I would like to thank NetGalley for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I will preface this by saying that not looking into potential trigger and content warnings is my fault completely. With this said, I loved how raw and unapologetic this book is when writing about sexuality and sexual assault. This rawness is what the world needs, but not what I particularly needed mentally.

This was a particularly hard book to read on my kindle without having the brightness adjusted all the way up, but that may be user error as well. I would love to purchase this book when it comes out and give it another chance!

I should probably mention that 70% of the pop-culture references went over my head and I should have read the notes at the end beforehand to understand this more (maybe it would be helpful if the notes were at the front?).

I did enjoy the fact it was a unique way of writing poetry and the theme of sexuality of queerness.

Although the book was not for me, I do not want to rate lower based on this. The poetry covers heavy topics and there is definitely an audience that would enjoy and connect with them!

Just wasn't for me unfortunately. I felt like the poetry didn't have good prose or rhythm to it and didn't feel insightful. Maybe it could be to other people but it just didn't mix well with me.

Gorgeous concept, slightly messy product. I really wished I loved these poems more than I did. Right when I found myself getting into the rhythm of the poetry, the author would say something that made me genuinely, physically, and sincerely cringe.

This book was not for me, but it just doesn't feel right to lower its rating based on that, because the poetry is good and honest and doesn't shy from the heaviness of the topics it tackles. While I may not have connected with the poems here, I respect them, and god knows there's many out there that would feel seen reading these.

Wow. I absolutely adored this collection. Right from the start, you can see that Price is not going to shy away from things that are hard, things that are complicated, and things that are taboo. Instead, Price dives in head first and forces you to see things from a new perspective.

I really liked the references, the queer-driven plot poems, and the style of the book itself. The references were allusion-forward and often added to the themes or ideas being discussed. Being a pop-culture fiend, I wasn't lost by the mentions, as I had seen some reviews struggling with. The queer focus was also welcomed because it showcased a lot of the identity struggles it presents in modern culture and how it shaped their view of various aspects in life. I also LOVED the format/style. Having art pieces woven through the text and before specific poems made it seem really well planned and thought out.

I didn't give it four stars because I just didn't feel like it was something I'd continue to keep coming to, but I did save a few poems because I loved the structure and styles so much. Also be sure to check for trigger/content warnings, as there are a lot of complicated issues discussed in the text.
Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy.

The way this book gave me goosebumps down to my bones, wow! Heart-wrenching, raw, brilliant, beautiful... I can not praise this collection enough! I will not stop recommending this book.

Unfortunately this can happen with poetry books. I did not connect with the writing but it does not mean that it is a bad book. I really dont like writing negative reviews but I don’t want to lie either. In poetry it happens as it depends on the experience of the writer and the reader and I feel that it is quite subjective.
But I encourage everyone to give it a shot as you might love what is written

Undoubtedly I was not the target audience for this but the cover was stunning and I was offered it during poetry week so thought why not. Firstly trying to read this on a kindle was almost impossible the layout and format was really hard to follow. The idea of a soundtrack to each segment for me was a great idea that I really liked.
No doubt the target demographic will love it and in a book format it may be a lot better but not really one for me.

A remarkable collection. The best poems here will make you want to re-read them again and again. Every single entry is a searing, visceral mental image.

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

"Again, what was done to me will not undo me. There's no sin in becoming kind to our bodies."

I'll start off by being perfectly honest: this book was not meant for me. I requested the ARC because the cover is absolutely gorgeous, the title is intriguing, and the description had me interested. However, I did not get much from this book. This is in no way the author's fault, the writing just isn't my style so I couldn't get the full experience. The writing is very erratic and in some ways even absurd, which I truly appreciate, it just made it hard for me to personally get into it.

I want to commend the author for discussing so many difficult topics in such a raw, honest way. I really appreciate it and it was one of my favorite things about this book. That being said, definitely look up trigger warnings for this book before reading! Two of the poems that did stand out to me most were "When Someone Asks My Gender I Say a Nonexistent Month" and "Trying to Catch a Deluge in a Paper Cup". There were a lot of pop culture references in the collection and I really appreciated the ones I understood. It was a bit confusing though for the ones I didn't. I do love that at the end of the book the author took the time to explain where each reference was from. It gave me a little more insight. The format of the book is really interesting and I bet it's beautiful in the physical copy. It was a little haphazard on the ebook version which is disappointing but not anyone's fault.

Overall, I really didn't enjoy the reading experience but I am still giving it 3 stars. Poetry is very subjective and I'm sure there are plenty of people who will love this collection.

The cover and title of this poetry collection really intrigued me. That and the description of this as apocalypse poems by a 'genderqueer punk poet' made me think this would be a perfect collection for trying to expand my reading of poetry.

One real strength of this book was the layout. I loved how it was divided into sections and really liked the way each one included a title, a quote, a definition and a 'ritual'. The rituals in particular were some really interesting poems. I also thought there were some really strong, unique poetry titles in this. They really intrigued, amused and grabbed me.

For me personally, the poetry was a little hit and miss. There were some that I didn't quite get or connect with but there were others that I thought were really good (I suppose though, that's just the way it is with poetry). Some particular poems that I liked the concept of or found particularly compelling were 'Death Comes For The Good 'Ol Boys', 'After Growing Bored With Synonyms For The Apocalypse, I Rename It Carl (a man with Intricate Tattoos, a Large Penis and a Coup de Ville)', 'How To Stay Politically Active While Fucking The Existential Dread Away', 'And How Can It Be That This Means Nothing To Anyone But Me Now', 'A Love Poem Will Not Save The World' & 'This Must Be The Place'.

I also really appreciated the acknowledgements noting all the quotes and references included in the poems - that's a pretty interesting touch.

All in all, this is a solid collection that I think poetry lovers would be able to appreciate a lot more than I did, especially lovers of queer poetry.

This collection was a bit hit or miss from me— undoubtedly Price has a firm hold of the language they use, and an incredibly strong sense of their own style, which at times is genuinely refreshing, but at others a bit overwrought and overworked. oh, you thought this was a date?! swings from playfully kitsch to acerbically accusatory with the turn of a page, but sometimes the disconnect between passages feels too disorienting, confusing purpose for edginess that subsequently (in my experience) took some of the bite out of the subject matter being tackled within. Also, as much as I did enjoy reading the numerous quotes, lyrics, and excerpts from other works, and feel that Price chose them with careful intent, it did feel a bit as though I was reading from someone's journal of saved favorite lines versus a published book of original poetry. Which was perhaps the point, but I feel that the original poetry could have stood on its own, yet instead felt overshadowed by the works of others. The formatting was also a bit tedious in my opinion, too repetitive with too little actual original content within. This probably works a lot for others but it did make my reading slow quite a bit towards the end.

I still found myself with a plethora of highlights and saved quotes by the end of reading this collection, and I very much do not regret the experience. Price's style of poetry really is unlike any other author's I have encountered, and while it didn't always work on every level for me, there is a lot of talent and potential on display here.

I am admittedly not much of a poetry person, but I do enjoy it on occasion and the premise for this collection sounded wonderful and so I thought I would give it a try. Ultimately it fell flat for me.

Some poems resonated with me and tipped the collection in a favorable direction, but overall the majority of the poems were lackluster and many felt like something I had read before. The collection is supposed to be post-apocalyptic, but it wasn't a strong enough tie to bring the collection together and much of it felt scattered and disorganized.

Since I read this collection, digitally some of the impacts of the arrangements were lost. There was a design format that the author was going for, but a lot of it was lost in the digital format. Perhaps if it had translated better, I would have different opinions on the collection as a whole.

Many of the poems also dragged. A lot of angry ranting, which can be interesting, but there was no rhythm to the rant.

The one good thing I will say for the entire collection is the queer themes and the handling of difficult topics. It was done well and is very meaningful. We need more angry meaningful queer representation.

This collection of poetry is focused on sexuality through a queer lens and surviving sexual abuse. It also perfectly encapsulates the existential dread so commonplace in todays world. I loved the authors unique style and use of pop culture references. The dark humor was also appreciated. I love reading poetry that is raw and unfiltered and this is the epitome of both. I also loved the added touch of recommended songs for different sections. The organization of the book was very aesthetically pleasing. Thanks NetGalley for putting me in to this.

Love the way it's presented: poems grouped into sub-headings, each prefaced with a quote, a word with multiple definitions, a soundtrack, and a ritual. Some of the rituals moved me and spoke to me just as much as the poems themselves.

It's rage and pain, grit, drugs and depression. It's mental health, loss, abuse, and continuing to exist. Not heartbreak, it's a heart already broken. It's the apocalypse, over and over.

I want to force everyone I love to read this.

Pieces that spoke to me the most:
- Someone Is Missing for You and the Whole World Feels Empty
- The Tsunami Was Not a Metaphor. For a Full Day I Was the Drowning Wave
- Ritual (There Will Come Soft Rains and the Smell of the Ground)
- Ritual (I Heard Somebody Say "Disco Inferno, Burn This Mother Down)
- Death Comes for the Good Ol" Boys
- After Growing Bored with Synonyms for the Apocalypse, I Rename It Carl (a Man with Intricate Tattoos, a Large Penis, and a Coup de Ville)
- A Household God

I was not expecting this poetry book to be what it was. “Oh, you thought this was a date?!” Was richly dark and evocative, but also really subversive and vulnerable. From the title and the cover I knew I had to read this apocalypse poetry book. The poems were heartbreaking and extremely honest since the subject matter dealt with sexual assault, sexuality, and gender. The pop culture references and the song choices were a really interesting creative choice that I was not expecting, but was not disappointed by. I wouldn’t mind reading more by this author in the future.

This is one of those digital arcs that I cannot wait to get my hands on in person so I can experience it as it's meant to be. The imagery and layout are not conducive to a digital book.

This was both a punch to the gut and somehow...comforting. I'm still at a loss how it came to be both but it was. absolutely a stunning collection.

"If you have survived until now unwounded/ you are a tragic miracle and I don't trust you"

This collection, like many poetry books I've read in the past, was a mixed bag. Some pieces I thoroughly enjoyed, others I found myself completely separated from.

As a bisexual reader, I am not the target audience and realize I may have enjoyed this collection more, had the poems spoken to me in particular.

Overall, I liked this and would read more by C. Russell Price. It just didn't tick all the boxes for me.

A collection of poems that everyone should read.

Deals with sexually and more! Easy to follow and heartfelt