Arc was given by Central Avenue Publishing & NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

This review is being published before the release date (January 4th 2022)

Content/Trigger Warnings: Mental health conditions, suicide/suicidal ideation, self-harm, talk of depression, sexual assault, gun violence, violence against poc, brief mentions of body dysmorphia, brief mentions of drug and alcohol abuse, grief, loss of loved ones, heartbreak, talk of medication, trauma/PTSD, and much more!

“I hold my breath because I’m afraid of losing what’s left of you in an exhale.”

In a room full of books, this is one of the loudest books in that room. Truly, this book is filled with raw emotions, very dark topics, but so important. There aren’t enough enough words to say how emotional I felt reading this poetry collection and I truly believe, with my whole chest, that this is such an important read. We need more books with the voices of those and their own experiences because there is always someone out there who needs to hear those perspectives. And as someone who has gone through similar hardships, I really appreciated reading about another person’s experiences and being reminded that healing is never linear.

Some of my favorite poems include:
– The fairytale becomes a memory
– Sacrifices
– What do you think the birds are saying when they sing?
– Heavy
– When it feels too much
– The garden that bursts with wanting
– Juxtapose
– Welcome Home

Overall, I think anyone who picks this book up is in for an emotional ride, but a ride that is so heartbreakingly beautiful and important. Though I feel there’s so much I could say about this poetry collection, I feel I don’t need to say anything because this poetry collection speaks volumes for itself. And if you’re a poetry lover like myself, then I want to encourage you to add this one to your ‘to be read’ piles.


The quotes above were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.

This ARC was provided to me free of charge by NetGalley and the publisher (thank you) but my opinions are my own.

I've never read poetry I wasn't forced to and now I kinda feel like I'm missing out. Paper Girl and the Knives that made her is a vivid and dark themed collections of poems that really digs into mental health.

I really appreciated the trigger warnings in the beginning of the book. Honestly I was both in the right and wrong state of mind for this but I'm happy I took the time to sit down with it.

I'm not sure if it's just the arc copy but the formatting on my ebook copy was a little wonky other than that great read

beautifully written poetry, i don’t think i am the target demographic as i have never been extremely suicidal but i still found ways to relate to the words.
it was well written and lovely to read

“I’ve known god all my life,
and he has a tendency to wander into spaces he shouldn’t. when I’m smoking. crying.
fucking. and I’m tired of him being so greedy,
wanting me to notice him. he is no more real than a cloud in the sky. something to see but fall right through.”

Poetry always depends on the mood the reader. There may come a day when I feel like I didn’t like this, that it was worth one star less or something such; for the moment though, I feel like I got to know someone!

Ari B. Cofer put together a really intimate collection; it felt honest in a way a lot of modern poetry does not. I do not like that she chose to not capitalise words, I feel like that’s a strategy poets use to make try to look like someone’s diary, but I also feel like its a way that a lot of female poets make themselves seem smaller and more palatable and like people can take their words less seriously. I don’t know if I’m saying that properly, but do you get my drift?

I’m looking forward to her next collection and to see her grow!

This was raw. This was real. This was hard and heartbreaking and scary and sad. This was human. It felt like each poem and crafted with care, as if a little piece of the author was imbedded into every period, every blank space. I haven't had the best luck with poetry collections as of late, but from the preface I was immediately drawn in.

Some of my favourite poems were:
- my chest is full
- picasso
- home
- i saw their wedding photos on facebook
- magic
- my sister turns 20 this month
- her name is depression
- too black
- when our skin is too much
- when you left
- permanent
- bridges
- paper girl and the knives that made her

I would happily buy this book with a smile on my face, and then begin to cry because the words and their phrasing make my crushed heart melt.

Rated: 4 stars

The quote that stuck to me:

'i hold my breath
because i'm afraid of losing what's left of you
in an exhale'

This was raw hard-hitting. As such took me a little longer than expected to get through a book of this length but I’m so glad that I did. It’s poetic and beautiful and I’d recommend it to those who like darker poetry. This collection hits close to home for anyone with trauma but it is clear that It was written with care. Please do take care while reading.

NEW POETRY BOOK ON THE HORIZON COMING OUT JANUARY 4TH, 2022 FOR FANS OF RUPI KAUR AND AMANDA LOVELACE.

First, I would like to say I appreciated the trigger warnings at the beginning of the book. I believe that is so meaningful these days and such a small thing that can be overlooked.

Secondly, this book took my breath away. I was in shock at how moved I was. The poems start off simple - about heartbreak - yet were very relatable. And as you got used to the way the writer talks, start to trust her journey, she dives into deeper topics: racism, sexual assault, mental illness. The little doodles here and there were cute for a nice breather in between deep poems.

There is so much stigma about being a rape survivor and nobody ever talks about what happens next. This book talks about that gray area. Processing. Trying to live. Getting lost in your head. The confusion. The guilt. How you feel when you see your attacker on social media - the surreal moment of seeing them get in a new relationship. How easy it is for young people to be taken advantaged of. This book was raw of emotion and I truly felt like a piece of the author's soul was in this book. This book really stands out and I cannot wait for other pieces by Ari Cofer
Warm regards,

Diana Banana @ thatbemediana.blogspot.com

This was an absolutely heart wrenching read full of difficult but important topics. The author’s incredible rawness and self-awareness is impossible not to engage with and left me wanting more after I’d finished the book. If anybody needs to feel seen or understood in regards to depression, suicidal thoughts or encountering racism, read this book.

Please be cautious and take into account the author’s TWs at the front of the book and look after yourself and your mind.

an incredible emotional book. I devoured this and loved every second of it, it was extremely relatable and important. will be recommending this to everyone.

<i>What if I don't like what I find when I unpack all of this? </i>

Ari B. Cofer surprised me with her poetry. When you look at the cover, first you have this soothing feeling inside, then you notice two blades coming from different angles and you wonder, why everything beautiful has to come to an end.

Then you start reading it, in the very beginning, the poet warns you: Take your time! Which is exactly what I did, I tried to breathe the verses with my soul and understand her fears, longings, suffering, pain. I could cry and feel devastated with everything in the pages, although I have never lived many of the things, I could feel like I did. I could feel my heart being ripped in two, three, four, hundred miniscule particles.

Love it!

Thank you Netgalley, the publisher and author for sending me an ARC.

4.3/5

Special thanks to NetGalley for providing the e-ARC in exchange for honest review.

This poetry collection by Ari B. Cofer is so raw, dark and gloomy. It touches on a lot of important topics; depression, suicide, self-harm, rape, sexual assault, racism and I really appreciate that the author stated the trigger warnings inside the book, so readers know what to expect. I was intrigued by the cover and the description of this book which led me to request for the ARC. The book turns out to make me feel lots of things from sad to happy, from scared to relieve. The writing is raw yet so beautiful and I believe those who read this would definitely understand what the author spoke about. There are so many things in this world that we often overlook or ignore, such as sexual assault and rape, and how it affects the victims' lives. The trauma is clear, the cut in the heart, bleeding, the feeling of being stranger in your own body, just by reading the poems on this issue already make me feel so painful and heartbroken, and I feel really angry towards those despicable people who did the act. I am grateful that the author also wrote encouraging words to those who are fighting to stay alive, and those who have been hurt in the same way she was. We all need it somehow and I can relate so much when it comes to the parts where the author said, maybe all we want is to feel like we can exist in this world. That just hits me so hard.

Overall, I definitely love this collection of poems. It is not suitable for all, since the poems/issues can be triggering to some, but it has definitely open my eyes to the world and the bitter truth.

4.5/5

I LOVED this book. Ari B. Cofer is such an excellent poet and her words hit deep and true with me.

Her themes were heavy but she handled them with such expertise and grace. I am so glad she decided to write this collection. I think it can help many girls (and really any other gender/non-binary person) as she has a way to connect with so many people whether it be through her happiness or her sorrows.

I cried reading some of these poems. I had to stop and process every now and then because of her perfect delivery of words and feelings.

I truly cannot stop raving about this book. I hope you read it one day and are able to feel the range of emotions that I did.

Truly a beautiful collection and a talented, upcoming poet. I can’t wait for more.

CW: mental health conditions, suicide/suicidal ideation, self-harm, sexual assault, gun violence, violence against POC, body dysmorphia, drug/alcohol use, overdose

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

This poetry collection is raw and deep with the overall message that things HURT, but they may not always. Even if things are bad for a while, find a reason to hold on. It's relatable for those who have struggled, but definitely a read you need to be ready for before starting.

This is a wonderfully written read and incredibly poetic. It covers a lot of important topics and the feelings are really raw and emotional.

This was an absolutely incredible poetry collection. I’m struggling to find the words to describe just how good it is. Paper Girl and the Knives That Made Her covers many important topics such as depression, suicide, self harm and racism. The author doesn’t hold back and you can feel the raw pain coming through in their writing. I enjoyed it so much I’ll be buying my own hard copy when it’s released. Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and author, for a chance to read and review this brilliant book.

*4.5 stars

Firstly, I'd like to thank Netgalley and Central Avenue Publishing for the eARC for an honest review.
Release date: 04 January 2022

This was my first time reading any poetry by Ari B. Cofer and I think she is a brilliant writer after reading this collection. There are definitely some trigger warnings that readers should look into before reading this. It does get very heavy throughout the collection. Cofer writes with raw emotion that really spoke to me. There is such an honesty and tenderness to the pieces in this collection. Cofer focuses on mental health and living a full life despite how crushing our mental health can be.

There are a mixture of long form and short form pieces as well as everything in between. Cofer also added her own art to the collection and it really added to the meaning of the pieces it accompanied. I always love to see different talents combined. The writings in this collection can get really dark and Cofer digs deep into topics that a lot of people would willingly avoid. I really commend her for this collection.

I do recommend this collection to poetry readers but be aware of the triggers.

Paper Girl and the Knives that Made Her

I am a huge fan of Poetry, some of my favorites being Rh Sin, Amanda Lovelace and Rupi Kaur, who tackle on some big topics.
Ari Cofer covered some big topics as well; gun violence, mental health, drug use, self harm, suicide and more.
This book for the most part felt very dark. I do appreciate that it came with a trigger warning list, as it may not be a read some poetry folks are looking for.; however, after reading something so dark, I felt myself looking for that light at the end of the tunnel. An uplifting sense after all the dark. I didn't feel it which was a letdown for me personally.

I would like to thank the author, publisher and netgalley for a ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. These opinions are my own.

I give this book 3 stars.

I'd like to thank NetGalley and Central Avenue Publishing for providing me a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This collection really left me speechless. I think it's a brave thing to write about your own trauma and mental illness. Depression and suicide are some really difficult topics people usually try to avoid. I'm really grateful for authors and poets who write about these two because they represent a voice for those who are still unable to speak about it. This collection was beautifully written and I could connect to most of the poems. Ari B. Cofer did an amazing job writing about all these feelings and how you can live with them. At the end, a great reminder is that you should never give up, you never know which great things you might do.

I'd like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an anticipated copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
I don't read much poetry, but I was intrigued by this book, so requested an arc and I am SO glad I did (and that they approved me) because it is simply amazing.
The writing is beautiful and it cuts deeper than the title knives. I can't say much because poetry is hard to comment on or summarize, and we all know no two people read the same poem since all of our experiences are brought into the reading, but what I can say is: this book comes out in January, do yourself a favor and pick it up. (Please check the trigger warnings though.)