I don't know these authors, but Brian Koppen follows my reviews on Goodreads, which is how I ended up reading this (courtesy of Netgalley).

I read it using the Kindle app on my phone and, like others have mentioned, the formatting was crazy. No idea if that was deliberate, but once I knew what to expect, it was fine.

These reminded me of haiku. Short, funny little looks at life, many from the point of view of a younger person. I especially liked "Train to Chicago," "Camper Park," "Kitchen Table," and "Magic Grow."

In tone, these reminded me a little of Mark Cunningham's <i>80 Beetles</i>, so if you enjoyed this, check that out.

There's no supporting text with this ARC, so I ended up googling Brian Koppen and discovered that he had a podcast for several years where he interviewed NYC comics, which is a pretty cool thing to do.

The poetry in this collection is simple yet quite captivating. Once piece in particular, titled "Chicken," stood out to be due to the voice, and how the simplicity could create such a deep rooted message; it quickly became my favorite of the book. The main issue was formatting, the text was awkwardly placed and small, which obviously needs to be overlooked and cleaned up by an editor. There was no introductory pages at the beginning and it felt like much was missing, which makes it clear that this book is unfinished, so hopefully it will come together upon further editing.

This was an extremely easy read, which doesn’t necessarily mean bad. The format was a little bit all over the place (which could be a kindle problem) but I actually found it added to the general tone of the poetry. Humorous at times. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this to a friend. I think if I dedicated more time to analyse the poems i may discover I liked this work more but unfortunately the poems as they stand don’t attract me enough to do so. It feels a little bit unfinished but like another reviewer said I am excited to see what it looks like when it is published. 2/5 ⭐️

Poetry is pretty hit and miss for me, but I wanted to give this a go. The formatting when sent to my kindle was a bit all over the place and I struggled with it a bit, but I still enjoyed the reading experience for the most part. However I found that the poems themselves didn't really grab me much. I absolutely see that these poems are good and can be interpreted and analysed, but I personally didn't enjoy this very much.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC

The poems are short but far from simple.. The collection features poems that feel like stories that have more hidden behind them, others like they are captioning a picture. The poems range from humorous to deep, but all of them are enjoyable. The collection feels weaved together and the titles are often clever. The collection includes poems that allow the reader to fell a full range of emotions.

3⭐️

Short, charming and hilarious poems on completely different topics.

I enjoyed the format of this little collection, although I wish the text would be aligned better on the paper, so it’s easier to read.

Thank you to Kevin Leal and Brian Koppen, as well as the publisher and NetGalley for the beautiful opportunity to enjoy this work ahead of it’s release date!

#GrassAnimals #NetGalley

Thank you NetGalley for the ebook!
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This was... interesting? I'm not sure if I am the right audience for this.

I did enjoy myself, that's true. But I am afraid I do not understand the art behind the poems. For me, I read it literally as black-and-white as it showed, but maybe there is more behind it than it shows on paper? I don't know.

This poetry book is an experience, that is for sure.

I liked 'House Sitting' a lot, because I can relate to that one. 'Expedition' is a wholesome one. Especially because of the last sentence added in brackets.

To be completely transparent and honest, I was taken aback and completely baffled by this poetry collection. It’s not labeled as nonsensical poetry but I think that’s the most fitting description of this. Some of the poems had a sinister feeling about them which was fun in a uncomfortable way but unfortunately I found a lot of it to be needing of review and editing.

I feel like I’m missing something critical; a description or context, anything really.

I read this through NetGalley. 2 Stars because I did let out a chuckle.

I found these poems to be short tiny glimpses into humorous, strange, curious moments. I think there's something here for readers looking for short bites that might evoke a vivid image or theme. However, for fans of more traditional poetry there is not much of substance to be found here.

This poetry collection is intriguing and fascinating.
The poems are more like haiku's than your standard poems. They're statements, short and sweet, with metaphors hidden within them to be found.
Personally, these aren't my cup of tea. I'm more of a sonnet person, so that's no fault of the book.
If you're looking for a quick, fun read - one that might make you question what you've read - this collection is for you.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC
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For a lot of these poems I just felt... lost?

I feel like this is a case of "not the right audience" syndrome, because I'm more into the touchy-feely, makes me wanna cry, type of poems. And these felt like they were more comedy-leaning. I definitely laughed at/resonated with a few (Roommates, Radio, Two-Piece, Kitchen Table) but most of them just went right over my head.

Definitely still give it a try though. The poems are short and they're little windows into lives that we're given no backstory on, but all recognize to some degree. I can understand why someone would enjoy that, but it didn't hit the mark for me, unfortunately.

This collection of poems feels in the spirit of haiku: capturing snapshots of time and noting the ironic, the whimsical, the awe-inspiring, the embarrassing, and much more in just a few lines. I enjoyed so many of these poems and the way they build vivid images in my mind with so few words. There were a few sensations I really would rather not have felt, and there are a few places where I felt like I was on the outside of an inside joke. But overall, I liked more poems than I disliked, and I'd read this collection again.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

Inquisitive. Humorous. "Grass Animals" is a collection of short poems on a variety of topics. I struggled to find the connection in them but felt they were like peering inside the author's brain. From RVs covered in panty liners, to mom wearing a new swimsuit, the poems look at funny sights and daily life occurrences.

I’m not sure if I was just missing the point completely, it’s very possible that I am too dumb to understand these, but I didn’t find that any of these particularly resonated with me.

Not badly written but overall not really for me

REVIEW: GRASS ANIMALS

I feel as though a teenager has finally found their voice.

This book reminds me of Bukowski's "Love is a Dog from Hell," not because of the topics, but due to the writing style. The style is raw and brutal, yet filled with metaphors that one must live through their teenage years to fully comprehend.

It feels like the author journaled extensively as a teenager, recalling the small events that significantly impacted their mindset. The title of each poem connects with the poem itself. Only someone who has experienced the tumultuous emotions of adolescence can truly understand it. The author uses straightforward language, as if finally expressing their thoughts before moving on with life. While I'm not particularly a fan of such writing, it was an enjoyable read. It offers a different perspective on life. The years from 12 to 18 are transformative, and documenting them must have been a significant endeavor. Overall, I would say it was a relaxing book to read.

This is the perfect everyday read that you can leave on your desk to revise every now and then.

I was caught off guard at first, thinking there was something missing on the poems and it was going to be hard to enjoy. As I moved onto poem 3, my brain surprised me with an analysis of the previous ones, and as I laughed, I realised these are meant to be digested, not just read.

Some make you laugh, some make you frown, some make you want to know more about that life, because as you progress, you realize you're reading fragments of a life. It was refreshing.

This collection of poems is fresh, surprising, and brief. Each piece captures vivid scenes and images, often in just a handful of lines. Many give you a glimpse into an entire social world full of relationships between strange yet familiar characters and their conflicts of desire (e.g., "Jorge's trunk/was full of knockoffs/Colognes and perfumes/we could sell").

At their best, these poems are also very funny, with the last lines functioning like a punchline to rueful joke on the way we live, as in the mid-collection gem "Magic Grow": "Into spit cups/the maid of honor/dropped capsules,/which grew into/respectable/cock-and-balls/by the end of the wine tasting."

I look forward to more of these authors' unique vision and voices.

Grass Animals is not your typical poetry book. Although it may seem questionable to analyse the emotions and composition of the poetry, it's intriguing to read the book word for word in order to gain a deeper understanding of the unique viewpoint and significance of each word.

This book is not for readers looking for a motivational poetry book; instead, it is meant for those who want to explore the deference kind of poetry, consider every word they read, and explore the adventures found within each page. About the elements of the book, they use literary fiction, general fiction, and poetry. I never expected about that kind of book outcome.

This book will set you free because, like a puzzle, it has every possibility you could possibly think of.

I give this collection of poems 2.5 stars. It is very short and the poems are also short. Honestly, some of the poems I just simply did not understand BUT some poems actually had me laughing out loud. It appears this is the first book under these authors names. I couldn't find information on Kevin Leal (I didn't dig TOO deep). According to Brian Koppen's Instagram, he has interviewed over 300 comics, has a podcast and produces comedy shorts. As of writing this review, I was unable to find anywhere that had a description of this book.

Overall, this was an enjoyable, though extremely short, read but it has left me wondering what the purpose of this book was. In my opinion this book needs to have a foreward, or something of the like, that tells the reader a little bit about what they are going to read and maybe even why.

I'm curious to see the finished product. Will there be a note in the beginning of the book? Will there be artwork included? What will the cover look like?

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and authors for the opportunity to read and review this ARC!