This was really good. For anyone interested in poetry analysis, as well as a broad overview of Taylor Swift‘s catalog, definitely fascinating.
Also good to have for that inevitable comment about Taylor Swift‘s songs being „badly written“ and „only about breakups“!
Might also be something for English teachers to have a look at and consider using her music for class!

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely loved the concept behind this book! The premise was so unique, and the execution completely delivered. The writing style was captivating, especially with the notes in the margins, which added such a creative layer to the storytelling. It felt like I was unraveling a mystery in real-time, and it made the reading experience so immersive.

This book made me feel like a full-blown Taylor Swift conspiracy theorist—connecting the dots, analyzing every word, and questioning everything. I was constantly second-guessing myself, and I loved every second of it. If you’re a fan of clever, interactive storytelling, this one is an absolute must-read!

Five stars!

Oh, how I truly loved this.

Synopsis: A must-have book for all Swifties, “Stars Around My Scars: The Annotated Poetry of Taylor Swift” by Elly McCausland analyzes 46 of Swift’s songs line by line to help listeners understand and appreciate her songwriting abilities and literary connections. McCausland is a professor of English literature — and “Swifterature” — at Ghent University in Belgium, so she knows what she’s talking about when it comes to history, poetry and literary references.

This in-depth, well-researched book really took me by surprise, uncovering even deeper meanings to some of Swift’s most emotional and beloved songs. I. Learned. So. Much.

McCausland avoids speculating which songs are about specific people or relationships and instead focuses on how Swift’s songs draw from other works of art as well as her own discography. This is one book to buy — not borrow — and treasure for years to come.

Thank you to #NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for an advanced reader copy of #StarsAroundMyScars. To be published Jan. 28, 2025.

As a Swiftie, this book intrigued me. Dr. E. McCausland, a professor of literature in Belgium, has become known for her class in “Swiftature”. She takes the lyrics of popular songs by Taylor Swift and examines them from a literary point of view. One of the biggest (and most untrue in my opinion) complaints about Swift’s music is that “she only writes songs about her exes”. McCausland takes that argument and proves why it is wrong.

You do not have to be a Swiftie to understand this book! That being said, this is not a sit-down and read-for-fun book. This is a book I would (and probably will) get for one of the following reasons: 1. I’m going to read and discuss/annotate with my Swiftie friends. 2. To use in class as a teacher. Or 3. To add to my collection of Taylor Swift-related books.


Most of the annotations in the book talk about the literary structures of the lyrics and how they are used to convey meaning/ express feelings and tell a story. Many of the explanations she gives really opened my eyes to better understand how Blondie is able to pack such a punch into some of her most devastating songs. While I didn’t always agree with the conclusions made by Dr. McCausland, I found myself wanting to discuss the ideas and add my annotations. For this reason, I would not buy this as an e-book. I need the physical book so I can add my own thoughts and conclusions.

This book would be perfect for a Swiftie book club.

Taylor Swift is a cultural phenomenon and with her Eras Tour ending in a few days, there have been many products and hype to keep the flames going. The argument of whether or not she is a poet is explained very well and there are depths to her songs that continue through her discography. I liked the design and layout, and how the author chose select songs. I learnt a lot about poetry in general just by reading this and I’m sure fans who study this book will find new meaning in the songs they’ve known for years.

Thank you to Andrews McMeel Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I didn’t know I needed this in my life. 5 stars. No notes.

**I received this advance copy free from Andrews McMeel Publishing via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.**

"Stars Around My Scars* is an entertaining and enlightening deep dive into Taylor Swift’s lyrics, blending academia and fandom in a way that feels both personal and profound. Presented with annotated songs styled like handwritten notebook pages, followed by detailed recaps, this book feels like being back at university, studying texts with all the joy and heartbreak they bring.

As someone who has studied Swift’s music for my Honours and Master’s degrees in Music, I adored discovering the interconnections between songs across her discography and brushing up on technical terms (the glossary was *Perfectly Fine*). Dr. McCausland’s insightful analyses of Taylor’s lyrics as literary texts illuminate so much about her songwriting craft. While some interpretations felt speculative, that’s the magic of analysing art—Swift’s lyrics resonate differently for everyone, and their openness invites discussion.

The conclusion serves as a beautiful reminder: these songs are ours now, and how we relate to them is just as important as what Taylor might have intended. This book is a must-read for Swifties who want to connect the *Invisible String* of Taylor’s storytelling with her poetic brilliance. I’ll definitely be buying a physical copy to annotate, because this is one love story worth underlining.

Taylor Swift’s music is full of metaphors and imagery, and it was really interesting to read the author’s interpretation of the lyrics’ meaning. Of course, listening to music is subjective, and people interpret meanings in different ways.

I enjoyed the stylistic choices in how the notes were presented in the book. They looked like handwritten notes with circled words, underlining, etc. It almost felt like reading someone’s personal notebook.

The glossary at the end was helpful because I wasn’t familiar with all the terminology the author used.

If you’re a Swiftie who enjoys analyzing and exploring the meaning and message behind Taylor Swift’s lyrics, I highly recommend checking out this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the Advanced Reader Copy! First off I love this concept. Breaking down the best lyrics written by Taylor and can see this being picked up by huge fans or those who want to know more about her. I enjoyed the analysis parts more when they were broken up throughout the lyric pages, rather than after each song. It would be fun to see this collection grow adding different songs from each era. I would definitely recommend this book to other fans of Taylor!

Stars Around My Scars analyzes the oeuvre of Taylor Swift. Picking songs from every album she has ever published, McCauseland shows us a peak behind the curtain of Swift's literary genius.

This book was a very interesting read. As a casual Taylor Swift fan and a lover of poetry, McCauseland offers a great intersection for these two to meet. I learnt something new about Swift's history and view on the world via the analysis of some her songs. This gave new meaning to old familiars.

The only thing missing from this analysis is a more overarching analysis per album. That would have added some extra depth for those less familiar with Swift's oeuvre. I would have also liked to see McCauseland go even deeper with her analysis, with some of the literary references for example. But that is probably a very personal preference.

The format for this book with the “notes scribbled in the margins” style feels very Taylor, fun and dynamic. I also really enjoyed how different songs and albums got linked with the analysis of different songs throughout the book.

I would suggest listening to a particular song covered in this book, before or during reading the analysis of said song (unless you know it by heart of course!). As not only the text, but also the recitation is often referenced. This book works particularly well as reference material to peruse a few songs at a time, or as a coffee book to leave through at your leisure.

Is Taylor Swift a Poet?
I'd say yes, absolutely!
Imagine her on stage without the band, the flashy clothes and no guitar or singing. Instead she is standing on stage speaking her lyrics into the microphone while a crowd of aspiring poets and English literature students are staring at her intently hanging on to her every word and feeling the emotion in her voice.
I think if Taylor Swift didn't go down the musical path she would have become a very successful literary writer and poet. Maybe she would be the Emily Dickenson of today. Maybe she already is!

The author is a professor teaching a course she created called English Literature Taylor's Version at Ghent University, she offers her insights into the meaning of Taylor's lyrics and how they are inspired by other great works of literature that Ms Swift is clearly a fan of.
I particularly enjoyed the author's notes and annotations circle words and including her thoughts as an English professor.
Some may not agree with her ideas, however as she clearly states in the Introduction to the book that's okay, everyone has their own thoughts and opinions, only Taylor Swift knows the true meaning to the words she wrote.

Overall this is a valuable piece of work for Swifties and literature and poetry lovers and students

I'm a total Swiftie, so I loved this, I just wish that there had been a different choice of songs chosen from TTPD, I can't do it with a broken heart, Clara Bow, for example. Anyway, definitely a must for super fans!!!!!

I will read anything that will show respect to Taylor's work like this did. I really enjoyed looking at all the amazing details in Taylor's writing and all the songs I love.

Stars Around My Scars would be a great book for poem lovers, Swifties and readers that want to dive deeper into the meaning and interpretation behind some of Taylor Swift's songs. It show cases how Swift does not just write romance songs, but lyrics with deeper meanings behind them in songs like "My Tears Ricochet," "Marjorie," "Innocent," and more.

I want to first say to the designer of the interior (font, graphics, etc) "BRAVO!". I thought the interior of this book was done so well from a visual prospective.

I am a Swifitie and was lucky enough to attend the Eras tour (LA N1!) and I post book recommendations based on TS songs. I am the intended audience for this book and truly enjoyed the annotations of selected songs. I appreciate the inclusion of a glossary in the back for literary terms that have not stuck with me these many years after AP Lit. It was so interesting to read some of the different interpretations of these lyrics and I enjoyed the authors inclusion of fan theories. The conclusion is so accurate that these songs meanings will continue to evolve over time as listeners continue to form personal connections to the lyrics.

Review on YouTube will go live Sunday before publication

this is such a clever intake on taylor's lyrcis, i loved it! i always wanted to read something that helps break down her songs/lyrics for my book page and even when reading, i love to have her music in the background to help me fully understand the characters

Thank you to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for my arc in exchange for my unbiased opinion!

So, as a PhD student whose future dissertation topic involves linking contemporary music to classic works of literature and as a Swiftie, this book seemed perfect for me! Granted, there were a couple similar books that I read arcs of earlier this year and they left me with a suspicious taste in my mouth because those were what I thought to be not just lazy scholarship but lazy writing.

I was proved wrong by Dr. Elly McCausland!

“Stars Around My Scars” is a wonderful introduction not just to “Swifterature,” but to literary analysis! McCausland does a brilliant job of introducing what this book is and who this book is for and honestly, I think she accomplished what she set out to do with this. Not surprising considering she’s one of the leading scholars of using Swift’s music as a gateway to literature and literary analysis (literally what I’m planning on doing in my work, except my dissertation is focused on The Beach Boys).

I loved how there’s marginalia for each song she’s chosen from each era. It really is a bitesize poetry course and as poetry isn’t my strong suit, I appreciated the poetic terms glossary in the back. Genuinely, this was also just such a fun read and gave me new ways of listening to the songs she chose.

I wish I could take her class or work with her as a research assistant because I loved this so much.

Would recommend for anybody!

Out of all the recent books — from major publishers nonetheless — to analyze Taylor Swift, this one is the most necessary/the only one that actually merits existing (beyond just capitalizing on Taylor Swift’s pull).

The author knows exactly what kind of book this is, an analysis of select works from Taylor’s discography as text. She puts in thought dissecting and finding the literary devices in the lyrics. The format of the book* allows the reader to understand not just poetic and literary devices in each verse, but why it’s used and how it serves each song as a whole.

She takes the task of explaining the text seriously, but also understands that she is working with artefacts from pop culture. That is refreshing, normally with this kind of thing the person behind it takes themselves too seriously and the campy novelty becomes wince-inducing really quickly. The author navigates that thin line really well.

She uses her expertise in literature to give juuuust enough context to each device and a sprinkle of literature references embedded in the work (and she uses her encyclopedia Swiftie ** knowledge to link it back to Taylor’s music). The reader gains an appreciation of Taylor’s talent, AND a greater appreciation of poetry and literature that now seems 10% more accessible.

*One thing I really liked, was the choice to explain the work with “pen” annotations. Apart from the cute note-taking aesthetic it makes literary concepts digestible to the reader. The choice also shows awareness of the work she’s analyzing.
**I found out about the book from the blog of the Taylor Swift literature course the author runs in Belgium. I also recommend looking up the blog, it’s the best of all the “Taylor Swift is taught in college”-type courses.

Note: Even though I got this book as an ARC preview in exchange for an honest review (thank you to the good people at #NetGalley and Andrews McMeel publishing), I will be buying it to have on my bookshelf. I am curious what the parts with “pen” look like in print.

First of all, Thank You Netgalley for the ARC granted to me. This book was a great surprise to my tbr. Alltough I' m not a swiftie , I appreciate Taylor's ability to write songs that connects with the audience with ease. And the author has built an incredible estrategy with dots connected to the lyric and possible meaning and(or) literary references in them. The visual design of the book is another right choice, with purple mixed with a sofisticated gray tone,all that added to vectors so the readers can relate from each Taylors' albums era song is being analyzed at that time.Pretty enjoyable and easy to read. To the fans, and enthusiasts of music, this book is a good pick!

Anything Taylor swift and you’ll find me there. I really enjoyed looking into some of Taylor’s songs a little deeper. Annotations were super helpful and I liked the style of it feeling like someone had written over my own personal copy.
Thank you!