I did like quite a few of the pieces in this collection but ultimately this was not for me. I never feel right criticizing poems in any negative way as what might not work for me, could very well work for someone else. With that being said, I would definitely recommend giving it a try!

Thank you so much for the ARC!

I went back and forth with "The Rose." Reines is a talented writer and this collection is reflective, playful, and unabashedly unafraid to pull punches. Some poems left me with irritation, finding the subject of the "man hating woman" to be overplayed. Other poems took me on a journey of self-reflection through gender ideology, sensuality, and grief. It's a hard book to pin down. There's a lot I liked, for example: Reines look at the role of society as it interacts through sex and romance to keep us apart or bring us together is poignant and refreshing. On the other hand, portions of the collection rely on the misandry/misogyny of broken relationships and that (while it's definitely satire) may go over heads.

Overall, I'd recommend this for poetry lovers looking for a new perspective in the themes of romance and relationships, especially when tied to societal pressures and norms.

My favorite poems are: "Divinity School", "Bitch", and "The Hanged Man."

The Rose by Ariana Reines is a reflective work of poetry that breaks down the romance trope to its most basic shapes and colors. Unfortunately the work fell flat for me, working only at the surface level. I would not recommend this book.