This is such a lovely collection of poetry that celebrates self-love and growth in a minimalist but profound aesthetic. My favorite poem was:

i climb mountains to see the world
wear different shades of honesty.

and isn't it beautiful
the way we see things change?
the way our eyes fall in love
with a different time of day
knowing that it will never hurt
when tomorrow comes.

my eyes will remember
how to love the world
under changing skies.

when the light changes,
so does the view.

3.5 stars. I thought the poetry and prose in Nocturnal was touching and the artwork, that's as much a part of the book as the words, were stunning. The illustrations complemented the poems so well and made this book more of a joy to read! I was able to connect with a lot of the poems in this book but there were many that I also read and thought it fell flat. Still, the ones that connected with really made a lasting impression, the words knocking deep into my gut and making my heart ache with the losses, triumphs and fears. I can still picture the illustrated pages and how it made me feel a little melancholy, but also strengthened/empowered.

If I had this book on hand I would probably look through it every now and again to look at the illustrations and find the few poems that touched me, but I wouldn't call it an all-time favorite. I hadn't heard of the author before I picked up this book, but I've since followed their account on instagram, and I look forward to seeing more works from them come out.

At times, I enjoyed the beauty of Wilder's voice, but some of the short poems did not seem quite as profound. This collection was alright, but not something I definitely need to buy.

This book is as much an art book as a poetry book. From the cover that was the first thing that caught my eye to the last poem, almost every page in this book is illustrated. And even though half of me is thinking about the amounts of ink they had to use, I'm absolutely convinced that every drop necessary.
The drawings not only decorate but complement the poems themselves, some of them going as far as being part of the poem too and furthering the narrative, making this a book like no other.
As for the poems, I liked them enough in general, even though some verses are so widely used in our day to day lives that they sounded more like cliches than poetry and that ruined some of the experience for me. Nevertheless, there were some truly amazing poems throughout the book as well.
Thank you to NetGalley and Createspace Independent Publishing Platform for this ARC.

✩✩✩✩

NOTE: I received an e-arc of this from Net Galley but my opinions are my own.

This poetry collection was lovely. Full of incredible artwork that celebrates the moon and a magical thread connecting the words. I would call this a coming-of-age collection that centers around relationships, growing as a person and self love. At best these poems aren't about wallowing in pity, they seem to be meant to empower the reader while still cradling them through the grief of lost loves and growing up.

While I don't feel that I, a 34 year old woman, is the target audience for this collection, I was still able to connect with multiple poems, the overarching sentiment, and enjoy a sense of bittersweet nostalgia. I would highly recommend it to sensitive readers between the ages of 13 and 23. It lends itself to a sweet, indie-music style that I think that particular demographic will truly connect to.

I'm having dofficulties downloading the book :(
I tried the PDF file and readdle and kindle but to no avail... I really really wanted to read this since I have books from Amanda Lovelace, Nikita Gill and rh sin. I dont what's wrong...

Nocturnal is beautiful collection of words and art. The artwork connected well with her words and the stark contrast of black and white backgrounds, with some grays give you a feeling of the ebb and flow from dusk to dawn with some quick dark and light moments. This was a striking collection of poems of growth, healing, dark nights, and hope.

Nocturnal is a beautiful poetry book. I really liked some poems and read couple of times but not every poem effected me that much. Artworks were amazing and connected with poems beautifully.

I don't often read poetry collections, but every now and then I stumble across one the piques my interest and Nocturnal definitely fits that bill.The first thing I have to say is just how stunning this collection of poetry is from an aesthetic perspective. I'm a really visual person and when a book has illustrations, different coloured pages, and text in different sizes, styles and placement it really appeals to me. I kept flipping back to previous pages to reread and re-examine pages I'd read because something about it stood out to me.The poems themselves are simple and easy to read. They explore self-discovery and the 'wildness' that exists within us all. Unlike some collections I've read previously (and enjoyed) this one came across as far more hopeful and light-hearted and as such it made it a pleasure to read.This is a book I will be preordering a physical copy of for my shelves because it's just so beautiful and it's something I know I'll come back to time and again.

This book was gorgeous. Both the artwork and the poems were lovely, and the way they were all connected to the overall theme of the collection made for a very good read.

Not only were the art and poems connected to each other and the overall theme of the collection, but the poems were often connected to each other. Sometimes this connection was deliberately made visible, such as the ends and beginnings of each poem in the Lucid Dreams part of the collection, and other times the connection was less obvious.

Overall, the poetry was well-written and engaging, and I loved the theme of the collection.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I was able to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
***
Nocturnal by Wilder is an experience. At times, peaceful and then heart wrenching this beautiful collection of poetry with beautiful illustrations was amazing. This collection is broken into 4 sections and goes on a path of love, loss, heartache, self love and healing. Nocturnal is largely made up of short pieces but what powerful, beautiful, lyrical short pieces they are. Maybe this collection came to me at a time when it resonates most with me, maybe I’m in the best place to read it and feel it now, but Nocturnal is a lovely, heartfelt read.

Nocturnal is an artwork, it's so beautifully crafted and put together and I can't wait to get my hands on a printed copy of this as it's absolutely stunning. This work comes from such an amazing mind that I can see being talked about far into the future. This easily came to be my second favorite modern poetry collection, my first being PIllow THoughts by Courtney Peppernel. Wilder is a great poet and I'm keen to see what the future will hold for them

Great book.I can find some lines resonating with me -
" point me right direction and I promise,
I will still get lost"
Powerful soothing words and relaxing illustration in ink. I just love this book..
I received a digital arc from #netgalley and the poems and illustrations are so beautiful. I will definitely save up some money to buy this when this gets out.

Nice collection of poems and imagery. I haven't read a lot of poetry but I think I'm going to read more now!

Nocturnal is a touching and at times heartbreaking poetry collection with beautiful illustrations. I honestly fell in love with it.

This is my first time reading the poet and it definitely won’t be my last. I read this amazing collection in one sitting. I couldn’t put it down once I’d started to read. The poetry deals with themes that can be universal and very personal and at times I felt like I was spying on the poet’s innermost thoughts and feelings. The collection was even more of a pleasure to read because of the paintings, ink stains and blackened pages scattered throughout, almost as if the poems had been torn from a notebook, a well-loved, well-used one that had been used for sketches and doodles. Nocturnal offers a unique and impressive reading experience.

There was a lot of really well rounded poems in this book. And the art work thrown in was a beautiful surprise. I enjoyed this book.

This book came to me at a perfect moment in my life. My father just passed away, and I was floating in a cloud of sadness. This served as an anchor for me, and really helped me get through the feelings of loss and heartache. The pages are filled with beautiful artworks with a gorgeous dark vs. light theme. The collection bravely talks about loss, grief and self-discovery.

I highly recommend this for anyone who needs comfort or motivation, and for all who loves really good poetry and art. I hope this brings light to your darkness, too.

This was just okay for me. I don’t know what I was exactly expecting out of the poetry in this book, but it wasn’t what I got out of it. I was thinking some deep, maybe twisted, thought provoking, emotional poems. But I didn’t feel any of those things. That’s not to say it isn’t a good collection though, just because I personally didn’t relate. But many of theses were just a mere few lines strung together, lacking any real meaning or feeling. There were a couple I liked more than others, but nothing that “wowed” me.

Thank you Netgalley and McMeel Publishing for an advanced readers copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I'm a bit conflicted about this poetry collection. On one hand I find the illustrations and art work to be absolutely fantastic, but the poems felt a little short for me. The poems did not really draw any emotions out of me. The shorter ones didn't have a whole lot of deep meaning and the longer ones just didn't speak to me. There was a range of topics including the standard relationships and family, but also solitude and nature. The graphics did a wonderful job connecting with the words and giving them more impact than they gave themselves. As someone who is a night owl, I loved the nocturnal theme, I also read this in a digital format and I feel like it would be better as something to have and physically interact with. There were a couple poems that spoke to me and my favorite was probably:

this is how i pour myself
into all of the spaces
i never knew i could fit,
like a sun that finds
the smallest corners through
fingerprinted glass.

it isn't always graceful,
but becoming never is.

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a digital ARC of this novel before it's release. All thought and opinions are my own.

A post on my blog will be coming closer to the release date.