“Did I survive? Is that why it feels like grief?” (8, Rósín)
“Survival Takes a Wild Imagination” is rich with story and abandonment and longing and self acceptance. The poetry collection tells of these in confessional poems detailing over a lifetime of coming towards the realization that we do not have what we do, that someone abandoned will always know of the void in left hoping to be filled, but, one day, we can and we will stop reaching towards the past, for the what could have been. One day, we will be here reaching towards nature and body and finally be able to see home. Something that has been hurt, something that has been broken, but something that is, all the same beautiful.
For anyone wanting to see beauty once more- or perhaps for the first time- I’m both yourself and the world, “Survival Takes a Wild Imagination.” truly convinces you, truly can and will open your eyes to the feeling you will experience once acceptance is found. Even after pain.

Am I allowed to start by sharing the one phrase in one of the poems in this book that I feel summarizes the whole book? Well, I'll go ahead and do just that, there is this sentence: "Listen to me, I want to be a person who sings freedom and believes it."
This is not your comfort food, sweet warm fuzzy feeling collection of poems-rather the author bares it all-from pain, generational trauma, religion, patriarchy, betrayal, dreams and ambitions, love lost and culture-so much so that the poems come at you.
Thanks Netgalley for the eARC.

Absolutely loved this collection of poems!

Sometimes she works off of a quote or title,
Heavy topics like:
Trauma/abuse
Neglect
Family
Loss
Suffering
Shame

Memories
Moving on
Finding purpose
Immigrant experience
IBS & feeling your body

As with any poetry collection, there were some poems that resonated more with me than others. Róisín's voice is clear and direct, with the sort of urgency I associate with slam poetry. A few of the pieces were lyrical, but most of them got right to the point without relying on metaphor or simile. Reading this was like having the poet sitting across the desk from me and talking about her feelings and experiences regarding topics such parental neglect, self-doubt, desire, and the relationship between colonization and climate change.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to access this collection as an ARC.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me with a digital arc of this book, in exchange for an honest review.

This powerful collection of poems depicts a myriad of compelling themes such as generational trauma, religious beliefs, and growing to be comfortable in yourself. The poet was able to pour their emotional distresses and beliefs as they gradually come to terms with themselves, and this is apparent to the readers throughout every single page-turn. Identities are formed and emotions are expressed deeply within every single poem that was produced and published.

I personally really connected with the poet's journey and the messages that they were depicting. I believe this is really powerful and highlights the intricacies of the poet's literary ability, due to the fact that I have not experienced what they have gone through yet I completely consumed myself in their words, and felt the pain as i continued to read. The balance of femininity and the Islamic faith was exceptionally done and i could feel the raw genuine emotions behind the poet's words. I would have preferred if the poems flowed into each other more smoothly, I think that would have amplified the fact that there was an intention to express the generational cycle behind the poet, and the formatting of the poem could have expressed that perfectly if more focused upon.

Overall, I really enjoyed this poetry collection, I don't often connect this much with poets but I am really glad that I gave this collection a try. I look forward to reading more from this poet and I am grateful to Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me the opportunity to read this collection of poetry.

3.5/5

A book of poems collection I like most of the poems. Sectioned into 3 parts, but I feel like the sectioned doesn't really matters. Some topics of the poems are back and forth. Mostly about God, grief, and self love.
I still enjoy it.

I liked this overall. Some topics and poems were repetitive, but I really resonated with some of them. Definitely want to check out some of the author’s other works.

As I resonated with some poems more than others amongst the wide range of the collection, I admit that the experience of reading them as a reader was enjoyable overall, with a few misses. Moreover, I cannot completely relate to the subjects mentioned in this collection, as they were very abstract. The poems in this particular collection felt very light, with no real substance or heaviness I could feel or be really impacted with. However, the author does have a very lyrical and solid prose which made the reading experience more filling.

I give all my gratitude to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest and truthful review.

While I genuinely appreciated certain poems within the collection, I must acknowledge that it posed a considerable challenge for me as a reader. Additionally, I found the work to be somewhat repetitive. One particular aspect that significantly affected my reading experience was the scattered nature of the concepts explored. On one page, the focus would be on hope, while on another, it would delve into themes of death, god, or other disparate subjects. The collection encompassed a wide range of topics, including mortality, suffering, the natural world, divinity, self-compassion, and hope, among others. However, their intermixing throughout the collection created a sense of disconnection and lack of cohesion. However, I acknowledge that these may be a matter of personal preference.

I extend my gratitude to NetGalley for providing me with an advance reading copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 2.5 stars out of 5.