This was such a good luck into the heart of chronically ill people during and after Covid. While I had a hard time with some of the imagery used, that’s not due to the writing but my own comfort. I highly recommend the book.

Niziolek's poetry collection, "Atrophy," delves deep into the raw and dark intricacies of modern life, particularly during the 2020 pandemic lockdowns. The pieces evoke a visceral response, portraying illness, pain, trauma, and the author's struggles. The unapologetic honesty of the poetry hits home. The collection addresses themes of sexual trauma and chronic illness, urging empathy and understanding. While emotionally intense, "Atrophy" serves as a reminder that others have traversed similar paths, offering solace in shared experiences. I highly recommend that readers be in the right headspace being cracking open the open.

This poerty collection absolutely DESTROYED me and I was not able to compose myself immediately afterward. it took a moment. These poems definitely make you *feel*.

4.25 stars

I was very impressed by atrophy. It was an intense collection of poems that covered a wide variety of traumatic topics. I would say that you should only pick up this poetry collection if you are in the right headspace. A lot of the poems tackle or mention SA and traumatic miscarriage that leads to not being able to have children. I've never read a poetry collection that tackles this second topic before, but it moved me greatly. This is a collection that I am glad to have read and come across.

Thank you, Netalley and the publisher, for providing me with a copy of this poetry collection in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read and review this book.

While I strongly relate to some of the things the poet talks about in this collection, the body that slowly but surely starts to fail on you, the collection wasn't for me. I had to force myself to read it and get through it.

This is probably the most honest poetry collection, or published worked, you're read for quite a long time. Highly, highly, highly recommend it!

Atrophy by Shilo Niziolek was not what I expect. This collected of poems speaks to chronic illness survivors, woman, and really just anyone who feels like they don’t fit in.

“No one yearns for the sick girl, And if they do, they are only yearning for the Remembered version…,” (Unraveled Me, 64%).

Niziolek speaks a lot to her past in this collection. She references that she’s 31, yet we still see her reminiscing on her childhood and early adulthood, before the chronic illness took hold.

“chronic illness the slowest dying there ever was,” (Ode to Lost Things, 94%).

The theme of nature and wanting to just become lost there is common as well. There are also many fantastic comparisons made between nature and the human body. The poetry is a mix of forms, some of them being normal length while others take on more of a stream of consciousness paragraph format.

At first it did take me a little bit to get used to Niziolek’s formatting and verbiage, but after the first few poems I was finding myself curious about what format and language she would use.

This is a well put together collection with strong themes of surviving chronic illness, fear, trauma, love, and nature.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I received a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are my own opinions.

Proof that pain can be beautiful. Although I am not living in Shilo's reality, many of the poems bring back emotions and memories of being diagnosed with MS. The way she turns such hard dark times into these poems that have the ability to connect to others around the world is beautiful. Quite frankly, I just drank a lot.

Thank you for sharing yourself with us.

A poetry collection filled with the down and dirty parts of being alive in this world. While considered depressing, it’s also a way to see others have gone through this life very eerily similar. I think this reflects the places the author has been and that sharing them with the world is important!

I don't normally get emotional in books, it has to be a very powerful book to bring me near to tears. Atrophy, I had no idea what I was in for as I opened the cover. The book was written in verse format which reminded me of Ellen Hopkins's writings. The author also touched on an edgy topic. In Atrophy, we meet our main female character who is 31 and suffering from cervical cancer and has lived with this chronic illness for a while now. The book also talks about Covid times with the vaccinations, the mask-wearing, and then the repercussions of the vaccination with the main character getting a blood clot in her leg. The book was written beautifully and in parts was very metaphorical with the imagery and language of what the main character was experiencing and going through. I felt this book hit the spot with me on an emotional level as currently my sister who is 15 months younger than me is going through Cancer at the moment and so this book hit a bit harder than it might have had at a different time in my life. I also loved this cover and have a cover crush. To conclude the definition of Atrophy is to waste away or to progressively decline. If you are a crier in books, then I would recommend that you have a box of tissues handy while you read and turn the pages of Atrophy.

I was hesitant to read this book based on the low reviews given. That being said, I did enjoy this poetry collection but it didn’t blow me away. It was interesting but unfortunately didn’t really capture my attention. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc--all opinions are my own.

I like heavy poetry, but I was not expecting to connect with poetry that felt this heavy. Much of this poetry was written during or about living during the pandemic. atrophy gives us a good look into what it was like to live during the pandemic as someone who is immunocompromised. This book of poetry also heavily discusses sexual trauma. So while this a book of poetry that really evokes tons of feelings, please check the trigger warnings before beginning it.

My biggest takeaway from works of poetry like this is I wish I was able to be this vulnerable. While I share emotions like this with a few loved ones, I could not imagine putting these emotions out there where anyone could see them.

3.5 Stars ⭐

I wasn't sure about this at first. The language didn't flow for me when I opened it the first time. It felt almost like looking into the disjointed amalgam of someone's subconscious. But as I kept reading, I realized, that's really what it was.

Apathy, trauma, the terror of stillness; Atrophy surely doesn't shy away from the messy parts of being human. I found plenty of passages, especially later that had me nodding, finally, in understanding. Get yourself about 15% in and you will too.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for gifting me this arc in exchange for my honest review.

"atrophy" by Shilo Niziolek seems like a powerful and deeply introspective collection of poetry that delves into the intricacies of the human experience, particularly the complex relationship between the body and the mind.

Niziolek's exploration of themes such as desire, grief, trauma, love, and illness indicates a wide emotional spectrum that promises a rich and multifaceted reading experience. The mention of her previous memoir, "FEVER," suggests a personal and raw approach to her writing, where she fearlessly confronts her own vulnerabilities and life experiences.

The focus on the body in isolation and decay adds a layer of visceral intensity to the collection. It appears that Niziolek is unafraid to examine the body's frailties and its relentless pursuit of survival. This exploration of the physical and emotional aspects of existence can be deeply moving and relatable to readers who have grappled with their own vulnerabilities.

In essence, "atrophy" appears to be a poetic journey into the human condition, where the poet's willingness to confront difficult truths and celebrate the resilience of the human spirit promises a collection that is both haunting and emotionally resonant. For those who appreciate poetry that dives deep into the complexities of life, Niziolek's debut collection seems like a compelling and thought-provoking read.

Chaotic and unflinching this collection of poems is a little all over the place but has moments of beautiful prose.

Interesting outlook and conversation on the beauty of our bodies and how as vessels, they betray us...
A memorable collection and any reader could relate to a piece or more within.
Thanks Netgalley for the eARC.

Stunning as well as unnervingly honest poetry. At times, the author cast an unflinching look at not only chronic illness, living through late stage capitalism and an global epidemic, but also at surviving trauma and reliving the whole of it in the years to come. All of these poems und storybits mixed together, form a kaleidoscope of joy as well as pain, of regret as well as yearning. Absolutely loved reading this collection, and I am sure I will pick it up more often to read it again and again.

Thank you to NetGalley and Querencia Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

"When the waters rage and the
rain pours for days on end,
will we finally learn how to cry?"

For the first few poems I wasn't entirely convinced by atrophy. I struggled with the contrast of poetic language and the modern, the mundane. The inconsistency between lyricism and colloquialism. But the more I kept reading, the more this book had me hooked. Had me gripped by the spine and pulled me with it down the current of emotion, anguish and breathtaking writing that atrophy is.

The further along I got in the book, the more poems I found that had me needing to take a few breaths, a few moments to process; in a good way.
I still occasionally felt frustrated with, what to me felt like, breaks and gaps in theme and immersion. And while there was annoyance with heavy repetition of events or stylistic devices, some eventually developed into a rich symbolism that was present throughout the book.

"But aren't we already what is wild and alive,
Toes pressing mud and feeling the bite
Of winter still swallowing the mountains,
Making us rope our arms around our chests"

So many of these poems hit me hard, both in how beautifully they were written, and also how familiar they felt. Familiar in ways that made me recognise myself in the pages, that made me feel like Niziolek took a peek into the box stowed away somewhere in my mind, in which I keep my collection of things that fuck me up emotionally.

"I strip my skin a thousand times, string it up like a canvas and place it in the museum for greedy fingers to touch."

I cherish the imprints reading atrophy has left on me and I will 100% return to it again in the future.

4.5⭐

Something about this collection didn’t fully work for me. I enjoyed some of the poems but as a whole I felt like the constant references to other poets collections and lines took me away from the poems I was reading. I would have preferred this collection more if it didn’t include some of those poems. I’ve read a lot of the work that was referenced and I can understand why the poet points to their work, but I think one or two poems would have been fine but the collection felt like it was overrun by lines written by other poets.

I'm quite honestly not sure how to review this. In short, read it. In fact, everyone should read it. Throughout the book I found myself both not relating to things at all and feeling like Shilo had ripped my thoughts out of my heart and my head and then made me read them. Shilo writes about trauma and illness, the consequences of other's actions on our bodies and our minds. The things we can't control, the people we can no longer be. I'll be thinking about these poems for a very long time.