I am a huge fan Lyndsay Rush and her instagram account @maryoliversdrunkcousin. I was excited that her witty and fun approach to poetry was coming out in book form. This is a quick read reminiscent of Kate Baer's style. Some poems worked better for me then others. But fans of Rush's instagram will enjoy!

3.5 stars but rounding up to 4 stars.

Thank you Netgalley & St. Martin's Griffin for the advanced reader copy.

I've followed @maryoliversdrunkcousin (the author's handle) on Instagram for awhile now, so I was very excited to see that some of her work had been put into a book. This delighted my elder millennial heart. There were so many things I adored about this - Some of it was because of the feels, other times it was the humor, and most often it was that she had a line that just perfectly described a feeling/situation/event. I found myself highlighting different lines and whole poems as I read because they were so great. Thanks to NetGalley for the early look at this wonderful poetry collection ahead of its September 2024 release!

First off, I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

As a Christian, I found this book disturbing and it does not align with my beliefs. The author portrayed religion as a negative stereotype and connotation.. i do NOT recommend!!

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this early!

I am 100% the target demo for this book and because of that, I enjoyed it and identified with it. The pop culture references piqued my interest and definitely appreciated the nostalgic recalls that are still top of mind for me too. That being said, if you aren't the target demo, you may not enjoy it quite as much.
This book definitely put into perspective how a lot of women feel in their 30s and acts like a good friend reminding you that you're not alone in your thoughts. Great collection of poems; would definitely pick up a finished copy once available.

A Bit Much by Lyndsay Rush
I often find it hard to rate a book of poetry, as each poem is so different. I would rate some a 5 and some much lower. With this book of poems, there were definitely some I didn't relate to, but overall it was easy to give this one a solid 4.5!
They were funny, they were relatable, they were filled with pop culture. I really enjoyed this collection, and feel like me and the author could be besties.
Through some of the poems you can see some of the struggles of the author (dad issues, issues with the church etc).,of which I didn't relate to, however as a whole collection the way she uses humor instead of bitterness in her poems was uplifting.
Thank you to NetGalley and St.Martin's Press for the chance to review this arc. A Bit Much will be published September 17th.

First off, I got this collection of poetry from NetGalley. I have reviewed 50+ poetry collections, and this is one of the worst. As a follower of God, I cannot even give this one star. I would not recommend.

This debut book of poems is fun and unique! The poems are humorous but also relate to real life and remind me of saying that quiet part out loud.
It is hard to follow the poems back to back, so I don’t think it’s a book you read all of at one time. I see myself picking this up to read a few of the poems again each day for a laugh-hearted pick me up!

I’ve followed Lyndsay Rush for quite a while on Instagram and often find delight in her poetry when consumed via social media.

While many of these poems resonated with me as I seem to be in the same general age group as Rush, many of them felt a little too trite for a physical collection. Some observations in certain poems felt so fleeting that they may have landed better as an Instagram post.

Other poems were wonderful, like a little burst of serotonin needed on a gloomy day. I believe the mood breakdowns for each section would be so much more helpful in a physical copy and allow for a more natural “take what you need” approach to reading this book.

“A Bit Much,” more like not much. Thank you to St. Martin’s Griffin and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC. I love collections of poems: I’m looking at you Sophie Diener with Someone Somewhere Maybe and Carmen Maria Machado’s In the Dream House. This just felt so short. I read another review sharing how they view this collection of poems as Insta content and a millennial vibe and that is exactly what this is. There were no pulling emotional moments or any pieces of reflection. No thanks.

"A Bit Much" by Lyndsay Rush has a lot to offer as there are over 140 poems. There are four parts, part 1 is in the essence of "love letters" paired with descriptive adjectives to express the current or desired mood. This part "When You Have a Crush on Everything and Everyone" I personally was struck with the most. The author speaks to the passion within that is just overflowing. The first poem in that section was a little too in your face with the author's worldviews that she needed to inform readers about immediately. The next poem is a short and sweet, uplifting the reader by comparing growth between humans in a community to the way trees aid each other in a forest. There are hits and misses in this poetry collection but overall the author is onto something. I like the way they integrate modern luxuries like "Doordash" into poems. The reader will easily be able to see that the author is a very special, one of a kind impassioned individual who is littered with quirks in a beautiful way but as the title says, they are "A Bit Much". Reading the first part of this book is something I definitely would recommend to others. If you relate to the other moods in part 2, 3 and 4 then it wouldn't hurt to continue. Some poems are just worth a quick glance and a roll of the eyes but there are many that will make you feel and invigorate you in some way personal to you. I would say a young woman who is trying to find herself in adulthood would love this poetry collection and feel validated and seen by the carefully crafted words. Fans of the tv series Fleabag would enjoy this. I will rate a 4/5 stars because some poems could have been exempted for "lack of depth" but maybe they meant more than I could perceive!
Thank you NetGalley for the early access copy, all opinions are my own. Cheers to the author and publisher! Great debut work!

A hilarious, laugh-out-loud, yet tender and fully-felt collection; a millennial milieu of the way most of an entire generation sees and experiences the world, but just personal enough for the author to shine through and connect. I loved this collection and find it the perfect gift for friends.

Takeaway: I will be adding screaming every morning to my daily routine

I was definitely not the target audience for this book, but millennials would EAT. THIS. SHIT. UP.

However as Gen Z, the book wasn’t that funny, and read “cringy” at times. It came across as trying too hard but missing the mark. But as the goal and LITERAL title of this book, “a bit much”, the author definitely nailed that part. (This is mostly referencing to Part I)

HOWEVER! After Part I, it did progressively get better. There were a few poems I definitely resonated with, especially in Part II. I really related to the religious deconstruction poems and I enjoyed the affirmation poems in the 3rd and 4th part.
My favorite poem was Promise Ring Pop.

I would definitely recommend this book to my millennial friends, but not my Gen Z friends.

All in all, some was good some was not, but it will be enjoyed by many, just not me.

Thank you SO much to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review 😊

2.7/5⭐️

I’m in no way a literary analyst, especially not someone who’s read a lot of poetry, but this is not very good. I resonated to a couple of poems, a line here and there, but the rest felt inept. Most of it seemed like someone’s late night ramblings written on their notes app that was not meant for others to see. The only way I see this achieve success is if it were 2012 and posted on Tumblr.

I received an ARC copy from NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.

This collection of poetry is both positive and empowering. Told unapologetically, voice filled with confidence, this collection explores an ever-present hope in humanity, the spiritual battle that follows a religious upbringing, and what it means to be a woman who loves herself in a world that doesn't want her to. Informal in the best way, this was such a fun read. I laughed and I related.

Creative, hilarious, thought provoking and so accessible. A poetry collection for all women even if you didn’t think poetry was for you or that it was dull, boring, difficult to decipher or hard to relate to. Lyndsay Rush is able to take the experience of being a woman and put it into exactly the right words. This collection will have you laughing and nodding your head yes. Fun, powerful and a bit much in all the right ways!

Do not let the length fool you, this is just another generic insta poetry lilly reinhardt, rupi kaur, knock off that only scratches the surface levels of introspection. Despite the poems being longer they lack any substance.

Thank you to NetGalley for this advanced copy in return for my honest feedback. I really enjoyed this book of poems! I will admit this isnt my normal genre, but I did enjoy the authors collection of poems! I liked the overall feeling about trying to romantize your life and I also enjoyed the wide range from fun to serious that the poems range from. I would reccomend this book to people who like collections of poems!

This book of poems is so special to me and I can’t wait to buy a real hard copy when it released. Lyndsay has an amazing way with words and her poems are so incredible.

I would love to spend a day inside of Lyndsay’s mind. I think it would be full of color and oh so fun. I adore her poetry. Her writing makes me want to embrace exactly who I am and where I am in life with unadulterated joy. This book serves as a reminder to lean in and not care if someone thinks you’re a bit much. I look forward to purchasing a hard copy of this in September. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC. Some of my personal favorites from this book include-

Love Is What, Now?
Mortifying Every Poet Dead and Alive by Trying to Describe Love
Things That Taste as Good as Skinny Feels
I’m Giving Up for Lent
“You Have A Lot on Your Plate”
“Marie! The Baguettes, Hurry Up!”
She’s a Bit Much
A Little Bit Louder Now
Drinking Iced Coffee in January
Strong Female Lead
Cracks of Light
Cute, if True
Siri, Play “Peaches” by Justin Bieber

“I agree, she’s a bit much. Aren’t we so lucky she’s here?”

I enjoyed this collection so much! Lyndsay Rush is a great writer and merges comedy with modern poetry well. Sometimes the jokes and references gave off a little too much ‘appealing to gen z’ or ‘millennial humor’ for my taste, but it didn’t impact my time spent with this book.

Thoroughly enjoyed Love is what, now?, Reverse aging the easy way!, She’s a bit much, and I’m not afraid to be seen trying. Such great poems that read similarly to a miniature essay.

3.75 stars!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the early review copy!