Thank you to NetGalley and Central Avenue Publishing for an advanced electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

‘Rooms of the mind’ is a journey into the way we lock away our experiences/fears and return to them with the hopes of healing.

This collection is very personal and explores dark themes such as abuse and suicidal thoughts but it also explores the idea of hope. I think the way this book is set up guides us through the dark and into the light. I really like the idea and thought that was put into the setup of this collection because as I mentioned, it’s like a journey that we are following from beginning to end.

It’s hard to get through this book in one sitting due to the triggers it can bring forth but it’s worth reading through even while taking your time.

First off I just wanna say that good job for providing Trigger Warning on the start of the book, because I would know what I’ll get myself into. Mackenzie Campbell never disappoints, this book is everything, it also now has a very special space in my heart alongside with her other books. It tackles topic that everyone frowned upon, In an effort to find their own voice and place in the world, they may see things that we don’t see or have long been paralyzed to do anything about.
I caught myself crying while reading every pages because it feels like I’m the one who wrote it. It speaks to me alot. I have so many favorite parts and the illustrations is a big part of it. I wanted to tattooed it on my body soon.
Thank you so much Netgalley, I was so excited to read this ARC since 2am Thoughts has a very special place in my heart. I am really glad I read the same day it was released so again thank you.

i didn't know how to give full feedback for this stunning book, but here's a poem I wrote because I am a poet sometimes, when sentences fail me.

PLEASE READ THIS ITS SO GOOD AND I NEED A PHYSICAL COPY TO ANNOTATE

I am genuine
in that I don’t know how
to string
Sentences from these
multitudes of words
in my vocabulary.

is a full stop the end of a sentence?
I suppose then
that perhaps,
instead of the broken, teary, hollow feelings I thought this book left me,
I have instead
been found:
among these words
and lines
and pages
there is a space for me.

(maybe there was a room for me after all)
I am sure--
mostly sure
that there will be a room for you here.
In these oh so beautiful words,
you can find home?

Mackenzie Campbell's newest poetry collection is broken into six sections each with its own theme, and explores many emotional topics including grief, heartbreak and mental illness.

While I related to this collection and found the hopeful tone compelling, I found it to be a pretty generic collection if I'm being honest, it didn't stand out as anything particularly original to me.

‘Rooms of the mind’ is a complete exploration into the way we compartmentalize and lock away our experiences and fears.
At times this collection is very personal and explores some dark themes such as abuse and suicidal thoughts however it is done with poise and strength; ‘For all the spaces I’ve climbed out of of/ For all the times I’ve learned to make my own light.’
I have read quite a bit of contemporary poetry and sometimes it can feel a little bit posed but for me, Campbell has a really earnest and relatable take on the way we box emotions away and only revisit them alone; ‘The stars fell to dust and the colors melted to dust and my fingertips turned to dust the second yours waved goodbye.’
There is such an ache and poignancy to this collection which I really related to but at the same time there is a theme of relief of opening all of those closed doors to let the light in and guide us through to the other side.

Once again, Makenzie Campbell has used the simplicity of words to somehow make something amazingly beautiful. I appreciate how the book was divided into 6 “rooms,” just as the title suggests. It was interesting to be able to see each section of her mind grow.

I also love her structure. Whatever works with the words, is what’s on the page, even if that is just a sentence. I enjoy poetry that doesn’t follow one specific form. Truly beautiful!

This is surely Makenzie Campbell's best collection yet; the journey she takes you on is so beautiful.

There are a wide array of emotions and types of poetry in this book, and it's not all about romantic love or heartbreak by any means. However, I did want to say that in general, I don't find much heartbreak poetry relatable or interesting, because there is so much of it and I have never gone through a real breakup. But somehow in this collection Campbell makes me feel it, as if it's really happening to me, and it makes my heart ache.

I'm so glad I got the opportunity to read this book; thank you to Netgalley and a Central Avenue Publishing for the chance to review this ARC.

CW: alcohol use, sexual abuse, suicidal ideation

Thank you to NetGalley and Central Avenue Publishing for an advanced electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

In this poetry collection, the author explores 6 different rooms of the mind: in lonely, in fear, in heartbreak, in nostalgia, in love, and in hope. Each room makes up a section, with poems to embody each feeling.

I found the writing to be vulnerable and powerful in how relatable it was. Even though I couldn't say I had personally experienced each emotion in the way it was described, I still got a clear picture of how it felt. I regret not reading it sooner!

[4.5 stars]
I really love this book, it makes me feel warm in my heart and I don’t know how much I need to read this. My favorite for some reason I can’t explain was the first room, the lonely room.

"I live in half sentences half apologies half commitments. I've never known how to be someone who lives in full"

I could honestly go on quoting this collection for hours. It was full of heartbreak and saddening feelings which made me quite emotional at times, especially when I related to what was being talked about. This is the second collection of Makenzie's that I have read and I can definitely say that I loved it.

Every sentence, every word is beautifully placed to create such emotions of sorrow but also hope. I was truly saddened when reading the collection was over, but I would 100% go back and reread so many of the poems.

This is such an in-depth piece of writing that captures the emotions of the speaker of the poems and the reader. You will love this poetry collection!

“the problem with being a poet is, everything is a metaphor. So when they tell you they love you, you paint it grander than it is. And when they tell you goodbye, it hurts more than it should.” I enjoyed this collection. It had several incredibly strong poems and I enjoyed the way it was organized by different “rooms”. Each room had a variety of poems, giving this collection a variety of perspective.

A wonderful collection of heartfelt and honest poems delving into heartbreak, revelation and renewal. Things are seen differently from the viewpoint of a poet. " The problem with being a poet is everything is a metaphor." The reader feels the pain, the love and the hope through the author´s well-crafted words. "There is no good way to leave someone. But to leave silently, with questions left unanswered on the welcome mat and the promise of forever returned like a spare key..." The sketches in between sections are delightful and add to the reading experience.

the latest collection from makenzie campbell is a beautiful and sorrowful book about heartbreak. the narrator grieves the loss of her relationship and ends with some uplifting and hopeful pieces. these poems would definitely resonate with those who have gone through a really tough breakup.

I enjoyed the poetry and it felt really deep, but I could not get ahold of the format. It might also have been from reading It electronically as opposed to on paper and lines getting jumbled about. I also found myself feeling like I was reading a diary in the way it felt more like words splashed on a page rather than thoughtful.

Overall Rating: 4/5
Art and Writing: 4/5
Content warning: Some poems in Rooms of the Mind reference alcohol use, sexual abuse, suicide ideation, and other sensitive or difficult topics.
Summary: Rooms of the Mind is a guided tour through the parts of our psyche we use to hide, to protect, and to expose: ourselves and others. Exploring myriad emotions from pain to wonder, the reader learns to lean into heartbreak and encourage their own sense of wonder at the world and everything in it.

A Thank You: The biggest thank you to Central Avenue Publishing for allowing me to read and review an advanced reader copy of Makenzie Campbell's Rooms of the Mind!


Overall Review:

What rating do you give to someone's lonely, to their nostalgia, or their hope and love?

When it comes to most books, we can easily be objective because the book itself is distanced in a way that's hard to describe. Rooms of the Mind isn't. So much of Campbell's poetry is experience, and she doesn't shy away from difficult topics and the seemingly taboo. What I liked the best was that, even though the subject matter was difficult or heavy, the poetry never truly felt that way. Moving through every room in the house, we end with a sense of wonder at the world and focus on hope. I may not have liked or been able to connect with every poem, but could appreciate the effort and just how pretty so much of Campbell's prose is.

Art and Writing:

The drawings throughout Rooms of the Mind are fantastic; especially the doors that help to break up the rooms throughout. Every one added to the poems they shared pages with and set up each room beautifully.

Campbell's writing is gorgeous. She accepts the modern/contemporary ideas of poetry and leans into poems as a means of appreciating the beauty and emotion of phrases and situations over the symbolic. A method that complements her writing style well, as she contrasts simple but complexly layered meanings with the direct and straightforward. The collection was easy to get caught up in because so many phrases encouraged an emotional response.


Favorite Quotes:

"It's up to the universe now / because my fingers are tired of searching for four-leaf / clovers"
"'Not all grievances have names. That's the hardest part.'"
"My lion would have survived your leaving."
"I want to protect my land but I can't help but set fires to it. I / don't mean to light matches but if I'm being honest, / sometimes I like the burn / sometimes I like the war / sometimes I break my own heart / and sometimes I break it more"
"'What if I can only give you a half love?' / You took my shaky hands and held them/ 'If I am lucky enough to experience half of your love, / that is more than enough.'"
"/ to unhang your ghost in my closet that I've kept around on lonely nights /"

This poetry collection is divided into six chapters or “rooms of the mind” - entitled Lonely, Fear, Heartbreak, Nostalgia, Love and Hope - so it’s clear that these are going to be tough poems.
They are mostly aching, questioning, single-sentence lines rather than full-blown poems, often reading like tweets from a lovelorn social media account, but are deeply cathartic, often depressing. Each poem is heartfelt and thought-provoking in its own right, but reading the whole collection at once would be overwhelming.
One poem is simply the line “this will be my last poem about you” repeated over and over, but in the context of the entire book is strangely effective. The collection as a whole can be summed up by the verse -

-“What’s the most promising emotion?”
“What’s the most destructive?”
For both I answered,
love”. -

The familiar process of falling in love is explored in the “Love” room yet they are fearful of it, and in “Hope”, they embrace a new beginning and move on, and empower the reader to keep pushing through to find the light.

“This is me
untethered.
Unbelonging to anyone but myself.”

If you’re in the mood for melancholy poetry or have just come out of a relationship, then you will enjoy this collection, although it’s best appreciated in small doses. The poems are cries for help but it’s not all misery as the reader leaves the book with hope. Overall I enjoyed the collection and will return to it.

Initial response: I have nothing to say because I’m speechless!

After some thought, the book was amazing. I felt like I could relate to a lot of the stuff the author described throughout the book, which is what I enjoy doing when I'm reading poetry.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book. I really enjoyed how it was broken into "rooms". It flowed really well and made it seem like a story. I also thought it was special that the author dedicated the book to herself. You don't see that very often, but poetry is very personal so it makes sense. I really enjoy Campbell's work and look forward to reading more.

This is the first poetry collection I read from Campbell. The writing was engaging and painted a picture of heartbreak and pain. Some were less engaging, but that is usually how poetry is. So grateful to have had the opportunity to read!

In a world of modern poetry that exists on a spectrum between those like Danez Smith or Natasha Trethewey and those like Atticus or Rupi Kaur, one should desperately want to be on the firsts' side. Unfortunately for Makenzie Campbell, Rooms of the Mind is barely Instagram poetry. Clearly an emotional catharsis, the book is full of what comes off more like lines from a 2007 emo-pop song than good poetry. The best part? It's quick.