This was a great poetry book. I always absolutely enjoy her work and I can't wait to read more in the near future. I highly recommend it.

Soft Thorns is a poetry collection dealing with the pain of heartbreak and sexual abuse while still embracing the hope and healing that is to come.

I thought it was a good collection but I didn't think it was anything to write home about. It seemed like a collection of short posts that would make for a great instagram account but that doesn't necessarily mean it should be put into a book. It had some good points and it was relatable but overall was just okay to me.

This book has a lot of poems in free verse.

Before this, I had never read a full book written in free verse, however, not that I have, I can’t wait to read more.

The way each poem is built is beautiful and the book’s structure, although expected, was well thought out.

When it comes to the poems, there’s one for everyne. There are some cute ones about love, others about coping with abuse, and more.

To be honest, this book broke my heart and put it back together, I can’t wait to read more stuff like this.

Rating: 4 stars


————–

Little reviewer’s note:

A few weeks after reading this book, I realized that some of these poems are a lot like Rupi Kaur’s. No one in their right minds would try to publish a book with so many books so similar to the ones in a book that wona Goodreads Choice Award. Don’t get me wrond, Devoue didn’t copy all of her poems, which is even sadder because her original poetry is pretty good, she didn’t need to copy anyone.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an earc for an honest review.

Soft Thorns by Bridgett Devoue is sets of poems that takes us the reader through a journey of a women’s life. As she deals with sexual assault and trauma from it. She also deals with love found and lost.

There was a few that I connected with but not many but there was also a few more I liked that talked about fire within and a flame.

Soft Thorns is Bridgett Devoue’s first poetry collection and is about heartbreak, freedom, oppression, sexual assault, sexism, hope and humanity. Soft Thorns is divided into 5 chapters: bleed, love, scar, learn and heal.

maybe we fall
in love with sad eyes
because we see our souls
reflected in them

When I started reading My letter to you, so the first few pages, I was already so interested and amazed because I could already feel Bridgett Devoue’s emotions.

scars may fade
but they last forever

Soft Thorns was such a beautiful poetry collection. I finished it in one sitting, it was just that good. I really liked Bridgett Devoue’s writing style and the way she displayed her poems together with some beautiful illustrations. Too bad that these poems didn’t have titles because then my ‘favourite poems’ list would be never-ending!

i gave you a home in my heart
and when you left
you forever took a
part of me with you

Soft Thorns is definitely one of my favourite poetry collections and I cannot wait to read more written by Bridgett Devoue!

Soft Thorns by Bridgett Devoue is a poetry collection focusing on themes such as love, heartbreak, oppression, sexual assault and sexism. Broken into sections - bleed, love, scar, learn, heal - Devoue’s poetry is unbridled and powerful. Devoue does wonders exploring the journey from broken to healed, particularly that of a woman living in today’s patriarchal society.
Although at times I found the pacing and the length of the poems to be lacking, the overall story that Devoue tells is breathtaking. It is a story all about being a woman and being strong despite everything that the world throws at you. Each poem packs a powerful punch, leaving behind a feeling that tells you that you aren’t alone in your struggles in this world.
As someone who truly enjoys poetry and almost obsessively reads it, I highly recommend this book. If you enjoyed the works of Rupi Kaur, Amanda Lovelace or Trista Mateer, you will most likely enjoy Soft Thorns. And if you’re anything like me, you’ll want to read it again and again!

Loved it.
Wonderful words.
Absolutely loved it.
Very introspective.
Very soft and gentle indeed

I liked this book a lot! It is similar to modern poetry books, yes, but honestly it didn't bother me because each writer has to tell his/her story and this one was beautifully executed. I enjoyed the artwork! Mostly the roses, but also the female figures. The book is divided in sections and each one is better than the one before. I read it in two hours, since I started relating my experiences with those of the writer and it was cathartic, I could say.

All in all, I would recommend it to anyone, since issues of love, heartbreak, "self", sexism, depression resonate within all of us, if you don't mind my generalization.

Soft Thorns is a debut poetry collection in 5 chapters: bleed, love, scar, learn, heal.
I found most poems powerful and touching.
The poetess shares a lot of her experience and I think we can feel everything she feels. It was very relatable at times and I found myself tearing up.
I flew through this book, always wanting to know what came next.
I'm really looking forward to reading more from this author.

Soft Thorns is a beautifully stunning book. I read it in a day and I freaking loved it. I though it was so well constructed and so well-thought. My favorite part is definitely the last one (Heal) since it made me feel kind of optimistic. The hardest and the most powerful at the same time, part was the Heartbreak one. 

The meanings of pain, love, sadness, happiness, heartbreak were there and I felt them. I got the chills while reading this poetry collection. 

The fact that the author chose to share some personal situations and her hurting because of disorders, abuse and heartbreak, is truly amazing. Her poems left me shaken. They were raw but in such an extrordinary way. 

_________________________________
FAVORITE POEMS
“once learned
that being pretty
was not a talent
i got my power back”
“beauty is a curse the rose knows well
always picked first you never get a chance to grow”
_________________________________

From this book, I am keeping everything. The heartbreak, the pain, the bleeding, all the bad things. But most importantly the healing. The hope and the empowerment. The encouragment it gives to women especially young ones. And how even the broken hearts are beautiful.

This is perfect for fans of Rupi Kaur's work. It reminded me so much of Milk & Honey, but Soft Thorns had its own unforettable beauty. You won't be able to put it down.

Author Bridgett Devoue created poems that touch us with the real emotions and intense conflicts of the heart. Sometimes we need a reminder of specific experiences, and she gives us no choice but to respond to the realness and intensity that goes with the topic. I felt many emotions and had a different way of seeing things, thanks to the way each subject is expressed. I loved it

soft thorns by bridgett devoue is a collection of poems. The poems, while many of short - very short - are written with feeling. This collection is a quick read and enjoyable. Especially if you're a fan of Rupi Kaur. This collection touches on several topics, including sexual violence, heartbreak and love. In regards to the sexual violence, I wish that there was a some sort of warning at the beginning of the collection so that readers were thoroughly warned. The style of the poems did make it a bit difficult for me to read. The lack of capitalization and whatnot didn't sit well with me personally, but to other readers, they could very well like the style. To each their own.
Of the collection, there were several micropoems that I'd fallen in love with. Two of which are:
you've already fallen
in love with my angels
so how could you ever
love my demons?
and
you picked my petals
thinking i was a wallflower
not knowing i'm a rose
with thorns

Soft Thorns is the experiences of a woman who has been low and broken hearted. Her words are not angry and destructive reflecting her hurt and deep loss but healing and inspiring to ease your own pain.
Wisdom is not gained in books but through living and falling in love is like jumping from high altitude hoping you’ll find a soft landing or a parachute along the way.
Words can empower and strengthen especially when spoken by someone who has been in the pit of despair and knows the darkest of times. This author not only opens her heart through sharing her thoughts she bears her soul.
Aside from following my heart the hardest thing I have done is walk the Pennine Way. Only a fool would venture onto those hills without a guide or maps.
In Soft Thorns we have someone who has made the journey from broken to healed; found a means to survive and is full of belief. Where others may be full of bitterness Bridgett Devoue has a mind that has found the safe ground and a heart filled with hope and love.
As married man with two beautiful grown up daughters I marvel at my ignorance of a woman’s psyche. I have highlighted so may sound bites from these profound poems and spoken thoughts. If I re-read these words I sure another bunch of wisdom will be chosen.
“I never knew a better sound than my name on your lips.”
“you’re having sex while I’m making love.”
“we choose to stay numb because we think it keeps us safe
but the most dangerous thing we can do is to forget how to feel.”
Powerful stuff, freely shared and available in part through social media or bound together like a life saving parachute or raft in this wonderful book.

Soft Thorns is a very honest and raw collection of modern poetry. Dividing her book into five different sections, Bridgett Devoue shares poems dealing with various topics, taking the reader on a journey through her life.

Even though some of the poems really hit home to me, most of them weren't relatable to me at all. This meant that my reading experience wasn't as satisfying as it could have been. That is, however, not to say that it is a bad book. I think fans of for example milk and honey will very much enjoy Devoue's work.

Lastly, I would like to leave you with my very favourite poem of the entire collection:

he showed me a picture
of a beautiful girl
soft skin and lingerie

can you believe she's a lawyer?

words that crack like a whip
every time i hear them

can you believe?

yes
of course i can

i can believe a woman
who has long hair
big eyes
breasts and hips
and dripping curves
is capable
of studying in school
reading a book
writing a thesis
arguing a point
winning a case

Content warnings include sexual assault and anorexia.

This collection of poems is divided into sections: bleed, love, scar, learn, heal. I was interested because a few of the themes interested me, especially when I learned the author has experienced chronic pain. I wanted to see how a poet would describe the experience of chronic pain but I never found out as, unless I missed something along the way, it was only mentioned in ‘my letter to you’.

I began to think this book wasn’t for me before I even read the first poem. During ‘my letter to you’ I found

“if i hadn’t hit my proverbial rock bottom, i would not have been able to plant my roots and grow upward.”

Besides the lack of capitalisation, which is a huge turn off for me regardless of how incredible the writing is, I have a problem with the whole ‘rock bottom’ thing. I know it’s already reached maximum cliché level at this point but that’s not my concern. It’s the concept itself. Do we really need to fall as low as we possibly can in order to grow? Can’t we attempt to catch ourselves as we’re falling instead? Once I had my internal rant about that I moved on, hoping to be wowed by the poetry.

I wasn’t and I’m really disappointed. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Poetry is such a personal experience; what you hate I may love and vice versa. Whenever I begin any book I fully intend to adore it and word vomit to everyone who will listen to me about why they should read it and hopefully love it too. I hate it when that doesn’t happen.

I want to acknowledge that this author has explored some really painful experiences in writing these poems. It takes courage and resilience to excavate these and then share them with the world. Just because I didn’t find a connection with these poems doesn’t mean you won’t.

I did connect a little to some of the first group of poems but as soon as the love story and ultimate heartbreak began it was all over for me. If you’re in the midst of your own devastating breakup you may find these poems resonate with you but my icy heart wasn’t warmed and I certainly wasn’t keen to go looking for love after reading so much about the devastation of its demise. I think if I was going through a breakup a lot of these poems would actually make me feel worse about my situation.

Some of the shorter poems read to me like sentences, not poetry. A significant amount felt like matter of fact statements. I don’t want to be able to read one poem after another without having to pause and take in the beauty of the specific combination of words I’ve just experienced. I want something revolutionary. I want to experience at least one ‘wow, I’ve never thought of it that way!’ moment.

Granted I probably want too much from poetry but ultimately it boils down to wanting poetry to make me feel. I want to feel the poet’s joy, heartache, rage, passion, hope. I want to take the experience (if not the specific words) of the poetry with me when I close the book. I read this book straight through and I hate to say it but the only thing I’m taking away from it is gratitude that I’m happily single.

Thank you to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for the opportunity to read this book. I need to research whether a book of poetry is really for me rather than getting excited and jumping straight in without doing my homework.

I am speechless. I find a lot of contemporary poetry to be…underwhelming. It’s short, blunt, and often just a sentence long. No stanzas. No rhyme scheme.

I didn’t like a single poem in this book. That’s sad. I found the language to be crude, and the way she handled sensitive subjects was not the greatest. None of the poems resonated with me, and I’ve read a lot of poetry at this point. I feel that a lot of poetry judges, and I’m not okay with that.

I also find it hard to connect with poems that are so, so short. Where’s the build up? The stanzas to control the flow? The imagery that makes readers feel what the poetry wants us to? I just didn’t get any of that.

"Soft Thorns" was an underwhelming poetry collection. I couldn’t find even one poem from the book that I actually enjoyed.

A beautiful compendium that is unfortunately a little too mature for my students but perfect for me. I thought the writer succinctly illustrated so many emotions and I loved every second of this ride.

5 stars!
This poetry book was spectacular. Beautiful writing and the message behind this is very powerful. I love this book so much.
Thanks to Netgalley for this e-arc in exchange of my honest review

✧ COPY PROVIDED BY THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW ✧

For me, poetry collections are a sensitive subject for review.

As an aspiring poetess, I know how daunting it is to share your deepest feelings through such a powerful medium. As the author of several chapbook manuscripts, I have the utmost respect for every person brave enough to share their most intimate experiences with the world. But as a critical reader and writer, I have certain expectations about language and style which are impossible to overlook when it comes to evaluating a poetry collection or its contents.

Most of the poems in soft thorns did not correspond to my ideas of what constitutes "real" poetry. They just felt like unusually formatted chunks of text. They expressed their meaning too plainly and sometimes expected the reader to accept their message as truth without bothering to prove it. There was nothing challenging in their meaning and nothing phonetically or linguistically striking in their phrasing.

soft thorns might be a successful collection among readers who care little for complexity or ambiguity, but poetry enthusiasts are sure to find such formulaic structure and cliché message unworthy of belonging to the genre of poetry.