Amazing short quick poetry read. Warning does have suicidal talk and references. It was very touching and laid out so well with a good message. The light was specifically impactful to me and the struggles I have had with depression and self love. Recommend. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

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

There were some pieces in here that I did enjoy, but overall I wasn't particularly blown away by any. I didn't feel any of the pieces in my chest or stomach the way I have some other poetry collections that I have read recently. This one just wasn't for me.

I really enjoy what writers are doing with poetry in our current society despite the fact that I loathed studying poetry in college. This collection was beautiful. When I first started reading it, I felt like Foster had somehow gotten into my head and put my own thoughts to words. This is a very peaceful collection that really makes you think about the expectations that we set for ourselves.

This collection of poetry takes us through a journey of discovering that we're more than just our feelings, insecurities etc but that we all have a deeper power and Jeff is a reassuring voice of reason proving anyone can hit rock bottom and come back fighting for life.



Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!

Name: You were never Broken
Writer: Jeff Foster
Source: Netgalley
Genre: Poetry, Self-Help
Rating: 4/5
Review:
"Your wounds, your turbulent and sorrowful places, your
imperfections, are not mistakes; they are the places in you desperately
yearning for love, waiting to be penetrated with a curious Light."

The book is divided into four parts.
Part One : A field of Meditation
Part Two: Saying Yes to the mess
Part Three: The Courage to stand Alone
Part four: Reasons to stay Alive

Each part is divided into different sections dealing with different topics based on a single theme. Each part starts with a detailed introduction on the topic along with the poet sharing his own experiences.

The language is very conversational, its like the poet is directly talking to you. The poet uses friendly tone and easy language in his poetries. Beautiful watermark effects on the pages, brings out an aesthetic feel. The poet has used repetition in many of his poems to lay emphasis on his points.

His poems are really amazing, self empowering, emphasizing, mysterious. He asks to enjoy the present moments, the feels, the sensations, the smells, the sounds and the tastes. He makes us understand the importance of living in the moment.
"Be present, be here
The teaching is damn simple
Be present be here"

I really liked the way he used metaphors is his poems, especially the one with the sacred lotus.
Honest and true exploration of his journey of self healing and self acceptance.

"Oh, the truth you wanted to speak! The words you wanted to
scream. The tears you longed to cry. The uncontrolled, wild ways in
which you wanted to move your body. The healthy human responses,
the urges, and yearnings you intelligently squished down in order to win love, stay safe, even stay alive."

"Perhaps loneliness is like a cosmic"

"Contact your sadness, and you contact the sadness of all living beings.
Contact all living beings, and your loneliness disappears"

"You don’t need to take your life.
Just let your life be taken by all that you see."

His poetries are raw and vulnerable. But the poems are too monotonous for a book of 218 pages. It kind of gets boring till the end.

I think this book is amazing for anyone struggling with mental illness. I wish I would have read this when I was suffering from severe depression. Great poetic reminder of your worth.