You know those people who universally hate poetry? Typically, they hate the "flowery" poetry, the poetry they feel is overwrought and too wordy. Give them this book. This is great for people in their 30s, because there are references to a lot of things that we have had contact with throughout our lives. The book follows the author's life from childhood to parenthood, and I enjoyed most of the poems, though some of them just sort of...ended.

I loved Carlie Blume’s debut collection, “Gigglepuss”, published by Guernica Editions. Blume writes boldly and fearlessly, unafraid to show her vulnerability in many brave, haunting poems. I look forward to reading her next collection.

About the poet

Carlie Blume was born on the unceded and ancestral lands of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh (Vancouver). She is a 2017 graduate of Simon Fraser University’s The Writer’s Studio and her work has appeared in “The Maynard”, “Train: a poetry journal”, “Ghost City Review” and more. She currently lives on Salt Spring Island, B.C with her husband and two children.

Many thanks to @Netgalley and @guernicaeditions for the ARC.

2 stars

This was a collection that had many strong and emotional pieces that were unfortunately sandwiched between pieces that were lackluster and felt unfinished. Another issue I had were the very abrupt endings to almost all of the pieces there was no transition or flow just a very sharp end.

ARC given by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

I would like to thank Guernica Editions for providing me with an Advanced Reader Copy of Gigglepuss through NetGalley.
Charlie Brumes writes about her trauma in a visceral way.
I found rather interesting the juxtaposition of nostalgia and innocent childhood memories with the rawness of sexual violence.

I found some poems beautiful and others lackluster or meandering. It's always rough rating poetry because it's so personal and unique, but I just didn't feel connected to the vast majority of the pieces.

The McBarge on the cover was the first clue that I was home. There were many pieces in this book that resonated with me both as a millennial woman and a survivor of my own trauma/broken childhood home. The bright spots, reminiscent of her childhood were familiar (Britney Spears, Fear Street) I felt very held by this book. The bravery it took to share such pain, loss, struggles and joy with us can’t go unstated. I’m so glad I read this book and I encourage you to check it out too. A great debut anthology.

Some critiques would be: while I connected with what was being spoken of, I had a hard time with the resolutions. A lot of the pieces felt stagnant and others had such abrupt ends that it somewhat took away from the reading experience.

I enjoyed this collection of poetry and thought some of the poems were really beautiful. I will say that the themes of the poems felt a little all over the place at times but I still really enjoyed this collection and would recommend it.

I loved everything about Gigglepuss, from the title to the artwork, to the poetry itself. The words gripped me and spoke to the experience of girlhood and loss of innocence from trauma and abuse. Memorable, touching, and emotional.

I wanted to like this more than I did, but it seemed to rely too much on shock value and became very repetitive. I also felt that it was not particularly thoughtful.

I suspect that some readers will really connect to this volume; I, unfortunately, was not its ideal reader. (Odd, as I inhabit the same educated-white-liberal-feministy-Millennial-lady space that the poems never leave.) I found the poems inconsistent & often wished for them to push into fresher territory, as their subjects feel well worn.

Loved this strange collection of poetry that explores memory, trauma, gendered violence and performativity. The poems are stunning with references to pop culture like Disney princesses and Eleanor Rigby. Blume writes about difficult experiences such as sexual harrasment as well as commenting on social ramifications of movies like American Pie and American Psycho, with equal sensitivity and craft.
Absolutely would recommend!

i LOVED this book- it’s a sweeping, emotive and empathetic collection of poems, telling the tale of a young girl’s childhood and journey into adulthood. it’s raw, but still polished all the same, and it has such a specific + determined VOICE to it: every poem really stuck with me after i finished reading!
my favorite poem of the collection is probably the titular one, “Gigglepuss”— i loved the off-kilter spacing, the alliteration and anxiety-inducing rhythms behind every word. i also adored “Methodology of Excavation and Trauma,” which was a visceral and aching read, but one that felt so personal to me i was surprised that someone else could brilliantly put it into words. i’m so excited to hopefully pick up a physical copy, too, once it debuts on April 1 2022!

Gigglepuss by Carlie Blume is actually not an easy book to read. Contrary to the title, it is heavy with trauma. The author does a good job by trying to dilute these subjects with pop culture and childhood-nostalgia references. It had its moments that I was amazed. However, I didn't like the obvious contrasts that became repetitive and it was still hard to read with trauma after trauma. And the poems that can be read as empowering or feminist, they were too literal for my taste. Overall I give 3 stars. Thank you NetGalley!

Fresh and biting poems that you’ll want to screenshot and share, not for their relatability and nostalgia (though those are certainly factors) as much as their complete newness in the way they discuss trauma and memory. You’ll want to be the first to share their deliciousness with the world.

Thank you to NetGalley and Guernica for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The title can be deceiving. Where we think this book will be light-hearted or reference a lighter time in the narrator's life, it tells a different tale. It is heavy, dark, and deals with intimidating subject matter. This is not to say it isn't great, because it is. The descriptions are artistic and I found myself re-reading lines until the weight of their beauty sunk in. I would definitely recommend this poetry collection to many.

While a little inconsistent, this poem shines when exploring the intricacies of childhood relationships with friends, families, and spaces.

Gigglepuss is a collection that will be often relatable to mid-late 20's women. Many of these pieces were heartbreakingly relatable, although just as many that didn't captivate me, as usually happens with collections (wether that be poetry or short stories). Blune really reaches her stride when writing in a longer form, possibly defined as flash fiction, pieces. I would love to see some more long form fiction from Carlie Blume.

Some of my favourites from the collection: Slap Shot, Boxing Day, Glass City, For My Brother, I want to Call My Dad.

This is a distinctness to the voice of Carlie Blume. It is the unwinding of tales that describe her life in trauma, of growing into the heartache of loss and mental illness. These pieces are very personal, yet feel very distant.

There is the briefness found in many of the poems that feel like very stagnant, with the imagery and devices left underdeveloped or lacking.

There is alot to say for the emotional layput of the collection, where there are moments where I could empathize with the writer, however, there were instances that just fell flat, removing me from the momentum of the collection.

There were alos instances where I felt like there was no connection between one poem and the next, with no consistency.

As a debut it is solid, but I feel like with more time Blume can bring something beautiful. There are poems in this collection that others can relate to and I would urge others to take a read and discover some for yourself. Thank you to Netgalley and Guernica for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A deftly executed book of accessible poems about young adulthood in Canada, told from an adult perspective, Gigglepuss is a solid collection by a poet with a lyrical ear and a gift for storytelling. While not all of the poems are equally accomplished, the narrative voice is compelling throughout, the imagery is memorable, and the language is original and fresh. Likely to appeal to adult and young adult readers alike. Recommended.

Gigglepuss is a short poetry collection from Guernica Editions by Carlie Blume. The description reads, “Gigglepuss delves into a past pockmarked with loss, broken family dynamics, and the looming shadow of familial mental illness. These poems touch on sexual abuse, lost relationships, the influence of pop culture, and the intensity of motherhood set against the at times humorous backdrop of stark self-awareness, irony, and even absurdity. Bucking against a patriarchal society, this collection is a provocative, reflective, and at times confrontational portrayal of our human need for connection, self-identity, and home.”

While some of the imagery was interesting, I didn’t always find it entirely original or as provocative/clever as it wanted to be. One particularly wrenching story stood out, however, from the perspective of a young woman remembering a dark personal trauma. I’d be interested in reading similar stories in non-poetry format.

Poetry is intensely personal and subjective and I don’t want to be too tough because the writer is a fellow Canadian and writing is a rough gig, so props to her. I am very appreciative of the advanced copy and I wish the writer success!

Gigglepuss is out on March 31. Thank you NetGalley and Guernica Editions for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.