When I read a poetry book I want to get lost inside of it, I want it to touch my soul, I want it to touch my feelings, I want to make me feel things that I didn't even know I had inside of me. For me that's what a good poetry book does.

Unfortunately Nineteen fell short on that, it had a good promise. It has good art inside to go together with the poems, the poems are suppose to reflect on events and that should bring feelings or memories just from certain places. But I couldn't connect with the poems, the way it was written...

I still liked a couple of the poems inside of them and would love to check out her other work and see how I feel about.

3 out of 5 stars for this one.

I got an ARC from Netgalley.

This book is one of the best poetry collections I've read so far this year. It includes matters such as heartbreak, love, loss, war, peace and healing. I could relate so much to this book, it felt like reading my own soul. I totally recommend it if you're a fan of Lang Leav or Amanda Lovelace. Rating: 5/5 stars

I gave this poetry collection, Nineteen a two out of five stars. The poems in this collection didn't make me feel anything, it felt very I don't want to say basic but basic. I was hoping to enjoy it more but I just found it to be just okay.

This was one of the first collections of poetry I have given a go but I'm glad that I did. This wasnt like the poets we were forced to find meaning in as students. This was a poetry that I was actually very nostalgic for because it reminded me of my own poetry as a teenager. The lines and verses are mostly simple but hold a lot of meaning. One good thing I noticed is there is a poem for almost everything in this book. Some are only a sentence of two long but all of them are deep and seem to really hold emotional weight.

I would love to see this in the final and hard copy. I really loved this and connected with the story. I’m at the point where I’m already ready for a re-read because I feel like there is so much more to pick up on. It really pulled on my heart and I definitely recommend this to anyone who is looking for something a little different from what they normally read. 4/5 stars.

There were so many parts of this that I enjoyed. I highlighted several passages that spoke to me and my current life. This one didn’t get more stars simply because for me it didn’t flow well. It felt really choppy and sporadic.

Nineteen by Makenzie Campbell is a collection of poetry that explores themes of heartbreak, coming of age, and the ups-and-downs of transitioning from adolescence into adulthood. The collection is titled after the age at which Campbell experienced and wrote the contents. Unfortunately, a lot of the poems fell flat for me, reading often like the new genre of "internet poetry." That being said, a lot of her work shows promise and potential and I'm excited to see what else Campbell publishes in the future.

Another poetry book. I'm finding that a lot of recent poetry written is appealing to a younger generation. I think my teenage daughter would enjoy this more.

Unfortunately I couldn’t connect with this poetry, just wasn’t my style , there were a few I liked, but that’s the best I can say. I’m sure others will think it’s more their cup of tea, just not mine


Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

He is sweet
and kind
and everything
I have ever wanted
which is why
I cannot figure out
why I do not
want him.

(love never runs the way you want it to.)

Something I will never forget is that one moment on my husband's best friend's wedding. His (the friend's) sister was looking proudly at her big brother, telling me 'he's a good man. So is yours. I'm a bit jealous of people like the bride and you, I wish I fell for the good guys.' It struck me as odd at that moment. Like, there she sat, next to her boyfriend, who apparently wasn't good to her, saying that aloud. It always stuck, made me realize how lucky I am for falling in love with such a great guy who loves me so much. This poem reminds me of that moment, how sad it was during such a happy day.

A collection of poems, to me, is worth reading if there is at least one poem like this one, that brings out my own emotions or memories. 'Nineteen' was filled with them!

The formatting was messed up in my edition, so I don't have a clear idea of what this book is supposed to actually look like. I think the poems all blended together. But honestly, it still worked, and it didn't really affect my enjoyment of the book.

These poems are all about love: losing it and finding it again. As such, it's sad for a good chunk of the time...but a good sad, the kind that makes you think. The drawings are really lovely, and the imagery throughout the poetry is really lovely too.

Liked it much better than Rupi Kaur's poetry. It isn't melodramatic, it's just pretty.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me a copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review.

This book is a collection of poetry/prose written by the author when she was nineteen - hence the title.
Admittedly, the title is my favourite part of this book: short, sweet, simple. And that’s how I like my poems for the most part.

Starting off with the good; this collection was well written and the author clearly knows how to get her feelings and thoughts across it a lovely way. The illustrations are a nice touch and compliment each poem. The titles in this book are the best part, I reiterate. Not only the title of the book, but the subtitles inside ‘The Park’ etc. All very simple and understated; I like it.

The only downfall for me, is I didn’t find myself engaging well in the poem and resonating with them, which is something I need in poetry. I either need to sympathise or empathise completely, otherwise I fall short. That’s what happened in this collection for me. Although, like the author, I have felt love and heartbreak (and even wrote my own poetry during those times) I couldn’t connect with her feelings, and that is what I look for in poetry. Despite whether it is something I have gone through or not, I need to connect, experience it with them through their words.

It isn’t a bad collection, it is a good one. Unfortunately it just wasn’t for me.

2.5/5 ⭐️

I was very excited to get accepted to read this ARC before it was being published, but unfortunately, this wasn't for me. I have enjoyed poetry in the past, but I have not read anything by this author before. I love reading poetry a lot, but it's always a hit or miss for me. I liked some of the poems in this book, but it just did not do it for me. There were some poems, that were only one sentence, broken into two. I wondered why. I understood the meaning of the sentence, but why would it be considered a poem? Anyways, the cover is really lovely and I am sure this poetry collection works better for others than for me.

I tend to be pretty picky about the poetry collections I like but this is one I ended up enjoying. I found it to be inspirational and thought provoking at times. While I did read this in one sitting, I took my time taking it what each poem had to say. I’d pick up poetry collections by this author in the future!

The cover from this collection of poems was gorgeous and instantly drew me in and made me want to read more. I wasn't entirely crazy about this collection, but when reflecting on myself when I was younger I did enjoy the collection more and found it pretty emotional. While this wasn't necessarily the perfect collection for me, I still found the writing to be strong. This collection is something I would recommend to others when considering self reflection.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy.

I wasn't blown away by this collection. There were a few pages that I really enjoyed and resonated with, especially when I reflected on my younger self. I would still recommend it as an easy poetry read for my teens, but it isn't at the top of my personal list.

I volunteered to read this book through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This book is well written. It will get you right in your feelings. I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone. I plan to read more by this author. I don't read alot of poetry but I definitely plan to read more in the future.

Thanks to Netgalley for the free ebook to review!

I didn’t love or hate this one. There was one passage that made me feel what she was wanting to convey, but otherwise I just didn’t feel the emotion. It was well done for her age and I think she has potential!

I received a copy of this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Nineteen is a collection of poetry by a nineteen year old girl focusing on mental illness, heartbreak and coming of age. While I don’t love this style of poetry, there were some really lovely parts that I did enjoy. I felt like this lacked the emotion that I typically seek when reading poetry. It was a lot like how I felt while reading milk & honey, though I liked this one far more. I get that the author is coming into her own and she will probably get better and this is a pretty impressive and honest work from someone her age, but I long to see some more emotion or a little more grittiness from her. This was very surface-level and almost too cheesy for me at times.

I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for my advanced copy of this poetry collection in exchange for an honest review.

This poetry collection features poems composed when the author was 19 years old. I think due to that I found myself only drawn to certain poems. Many felt very teen angsty and centered around topics that are important to you when you’re a teenager, and let’s face it I am far from that by now. A few though seemed incredibly mature and timeless – they most often dealt with family and non-romantic relationships. Those, in my opinion, let the author shine. It’s clear how talented Makenzie Campbell is and I foresee her influencing the poetry genre quite a bit in the future. Indeed, I am looking forward to following her personal growth and development. She already manipulates language in a way that hits you deeply, that makes you think, and that challenges you to look within yourself. I can only imagine where she goes from here. Until then, I will be checking out her other publications as this book has made me curious about her art. Overall, Nineteen is well-worth your time if you’re going through heartbreak, romantic loss, are in the throes of transitioning from childhood to adulthood, or just want to get a better sense of how a 19-year-old experiences such events. I, for one, am glad I have this behind me though, and maybe that was the reason why I couldn’t easily relate to these poems. But isn’t it amazing how profoundly subjective poetry feels to us?!