This book of poetry.was so.much.fun to.read. I laughed a lot and rolled my.eyes at some of the poems. Fun to read and I would read this book again a d again it was so much fun. Loved it!!!

I received a free copy of the book and is voluntarily writing a review

I really loved this poetry collection. It's a nice example of how few words can make a big impact. Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for a free e-arc copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

**Thank you NetGalley for having given me the opportunity to read this book**


(Hyper)contemporary poetry has already taken its own specific characteristics: short poems and free lines capable to capture snapshots of situations and feelings. “Grass Animals” by Kevin Leal and Brian Koppen follows them, although it doesn’t lose its originality. It’s well clear there’s a thorough study of language and a weighted choice of words and verse construction, so the attempt to capture images of daily life and rise them to poetry in its traditional meaning is well-made. Even though these poems didn’t impress me, they’re somehow beautiful and own an excellent ability to build scenes that are almost kaleidoscopic.
I found particularly interesting the references to pop culture (although, I need to admit it, I had to do some research, but that’s my fault: I’m very young and I’m not even American).
Some poems delighted me and some amused me. These two poets have enviable observation skills.
Even though I prefer another kind of poetry, I still consider this collection very well-made.

Poetry is a form as boundless as any other art - it can rhyme or not, have a certain meter or not, be long or short, or be about deep questions or everyday concerns.

"Grass Animals" is a collection of short-form poems that feel almost Bashō-esque - there's a loveliness with the economy of words here that feels like certain eastern poetic forms, like the tanka, haiku, or senryu. These poems don't rhyme; they are short free verse that have no meter. Don't let that dissuade you!

Some of the poems are effectively humorous, but the real strength of the collection lies in the tiny sliver of life presented in some of the pieces. There's almost a melancholy sense of nostalgia; the poems about playing outside, about being a kid navigating adolescence (and the potential of being caught watching the Spice Channel), about moments in high school, about sneaking a peek at the neighborhood crush...they are short but evocative, and they conjure up entire scenes with no extraneous words.

I liked all of them, loved most of them, but my absolute favorite was "Kitchen Table." In a whopping 15 words, the poem causes an entire story to unfold in the reader's mind.

(I do agree with other reviewers that the formatting might be distracting to some, but it didn't pull me out of the poems at all and formatting can be so subjective in poetry).

A collection for those drawn to absurdism, abstract art, and equally odd conundrums. Like nothing I’ve consumed before, yet still I consumed it with relish.

0.5⭐
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of "Grass Animals"

I didn't understand the point of the book. This was a very simple book, so why I didn't understand it is beyond me. I won't be recommending this book—simply because I wouldn't know who to recommend it to.

La poesía en esta colección es simple pero muy cautivadora. Una pieza en particular, titulada “gallina”, me llamó la atención por la voz y cómo esa simplicidad puede transmitir un mensaje tan profundo. Rápidamente se convirtió en mi pieza favorita del libro. El principal problema fue el formato; el texto estaba mal colocado y era pequeño en la página, lo que necesita ser revisado por un editor antes de la publicación. No había introducción al principio y sentí que faltaba mucho, así que espero que todo se complemente con una edición posterior.

Great imagery throughout all of the poems. I found there to be a simplicity that made them enjoyable. Fun group of poetry.

When I read this collection of poetry I was not sure what type of imagery would come to life while I was reading. I read this collection in one sitting and enjoyed every second of it! The way this poetry was written just kept me wanting more and I was sad when I got to the end of the collection! I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys poetry or just getting into reading poetry! I will definitely keep my eyes open for more collections written by this duo!

something about this book felt rushed, unfinished. i know all poetry is different and some styles aren’t for everyone, so i’d like to think that this style just wasn’t for me. i couldn’t find myself connecting to many, there were a good 3-4 that i liked (hense the two stars) but overall this wasn’t my favorite read ever.

I wanted more....

This poetry was so refreshing and it painted a picture through every line. Definitely something to read a few times a year with it being such an easy and simple read. Not the biggest fan of the formatting on my Kindle, but I easily got over it.

Unfortunately these poems did not speak to me, I find it hard to engaged myself with the style.

Thank you netgalley for the arc.

Very interesting poems. I am so glad that I read. I will buy it as soon as it releases and read it again. Thank you so much for letting me read in advance.

Cheeky, quirky, quick fun read. Format was off on my Kindle but worked in the app, so I resorted to reading it there. Didn't get anything deep or meaningful out of this but I enjoyed the poems nonetheless.

2.5 stars
While this wasn't my cup of tea oersonally I do think people who like poetry especially more comical and in some cases seemingly non-sensical poetry will have an amazing time with this one.

This wasn't entirely for me I felt it was a bit all over the place and a bit bizarre.

First and foremost, art is subjective. I did not resonate with the poetry in Grass Animals, but someone else may. The description declaring minimalism was spot on, and for me, a bit too little. The poetry was vague in a weird way, yet somehow too specific.

I felt as though the writing was someone's brainstorming notebook that they got published. A few poems felt like a one sentence synopsis of short stories or videos, with no real direction. I did find a few I enjoyed that felt fun and simple enough to understand the base meaning. These included Front Stoop, In the Wild, Clown, Successful Outing, Bucket, and She Hated Him. A couple of these made me laugh too.

As a reader, the poetry did not feel like there was any passion behind it. I would not have suspected there were 2 authors writing the poems, mostly due to how short and abstract these were. Some of these felt like very niche experiences that a reader would not connect with, and others felt like someone writing a joke with deeper meaning.

The overall collection felt messy and disconnected. This felt like a half-finished outline of ideas that got thrown together. I think there is so much potential in the writing, and minimalistic doesn't mean it needs to be as simplistic and vague. Creating some connection points and making the collections intentions much clearer will provide a better experience to the reader.

I had read a few reviews prior to downloading my eARC and opted to read from NetGalley's app. I believe this prevented formatting issues that others experienced via Kindle. I do not think the formatting did any favors regardless, but I believe I was viewing it as intended.

Thank you to Netgalley and the authors and publisher for giving me a free ebook in exchange for an honest review.
I do agree with other reviews that it feels a bit unfinished. It's just missing something. My favorite poems were "Spice Channel" and "Court". Some of the poems felt a bit lackluster but overall I saw a lot of potential and would love to read more from these authors. 3/5 stars.

It was a short, lighthearted read but it's definitely not to everyones taste. I had to reread a lot of the poems because the formatting was a little off-putting and I didn't understand them. At first I was like what on earth is this? Is this satire? It felt pretty pointless to read because I felt as though the poems were just mundane words put together in order to get a quick buck.

It got to a point where some of the poems started to paint very specific imagery in my head and I started to see that the poetry collection wasn't all that bad. "Camper Park" was so silly and made me chuckle, and "Two-Piece" was quite touching. Overall, I just don't think it was for me but perhaps I'll give it another go some other time.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC ♥︎

I have mixed feelings about this collection of poems. Many of them left me feeling quite lost, as if I wasn't the intended audience. I tend to lean towards poetry that evokes deep emotions and brings tears to my eyes, whereas these poems often leaned towards humor and wit. Admittedly, there were a few pieces that did make me laugh in some way.

Each poem is short and offers a glimpse into lives without much backstory, which can be intriguing in its own right. I can see why some readers would enjoy this approach, but for me, it didn't quite hit the mark. I would still encourage others to give it a try, as personal taste plays a significant role in poetry appreciation. This collection just didn't align with my preferences.

Such an intriguing batch of poetry! I never know what to expect on the next page. Some made me giggle, others made think. I really enjoyed the poems that told a very short story of everyday life that one had to think just a bit to piece together. I am not a big fan of the spacing and I find that it is the most difficult for me to understand the purpose of, but that is probably due to my novice level of poetry comprehension.

Thank you NetGalley and the authors for the ARC!