I have not read nor enjoyed poetry so much in a very long time.

With grief fresh in my heart, some of these poems reached deep down into my soul.

Side A was fantastic and it took me a poem (or 3) to realise side B was a blackout version of side A. This new concept of blackout poetry was intriguing.

Mental health being explored made this even more poignant. Nothing, not a thought, not a feeling, not a doubt, was left out. The pages came alive and at some points I could not breathe. Some points I needed to stop to just cry and let that heavy grief lift slightly. Some points made me laugh.

Track 31, 34 and 70 are my favourites. They spoke to me the most.
31: "so when one person dies, a little bit of everyone they ever touched dies along with them"- I cried, no, I sobbed, with the realisation that my heart will forever have a missing piece, and nothing can ever fill that hole.
34: "I am not desentized, I am burnt out" "overwhelmed... tired... exhausted... hives... snapping... apologizing... weird dreams... crying... feeling like the end of the world is at my doorstep" - I felt seen. I could exhale that breath that I've been holding on to for too long. I felt hopeful.
70: "When you hear their belly laugh, smell their scent, swear you see them in a crowd, and your brain forgets for less than a second and you lose them all over again"- the cyclical nightmare that seems never ending. I feel less alone, less crazy, that it is not all just in my head. My thoughts and feelings are valid.

The only reason I do not rate this as a 5 star is that I would have preferred for the blackout to be after the original. 2 sides of the same coin, or should I say tape, yet I had to flip back and forth. I understand why it was done this way, for flow and continuity, however I wanted to see both sides together

Finally, the music- rhythms, tunes and lyrics, made this book of poetry so much more interesting and emotional. Each song enhanced the meaning of each line, and deeply (in no other words that I can use to describe this feeling) tickled my brain!

4.5/5 stars

Thank you, NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing, for letting me read The Music Was Just Getting Good I'm exchange for an honest review!!

I think this is a really good poetry collection! I love the cassette tape structure, where Side A has 92 poems, all titled "track 1", "track 2" and so on. I could really relate to the narrator a lot of the time, and I saved so many of these poems as bookmarks! How er, Side B was my favourite, as all of the 92 tracks here were blackout poems! I loved reading those, and it's inspired me, as I now want to rest to create some blackout poems myself!! As much as I enjoyed Side A, I wouldn't have minded if the entire collection was blackout poetry... 😁

Solid collection, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 from me!

There are 92 poems in the first part of the book. They are based around grief. I found them a bit depressing, I didn't feel much hope or reassurance from them. Some are well written and really hit you. Others seem like they are just making up the numbers.
I really liked the 2nd part of the blackout poems. To see a quote appear from within the text was really interesting.

I always find it hard to review poetry, but ultimately I didn't enjoy most of my reading experience with this book. There were some great (and very relatable) ideas and themes, but so many of the poems didn't quite land for me and a handful simply felt out of place in the collection. I love the idea behind the collection as someone who is also inspired by music, and I know most of the songs on the playlist but I think that contributed to my experience - more than once I found myself pausing and wondering "How is that song related to this poem?"

The blackout poetry was difficult for me to read and didn't realise that there was a simplified version at the end. I was squinting at my screen and doing mental gymnastics trying to figure out what half of them said! This would've been great as a note or disclaimer after the "Side B" title page.

While I may not have fallen in love with Alicia Cook's poetry, I have to say she has amazing taste in music.

**2.5 rounding up because I liked it more than I disliked it.

This was one of the most ottoman and soul sucking pieces of poetry I have ever read. I wanted to crawl through my phone and give Alicia the biggest hug multiple times. I am obsessed with the cover and the fact that each poem has an accompanying song— and that the genres changed too. This was incredible.

I will give this book of poetry 3 out of 5 stars. We're I only reviewing "side a", this book would relieve 5 out of 5 stars. As is, I must also review "side b" and that takes 2 stars away because that side deserves 2 stars. Let me start with "side a". Very poignant, very piercing. My warning is this: if you have jagged edges on whatever grief you are experiencing or have experienced, you are not yet ready to read these poems. If your grief is softened by time or something else, these poems will bring it back to clarity. These poems will make you question if you are sure there really are no more jagged edges. The author warns you at the very beginning to take your time, to take breaks when you need to. That warning is not a joke. I had to take several breaks because of the way the words were tearing and ripping at my heart. And it's a slow burn to get where you may need a break. I never saw it coming until it hit me hard. Like a fine aged scotch or whiskey. And don't drink while you read these poems, that will just make it worse. This is powerfully written with the perfect edge.
Now for "side b". Tracking the words of the blackout poems to read them gave me a headache. I feel the author would have done better just calling them poignant quotes and putting just the words to read and none of the blackout part on the page. I know I would have appreciated it better. The words themselves, once I figured them out, were mostly just as compelling as the full poems.
I did not know there was a key after the blackout poems so I could just read the words. That was smart thinking but would have been better had the start of "side b" mentioned that this was available and what page to find it. I did like that the author accompanied each poem with a mention of the song she was listening to. I did not make the choice to also look up and listen to the songs but I would bet that each poem is likely more powerful if the reader does choose to do that.
Thank you @NetGalley and @Andrews McMeel Publishing for the DRC. I am choosing to write an honest review.

The cover is beautiful, and the title is original. The entire book is original, I love how the poems are connected to songs. Many of those songs are in my Spotify lists as well! The songs I didn't know, I looked up on Spotify and that feels very intimate to listen to other people's songs. I also relate to most of the poems. It makes me feel understood and they're written very beautifully. Thank u!

NetGalley review app

Loved the layout & concept. if you love poetry then you’ll love this. Poems in Spotify form is what I thought of. But the emotions the playlist bring that we never say. The author really did capture this it feels like to me.

I never read poetry so this wasn’t really my thing but thought it was good for what it was! I did think the “currently listening to” and “side b” were interesting!

“Because when your heart stopped, mine started pumping twice as hard for the both of us”

The format and concept of this poetry collection is so creative and accessible! I adored how every “track” had a corresponding song that relates to that specific poem. It really adds to the reading experience and makes it easier for the reader to connect to the meaning (Alicia Cook also has a great taste in music). I loved the concepts of the “Side B” consisting of blackout poems of the first side resembling the original poems as “remixes”.

I believe this collection explored heavy themes of grief, loss, and depression genuinely and authentically. I do think some of the poems were a bit too surface-level or shallow, but I would definitely recommend this collection to a reader who wants to start reading poetry.

The concept of this was so cool with side A and side B. I was initially drawn in because of the cover art and I was not disappointed.
The poetry itself is beautiful.

For someone who knows what a radio player is and a cassette- the cover, concept and format of the book was both nostalgic and refreshing.
This poetry collection is a nod at life- on everything that happens in between the beginning of life and when it ceases. With an array of insights on grief, disappointment, yearning, self awareness, love, lust, communication- it was great sitting with this book, screen in my face and swiping left, track after track. Tracks thirty one and thirty four provided interesting intersections on grief and burnout.
The reference to songs at the end of each poem- reminded me of Amy Winehouse and I got to play her songs-and take in her voice years later.
I would recommend this collection to a reader who has experienced love, loss, and who is searching like we all are-for that point of solace, and reading this book would serve as a companion- briefly.
Thanks Netgalley for the eARC.

The format of this poetry book is brilliant - side A, side B, as well as the various nods to mixtapes throughout. I also thought the references to different songs were super fun, and I got a thrill of excitement whenever I recognized a song or an artist. This poetry collection is a very thoughtful and melodic take on grief, depression, and loss. The writing was poignant and had a strong voice. I thought the blackout poems composed from the previous poems in the latter half of the book were very clever.

My favorite line: "I dream I am immortal and wake up wanting to die".

I always enjoy Alicia's poetry so I was really excited to read this collection. There was a lot of relatable poems that I resonated with in this collection.

Lovely title and cover! This poetry collection is really accessible and fun, and the songs connected to each poem are something I've never seen before. However, the poems feel very juvenile and surface-level. This collection would be perfect for someone who wants to start reading poetry but doesn't know where to start, but for someone who already loves poetry; it might just not be for me.

“When some were still new enough to cry over losing balloons to the sky, I was losing people.”

Took a little detour from the reading routine I’ve been following the last few days to check out this poetry book. Exploring themes of mental health, addiction, and grief this collection has a poem that will hit home for everyone.

I loved the formatting of this book. “Side A” consists of a collection of poems (titled as tracks), each paired with a song that goes into the same theme. “Side B” consists of blackout poems formed from the original poems from Side A.

I personally found myself able to relate to the majority of the poems in this collection and I really appreciate the contrast between heartbreaking prose and humor. I would absolutely purchase this book to re-read later on.

“The basement door isn’t the only thing in this house that has become unhinged.”