This collection of Teen Poetry by Teen Ink magazine really runs the gamut. It's organized stylistically. None of the poems are terribly long, but most have something to sink your teeth into. Not every poem is amazing, but even the iffier ones tend to have the moment of clarity when something comes into focus using unexpected words in juxtaposition. This is what really good poetry does (in my opinion), and is much harder to define than to demonstrate.

There were many poems in this book where I said something out loud in response to a silently-read poem. There is power here. Not a lot of control, yet -- but no shortage of power.

Recommended.

Leave this Song Behind is a collection of poems written by teenagers.

When I was younger, I consider myself more of a poet than a novelist. I don't know what happened why i lost my passion and so I was so excited to read this collection of poems. I read all of them in one sitting. Then I felt like something is wrong, I couldn't figure it out that I couldn't even write a review. So I reread it again because I just so love reading poems. :) This time though, I read them differently. A poem a day. Or a poem each sitting. It's a technique I usually use in reading collection of short stories and essays. Poems, not normally because they are shorter.

Anyway, I figured out what's wrong. Individually, the poems are amazing. Some will touched my heart and some blew my mind. And I didn't even think in a moment that they were written by teenagers. I got lost in some of the poems because of how beautifully written and constructed they are. Some even are eye-openers.

But here's the thing, together, the poems lost a little of their appeal. Because not all of them connect with each other. some are deep, some aren't. It's as if some of the poems were just thrown in there. So I suggest reading the each poem as an individual art not as part of a collection.

First of all, thanks to NetGalley and TeenInk for giving me a chance to read and review this book!

Leave This Song Behind is a collection of absolutely beautiful and meaningful poems!

The fact that all of the poems are written by teenagers only adds to its charms.

I enjoyed all of the poems. They were deep, meaningful and absolutely beautiful.

Though I did enjoy them all, some of them became my favorites. 'Year Of The Dragon by Miriam Himelstein', 'A Letter to the Past, Present and Future Selves by Sofia Wesley', were some of my favorites while 'The Sistine Closet by Hannah Livernois' was my absolute favorite!

Though at times I spotted some punctuation mistakes and the page formatting was a bit confusing, the poems were absolutely beautiful and I loved them all!

I'm afraid I didn't enjoy this collection. It promised much but gave little and i'm afraid it wasn't for me.

I find that with any collection of anything, stories, essays or poetry, you'll always run into what I found with this book. You like some pieces way better than others, which obviously has an effect on the book as a whole.
So, while there were some poems that I really enjoyed, the flow of the book was a little interrupted because sometimes I found myself zoning out and having to reread passages.
However, I did like most of the poems in the collection, so overall it was a good read.

Poetry is a powerful way to share, and these poems leap from the page to embrace the lost, the yearning, the hopeful, and - not least - those ready to express their own truth by writing poems. Top pick for "back to school" season.

LEAVE THIS SONG BEHIND brings together diverse teen poets. Poems speak to the heart of life experiences including: love, death, friendship, coming out, yearning, life, identity, war/peace, healing, suicide, and hope. Essential for every library and high school, because poetry offers a lifeline to contemporary teens struggling with life's desperate moments. Thanks to Teen Ink for honoring the young poets featured in this anthology.

My one wish is that Teen Ink would include some poems in translation to inspire those who are learning English. And a list of online resources to connect with teens no matter where they live.

Another poetry book I finished last week this time a collection of entries submitted by teenagers to Teen Ink. Some of the best were chosen and put together to create this book.

I admit that I found this one different from the other poetry books I’ve read but this is as lovely just the same. Sometimes I forgot that teenagers actually wrote these poems and while I liked some, the others just didn’t make sense to me which I think was okay. It’s divided into sections, each with style and impact of its own.

I can’t say that I loved this one since there where times when I skipped pages especially when I can’t connect with the words. Don’t get me wrong, there are some which I really liked but I think the book as a whole isn’t just for me.

“Don't fall in love with a girl who reads because she'll fall in love with last chapters and final words and the ending will always be her favourite part.”

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Leave This Song Behind is a carefully curated collection of some of Teen Ink's best poetry submissions over the years. The submissions are categorized under common themes, senses, and emotions, but there is still a variety of voices and tones in each category. While the variety was nice, it does come across as a little bit choppy if you're the type of person who likes to read through an entire book in one sitting. Regardless, I really love how each section has so much to offer.

Some of these poems were so poignant and full of experience that I kept forgetting they were written by teenagers. But I shouldn't be surprised. Adolescent voices have always been strong, just never listened to. I can't help but wonder if my poetry was this good when I was 17-years-old. Probably not.

There were several submissions that stood out to me, but my favourites were The Sistine Closet by Moria Crowley, and Don't Fall in Love by Beatrice Waterhouse.

Here are a few lines from The Sistine Closet that really hit me:

Dear Michelangelo,
When I can't sleep at night I wonder where you are now.
I wonder if heaven exists.
I wonder if God was waiting for you at the gates,
If he looked at you and said
"Don't listen to them. Of course you can come in. Of course you can come out now."
Michelangelo, tell me there are no closets in heaven.
Tell me I will be allowed to walk down the street
Holding her hand.

All in all, this is a wonderful collection of teen poetry. I wish I could have read something like this when I was younger, so I could have known that others my age felt as strongly as I did.

This is a poetry collection that puts together some of the best poems Teen Ink has had over some years. It's divided according to the different types of narrative, and it's really interesting to read.

Some of this poems are written with such complexity I had some trouble remembering teenagers wrote them. I was captured by their writing and stories and so grateful to be able to read such confessions.

That being said, the actual reading felt a bit awkward. The way the poems are separated results in reading poems that while similar in form cover totally different topics and subjects. This had me reading about break ups on pair or everyday objects and really simple things.
Separately this poems are incredible but together they blur in a big mess.

This isn't necessarily bad, because you could buy it and read a poem each time you had a bit of down time or while on the bus or car. But for people like me that enjoy reading the entire book in one or two sittings this felt a bit too forced.

I can't say I loved the book because I was incredibly uncomfortable with the topic changing, but I definitely loved the poems and will continue to re-read them one at the time to enjoy them separately.

I enjoyed reading the poems within this book, it highlights the often overlooked talents of teens. The carefully selected words used in each of the poems helps to convey the poets chosen message for the poem. I liked that they were arranged into chapters according to what each poem was about, so you could dip in and out of different topics easily.

I have no words for how much I loved this. I'll try to do it justice and just say that had I known this book was a book, I would have purchased a long time ago. I recommend this to anyone who enjoys to read and give it a solid 4.5 stars.

This was a poetry collection that I wholeheartedly enjoyed. It is a wonderful and broad compendium of some of the fantastic teenage voices in the literary world. Full of beautiful prose and sentiment, these poems were stunningly thought-provoking and held such meaning and depth. It definitely shows the true power and significance of the written word, particularly that which comes from the mind of a young person. Each poem is so poignant and pure, which shows the beauty of the young mind. The writers have allowed themselves to enter the depths of their mind and soul, and bravely expressed what lies there.

I absolutely love how much Teen Ink encourages young people to express themselves and find their voices. Poetry—and writing in general, really—was something that helped me a great deal during my teenage years once I discovered it. It was a way to get my feelings out when I felt like I had no other option. And I always felt very thankful to be in a situation where I had a lot of support and reassurance from the people in my life in regards to my pursuit of writing. It is wonderful to see that there are some great resources to give teenagers this much needed support. I truly enjoyed my reading experience. This is an important and highly inspiring collection of words that I hope many people will read.

I didn't like the book because I can't relate to the book.

"Poetry is language at its most distilled and most powerful."

Thanks to Netgalley.
Leave This song Behind- Epic poetry by great writers.
Wonderful piece of imagination and flawless enthuciasm.
I've enjoyed some poems, eminence and Juvenile and their propaganda possessions wrapped into poetry.

*Don;t fall in love
Don;t fall in love with a girls who reads
she'll overanalyze your every word
and she ll nevr understand why
people aren;t paperback
and she'll write into your corners
search for a plot into your veins
and make a metaphor of your broken heart

Ahhhh how I love poetry collections! It was so inspiring to see that it was people like me who wrote these poems, and it really got me into that poetry-obsessed mind frame (you all know what I mean, am I the only one that listens to Shane Koyczan on repeat after reading some good poetry?)

Of course, some were better than others, some resonated with me and some dissipated, but I think this is a really good one to keep on your shelf/in your library for reference when you're feeling alone.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this, in exchange for an honest review.