this was wonderful and devastating. it was beautifully written and deeply emotional. it is very hard hitting, but definitely worth reading!!!

This collection was everything. Tender, raw, tearful, hopeful, a gut punch. Cass Donish invited us into their grief, taking us on their journey as they processed the death of their partner by suicide at the onset of the pandemic. Touching on life, death, gender, mental illness, quarantine, and more, Donish's poetry moved me in ways I never expected.

Sometimes I smiled ("the pandemic was ending soon on our block | we only had to be careful for a few more years").

Sometimes I cried ("I kiss you, my lips pressed flat to glass").

Sometimes I felt my stomach drop away as I rode the roller coaster of emotions ("I sang to her. | I cut a lock of her hair. | I entered her death."

This was a beautiful collection.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is beautifully written and wonderfully organized. I didn't quite realize some of the connotations but the more that I read the more I fell in love with this collection.

Beautiful, sad, heartfelt, fair. I liked this collection very much, and though some might disagree, I'm glad I read this before I read LETTERS TO FORGET by Kelly Caldwell. These poems provide some outer perspective on the inner turmoil Donish's partner went through.

Your Dazzling Death by Cass Donish was hauntingly beautiful. You can feel the vulnerability and prfound perspective from the page. Excellent read!

Diese Gedichtsammlung handelt von dem Verlust der Partnerin durch Suizid, von den Herausforderungen und inneren Kämpfen als trans Person und von nicht endender Liebe. Viele der Gedichte haben mich sehr berührt und den Schmerz der schreibenden Person greifbar dargestellt. Der Stil der Gedichte hat sehr variiert und mir gefiel diese Vielseitigkeit sehr. Dennoch gab es auch viele Gedichte, die mich emotional nicht erreicht haben, ohne dass ich den Grund dafür nennen könnte. Ich kann diese Gedichtsammlung dennoch weiterempfehlen.

In English:

This collection of poems is about the loss of a partner through suicide, about the challenges and inner struggles of being a trans person, and about never-ending love. Many of the poems touched me very much and tangibly portrayed the pain of the person writing them. The style of the poems varied a lot and I really liked this versatility. However, there were also many poems that did not reach me emotionally, without me being able to explain why. I can still recommend this collection of poems.

Many of the poems had beautiful imagery and metaphors, really letting me feel the emotions and giving strong messages. The poems about bipolar disorder resonated so strongly with me, having that condition, myself. The poems about gender and grief didn't hit as close to home, but they still punched me in the gut.

There were many poems or chunks of lines that lost me, though. Word combinations didn't make sense and were very disconnected. As the collection progressed, I found this happening more and more often. I'd say this happened with more poems than not.

Thank you NetGalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Warning, this book deals talks about suicide

It is tough to conceptualize an ever-evolving state of mind and this book is ever-evolving yet everything feels like a somewhat gossamer ready to dissolve at any moment, and yet still embodies a sense of permanence that lingers long after the last sentence. It was excellent in the worst/best kind of way I understand this pain (not this particular pain), I have felt this pain, and yet the depth of human emotions is still a mysterious thing to me. Please read.

This is a really great collection of poems and the depth of grief is so poignant. I read Kelly’s collection first, and then to read Cass’ and see how they have an overwhelming absence in their life after Kelly’s death, it just really hits the heart so good.

This collection of poems quite literally killed me. I think I read it with teary eyes and a blurred vision as I couldn't quite crying. This is full of feels, the word choices will hurt your heart yet there is a hope for healing. Loved it a lot!

Dealing with the aftermath of their partner’s unexpected death due to suicide, this collection of poetry by Cass Donish had me in tears.

I love reading poetry because so few words can speak so loudly and this collection definitely did. I could feel the heartbreak and grief in these poems.

I rated this collection five stars because the power of words in these poems speaks volumes and I could feel every heartbreak.

Wow…

Cass Donish has created such a powerful and heartbreaking collection of poetry that somehow manages to be both a mournful remembrance of Kelly Caldwell and a celebration of her life.

Writing about the death of your lover is difficult on its own, but to do so while navigating a global pandemic and lockdown is an entirely different feat, one that Donish does exceptionally well.

This is a heartwrenching collection of visceral grief and endless love. I’m honestly at a loss for words.

5⭐️

I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley and Knopf, however my review is completely unbiased and is my own personal opinion left of my own volition.

Your Dazzling Death by Cass Donish is a breathtaking, gut-wrenching exploration of grief that feels like a raw wound laid bare on the page. Written in the aftermath of their partner Kelly Caldwell’s suicide, Donish's poems are a hauntingly beautiful testament to love that transcends time and space. The way Donish captures the disorientation of mourning, especially within the confines of the global pandemic, is nothing short of extraordinary. The collection doesn’t just dwell in sorrow; it pulses with life, with the fierce affirmation of their partner’s trans identity and the love that continues to exist in this strange, liminal space between worlds. The language is so vivid, so alive, that you can almost feel the weight of each word pressing against your chest. This is more than poetry—it’s a ritual, a reclaiming, and a testament to the enduring power of love even in the face of unimaginable loss. If you’ve ever felt the depths of grief, or loved someone so deeply that the lines between life and death blur, this collection will resonate with you in the most profound way.

This was brilliant, beautiful, and extremely hard to read. In these poems, Donish processes the death of their partner by suicide, and I’m at a loss as I try to think of what’s appropriate to write in a review. These poems are art and pain laid bare. They embody the craft of a brilliant poet grappling with unimaginable grief while at the same time holding so much love. They are a testament to how important Kelly Caldwell was to Donish and the world around her, and Your Dazzling Death is a powerful and moving tribute.

Your Dazzling Death is a poetry collection that deeply examines grief and its very personal experience left to those who loved and lost someone. It doesn't take the typical approach to the topic, as it shouldn't, because of how grief can be different for everyone. I can't imagine anyone who has lost someone close to them wouldn't be moved by this stunning, unique collection of thoughts and images.

Your Dazzling Death by Cass Donish is a deeply moving collection that navigates the delicate balance between beauty and sorrow. Donish’s poems are intimate and raw, exploring themes of love, loss, and the inevitable passage of time with a tenderness that resonates on every page. The language is vivid and poignant, drawing you into moments that feel both personal and universal. This collection is a gentle reminder of the dazzling light that can emerge from even the darkest experiences, making it a truly touching read.

This was a beautiful work of grief.

When we read something as personal as this we tend to bring our personal into it. I had a partner who died because of her addictions and I remember the hole that left in me. I remember the devastation. I remember how it was at once seemed a surprise and an inevitability. So as I read these poems it was impossible not to superimpose my own experience onto Donish’s work.

For me, I felt seen and confirmed in my feelings. Donish works through the beauty and struggle of life with Caldwell: their meeting, and Caldwell’s illness, and how much they loved each other.

Donish never seems to lose sight of the idea that whether they like it or not their life has to go on even though it feels just as if Caldwell took both of their lives at once.

These poems hit me in the stomach with their pain and with their hope.

This is a companion piece to Caldwell’s posthumously published work Letters to Forget.

I loved the poems. I was especially moved by Via Negativa. I also really enjoyed the intextual inclusion of The History of Violets by Marosa di Giorgio. Thanks to Netgalley for an advanced copy!

This book of poems had moments that were incredibly profound followed by just as many moments that made me question why they were in the book. I understand that a good chunk of this book was built on grieving but there didn't feel like there was a light at the end of the tunnel or any true joy to be gleamed.

Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf for providing an eARC of this in exchange for an honest review.

5 out of 5 stars

Your Dazzling Death is a collection of poetry by Cass Donish, partner to Kelly Caldwell in the years prior to her suicide.

The titular poem is a wreck, as in it wrecked me and as in I could feel the wreck in Cass that was left by Kelly's absence. The whole of the works are devastating and bleeding loss and grief, still a beautiful tribute to a fierce love. I have lost, and this howling heartache checks in me.

It's the pulsing, throbbing silence in the ears of the ones left behind. Via Negativa (the first one) broke me in its familiarity.

It is a rare poem that can draw tears, but there were a lot in here that had my nose stinging, and more than a couple that actually had me crying.