Nicely paced at 1x speed, even though most I put it at 1.5.x. Overall good experience with the poetry and listening experience.

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

***AUDIO BOOK VERSION***
Every Good Boy Does Fine is a lovely memoir told through poetry written and narrated by the author.
This book was based on the author's memories and experiences growing up in a Christian household as a young, black, gay man. I didn't realise this author was also a musician until I read this book as I'm not familiar with his music or poetry. I enjoyed this book and the authors voice was melodic and relaxing to listen to.
The book is very expressive and includes many aspects of growing up such as love, heartbreak,religion, adolescence, self-identity, friendship and much more.

Every Good Boy Does Fine is narrated by the author Calvin Arsenia. I love poetry read out loud and I love that Calvin is the one narrating it because it then brings all the emotions and emphasis intended. The audio also includes some of Arsenia's music which I thought was a lovely addition.
These poems are deeply heartfelt. Some of them are prayers, a thought or observation and many of them are snippets of a life journey. Arsenia's vulnerability is evident in the themes of faith, religion, sexuality, LGBTQ2S+ relationships and misconceptions. The ones I like the most were the ones that made me see something in a different way, especially if the poem managed to do that in a single line.
This is a collection worth checking out and I was pleased to be introduced to Calvin Arsenia who seems to have many varied talents.

I listened to the audiobook and always appreciate when an author is a the narrator. In this case it made the poetry even more personal. This was a strong collection of contemporary poems with important and powerful topics such as racism and religion explored in a very vulnerable way.

The cover and title of this poetry book caught my attention, harkening me back to my years of studying music theory. The fact that it is a poetry book and the themes that are covered also intrigued me and I dove right in. I wasn't familiar with the author or his music, but this book made me a fan. The author's poetry is like hearing musical notes put to words, and hearing the author recite it as opposed to me reading it myself resonated so much more with me. His lyrical cadence captivated me and the musical background enriched the experience of listening to the stories of his life. The real and raw emotion in his words can be gut wrenching, blunt and intense, yet beautiful. This is a powerful collection of poetry that covers topics of family, race, religion, sexual identify and sexual awakening.

This was really interesting! Musical, witty poetry round family, racial reckoning, and sexual identity awakening with an undercurrent (and often just current) of anger and heartbreak. Makes m want to search out their music and see them live. You can tell Arsenia is a performer; the charisma and rhythm and sense of phrasin and story and tempo shine through in his readings. A great performance.

Some very evocative poetry, some of which is also quite provocative. Some terrific descriptive language, and some very adult themes.

This was an interesting audiobook, but it ultimately was not for me. It was obvious that this was very personal to the author and his narration of the book showcases that very well.
This book does involved more adult content and language than I was expecting, but it fit with the themes that the author was talking about.

The full audiobook is only an hour long - so it is a listening that is easily accomplished.

Thanks to Andrew McMeel and NetGalley for providing the advanced copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest opinion.

It is the first time that I listen to poetry in audiobook and ...
What can I say. I loved. I really enjoyed it too much. It wasn't bad at all. I was surprised to hear the poems and lyrical prose.

Listening to LGBTQ + stories inspires me and I love it.

I would have liked to have it in physical or written words. The writing was fine. The audio made what I heard more real.

At the age of 15, I could understand most of what the author was saying. By the way, I listened to most of it in school and it was a WOW worthy experience.

I give it 4.5 stars.

I'm not usually a poetry gal, but I was intrigued by the title and cover. I played saxophone for years, so the cover made sense to me.

This collection was incredibly real and raw, and a really incredible way of writing a memoir. I related to some of the entries, and was moved by others. I loved that the author narrated the audiobook.

Every Good Boy Does Fine
by: Calvin Arsenia
Thank you, NetGalley & Andrews McMeel Audio, for allowing me to listen to this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion..
I found these poems to be refreshingly different & beautiful in that the author (and MC, as it is written as a poetic autobiography) poured every fiber of his being into these beautiful words. There is So Much feeling in this book, and because it is also narrated By the author, we get to experience All the feelings right along with him.
I am pleasantly surprised, to say the least, at how much I really did enjoy listening to @CalvinArsenia’s story. I requested this book by accident & I couldn’t be happier I did.
Listening to Mr. Arsenia pour his heart into his words to tell of his trials, tribulations, failures & successes was quite a treat & I would Definitely recommend this book to everyone even remotely interested in the lgbtq+ genre. This man has been to hell & back again, more than once, as he followed the path toward acceptance of who he Truly Is, the man that he was Born To Be.
#EveryGoodBoyDoesFine #NetGalley

Every Good Boy Does Fine: Poetry and Prose
by Calvin Arsenia
More a collection of thoughts than poetry. As read by the author. A stream of consciousness that speaks of life, love. Being half black and half white. Being Christian and gay. The combination of how he finds himself. Did not hear a division of theme between interest to show divide in consciousness.

This was my first time listening to a poetry (and lyrical prose) audiobook, and I couldn’t have been more impressed by it! I have always thought that poetry was something highly visual, that as a reader I had to (visually) read poetry to fully grasp it. This audiobook proved just how wrong I was...

I loved that the author was also the narrator of the audiobook. Because this is essentially a memoir that recounts of the author’s own experiences as a gay black man who grow up in a Christian household, the fact that the author was also the narrator just made everything so emotional. To me, it felt like only someone who had lived through those experiences could pour so much of their heart into reading those words.

The beautiful musical pieces that accompany the narration just added so much to this collection, and to my experience as a reader listening to the audiobook. And let’s not even talk about the last few minutes of the audiobook... just beautiful!!!

Thank you to @NetGalley, @ AndrewsMcMeel and @CalvinArsenia for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I don't read (or listen) poetry often, so this was a challenge for me.

Poems were honest, true and well presented by narrator, I enjoyed his voice.
It was a pleasant experience.

Pros: I do not usually seek out poetry books, but the cover and title of this book caught my attention. As a former piano student, I immediately understood the title and was curious to read the book. I listened to the audio version of this book and loved that the author read it—it added so much to the autobiographical poetry. The music in the background added a meditative feeling to the reading. My favorite poems were about the author’s experiences with religion.

Cons: Although I enjoyed the listening experience, I wonder if I missed something by not seeing the words on the page.

Thank you to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Audio for the opportunity to listen to this book.

I've shared this review on Goodreads and StoryGraph.

Thank you to Andrews McMeel and NetGalley for an aac in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I am not one to reach for poetry books regularly, but the classic and simple black/white cover of this work intrigued me. I wanted something short and quick to listen to and I did end up liking this book. This is a memoir of the author written in poetry form and describes his life as a gay black man and growing up in a Christian home. The title refers to the author's background as a musician, which I found interesting because I believe that poetry and music share many similar elements when it comes to the process of writing and expressing ideas through lines, rhymes, and storytelling. Arsenia himself narrates his work, and I really enjoyed the soft and smooth cadence of his voice. I also liked the background music accompanying the beautiful words.

I found the subjects of the book relatable, which include such topics as adolescence, love, heartbreak, religion, racial issues, and self-identity. The author digs deep into a number of sensitive issues through lyrical prose, but also covers lighter moments such as adolescent crushes, friendships, first loves, and self-acceptance. I personally really started to connect with the book around the half-way point, and around the last third of it is when the prose really shines with emotion. I liked the general structure of it, though I wish some of the other poems had been a little bit longer. Overall, it was raw, it was expressive, and it was brutal in its honesty.