Afterwards by Reagan Myers is a collection of excellent poems all about depression and grief and some dark things which can happen such as suicide, loss of family members and loss of important relationships. This collection of poetry is about things that we may all experience at some point and really makes the reader feel sympathy for the poet and understand the poet's journey and what she has been through. The joy of poetry is that poems do not have to follow any rules and it is a way for the writer to write about their true and honest feelings and this is very evident in this fine collection of poetry. I would however advise possibly not reading this collection of poems if you are suffering from extreme depression.

I like this poem firstly because it is what poems are all about! Poems are writing about your feelings and letting all your feelings out in a creative way, this part of poetry can make a poem very powerful and impactful and as poems do not have to follow any rules, the poet can really play with the words to make them relevant to themselves as an individual. The poems were also put together extremely well and lead into each other perfectly. As a poet myself, it was an absolute pleasure reading these poems and being introduced to different poetic forms which I previously was unaware of and so has given me inspiration for my own poetry. I normally would not buy a book I have read for review purposes, however, I really do feel like buying a paperback version of this anthology for inspiration for my own poetry as well as for the honestly and creativity found in this collection. The poems were great and so very varied and also very emotional. This collection is guaranteed to bring tears to your eyes.

I really do not dislike anything about this poem collection as it contains outstanding poems which don't all follow the rules of poetry and they are very honest poems.

Altogether, I must rate this poem anthology 5 stars as it contains some outstanding poems which really touches the reader and makes the reader think. It has also helped me on my poetry journey by teaching me that poems do not need to follow any rules and yes you can be very honest in your own poems. I feel very thankful for being able to read this book and so I must thank NetGalley and Button Poetry for providing me with an exclusive pre-publishing copy of this book in exchange for an honest book review.

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers; all opinions are my own.

Trauma, depression and agony are a few of the most difficult subjects to confront in writing intended to be shared with an audience. Reagan Myers does just that with honesty, vulnerability and hope. Rather than getting bogged down in the heartache that haunts her experiences and poems, Myers discovers ways to integrate the possibility of moving through and alongside her pain while tackling such serious subjects as objectification, suicide, destructive relationships and body image. There are many writers who make the claim that poetry saved their lives; Reagan Myers seems to save her own in the way she mixes subtle humor and light with the shadows of the past. Though the content may be triggering for some readers, the depth of the work makes it a good read for anyone attempting to navigate grief and survival in the face of these kinds of obstacles. Readers will find strength in Myers’ stories, imagery and figurative language. Though I have already read the book, I intend to purchase it so I can save and savor it for years to come.

What stands out the most in Reagan Myers’ writing is that she is unafraid of sharing the complexity of each topic she wrestles with. In “Still”, focused on an unhealthy relationship, she admits “Leaving him was like watching my heart escape my own chest/and finding it in my own hands”. How true this line is and how simply it addresses the nature of leaving something that one both loves and is poison to them. “In My Favorite Memory of Her” confronts the loss of a best friend through a vivid memory of a brief encounter, yet includes “I think that the good memories will hurt, too”. Reflecting on a grandmother who doesn’t recall her age, Myers writes, “Maybe she is a fortune teller/keeping me alive”. These lines express an understanding of hope like grasping at straws before one runs out of them and effectively capture the depth of emotion attached. Though many poems center on grief, depression and death, they are also love letters to survival in all its forms.

Teachable Moments:
This isn’t a text that I would teach as a whole in my high school classes due to the gravity of some of the subjects and potential for reactions from teens trying to figure out their paths to healing if they, too, have suffered in similar ways. However, Reagan Myers’ confessional style choices are worthy of sharing with teenagers. Like Sylvia Plath and Anne Sexton, Myers shares her quivering underbelly honestly without makeup to cover her scars and in a voice that feels relatable and conversational. This collection is not the place to find examples of fine tuned allusions or interesting punctuation, but she examines tragedy through interesting lenses (“Paleontology”, “Just like the Movies”, “Chemistry”), metaphors (“The Girl Becomes Gasoline” & “There is a Moment Before the Storm Strikes”) and personification (“On Sorrow”, “On Joy”, “When Death Comes”) as a means to process and interrogate personal experience. While it is easy to want to protect students from pain such as is tackled here, there are quite a number of poems that can open their eyes to the healing properties of confession through writing which any teenager is likely to appreciate, connect with and learn from.

I love these poems about loss. They are really honest about the feelings you experience when you lose someone to death. Highly recommend this text.

Afterwards is a book about the things that come after trauma. It encompasses the different kinds of grief— primarily the loss of a friend to suicide, but also dealing with the loss of an important relationship, as well as family. Myers holds frank discussions of mental illness and the spectrum of emotions that come with moving forward.
Afterwards is a good read and a book that will stay with me for the foreseeable future.