Katerina Canyon writes about brutal things in such beautiful language that it’s possible for the reader to almost forget the horror of what they’re reading. Almost. Surviving Home draws on Canyon’s own experiences of childhood abuse to draw connections between the past and the present. Poems about racism and police brutality mingle with snippets of child sexual abuse, neglect and fear. It’s an incredibly powerful collection that could never be comfortable, but still carries a strange kind of familiarity with it. Even as the reader is buffeted by the tough subject matter, Surviving Home carries a message of resilience that lingers after the book is closed.

I wanted to like this book more than I did--I think Canyon faces some complicated narrative in her poems that made me root for her as a human being, but the voice and skill of the poems themselves fell a little flat for me. Too often did a poem remind me of something I would read in an undergraduate workshop--skilled for that space, but needing to level up for me to love it in print. There is a whole lot of potential here, but ultimately, this book wasn't enough for me as a reader to feel as if the craft stunned me by its moves and brilliance.

I received an advance digital copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This is a brilliant work with a voice that echoes in the depths of categories of writing that are currently flooded. So many titles today draft narratives of abuse that depict the road to acceptance and survival as being linear or continuous, but the organization of poems and the continual return to the events showcase for readers a genuine experience.

In addition to being a story of survival, the author highlights the difficulty of traversing her relationship with her own mother, navigating societal biases against people of color and females in general, and her own journey and concerns as she becomes a mother herself.

It was hard getting through this book of poetry only because of the evident sadness and telling of the abuse that the author describes. I hate that I could only find bits that were relevant to myself and how I could see how she felt as she lived those times and it hurt, but how it was expressed so eloquently in this short book.......words cannot express.

I am glad that this is a short work. I am not sure if readers would have been able to continue reading for a longer time if they were reading as deeply as I was. There were times in which I needed to re-read certain poems as I felt that they took on a different meaning than what I originally thought and there were times in which I could see the change in meaning but I still saw the hurt and the comforting power that grew from the author.

There were a few poems where I thought, "yes, girl its okay, you are almost there." I felt as though I was next to her egging her on to find that power within herself. It is just as she says, " how can you do that so easily, I just do" and sometimes I believe that is all one can do.

Family is a place where safety, warmth and comfort resides. What a cursed childhood it would be if it fails to provide the basic emotional needs! Imagine being in a family where you took the first lesson of abuse instead of love, where you saw others taking advantage of vulnerability, where you learnt to endure. They say, father is a girl's first love. Then how do you cope when the man who's supposed to be your hero, beats your mom to the ground? Messes up with your self-esteem. Surviving Home by Katerina painted all those emotions together. It yielded the purple tint of abuse, racism and pain into the stanzas. From the beginning, the book has used comparatively easier metaphors for a beginner poetry reader to understand but kept it personal. I appreciate the boldness of the description.

My most favourite poems:
1. My pain is sculpted into Art for you to consume.
2. An after thought of a netflix show

Favourite quote: I am told every woman pays her debt with pain.

I appreciate every person surviving a bitter childhood. It's heartbreaking to sit alone and watch everyone else enjoying the closure of family and knowing you are missing it all out. Yet,you thrive to live. My respect to all individuals who break the circle of abuse. The world owes you millions.

As a big fan of poetry I couldn't wait to dive into this one. This is a deep and powerful collection of poetry! Highly recommended for those who enjoy dark topics and compelling poetry.

I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a lovely collection of poetry! The poems covered a range of emotions, which I loved. Her writing about traumatic experiences is very evocative, unflinching, and elegant. I very much look forward to Katerina's next collection!

A poignant collection of poetry on grief, trauma, racism, power, and pain. This is the first I've read by Katerina Canyon and I can see myself reading more by her.

**Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

This poetry collection is full of pain, explanation, and understanding. The theme of generational trauma weaves throughout and leaves the reader wondering if indeed home was survived or even survivable. The poems read like a fever dream and a memoir and beg to be studied and pulled apart.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC of this book.

4 stars

The poet writes about her childhood traumas (& later traumas), how she copes with her past, & the ways she has been resilient in order to survive. Many of these poems are heartbreaking, but also beautiful & tender & powerful.

[What I liked:]

•The way the poet writes about some horrendous experiences is so eloquent & delicate yet fierce & unflinching. She wields an amazing brilliance with words & stories.

•The poet skillfully ties together her past & present in her reflections, tracing how everything is connected, but also how she has found a way forward. They are very insightful poems.


[What I didn’t like as much:]

•In a few poems, the language got a bit purple. It felt like the poet was trying to cram as many multisyllabic words in as possible, which for me in those instances detracted from what she was trying to say.

CW: child abuse, ableism, child sexual abuse, substance abuse, racism, police brutality, domestic violence, mental illness

[I received an ARC ebook copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Thank you for the book!]

What a heart wrenching book. Poetry always impacts me but my gosh this one hit right where it hurts. Would highly, highly recommend this author. Absolutely heartbreaking. Definitely look into the content warnings/ trigger warnings before reading.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A phenomenal collection of poetry from this new-to-me author. While I enjoyed the entire book, the first half was especially fantastic.

Highly recommend.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was around 3.5 stars for me, but I also recognize that I'm probably not the demographic it's intended for.

These poems are honest and compelling. Canyon opens up about life, politics, and their experiences. It's a dark and difficult read at times. Canyon uses poetry to unweave the difficulties of family, racism, and sexism.

It's heavy, captivating, and a thought provoking read.