Poetry collections are difficult to review. I liked the overall ebb and flow of the book, as expected from its title, but none of the poems sat with me beyond the moment I read them. If I were to re-read it, I'm sure I would remember more details about what I found beautiful in its rhythms and its imagery, but again, as none of them really come to mind, I have to say that overall it wasn't for me.

I fear that if someone took the time to look through my poetry collection reviews specifically, they would find them quite similar in the format and what I say, but I am yet to find a better way to convey that collections are usually exactly that - collections of different experiences reading.

On an Ebbing Seafoam Tide is an exploration of different big and all-consuming emotions like love, grief, and self-discovery. There is so much emotion packed into this book and I think it opens very strongly and sucks the reader in. I enjoyed the imagery and the rawness Alannah Radburn brings with this collection. It creates a good atmosphere and transports the reader right into whatever emotion a particular poem conveys.

However, I do feel there is a lack of cohesion as the book continues and the collection just jumps from a topic to another in slightly jarring fashion. And in all honesty, which is to be expected in a collection, not all of the poems drew me in the same - there were simply some that didn't work for me as much. The writing was solid for the most part, it is solid even in the poems I didn't necessarily 'care' about, but I did feel the disconnect and slight repetitiveness as the book continued.

All in all, this was a pretty solid collection and I would recommend it :)

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ebook in exchange for an honest review!

unfortunately i did not have enough time to read this book in its entirety but it seemed like an okay read.

The stunning cover is what originally caught my attention and the poems inside are just as beautiful. The author explores love and relationships and grief and it really did touch my heart.

I enjoyed the imagery and I think it’ll be one of the poetry collections I reread in the future. I can’t wait to read more from the author in the future.

The language is beautiful, wonderful imagery, and yet...

This may be an issue on my side, but I loved many of the parts but not necessarily the whole.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

this poetry collection was beautifully written! it was wonderfully sapphic, and i really enjoyed my time with it. it didn't quite hit for me the way i wanted it to, but at no fault of the book itself.

Just beautiful!

It left me with awe
and
the urge to run to the sea
and
read it to the waves aloud ...

I have to have it
for real,
on my shelf
to hold on to.

I had to revisit this collection twice, because the first time I attempted to read it I couldn't settle into it. That said, I am glad that I did revisit it. The second time allowed me to absorb the prose and to soak in it. It is, at times, not the easiest of collections to read but Radburn's writing is beautifully lyrical and it can be deeply moving. Overall, a very solid collection and I look forward to reading more of her work in the furture.

"Im busy crossing the street and shes busy crossing my mind— where all roads meet, and all lights are green and all signs point.to her."
Beautiful prose and poetry !!!

This was an okay read for me. Although it's finely written, some of the poetry didn't appeal to me. Some of them seemed a little out of place.

Poetry is maybe one of the hardest works of literature to rate for me because it feels quite subjective so here are my thoughts on On an Ebbing Seafoam Tide.

The "objective" aspects language, structure, flow/rhythym and format are very solid. I would like to see a more polished use of words but  that might just be because this is an ARC.

What I do wish was done better was the order and cohesiveness of the collection.
Some poems felt very out of place which made the collection feel messy. The first part is quite cohesive and follows one topic - love and home. But then it kind of lost me as poems started to address abuse, one random poem about gun violence and then the last part went back to the original topic of love and home.
The middle part about abuse should be in a separate collection and I don't even know where I would put the one about gun violence.

There are some true gems in there but the randomness of the collection as a whole made it difficult for me to love this work.

I'm unsure what the author was going for with the juxtaposition of the two halves or so of this book, honestly. Both halves are solid, well flowing poetry; but the one half is focused on a queer love story and the other half is a reckoning with abuse the author dealt with. Not saying that this wasn't valid for the author to tackle; just that maybe there should've been a bit more thought as to releasing these as two separate books, or if they really fit together as a collection.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book. I generally liked this a lot, and saved a few absolutely stunning lines. It felt a bit too meandering and maybe unfinished. I also really loved the illustrations. I think their next book is going to be fire.

Alannah Radburn explores queer love, loss, feminism, and witchcraft through the lens of millennial life in this poetry collection. Comparing life to the shifting tides of the sea and ocean, Radburn seeks to impart some of her hard-earned wisdom.

I really love the formatting of Radburn's poetry. I've always been a fan of the connecting lines leading up to a bang of an ending, which I feel like she does beautifully in individual pieces. This is my first collection by her, and it's full of queerness and queer imagery in the beginning which also made me incredibly happy!

A small complaint is I really didn't like the foreword in this book. I felt, though complementary to the poet and collection, it talked down about other poets and collections that might be "recycled" or "affirmative" and my opinion is that if these "basic" collections introduce poetry or reading to someone who feels seen by it, then there is absolutely nothing wrong with them. I wish this foreword hadn't left a bad taste in my mouth before I read the collection.

Overall, while this is a beautiful collection full of incredible imagery and prose, it didn't connect with me. I feel like I might revisit it at a later date, maybe in hopes something will connect this time, but in the current moment it just doesn't. I also wish that the ending had been slightly more cohesive to the start, or those poems included in another collection, as many of them felt disconnected to the wider concept.

Thank you to NetGalley and Central Avenue Publishing for providing me a copy of this book for an honest review.

Rating: 3.75

<i>I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review; thank you NetGalley and Alannah Radburn for the opportunity to read and review this novel. This in no way sways my review or opinion of the novel.</i>

Radburn's cottagecore and naturecore poetry in "On an Ebbing Seafoam Tide" is the perfect summer read for poetry and non poetry lovers alike. With a balance of both coziness and empowerment, Radburn explores the highs and lows of love, queerness and life.

I absolutely adored the tranquil imageries depicting the simple joys of life. A warm drink while gazing out the window, quiet days in, listening to the sounds of nature … Radburn brings to light how one can find delight in the mundane, allowing yourself to find some ease and peace during the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

There is, however, a lot of exploration on heavy and intense emotions through simple yet meaningful statements to comparisons in nature imagery. Queer love, intimacy, self love, feminism, mental health, past trauma, and abuse (physical, psychological, sexual) are just some of the many topics Radburn's poetry examines.

The focus on feminism and queer love were my favourites, especially as someone who bloomed later in life when it came to understanding her own sexuality and sexual orientation. Discussing how the world still views women empowerment and queerness as "sinful" and a "taboo", Radburn demonstrates the difficulties women and the LGBTQAI+ community continue to face. But she also shows the strength we all have, allowing a safe space in her words to feel valued and understood … that being a woman and loving who we love is not a sin … it's something beautiful, something for us to cherish.

"On an Ebbing Seafoam Tide" was an amazing reading experience; I've already added numerous other books by Radburn to my TBR and plan to by a physical copy of this so I can re-read it again while adding my own thoughts during my experience. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did, and find some comfort in Radburn's words.

this book felt like something out of a dream, with evocative language, ethereal imagery, and incredibly raw and genuine expressions of emotions.

though I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, I do wish it had been a bit longer and perhaps better organized. instead of being a collection of many shorter poems, it is essentially three very long poems that twist and turn as they move through different topics. in a way, this was enjoyable and unique, however, it could also be difficult to follow, as topics changed without much warning or transition.

that being said, the professions of love in this book are so moving and beautiful, it’s hard not to envy the recipient. figurative language is stunning, evoking images of oceanic masterpieces and sun-kissed sea waves. the blend of nature, humanity, and dreamy metaphors is unforgettable and a delight to read. highly recommend.

'when was the last time you gifted yourself freedom? have you ever adorned yourself in opportunity?'

Thank you so much to the publishers for providing me with this eArc in exchange for my honest review.

This collection is filled with stunning poetry and shocking messages. I found that the messages of patriarchy sank in much greater in poetry form, especially since as the poet writes,

'the truth is much less frightening in a poem.'

But while less frightening, it is more powerful, the images and realisations are more open and set in stone.

This poetry collection was nothing more than beautiful. I am so grateful to have read it!

I'll start by saying I requested this book because of the beautiful cover and the title intrigued me. Great job on the cover design, I think it fits the tone of the book really well and I'd definitely pick this up in a bookshop because of it. Who said you shouldn't judge a book by its cover?!

'On an Ebbing Seafoam Tide' is a beautifully crafted and curated collection of poems. I love that queer voices are being heard and amplified, more of this please! The poems themselves are charming and soft without being saccharine. With poetry, I generally find it either really resonates with me or not at all, and whilst I did enjoy the experience, overall the collection didn't resonate with me particularly deeply. That being said, I feel like it will for a lot of people and would definitely buy this for poetry loving friends.

Thank you to Netgalley and Central Avenue Publishing for the eARC in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

This collection of poetry seemed to find me at the WRONG time in my life. While it’s beautifully crafted in flowery prose and stunning imagery I didn’t find myself appreciating it as much as it deserves. Younger me would’ve ate this up but present me’s head space couldn’t seem to treasure it as much. Even though I wasn’t able to connect with the writing in the moment it’s definitely something I would revisit if I felt in need of the message and would absolutely still recommend it to others!