Burn After Reading

I devoured this book in a weekend and can’t wait to dive back in. Burn After Reading is a collection that reached deep into my soul, stirring up everything that had gone stagnant. Jessica Ciencin Henriquez effortlessly crafts moments of intimacy without making the reader feel like they've been involved in a drive-by oversharing. Instead, she creates an emotional landscape that left me both gutted and profoundly seen.

The way Henriquez captures both the intensity of starting life with excitement and wonder, as well as the quiet resignation of loss, failure, and death, feels deeply visceral. This collection pulls at every emotion and invites you to sit with them.

Her use of erasure poetry reveals layers of meaning hidden in the unsaid. I’ve never seen erasure done with such elegance—it’s seamless, though I imagine so much careful consideration went into each 'burnt' poem.

Henriquez’s work feels like a deep meditation. It’s as if she’s asking you to sit with her through both her life, her grief and her healing. Her straightforward writing reminds me of poets like Sharon Olds, but her fearless bluntness—especially in the poem Before—creates a rare bond between reader and writer that reminds me of the comfort of Mary Oliver.

This collection isn’t just a read—it’s an experience. Henriquez keeps you tethered to her with every page. Many of these poems will stay with me for a long time.

Thank you to NetGalley, Rev Publishing and Jessica Ciencin Henriquez for providing a copy of this book for review. All opinions are my own.


I devoured this poetry collection in a couple of hours and know a re-read will be coming soon. Henriquez' use of masterful prose alongside unique structuring makes for a pleasant yet utterly heartbreaking reading experience.


The author takes the reader through a journey exploring grief, loss, pain, healing, self discovery and a love of life itself in a way that is evocative and makes the reader feel like they have an insight into their psyche in a way that is intimately personal.


"You will chase the ordinary days that you race to leave behind"


The author implores the reader to take every day as it comes with whatever challenges that come. To be present in the moment and feel all the emotions life brings negative or otherwise.


"After fire what remains is truth"


Thoughout the poetry collection the use of erasure poetry is used often. A little snippet or reward to the reader to see the message that was otherwise left unspoken. It is used somewhat frequently and is implemented well and keeps the reader wanting more and seeing insights that may not be apparent on a first read. In the titular poem "burn after reading" the above quote is left after erasure as the last line to read. An insightful closing line for this collection further provoking the reader to look back and analyse those poems more.


I do not read poetry nearly as often as I would like, but I will be looking out for more from this author in the future.

Burn After Reading by Jessica Ciencin Henriquez is a book I first heard about through my writing group and later from a few passionate readers at my office. Going in, I only knew that Henriquez had experimented with erasure poetry in a way that was both bold and surprising, but I wasn’t fully prepared for the emotional depth and raw honesty that would follow. This book felt like it was written for me, which is the impact every author hopes for. As someone who is deeply drawn to memoirs, Burn After Reading checks all the boxes: vivid life experiences, a courageous examination of trauma, and a deeply redemptive arc that inspires.

Henriquez structures the book with a masterful pacing, building momentum that pulls you through each section with urgency and anticipation. The erasure poems do a lot to build momentum as they feel like a surprise or a gifrt oferred to the reader. By the time I reached the final section, I found the writing not only emotionally intense but also deeply moving—especially in those closing moments where the themes of loss and renewal hit the hardest. It's the kind of writing that makes you feel almost breathless from its beauty and power.

One standout piece for me was the poem Pressed Between Pages, which captures the devastating loss of her grandfather in Colombia, the author's homeland. Henriquez brings her cultural heritage and the Spanish language into the poems so seamlessly that it adds layers of depth and emotion without ever alienating the reader. It’s a delicate balance for multilingual writers to achieve, but Henriquez does it with such grace and precision that it enhances the narrative rather than distracting from it.

Although this was my introduction to Henriquez's work, it certainly won’t be the last I read from her. Burn After Reading is a stunning exploration of purpose, pain, and ultimately, healing—a collection that I’m certain will resonate with readers for years to come.

As poetry is a highly subjective medium, relying on the space between what is written and what is read, this review is but my humble interpretation of Henriquez' words.

Burn After Reading reveals Jessica Ciencin Henriquez' soul laid bare. This poetry collection features grief, loss, pain, change, transformation, bearing witness to the beauty of life and an uncontainable love for life itself. All in an original, cohesive, playful format which leaves every page a gift for the reader to discover.

When this book made its way to me I was intend on savouring this collection. Maybe reading a poem a day. Instead I got so captivated by Henriquez' words I finished it within 24 hours. Every poem satisfied, but also left me wanting more. This shows the mastery with which these poems are ordered, in a way that is waxing and waning.

This collection has left a deep impression on me. It is no wonder Tzigane gets honored in one of the featured poems. The capacity to evoke emotion and playfulness in its purest form mirror Burn After Reading. They both leave their audience enraptured.

The fitting introduction and title to this collection prepare us for what I interpret as the overarching message the author wants us to take away after reading. Just like the author burned her book to reveal a personal message, I think Henriquez expects us to figuratively do the same. Read between the lines and take what you need right now from reading this book.

"Stop searching
beyond your own skin
for answers to the questions
that linger within you."

I expect to re-read this collection in the future and to discover even more layers, and new messages that resonate with me in that stage of life.

TW: loss of a loved one, grief, non-consensual drug administration, sexual assault/rape, divorce/separation

Thank you Rev Publishing and Jessica Ciencin Henriquez for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Burn After Reading felt like someone cracked open my chest and said, “Here, look at what you’ve been holding all this time.” The way Jessica writes about love—it’s not this filtered, picture-perfect, glossy version. It’s ugly love, lovr that’s been tested, pushed to the edge, and somehow comes back softer and stronger. I don’t even know this woman and I can see how deeply she loves, it’s in each of her poems. Though her writing about motherhood hit me the hardest. There’s something so sincere in the way she captures the tenderness and overwhelm of being a mom, the language she reserves for the poems about her son felt so careful or should I say full of care, I don’t know how anyone can read *Carry you home* and not sob. There were so many poems where I found myself not wanting to turn the page, just needing to let the moment, the memory she’s writing about; sink into my skin.

Throughout the book, I found myself nodding, like, “Yes, this is exactly it.” She wrote so perfectly what I couldn’t. It is not rare to feel like you’re friends with the author after reading a memoir or something intensely private but it’s pretty rare with poetry. In many ways it feels like a limited form that way. But I felt close to her, and seeing the other comments it feels like many readers agreed. It’s like she’s been through the paths I’m only beginning and there’s a comraderie in that. Most importantly, this book reminded me that healing is always there, waiting so patiently in the smallest, most overlooked places—in nature, in the quiet, in the spaces between. Brava, Jessica! I will be buying this book and keeping an eye on what this author does next.

This poetry collection is very heartfelt and willowy. The wording is very lyrical and resonates with the soul of the reader.