Member Reviews

This collection is divided into parts.

The first part, named 'me', talks about grieve and loss of someone close, gay issues, poetry and writing, the people the author knows, childhood days,

The second part, named 'you', talks about the different issues that the youth usually grows up with, schooldays, sex and virginity, dating, pregnancy, dogs, being an artist, books, about some random people, and the people the author trusts,

I would like to say this is a very random collection. Although I appreciate the inclusion of real photographs of the people that are being talked about in this collection, I feel like it would have much been better if they were taken in a better way. Maybe included in a collage kind of way if they were to be included at all in their original forms or maybe should have been edited better.

Unfortunately, I couldn't find a favourite amongst this collection. Maybe it's a bit personal for the author herself, sadly I found it difficult to relate. And I just couldn't enjoy the writing style or the composition.

Thank you #NetGalley for providing me this copy of #TellMeAnotherStory

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3.5 stars.

Tell me another story was more of an okay read. The poems about loss and death were very good and touching and I enjoyed those a lot.

But as for the others, not so much. They were either hit or miss for me. Half were okay and half I didn't really like especially when half of said poems were repetitive.

Another thing I can't help but focus on was the amount of blank pages in between the poems. As an environmental student, I can't help but think it's such a waste of paper.

In these kind of poems, there are usually illustrations but for this book it was pictures instead. I found that to be a nice change from the norm.

Overall, it wasn't bad and it was a fast read. The poems about loss were honestly really good but the other half was fine, I guess.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with the digital copy for an honest review.

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“We are, as a species, addicted to
story. even when the body goes to sleep,
the mind stays up all night,
telling itself stories.”
Quoted by Jonathan Gottschall

This collection of poetry went by fast, and I found a few poems spoke more to me than others. I can see this collection for anyone, for there is a bit of everything inside: memories, stories, family, loss, and love. This collection is in two parts, the first is more memoir of the poet and the second part is a gathering of stories about life. I enjoyed how the poet’s question, “Will you tell me a story?” was always in the forefront for me. It made it an interesting way to read the poet’s poems.

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Tell Me Another Story made me cry immediately. I was so touched by this collection of poems because of how true and close it all felt. From being able to safely acknowledge my own grief over losing my own grandparents not so long ago, to the childhood memories, this collection felt nostalgic.

I am unsure how to explain it other than reading this felt like sitting in bed with your best friend, hand in hand, having those deep heart-to-heart conversations at 2 AM when you sleep over. There is a safety and vulnerability to this collection that is so welcoming and enjoyable.

Emmy's poems of childhood and her descriptions hit close to home as well, it made me incredibly nostalgic for my own life, as well as for her own in an odd way.

This is such a cozy book in the way of it feeling familiar and safe like an old friend. I am so glad I picked this one up!

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Split into two section 'me' and 'you', the first half of this poetry collection focuses on experiences close to Emmy while 'you' looks at more disconnected people, like people you might meet in passing or sit near to in a restaurant. Part one, was particularly emotional and focuses mainly on bereavement; as they're dealing with intense and complex emotions these are, as you'd expect quite powerful and as they're based on individual experiences in some you almost feel like you're interfering with a private moment of the writer. My personal favourites both came from the second section of the book,The Roofer & The Palm Reader, The Compassionate Doctor. Scattered throughout are beautiful photographs which I think will really bring the physical version to life.

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I received an advance reader copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

During this collection of poetry I honestly felt like we were following the author through parts of her life. But, I feel like she was also trying to connect with her readers as well. The atmosphere of her writing was absolutely beautiful and I loved the fact she incorporated pictures of her family and friends. I read this in two sittings and I’d definitely be interested in reading her other works as well.

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I loved the first half of this and I would recommend it to anyone who has lost someone as I thought the author discussed grief beautifully. The emotions were raw and real, which I think is often lost. I didn't connect with the second half as much, which brought it down to three stars, but there were still some beautiful poems that I bookmarked! The photos were a beautiful feature and really added to the book.
Cute cover too!

Many thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

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From the poem, everyone’s dad is dying, to the mentions of Bukowski.. this collection of poems had me smiling one moment and crying the next.

“you are motorcycles
and vintage cameras
and dirt on your hands

you are stopping for
mcdonald’s french fries
on the way to violin class”

Emmy Marucci brings magic to the ordinary and delivers the hard stuff sublimely. I truly did not want this to end.

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This book touched my heart. I recently lost my grandpa it was s really hard loss for my family. I loved how this book was a specific time in her life it felt like you were going on this adventure with her.

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Reading this while going through grief of my own was an emotional experience to say the least. Some of the poems were very heavy hitting for me and I resonated deeply with a lot of what the author talked about.

I feel like most of the poems helped me in a sense to remember it’s normal to grieve and it is a process.

Like a lot of the reviews have said, I really recommend this if you have or are currently going through any type of loss, grief, etc.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

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Tell Me Another Story by Emmy Marucci, 240 pages. POETRY
Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2019. $20.
Language: R (9 swears, 9 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW
Marucci shares her thoughts on herself and others. She starts off talking about her thoughts on death and she loses loved ones, but her writing become poems about life, inspired by the loss of life she witnesses.
There were a couple of poems in the collection that I liked, but most of them just didn’t speak to me, which made it a chore to read through. I like the juxtaposition of life and death next to each other, being reminded of everything we have while we still breathe.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

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I need to read more of this poet because I loved every word of every poem in this collection. I cannot think of a single fault or anything that doesn’t work. The poems explore somewhat sad subjects that most people will have experienced at some point. I loved the poems about the poet’s grandfather, celebrating his life and mourning his death the most. They were astonishing. The poems are raw, beautiful and intense at times. I also loved the beautiful photographs scattered throughout the collection.

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"They say we're wild girls
But wild girls should be free."

"There's nothing sadder
Than seeing an angel
Right in front of you
And realising
No one
Cares at all."

"Sometimes words
Aren't enough
Sometimes words
Aren't necessary
Sometimes the faint
Clicking of our hearts
Is enough."

This review is going to be short. I know I don't add more than one quote when I review but I couldn't choose between these three. When I read the description, it instantly connected with me and I took it.

Two parts. Me and You. 'Tell me another story" hits all the right notches. Written to vent, it takes us on a journey of loss, death, love, pain and healing. Every poem is perfect blend of craft and emotions, nostalgia hitting you at some points. What really stood out for me are the details while she is reminiscing, while she is in pain and the fact she still had her eyes open to the world around her as she goes through so much. That is immensely applaudable! The collection is very personal, so there were times when I didn't know what the poems are suggesting but I loved the finesse in it though. I loved Marucci's poetrical style and the photographs accompanying these memories, these pieces of art, made the reading experience quite memorable. This would be a very important book, someday in the future for all it has!

Recommended: Yes, to anyone who wants to experience life from another's POV.

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Thank you so much Netgalley for allowing me to read an ARC of this collection!

This poetry collection was split into two parts; me & you.
'me' was mostly about the author's own experiences grieving her sick grandfather, which was touching, but I (fortunately) cannot relate on as deep a level as other readers may. It also felt quite nostalgic, but again I felt disconnected, sort of like when people are talking about memories that you weren't there for.
1 star
'you' I enjoyed much more. it was a collection of other people's stories and my two favourite poems were "my school is on the news" and "time".
2.5 stars

overall, the poems were quite hit and miss for me, but I adored a few. The photographs were gorgeous as well!

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Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy.

This poetry collection is quite easy to connect with if you have experienced loss. It was a personal look into the poet's experience that I could relate to and sympathize with. There were some poems throughout the collection that I did not care for, as with most any collection. The writing style and format are pretty standard for the poetry collections that are popular now. I was not blown away but overall it is a lovely collection that I believe anyone who has experienced loss and grief may appreciate.

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"and if there was any religion
inside those walls at all

it was the music
coming from your horn"
🍁🍁🍁
This poetry collection is divided into two parts. Part 1 is "Me", which talks about the author's personal life. Part 2 is "You", which talks about the story of other people.

I liked the first part more, the writing was so raw and painful. I really connected with Emmy Marucchi's grief.

The ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

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This felt personal to the author. I was looking in on her life, her family’s life.

Some parts stood out in a relatable way, but mostly it was seeing from an outside perspective someone else’s history.

Life is all around us.

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This poetry collection is divided into two parts. The first part is about the author's personal life and the people that she cares about, whereas the second part tells the stories of others.
I did appreciate the first part more, maybe because I felt more connected to it and all the aspects of grief Emmy Marucci dealt with. The author faces the grief she feels for her grandpa. All the aspects she touched upon were very raw and real and that's what made me connect so deeply.
Overall it was a nice poetry collection.

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This collection explores a variety of topics including loss, youth, love, acceptance, heartbreak, and much more.

Over half a decade ago now, I lost my grandfather to cancer. It was a drawn-out, miserable death where he became a very small shadow of himself before finally leaving us. Like Emmy Marucci's grandfather, he was a musician. He played the mandolin, and that's what I'd wake up to every morning when I slept over and what I'd hear at any family gatherings.

"and if there was any religion
inside those walls at all

it was the music
coming from your horn"

I miss him, and the poems about Marucci's own grandfather really, really got to me. I don't think I've ever cried over poetry before today.

Turns out, I don't like heaven, either.

There are no words to explain how beautiful this book is. I think there's a poem— at least one, but almost certainly more— that each and every one of us can really connect to. Granted there were a few I didn't like— I'm not a fan of hearing about boys crushing fireflies between their fingers or people pinning butterflies and watching them struggle until they die, but I still enjoyed the writing and the meaning behind the words. My heart just can't handle anything suffering.

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