Beautifully written and very sad poetry collection. I fear some of the poems I had a bit of trouble understanding on a deeper level so will be re-reading in the future to better get a grasp on them but overall enjoyed reading Declarations of Hunger by Reed Smith.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-Arc. My opinions are my own.

Declarations of Hunger surprised me in the best way—raw, urgent, and brimming with a voice that feels both deeply personal and universally resonant.

Reed Smith writes like someone who has something real to say, and refuses to dress it up in anything other than honesty. The collection walks the line between poetry and prose, hunger and hope, chaos and clarity. There’s a rhythm to the language that pulls you in, even when the subject matter hits hard or veers unexpectedly.

What stood out most to me was how visceral it felt. You can practically taste the longing, the rebellion, the ache for meaning in a world that often feels hollow. It’s not always comfortable—but it is compelling.

My one small gripe: a few pieces felt more like sketches than finished thoughts. But maybe that’s the point. Hunger doesn’t always arrive plated and perfect—it just is, gnawing and undeniable.

Bold, unflinching, and worth sitting with.

*Declarations of Hunger* by Reed Smith is a bold and visceral exploration of desire, survival, and the complexities of human craving. With striking prose and unflinching honesty, Smith delivers a gripping and thought-provoking read that lingers long after the final page.

While some poems had beautiful imagery, I found it difficult to fully connect to the themes and authors intention with this collection. Messaging was hard to grasp and I wasn't able to emotionally connect with most poems.

Only made it to page 13. I think this collection is better suited for someone who is a seasoned poetry reader. I think that I’m still new enough that I had a hard time understanding the poems I read and I couldn’t relate to them, which is important to me when reading a collection. The cover is beautiful though, and I do think this will find its audience!

This is undeniably good poetry; however, I cannot surmise what it is about. From the surface, I see writing about the cycles of land, human desperation, greed. Themes of decay & destruction.

Perhaps it is as plain as it seems. I doubt that—I think instead, that the deeper story is not for me. I can’t see it because I don’t understand. Regardless, it is beautiful.

Thank you #NetGalley for providing this digital ARC.

As a novice poetry consumer, I found myself lost in a few poems though the messages were still conveyed. I think this piece is beautiful done though once I grow a deeper understanding of poetry I hope to circle back for new insight. Great work.

3.5 stars rounded up. A collection of small, brief poems that evoke the feeling of going through old photographs, and having brief memories come back. These are poems you need to sit with for a while - they weren't all for me, but some of them painted beautiful imagery. I wish I could have resonated on a deeper level with the book as a whole.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It’s hard to review poetry because it is so subjective, but this collection was just okay for me. There were some powerful images but I just didn’t respond emotionally to most of the collection.

these poems punched me in the gut, over and over and over and i wouldn’t have it any other way. i’m definitely a fan now.

Beautiful collection that I look back to once in a while. I enjoyed this very much and I felt a heart war connection to many of the layers in the poems. Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The poems are beautiful, but I found that although I appreciated the poems' prose the connection to myself as a reader was not able to go past the surface level.

ARC 5 ⭐️ Declarations of Hunger by Reed Smith is a beautiful collection of poetry which have such a strong but lyrical style that I loved. I think this is a great book and I'd recommend it to anyone who loves poetry.

Thank you, NetGalley, BooksGoSocial, and Reed Smith, for sending this book for review. All opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this debut collection of poems. The author uses lots of imagery and created clear pictures in my mind. The poems are reflective, tragic in a beautiful sort of way and invokes nostalgia even though me and the author have nothing in common and grew up on different sides of the planet. My favorite poems where Peau D’orange, How deep is the ocean, Challenger and Sense of time. My issue (and the reason I can’t give this collection more than three stars) is that I found it hard to really connect to most of the poems even though I found them well written. Most of them just didnt really hit me the way I wanted them to. There was just something missing. Maybe I’m not really the taget audience, but I’m happy I read it and would recommend anyone to give it a go as well.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for letting me read this book early.

(This review was first published on Goodreads)

For someone getting into poetry, this was not for me. While the poems were beautiful, it was too abstract for me to fully grasp the themes and meaning.

Reed Smith's poetry collection, Declarations of Hunger is a superb debut and establishes Smith as a poet to watch.

Smith is concise and economical with their language and imagery, and I adore how the intertwine the subjects 'body' with 'environment' to sketch a landscape of human nature nestled in the bosom of nature's beauty and power.

Smith also strikes a balance between confessional poetry and writing from a third person perspective. Both styles explore nature in a visceral and pointed way, ensuring we are enveloped and immersed in the poet's chosen places.

I really enjoyed reading this collection!
My favorite poem was The Voices of the Mind, not just for its beauty but also its relatability. I think Smith captured in this work what so many of use experience, of how these things people 'don't mean anything by' get stuck in your head.
The line that stuck with me the most however was from Bowel of Apples.
"Living has a certain ring to it. Dying just won't do."
There is something almost lyrical to this line that make it sound like it belongs on the radio.

Declarations of Hunger presents us with Reed Smith's debut poetry collection, which is steeped in the memories of his home. We are gifted with poems that represent small glimpses and memories of his childhood and family, of fear and wonder, as well as impressions of who we are and how we fit into our environments.

His work is thoughtful and I felt his words quietly growing on me the more I read. This book made me feel like I was outside on a chilly winter day, going for a walk, my boots crunching through snow. It made me think of the cornfields I lived next to as a child and driving by the cows on nearby farms and the baled hay spread distantly in the empty, wheat-colored fields and an orange sky over grassy plains. A very nostalgic and provocative read; many lines will live with me for a very long time. It also made me think deeply on the relationships we as humans perpetuate on nature and the earth itself.

My favorite pieces: Birthday Reminders for the Dead, Reflections, How Deep is the Ocean? and Life Goes On.

I would recommend this book to those looking for a beautifully written poetry collection and even to those who may be new to poetry. This is one to read again and again.

Smith’s debut collection will be released on March 15th, 2025. Thank you to Brooklyn Arts Press for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley for the arc!
As someone who’s trying to get into poetry, I fear this one wasn’t the best to start with. If you’re someone very familiar with poetry and layered prose, then I would highly recommend this. It’s short and brief. But there were definitely some lines that left me breathless for a moment. Reed Smith definitely knows what he’s doing. I think this is one of those books that would be even better on a reread. But overall, I would recommend!!

I would be open to reading more of his work in the future. I would also like to say that the artwork done on the cover is very beautiful and is what caught my attention from the get go. Thank you again.

The poems were good, the format however made it difficult for me to understand what exactly the poems were about.