"The ocean is not always a tsunami. The wind is not always a tornado. You are no less powerful in all your stillness."

Such a beautiful, readable collection, touching on experiences of grief and loss, Black lives, and being a queer woman (and being a queer, Black woman experiencing grief). Like with all collections, not all the poems landed for me, but there was so much to enjoy and admire.

I wish it was longer. Natasha T. Miller's poetry collection on grief is palpable. It speaks to our times, to the lives of BIPOC and LGBTQ identities, and how to be the person left missing someone. Artistically broken down into sections of meat cut and served, Miller discusses personal losses and community losses.

Particular poems that most moved me included "Ten Things You Sound Like When You Say 'all lives matter' in response to Black Lives Matter," "Nobody's Body is a Crime," "They Say," and "I Learned of Grief too Late."

This book is educational, emotional, and powerful.

This collection of poems centres around Miller’s attempts to navigate grief after the loss of her brother, her mother’s alcoholism, and the everyday struggles she faces as a Black, queer woman in modern America.

Miller’s experience as a performance poet and activist really shine through, even as her voice is condensed into text form. There’s a directness to her writing style that makes the pieces at once approachable and impactful. There’s no hiding behind complex rhythms or elaborate imagery here; the themes laid bare with gut-punch clarity. Given the scope of the topics at hand – racism, homophobia, love and loss – I’d argue they’re all the stronger for it.

The poems are divided into a few sections, named after different cuts taken from the body of a cow. Beyond the obvious raw, brutal connotations, this initially suggests the idea of breaking ourselves down into constituent parts; acting as metaphorical “butchers” so we can cut away the viscera and confront the very “meat” of our lives. The device/imagery isn’t used to any real effect, however, and ends up being somewhat superfluous. It’s the one area I felt would have benefitted from a little more depth of exploration.

Still, the immediacy and power of Miller’s words are sure to resonate widely, and I’m glad to have discovered her work.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

The book is powerful and moving and a captivating study of the flavours of grief across marginalized identities. Quick read, definitely not easy and I'm very glad to have had the chance to read a first person perspective to a en masse struggles like BLM and LGBTQ+ activism.

If you like poetry and you like first person narratives of life and love and grief, I'd recommend Butcher.

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

"You become the excuse and the excused
the burning building and the fire
expecting to be rescued while left alone"

Butcher by Natasha T. Miller is a collection of poems about loss, grief, and being yourself. Miller provides the emotion felt behind addiction, the loss of her brother, and being in the LGBTQ+ community.

These poems definitely read as spoken poetry, and I wish I could hear them being read aloud. There are very powerful poems in this collection, and the metaphor of a butcher cutting life into different sections creates interesting visuals. There were many poems that worked well and conjured high emotions, but others did not feel as intense. Even though I could not relate to many of these subjects, the poems were still interesting and beautiful.

Again, thank you to NetGalley, Natasha T. Miller, and the publisher for giving be to opportunity to read this collection early.

Moments of brilliance.

Clearly written straight from the heart, this poet has everything I love in her verse: grit and slap-in-the-face moments of clarity and beauty.

We are taken on a journey through thr emotions and experiences life can throw at you: love, loss, anger, isolation but seen through a lens of an intelligent, black, LGBTQ+ advocate.

I would gladly have read double the number of these poems.

I don't feel that the content of the book matched the blurb though!

Thanks to Netgalley 😋 for allowing me to access an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Poetry is such a difficult genre to review. Yet, it is one of my favourite to pick up. Natasha has written a beautiful string of poems about grief and loss, as well as a Black Queer experience. While I couldn’t relate to some of the poems I think reading other people’s raw experiences in this form is the best way to know them. To see them. To understand them. The themes of love, loss and navigating grief were beautiful.

Butcher is a collection of poems by Natasha T. Miller and discusses the injustice faced by people of colour and the LGBTQIA community, as well as grief and other themes. Some of the poems were powerful and poignant, but with others I struggled to connect. The book conveys a sense of the author's resilience, the importance of family and of sticking together to get through hard times. The author takes a powerful stance in the fight against racism and LGBTQIA discrimination. This was a different type of read for me as I don't often read poetry, but I did enjoy it. I will review this book on my bookstagram (@milliesbooksta) closer to the publication date, and will post my review to Goodreads now.

A collection of slam poems dissecting grief, family, race, and queerness as cuts of meat are carved and placed out for inspection.

Miller’s grief and anger from the murder of her brother is palpable in every page, her fury at the prejudice she receives, and her love for her family. Her poems are as messy and ragged and raw as the emotions she tries to come to term with.

I feel like, presentation wise, a collection of slam poems would have been better served with an audio format, but that makes this book no less powerful. I ended up searching YouTube, and a few of her performances are up there, so go listen to those to hear how her poetry should sound.

In Butcher The author puts herself on the chopping block, offering up different areas of her life as different cuts of meat. The result is a raw and tender collection of poems, in which the poet explores themes of family, grief, race, racism, and sexuality. This collection delves into how we devalue the lives of Black people, especially those who are also othered by their queerness.

The poet comes from a slam poetry background which is evident in the way some of the poems are written; something is perhaps weakened by the translation from spoken word to print. This is something I find with most slam poets, however. Parts of this collection will stay with me for some time.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Butcher is an amazing collection of 32 poems, divided into different segments, talking about love, loss and portraying a vivid picture of accepting and becoming oneself.
This collection of poems felt so raw, honest and personal that I wished I could go on reading longer. First of all the entire idea of presenting is very unique. I have never read something like this before. After all the chain of events of last year, these poems hit on a whole another level. The style of writing reminds me of words from Ocean Voung, Lang Leave and Rupi Kaur at the same time.
It always takes a lot to describe such vivid emotions in just few lines. The poet, talking about the kindness of a mother, loss of a brother, the grief coming out of it, being a person of color and gay and everything one has to go through for being so as if you are paying a price of something you never purchased. I really enjoyed reading these poems. Couldn’t appreciate more. #butcher #netgalley

A small book, which brings us a lot of hard and cruel feelings. Death, loss, and love are perceived here by the visceral, the offal of an animal, the people important to the author are mirrored in the same way. But what an irreverent way to demonstrate feelings causing strangeness to those who read!
Butcher is thus the name of the book and, yes, the name lives up to all the poems that the author exposes. Butcher of feelings, a butcher of meat that goes further by breaking the soul. It is incredible how in so few words and viscerally we can feel the dexterity and the desire to tear everything to reach the depths of Natasha, becoming herself: a butcher poet! I believe that with this work she found more than a cure for the pain she feels at the death of her brother. This book is a beautiful work of self-analysis and memory protection, but it goes further by proposing to touch the heart and soul of those who read this book.
Alcohol is one of the themes mentioned here, Natasha describes it as a destructive addiction and very present in her life, also admitting her impotence before him. The theme of racial discrimination is felt by the author and highlighted by very current facts.
In addition to being a book that mirrors Natasha's life, it is a current book, demonstrating that Natasha has a great ability to know how to pose and reflect on pertinent themes and, at the same time, bring her life to the top as a way of healing for yourself and others.
I recommend this book to teenagers and young adults to self-examine and/or reflect on the world around them.

Firstly, I would like to thank NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

“On days like today you’re just existing, and that’s fine. The ocean is not always a tsunami. The wind is not always a tornado. You are no less powerful in all your stillness.”

Butcher is exhausting and painful in the best way possible. To butcher oneself into true openness where we can freely experience love, loss, grief, and, finally, healing and progress.

This book was nothing short of stunning, I loved every sentence of it. It simultaneously broke my heart, enraged me, and made me feel powerful. You can feel the author’s heartache, anger, desperation, grief, exhaustion, and gratitude all throughout the pages. The poetry in this book effortlessly depicts both the relentless pain and the beauty that comes with being alive.

It is timely that I should read this on New Years Day after a year where struggle, loss, and loneliness were the theme for so many. This book brought me empathy and understanding that the world is desperately in need of.

When I saw this collection for the first time it was the cover was what drew me in, but the wonder does not end there. Butcher is a deep and raw collection of poetry by Natasha T Miller about life as a gay woman of color who has faced many losses. For me it was almost autobiographical poetry which I love. I felt like she was letting me into her deepest most sacred moments, Truly beautiful collection.

Thank you to Button Poetry and NetGalley for the ARC in return for my honest review

I would like to thank Netgalley and Button Poetry for allowing me the chance to read the book free of charge in exchange for a honest review. Her poems were raw & honest and cover difficult topics! I see you, Natasha Miller!

First off thanks NetGalley for this digital ARC to review.

I find it so hard settling on a rating for poetry books. Out of all literature I feel poetry is truly the most subjective. So my rating really only reflects how I personally connected to the book.

This was definitely a cover get for me. The cover drew me right in and I couldn’t wait to start. The subject matter of the book is far darker than the cover portrays. There were poems that really moved me and brought out intense emotion, but overall this collection wasn’t for me.

If you enjoy modern poetry I would definitely check this one out! I would suggest checking out trigger warnings before diving in if you need to.

This is a heartbreaking collection of poetry surrounding Natasha's queerness, her relationship with her mother, and her late brother and coping with his death.

Natasha's pain is clear and it translates through every word. This is definitely not a light read, and my heart hurt with every poem, however it does shed light on dealing with death and grief.

There were some parts of this collection that felt disjointed or even unfinished, however I think that's a perfect representation both of the cuts of beef as a metaphor (disembodying) and of dealing with grief (never-ending). There's a perfect imperfectness to Miller's writing that is so pure and real.

Thanks to Netgalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

Natasha T. Miller, in poems that take up half the page or less and other poems that spread out over multiple pages, offers the reader strong metaphors, packed language, and powerful images. Butcher is a collection of reflection and experience that is well worth exploring.

I love how I never ceases to be amazed by how words move me, because it's exactly how I felt reading this poetry collection. In various parts; the author cuts down situations to their sizes, and each part brings out a feeling, a thought and takes you along onto the next part of the journey.
In reading, Two Fires, I was reminded of what it means to disagree with a loved one. Then moving on to, An Open Letter to Raven Symone, I was reminded of what it means to stand up and speak the truth, call evil and injustice for what it is and not hide in the comfort of my status, and just the phrase ‘old black or new black, you're still black' sealed this.
31 moments, spread into 5 parts is what this collection is, but even then just reading it is enough to experience the pain, resilience,love and hope that can remind you of what it means to love and grieve.

Thanks Netgalley for the eARC. The cover is beautiful as well.

Butcher
eARC NetGalley Review

Having been unfamiliar with Miller’s work, I went into reading Butcher expecting a narrative written in verse. Instead, this is a collection poems that relate to a central theme of grief. I read this in one sitting, and as soon as I finished, I went to her Instagram page to see/hear her perform. And then I read it all again. The second time reading it, I felt the flow of words; they are magical. Powerful.
My favorite is “I See You”

I felt the hurt, anger, and love. I can’t begin to imagine the experiences Miller has been through, I’m not even going try to say I understand what it’s like to be a Black, gay female who lost her only brother. I do however hope that these words offer solace to others who do relate to her story.

Thank you NetGalley for access to this eARC. This is something I don’t think I would have found otherwise and I am grateful to have read it.
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