This poetry collection dives into a huge range of themes, from abandonment and mental illness to intergenerational trauma, identity, history, love, healing, religion, climate change, family relationships, and colonization. It was interesting to see the poet explore so many different topics, but at times it felt like there was just too much packed in. Even though the collection was divided into sections, it didn’t really help organize the ideas, and the transitions between themes felt a bit scattered.

That said, some themes stood out more than others. I found the poems about healing and religion especially moving—particularly the way the poet talked about grieving as a journey toward inner peace rather than just "moving on." I also connected with the poems on identity, family, and climate change; these themes were often woven together in a way that created strong connections and added depth. Unfortunately, this wasn’t always the case; some of the other poems felt like they tackled too many topics at once, making them a little hard to follow.

As for the language, the prose is short, punchy, and intense, clearly meant to bring out big emotions. In some poems, this style really worked, but in others, it didn’t quite hit the mark. With so many subjects, it’s tough to keep up that kind of energy, and sometimes the tone felt a bit off, making a few poems feel stilted or the meaning became unclear.

Overall, there are definitely some poems here that shine, but the collection as a whole loses a bit of its impact by trying to cover so much. The style might not be for everyone—if you liked the author’s previous work, this is probably worth picking up, or if you’re into poetry that dives directly into the layers of the poet’s life and experiences, you might enjoy this one too.

✨2023 CATCH UP REVIEW✨

📚Survival Takes A Wild Imagination - Fariha Róisín📚

I picked up this stunning collection of poetry hoping to be moved, and indeed I was. It is an intriguingly beautiful experience to read such delicate and honest prose and it truly evoked all of the emotions in such a deeply raw and relatable way.

At the core, it is about hope, about rebuilding the self and overcoming all that this world throws at us each and every day.

What you can expect:
🌺 Stunning prose
🌺 Generational trauma
🌺 Powerful imagery
🌺 Intimate and heartwrenching

A raw and honest exploration of some very important, but heavy topics, so please be kind on your heart 🩷

Thank you so much to @netgalley and @fariha_roisin and for sending me an e-book copy to review 🙏🏻

#lizzieslittlelibrary #survivaltakesawildimagination #fariharoisin #netgalley #bookreview #bookstagram #aussiebookstagrammer #poetry #poetrycollection

Lovely collection exploring family, tradition, faith, the body. I especially enjoyed the more sensual poems.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy to review.

CW: topics discussed could cause emotional distress.

Wanting to read more poetry I was eager to read this collection of poems. Climate change, abuse, colonization, self love, and relationships are some of the topics Róisín writes with powerful imagery. Some poems I enjoyed more than others, some of this is likely due to not knowing the specifics of the topics she writes about. A few of the poems were difficult to read/connect with. Overall an enjoyable book.

These poems were excellent and moving, and very rooted in the writer's story and history and experiences. I recommend it.

An intriguing, powerful tale that poetically shows the effects of generational trauma on the Bangladeshis of today.

* Review Copied from my blog - link below

Review - Survival Takes a Wild Imagination by Fariha Róisín
Title: Survival Takes a Wild Imagination


Author: Fariha Róisín


Rating: 4 stars / 5 stars


*This post contains affiliate links. If you make purchases after using these links, I will earn a percentage of your purchase without any further cost to you.


Favorite Quote: “I look like my mother, / There’s still grief in that, / Grief because when I sigh, / I exhale her.” Róisín, Fariha. Survival Takes a Wild Imagination. Andrew McMeel Publishing, 2023.


Review: Thank you to the publisher, Andrew McMeel Publishing, and the NetGalley platform, for the free e-ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.


Poetry is often (fairly) considered a somewhat inaccessible genre, its layers of metaphoric language alienating readers who struggle to determine the meaning of each word, line, or stanza. I am one of those readers.


And yet - Survival Takes a Wild Imagination, while at times probably going over my head, manages to capture some of life’s moments and feelings so viscerally that even a relative poetry newbie can’t help but be swept up in its evocative language.


Róisín takes special care to examine issues of political unrest and revolution, self-discovery, what it means to exist in a female body, strained relationships between mothers and daughters, and the conflicts that categorize (unhealthy?) interpersonal relationships.


About that Quote: One of the themes throughout this collection is the strained relationship between the narrator and their mother. This quote not only captures that, but also the complicated feelings that arise from that particular brand of relationship. Here is a narrator who is at times resentful and angry (as seen in other poems), but who grieves both at the thought of being inhabited by their mother but also at the thought of breathing her out/expelling her. I may not be a poetry expert, but gosh, that did give me chills.


Have you read Survival Takes a Wild Imagination? Share your thoughts below!

I absolutely love a book of poetry and I fell in line with my love for poetry with Fariha Raeisan. I am so thankful to Andrews McMeel Publishing, our author, and Netgalley for granting me advanced access to this baby before publication day.

Gut wrenching, incredibly intimate and beautifully crafted .


Thank you NetGalley for the arc .

This was such a beautiful collection of poetry, and spans a wide array of topics. I really enjoyed the flow of topics, and while many poetry collections are focused on one theme, the variety of this one works well. Róisín has a beautiful writing style, and the poems evoke so many emotions. It almost felt like we were getting an intimate peek into her soul, and that a piece of her was left on the page when creating this collection. The perfect read for poetry lovers who enjoy emotional reads.

Great moments throughout!

Survival Takes A Wild Imagination is a very personal collection of poetry that peels back layers of inquiry that the author poses in her exploration to unlock some of her family history and free herself of its trauma. Thanks to NetGalley for the gifted copy!

In this follow-up to her debut, the author begins to build a framework around questions pertaining to family and identity. Who am I? Who is my father? My mother? What does it mean to be Bangladeshi? What is freedom?

I loved how the first portion of the collection was so incredibly strong and moving. In "On Dying," she writes about her relationship to her father. In "Memories Rewritten", she wonders why her relationship couldn't be softer, lighter...freer. "...Is it so wrong that I just wanted a sweet word from you." And, in "On Grief," were taking back into the year 2020 and covid. Each of the poem respectively touching and relatable. My favorite poems in the collection are "My Body is an Archive," "As Sticky As Marmalade," and the title poem, "Survival Takes A Wild Imagination.

While the beginning started off strong, the energy that soared throughout those poems was nearly lost by mid collection. There were great moments all throughout but it lost a little bit of luster with so many themes on display.

3.5/5 ⭐️'s

In this collection of poems, poet Fariha Róisín explores familiar ties and generational trauma. I really enjoyed reading this collection. I usually steer clear of poetry but I found Róisín's writings very engaging and easy to follow. I will definitely be going back and reading her debut collection as well.

Survival Takes a Wild Imagination is cutting, raw and absolutely beautiful. This isn't an "easy" poetry collection to read. It's raw, brutally honest and reflective. The poems are so personal to the author and yet, I could relate to so many of them, and relate to the truth in the words. Overall, a solid poetry collection and I recommend it to anyone wanting to read a substantial and honest piece of literature. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this poetry collection. There a lot I connected with which made me like them more. I'll probably reread some of these poems too.

This poetry collection explores themes from introspection to nature, wars and God. The language is striking and bold, oftentimes reflecting on motherhood and violence in the world. As bold as it is, it didn't heavily resonate with me. Even as I failed to connect to these words on a deeper level, I still highlighted multiple poems and would recommend this to those in need of biting language condensed in a nostalgic tone.

' Listen to me,
I want to be a person
who sings freedom & believes
it. '

Whatever interesting book, especially, it in poem for how she did different styles and It's some of them she Did In L o n g forms. She told her story about how her family was in bangladesh and how hard it was to survive. She did the chapters look like a short. Summary, and then she would be Doing poems based on that. Everyone told a story about Survival especially her mother growing up.
Survival and how this can make you stronger Through all the different justments in life. I She took her song ideas and thoughts from the past and to move in with Her PO EA She also takes stuff from the Lam Ic culture And we've waved them through her POEEN.

This was a great read overall. I was able to see little parts of Fariha between the poems and I even found parts of myself as well. It's a great book that portrays strength and growth. I really liked how there was a glossary in the back as well.

In "Survival Takes a Wild Imagination," Róisín masterfully expresses a clear politic without sacrificing the personal without sacrificing the poetic without sacrificing the hymnal.

This work is soooo unhinged (affectionate)
It captured the pain of generational trauma, of being a daughter, of living in a colonized country.
It revolved around self discovery journey, and nature.
It's rich in culture and felt personal.
Honestly, it's hard to finish this poetry book 😭😭😭
It's heavy for me~
Thanks for the arc!!!

"Survival Takes a Wild Imagination" was my first exposure to Fariha Róisín's writing, and I was not disappointed. I found her poems to be probing and dark, discussing family and generational trauma through the lenses of culture, language, place, and gender. Although there were plenty of topics explored to which I could not personally connect, there were so many moments when I found Róisín's emotion and voice too powerful to resist, particularly in those poems when she discussed family, culture, and religion. Overall, this was a beautiful collection of poems.