings she had towards her skin brought up the feelings I have towards mine for being trans. The wording was so perfect and I couldn't help but be impressed that she used "gentrified" in a poem that was about her own body.

There are many heavy topics covered. There is a lot of sexual themes, which I saw a bad review complaining about. I loved how frank the author was and how beautifully graphic she was. These were poems about having sex, these were poems about connections. These were poems about how bodies and love don't always match. These are poems about only feeling loved when someone is there with you. These are poems about feeling like no one will love you unless you have sex with them. They aren't about sex, they are about the complicated feelings that sex brings.

Poetry is so subjective that I always find it hard to review. Personally, I love this style of poetry – the stream-of-consciousness, open, raw, and vivid way that K.Y. Robinson and similar poets write just gets me, I feel it deep down and it never fails to move me. I find it so remarkable how people can use words to create images and feelings in this way, and although I know some readers find it overly simplistic, I personally find it magical.

one moment life
is more pigmented
than technicolor.
glitter flows
through my veins
and the stars
in my eyes dilate
and burst
into delusions.

K.Y. Robinson explores desire in all its forms and the need and want that we as humans have: to feel fulfilled emotionally, physically, and spiritually. A want that doesn’t always disappear if we are struggling with mental illness, if we’ve been abused or suffered trauma, if we’ve been told that we are too much, too loud, take up too much space. It’s personal and powerful and I adore the dedication – ‘to those who lie awake burning.’

when you look at me,
stars cluster in your eyes
but i often wonder if
my black holes
will swallow them whole
because deep down
i’m a connosieur
of sabotage.

If you’ve read and loved collections by writers like Amanda Lovelace, Rupi Kaur, or Lang Leav, you’ll probably love this too. It has the same power, the same rawness and pain, the same relatability that so many of us feel.

there is a universe
swirling inside you.

you have to learn to be
your own earth,
wind, fire
and water.

you are a natural
phenomenon-
not a natural disaster.

Poetry has always held a piece of my heart. So, when given the opportunity to read a poet's work, especially one new to me, I try to approach it with an open mind. Robinson's poetry is a cocktail of longing - of injustice, mental illness, desire, trauma, and need. Her poetry, while not the most grammatically correct, is painfully honest and reveals the fragile but resilient qualities of a human being. There were times, I admit, when her descriptions felt odd and out of place (especially the more sexually infused ones) but at the same time, it's her perception that makes this poetry unique. Because I could relate to some of her poems and I felt her writing style was beautiful, I was able to overlook the awkwardness of wording (and the Pepto Bismol cover).
Overall, a decent collection of poetry!

This beautiful collection takes the reader on a journey through trauma, love, loss, and recovery. I love Robinson's style and the emotion she evokes. Her poems feel deeply personal, but also very relatable. I look forward to reading more of her work in the future.

I've never read English poetry before and I wanted to try something new. When I looked up the synopsis of The Chaos of Longing, I wasn't sure what I was expecting. It sounded interesting, so that's the main reason was I requested this book on Netgalley.

The Chaos of Longing has poems about love, trauma, heartbreak and it's also divided in 4 sections. Each section has its own theme. The Chaos of Longing is so raw and honest. It's also something new for me. There were times that I was thinking and kept thinking about a certain poem, because I didn't really know what the meaning of it was. Like I mentioned before, poetry is new to me, so I don't always know how to read it and see the meaning behind it. Some poems were really obvious and others were a mystery.

I love The Chaos of Longing and I want to read more of K.Y. Robinson's work!

Thank you so much to Andrew McMeel publishing via netgalley for sending me an ARc copy of the chaos of longing by k.y. Robinson. The chaos of longing Will be released on September 26, 2017

She delt with strong and emotional topics that made me think and reflect on my own life.

I always enjoy certain poems more than others but personally i really enjoyed the majority of the poems.
Her writing style was beautiful and descriptive and i highly recommend this collection.

3.5/5 stars - ARC provided by NetGalley

This was a very well written poetry collection. I really enjoyed the four different parts, I could really sense the different tone with each poem I read. Overall, some of the poems felt lacking and a few felt simply repeated. With that being said, there were 5 poems I really enjoyed: Metamorphic, Path, Tone Deaf, Repeat After Me, When You're Feeling Low

I appreciate the poems on self love and learning to love yourself first.

**There is a trigger warning in this book for sexual trauma, suicidal thoughts, racism and sexism.**

The Chaos of Longing

by K.Y. Robinson

Andrews McMeel Publishing

Poetry

Pub Date 26 Sep 2017

I am reviewing a copy of The Chaos of Longing through Andrews McMeel Publishing and Netgalley:

This is perhaps even more difficult to review than the earlier collections of poetry I have reviewed as these poems deal with such tough issues as mental illness, abuse, survival, trauma, shame, justice.

The poems in this book, have a way of cutting to the very core of the issues they talk about.

Due to the subject matters herein I recommend this book for high-School age and older.

I give The Chaos of Longing five out of five stars.

Happy Reading.

I guess I've become immune to this subgenre. At first I was annoyed at these confessionals masquerading as poetry, but I've come to acknowledge the catharsis it offers both writers and readers.

The Chaos of Longing is a book of poetry that contains four sections, each with a different theme that surrounds the idea of loving, losing and finding yourself in and outside of relationships. In terms of what I liked, there were a few pieces here and there, but not memorable enough to want to read them over again. It's a collection that contains a lot of repetition in it's phrases and themes, so that may be why nothing stands out as a wow-moment. This collection is quite a lot like the whole modern poetry movement--no fancy metaphors, no flowery language, just simple ideas with a message (usually messages of finding ways to heal after bad relationships). This may work for people who aren't familiar with poetry at all, but I find it a little too repetitive with what's already out there in the market.