Ex Traction

by Lara Coley

Lara Coley delivers her debut poetry collection with a hunger that gnaws at the line between lust and love. It’s sexy, honest, and does not shy away from what makes us a yearning to love and be loved. Using a dichotomy of imagery in which sharp meets soft, or sweet is replaced with salt, ex traction explores how we sometimes mistake a red flag for a target, and run like hell at the man that’s ready with a saber to put into our back. How, sometimes, we make ourselves into red flags and wave until we become flames that burn down everything we wanted. Coley looks at loss and lust and how desperately we want to sculpt both of those into love, and how the less we get, the more we want, need, and demand. ex traction is an empowering, emotional, evocative read that you can’t miss.

Genres: Poetry

96 pages, Paperback

Published March 5, 2024

Reviews

[Amorak Huey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whoa. All the flame emojis for this one.

Now I want Lara Coley to blurb my next collection if it ever finds a publisher.

[Caitlin Cacciatore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Goodreads in exchange for my honest opinion. There is so very much to admire in Lara Coley's poetry. I found myself entranced with the language and reread several of the pieces on the spot, so luminous were they. This work is intimate, beautiful, and both intensely personal and extraordinarily universal. I am looking forward to seeing more of Coley's work. Simply stunning.

[Savanna W · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this from a Goodreads giveaway. Thank you! These poems are much better read aloud. You can get a better sense of the prose this way. Not all the poems hit so deeply and felt a little disconcerting. But I think that was the point. Raw, vulnerable, and bittersweet would be the adjectives I would use to encapsulate this work. Clearly a lot of thought and time went into this.

[Liloo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such beautiful and evocative words. Lara Coley is a fantastic writer. I have not read a lot of poetry since school, and this was such a surprise. I loved this style and energy. Sexy, passionate, desperate, with words that 'breathe' , at times erratic then smooth. Loved it. Loved the humour too. Bravo ! Highly recommended. A book you can read again and again.

[Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won the paperback edition in a goodre.ads giveaway.

I have not read many poetry books. I suppose I think that why read poetry I will not be able to understand what the poet is talking about.

Well at least with ex traction that is not the case because I could understand what the author was writing about.

So I liked that extraction was a quick read and that I could understand the poems. I don't even think any of the poems had big words in them.

[MR M · Rating 5 out of 5]

This intimate and energetic collection fizzes off the page. I think the author has put a large part of herself in these verses and should be commended for her bravery. Will live long in the memory, you won't regret acquiring a copy!

[Autumn Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book of poetry! Gorgeous and perfect for everyone but especially those in the midst of grieving the end of romantic relationships or those with complicated relationships.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Lara’s poetry! This is a book I pick up when I need inspiration from my own writing. Her ending lines are always so strong. Highly recommend it.