I don't think I have read any poetry since high school, but after reading You Better Be Lightning I think I may have to start reading more. These poems were so beautiful and powerful. I highly recommend giving this book a shot, even if poetry is outside your comfort zone!

I’ve been meaning to try Gibson’s work for ages. Having been lucky enough to get hold of their newest collection, I am now all the more determined to explore their back catalogue at length.

The poems found here are very candid, focussing primarily on the themes of gender identity, queerness, love, loss, and healing. Gibson’s style is heavily narrative driven, informed by their own experiences and often delivering sucker-punch lines that are all the more poignant for the simplicity of their expression.

Though they never shy away from the pain and sadness life can throw at you (there is also excellent commentary on life with chronic pain, for example), there is such inherent warmth and kindness to Gibson’s voice; the wonderful flow and deceptive accessibility a welcome hand to guide us through the darkness.

There were several stand-out pieces (“See This Through”, “The Last Hours”, “Homesick”, and “Queer Youth Are Five Times More Likely to Die by Suicide” will stick with me) but there’s not a single dud throughout the entire collection – generous as it is in length.

Sharp, observant, and achingly tender, I am now very much a fan.

Thank you to the publisher for a free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

“I spent that summer as I had every summer
before, racing through the forest behind my house
down the path my father called the old logging road
to a meadow thick with raspberry bushes

whose thorns were my very first heroes
because they did nothing with their life
but protect what was sweet.”

“But you’re done making vacations out of people. You want a permanent home.”

Buen poemario.
No me enganchó demasiado. Es de esos libros que lees, te gusta pero pasan unas semanas, y no te acordas de qué se trata.

I rarely read poetry, I just don't really get it, usually. However, I grabbed this one because I loved the title and the cover and it was a read now. I am so glad I decided to get it.
This little book of poetry is filled with beauty and emotion, unlike I have come across in poems before. One poem in particular, "Queer Youth Are Fives Times More Likely to Die by Suicide", left me balling my eyes out (I wanted to explain why, but I just can't find the words to adequately explain it...).
So many of the poems in this book are so powerful and cover such a large range of topics, including mental health, chronic illness, being queer, love, and so much more. I was completely caught off guard by how these poems impacted me and I will definitely be thinking of them for quite some time to come.
Some of my favourites:
•Instead of Depression
•Acceptance Speech after Setting the World Record in Goosebumps
•Good Grief
•Queer Youth Are Five Times More Likely to Die by Suicide

Profound.

That word came to mind repeatedly while reading Andrea Gibson's "You Better Be Lightning". It blew me away. There's so much in this short book of poetry that is relatable. The range of topics is wide. Not so wide that things seem unconnected, but wide enough that one can weep, laugh, mourn, and fall in love while reading the pages of the book.

The poems are melodic and evoke the range of human experiences but especially those of lgbtia folk. Some poems just share basic relatable experiences, but others provide a backdrop for inspirational, heart felt messages.

I highly recommend this book. Be aware you'll want to sit and reflect for a long time after reading it.

Thank you, publisher and the author, for the advance reader copy.

The book is already

This is not just a poetry collection.

It's a form of personal reflection and rediscovering our self.


The collection touches a variety of topics and themes.

The writing is wholesome. It's calming as well as poignant.

Do not read this collection at a go.

Take your time. Choose a page and read it. It will make you feel like you are looking at your own reflection.

Andrea Gibson is a rare voice on love. A queer, nonbinary poet who shares their poems like pages from their diary out of love, out of care, out of wanting people with shared experiences of grief, suicidality, and alienation to know they are not alone. They write about queer love, self-love, and love for humanity in all its imperfections. Very moving. Highly recommend.

Potentially my favorite book of Gibson's poetry yet. This one focuses on queerness (as always), mental health, mortality, humanity, and friendships. Beautiful musings. Andrea Gibson continues to be one of my favorite poets of all time.

I was excited to read this book because I adore everything Button Poetry puts out. This one didn't start out as strong for me as other poetry books have, and I think a lot of the poems would have been better in a spoken word format where you get more of the author's intention and personality come through.

Having said that, this book is still everything I expect of something from Button Poetry and while it started slow for me, that first impression was a fleeting one. This is the first thing I've read by Andrea Gibson, and while not all of the poems were hits for me, the overall book was very enjoyable.

There is a lot in here about growing up queer and dealing with the worldview that our society leaves on our queer youth. She writes about growing up and hating yourself, and the poem "To Whom it Definitely Concerns" hit me harder than I anticipated. I tried to find a line from that poem to put here but genuinely can't decide which is my favorite. Anyone who has struggled with self-image, depression, or anxiety needs to read this poem.

"What Love Is" explores what we do for others and how sometimes we may need to place people over our values but in the end what are values without love. "Wellness check" was a reality check for me, and something I hope to keep in mind moving forward in life. Ultimately, her book deals with a lot of queer, political, feminist issues but they're all universal regardless of whether you identify with those labels or not.

What if we don't have to be healed to be whole? This book is an exploration of learning how to do that, and one I'm glad I read.

I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley, and give thanks to them, the publisher, and Andrea Gibson for the opportunity to read this book.

Such a beautiful story of growth, queerness, and illness. Andrea Gibson writes so wonderfully and their word choices always hit at the core. I wrote down many quotes from this poetry.

You Better Be Lightning by Andrea Gibson is a raw and heartfelt poetry collection. While touching on some heartbreaking and important issues, it's like each poem is masterfully crafted to punch you in the stomach and really think about the authors stance and experience.

For me, this collection really hit on humanity. How hard is it to be a human, navigating all facets of life? While some walks are more difficult than others, this was an eye-opening and visceral read.

I found myself reading most of the poems aloud and the rhythm and cadence is spectacular. I've seen a few of Andrea's videos and think the written form is strong and also creates a unique experience for the reader to speak these words aloud.

Some of the poems were paced a bit awkwardly, but truly a remarkable collection.

I was given an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars because 50% of this collection was a 3-star read for me (a bit boring and meandering, truthfully), but the other 50% was brilliant and absolutely worthy of 5 stars.

You Better Be Lightning is the first collection I've actually sat down and read of Gibson's, despite being a fan of videos of their poetry readings for many, many years. I love how queer this collection is (especially an entire poem dedicated to queer youths and how downright magical they are), and I love how brave it is.

This isn't always an easy collection to read, and if you're someone who has any need whatsoever for content warnings, I strongly suggest giving them a glance ahead of time (I'll put them below in spoiler tags). While half of these poems didn't work well for me, like I said, the other half hit me as hard as they could and I'm still reeling from how raw some of them were.

✨ Content warnings for: self-harm, suicidal ideation, homophobia, grief, sexual assault, pedophilia, mental illness, COVID pandemic mentions, climate change, religious trauma

**Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a review copy of this work. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. **

Andrea Gibson manages to write some of the most beautiful contemporary poetry I've ever read. They create narratives-in-verse that make you cry on one page, then include a footnote about accidentally sending a flirty text to the wrong person on the next that made me laugh out loud in public. I was obsessed with Take Me With You when I first read it, and so I was excited to read this book but also wondered how it could match up, but my concerns were totally unfounded.

In You Better Be Lightning, Andera Gibson reaches right to the vulnerable heart of moments and expresses them in the most beautiful terms that it takes your breath away.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this title. Andrea Gibson is a gift to this world, and their poetry is just as good written as it is spoken aloud. Every queer person should read this collection. That said, anyone can relate to the universal themes they touch on in their poetry. I love the way they play with words, and move from humor to darkness with ease.

I don’t think I’ve read poems quite like these before, and it took me a while to settle into the voice. I would love to hear these read aloud. After a while, I began to hear them in my mind read onstage, and then I realized, yes, these are meant to be performed. I could have taken the hint from the opening poem's reference to Maya Angelou.

“The Year of No Grudges”, or “Instead of Writing a Furious Text, I Try a Poem” opens with lovely aphorisms (“I think we make gods / who look like us for a reason”), then gets a little weird, nevertheless remaining heartwarming (“you are on fire / like a gay men’s choir / rocking the halftime show / of a football game”) and then goofy (“I pick you to finish / all my half-written poems / even though you suck / at writing poetry”). The ending, though, wraps it up well—the intensity of the interpersonal affection comes through.

If you think it will stay the same, it will not. “I mean, my god is gonna change. / My pronouns are gonna change.” (“The Test of Time”)

In “The Museum of Broken Relationships,” I have to respect “the carousel of clarity (otherwise known as fifteen years of therapy)”. This poem doesn’t quite wrap up, but that is sort of the point, at least on such a carousel, “if you know what I mean, / and I know you know what I mean”.

In “Queer Youth Are Five Times More Likely to Die By Suicide”, I appreciate: “Hate worked five times harder / to make your spirit its wishbone.” And in “The Call, Option 1”: “karma is a hell / of a feminist.” I mean I adore all these line breaks.

From “Every Time I Ever Said I Want to Die”, I want more. “The psychology manuals say no one really wants / to die. They want relief.” Yes, but they expect not to find it. “That belief could be right. / Or wrong.” So: “One would have to stay to find out.” Yes. Of death, “Infinity still sends me nudes / every day”, but the poet has promised to live. I still want more here. I want to see the nudes of infinity. More of “the dark years.” Or do I? We have seen so much already. Maybe here, finally, is the light.

The conflict in “What Love Is” should, I think, be taught in philosophy courses, including the introductory class where one teenager always denies there is any such thing as an ethical conflict (because they believe there is always A Right Thing to Do, and this poem will relieve them of that notion) and maybe the more advanced classes as well (so we could try to find a resolution to the particular conflict in this poem, because I would sort of like an answer). But also, where the poet says “I did something wrong,” I’m not sure they really believe that. The way they tell the story, it sounds as though they made the right choice.

“…I watched Maya Angelou
walk on stage. Seventeen slow steps to the mic.
She took a breath before speaking,

and I could hear god being born in that breath.”
(“Acceptance Speech After Setting the World Record in Goosebumps”)

Andrea Gibson is always a delight and this newest collection is no exception. Their words are moving, relatable, and hit you right in the feelings.

congratulations on the release of this book! wow this is by far one of my best reads. so raw and relatable, so vulnerable. sorrowful and helpful at the same time.

As far as poetry goes I did like this collection more than I like most... however that's still not much. Maybe I should just stop trying to force myself to like poetry,

I think this is my favourite poetry book I've read!
I honestly wasn't expecting the writing style to be as good as it was!
I didn't love all the poems in here but the ones I loved hit me different!!!!
Honestly, I can't tell you how good this poetry book was. I can safely say that some of my favourite poems are in this book now!
Anyone looking for an amazing poetry read - I would 100% recommend this!

These poems also dealt with subjects you don't hear much about - especially in poetry, and I loved how it took simple ideas and normal things in our life and just wrote them down in a completely different way to what we would normally see them as 🥰

I'll definitely be reading from this poet again 🥰

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4328118221?book_show_action=false