I'm not a big fan of modern poetry, but as a massive fan of Shirley Jackson, this description really intrigued me. This collection was hit or miss for me, but I blame that on my aversion to modern poetry and not the poet. It definitely delivers the promised gothic vibes, and the illustrations serve to highlight and add to the overall feel of the collection.

"Tell me: do you know what it's like to swallow fire only to never feel yourself burn?"

I thought this collection of poetry was deeply moving and haunting. The vulnerability the author writes with is truly commendable. She is sharing her story of PPD, grief, mental health struggles, etc. The poetry covers heavy, sometimes grotesque, subject matter but is also delicate. I especially loved all the illustrations throughout this book and thought they added to the poems greatness. I will also definitely be checking out Shirley Jackson after this!

If there is any sort of divine influence then I am certain this book was meant to find me. This author is new to me, but we have some things in common. Birth trauma & having a baby during a pandemic, mental illness, therapy, occult interests, comfort in horror, writing. The comfort I found in horror after giving birth involved Shirley Jackson, though not We Have Always Lived In the Castle. It has been a wide range of horror, with my most read author being Stephen King. I have found it funny that going through these experiences I found comfort reading books by a man who was very much a product of his time (he has improved on this since the 80s - since his sobriety). When I read books written by men (including King) I often feel the need to cleanse my palette. This is the perfect little palette cleanser. Now I'm off to read Jackson & I will be looking for more of this author's work

"I laugh in red, the first
Symptom of violence."
~ On the Subject of Blackberries

"On the Subject of Blackberries" is a captivatingly grotesque collection of speculative poetry. The poems maintain a delicate balance between a gothic undertone and saccharine sentiments, revealing the intricacies of an emotional journey in a visceral manner. This anthology of poems is delivered with an unflinching honesty. The poems skilfully interweave of darkness and warmth , creating a symphony that vividly portrays the nuances of postpartum depression. Undoubtedly, the muse of this polite horror is a wounded beauty named motherhood. The verses strikingly conveys the raw, feral and bittersweet elements of this paradoxically beautiful and violent blessing. The collection manages to encapsulate both the gothic and rhapsodic essence of newfound motherhood, forming a cohesive landscape where these seemingly contrasting elements coexist harmoniously. Ultimately, these verses intricately weave a tapestry of emotions, providing a vivid and impactful exploration of the multifaceted nature of motherhood. This achievement stands as a remarkable, albeit haunting, testament to the power of poetic expression.

Based on the introduction and prose segments at the beginning of this, I was sooo excited to love this collection. It has all of the elements: gothic inspiration, about motherhood in a dark way, focused around ritual and the natural world. Unfortunately, none of these poems stuck with me much. Some felt way too literal (telling not showing) whereas others felt like shuffled proetic segments with no central theme. I'm just going to blame myself for not having read We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson and move along.

(thank you to NetGalley and Raw Dog Screaming Press for an e-arc in exchange for a review)

Thank you to the publisher NetGalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review!

I absolutely loved this collection of poetry. I admittedly do not read a lot of poetry, but I devoured all of these. I think a big part of that was that fact that the inspiration to Shirley Jackson's We Have Always Lived in the Castle was very apparent. You could feel the raw emotion radiating off the page and I only wish there were more!

This was delectably dark, twisted, and full of gory metaphors. The author forced us to dive in and experience this ruinous carnage. It was super quick but most definitely stuck out! I’d love to read more in this form.

" a safe darkness, the kiss of crowded warmth. Hunt me, I dare you."

this was a quick read of dark poetry.
I wasn't sure what to expect when I picked this up. but the poems in this are quite unique. I didn't mind it. I liked the story telling.

"The forest danced to the greed of sleep, the circle of trees a forgotten home"

I received a copy of the book from Netgally for an honest review

The last third of this was definitely my favourite part. The author mentions that a strong inspiration was we have always lived in the castle by Shirley Jackson and it really comes through in the first half of the collection, almost to the point where I was just re reading the novel in different words. That being said I enjoyed the imagery and overall aesthetic of the words

Its hard to give feedback on poetry, its so personal ands rough - but I did enjoy it. The kindle version looked a bit scuffed, so some of the pages seemed abit off - but thats not the authors mistake. All in all a good one.

This is a short but nice collection of poetry.
Every page seems to evoke a sense of dread and rage, as if the author is trapped. I guess that was the idea behind it all, to put into words how women are often trapped in life.
The vintage style illustrations throughout made it feel like an angry victorian maiden penned this.

I wouldn't say this is a pure horror genre though, because none of the poems deal with truly scary things, but it is definitely unsettling.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an eACR in exchange for an honest review.

This is a beautiful and grotesque collection of poetry.

It's dark and feral, gothic and unhinged.

A short read, but some of those lines are going to stick with me. I really liked it.