What do you think?
Rate this book
What Haunts Me the Most
Being the eldest daughter is similar to the Final Girl in a slasher movie; everyone has to die for you to survive. But I don't feel like the Final Girl. Not when it's my blood on the knife.
"In this eerie yet alluring collection, fate stalks our hesitant heroine through the dark forest of a gothic fairytale...creamy flowers bloom from rancid meat, blood drips and congeals as dreams devour, true crime warps the pastoral scenery, nostalgia betrays survival; you cannot dare to look away, breathless and left wanting more."
-Frankie Balzano, author of Spider Rodeo
"...a courageous dissection of girlhood and what it means to be haunted by it...There's an all-encompassing curiosity and an intuitive wisdom present in each of her poems, which leaves the reader questioning what it means to be a daughter in a home that sometimes feels like a prison."
-Jessica Ballen, author of Kosher
"...images of cicadas, frogs, and swans; the tower and the hanged man; blood and guts; the fragile egg cracked open by ruinous fingers; the familial hauntings of a dead grandmother and the constant daily deaths of girlhood, devouring men, and being the eldest daughter grab hold of you like the branches of pine trees clutch at the dress of the final girl as she runs. Why does she run? To learn how to let go, to learn how to be? These poems ask how to survive when it's our blood on the knife. They had me by the jugular."
-Alise Versella, author of Tender is the Body and When Wolves Become Birds
"In this eerie yet alluring collection, fate stalks our hesitant heroine through the dark forest of a gothic fairytale...creamy flowers bloom from rancid meat, blood drips and congeals as dreams devour, true crime warps the pastoral scenery, nostalgia betrays survival; you cannot dare to look away, breathless and left wanting more."
-Frankie Balzano, author of Spider Rodeo
"...a courageous dissection of girlhood and what it means to be haunted by it...There's an all-encompassing curiosity and an intuitive wisdom present in each of her poems, which leaves the reader questioning what it means to be a daughter in a home that sometimes feels like a prison."
-Jessica Ballen, author of Kosher
"...images of cicadas, frogs, and swans; the tower and the hanged man; blood and guts; the fragile egg cracked open by ruinous fingers; the familial hauntings of a dead grandmother and the constant daily deaths of girlhood, devouring men, and being the eldest daughter grab hold of you like the branches of pine trees clutch at the dress of the final girl as she runs. Why does she run? To learn how to let go, to learn how to be? These poems ask how to survive when it's our blood on the knife. They had me by the jugular."
-Alise Versella, author of Tender is the Body and When Wolves Become Birds
80 pages, Paperback
Published December 8, 2023
1 person is currently reading
29 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
November 9, 2023
OUCHIE -- THIS IS THE POETRY COLLECTION FOR THE LEAGUE OF ELDEST DAUGHTERS. DAMN.
I am so thankful to our lovely author, Querencia Press, and Netgalley for granting me early access to this blade in the side of a collection, jarring me when I wasn't expecting it and giving it to me where it hurts most, but in the very best way.
What Haunts Me the Most is set to hit shelves on December 8, 2023. Pick it up then and pre-order it now!
I am so thankful to our lovely author, Querencia Press, and Netgalley for granting me early access to this blade in the side of a collection, jarring me when I wasn't expecting it and giving it to me where it hurts most, but in the very best way.
What Haunts Me the Most is set to hit shelves on December 8, 2023. Pick it up then and pre-order it now!
December 10, 2023
What Haunts Me the Most is a masterful follow up to Peach Milk, Kouri's first poetry collection. While coined 'horror poetry', I'd describe Kouri's work as visceral and honest. There is no fear when it comes to approaching raw imagery and weaving together narratives of female struggle and generational cycles. From beginning to end, we understand how Kouri's maternal line has shaped her and we are left with the familiar vision of the 'Final Girl' in a horror film, still left on the edge of surviving or succumbing.
"Infants sprout from seashells... their toothless gums bleeding... conjuring a rape inside a virgin's temple, a needless punishment for a girl who foaled as she was dying." - Flannan Isles Lighthouse
There is sheer courage in how Kouri wields her words as both wounds and weapons. She suspends every reader between the real, the mystical and the horrific until we are all heady with experiences lived and imagined.
"Being the eldest daughter is similar to the Final Girl in a slasher movie; everyone has to die for you to survive." - The Final Girl
Finally, the structure of What Haunts Me the Most is superb. With many poems forming triptychs and the recurring 'Tell Me About Yourself' there is brilliant cohesion, making this a collection to be devoured or savoured. Kouri is a writer who excites me and it has been a joy to read another collection by her.
"Infants sprout from seashells... their toothless gums bleeding... conjuring a rape inside a virgin's temple, a needless punishment for a girl who foaled as she was dying." - Flannan Isles Lighthouse
There is sheer courage in how Kouri wields her words as both wounds and weapons. She suspends every reader between the real, the mystical and the horrific until we are all heady with experiences lived and imagined.
"Being the eldest daughter is similar to the Final Girl in a slasher movie; everyone has to die for you to survive." - The Final Girl
Finally, the structure of What Haunts Me the Most is superb. With many poems forming triptychs and the recurring 'Tell Me About Yourself' there is brilliant cohesion, making this a collection to be devoured or savoured. Kouri is a writer who excites me and it has been a joy to read another collection by her.
November 18, 2023
This collection was equally as impressive as Peach Milk. I love the way Chimen can do flawlessly weave horror and fantasy into such poetic metaphors. Her work always leaves me yearning to go write myself, and that is my absolute favorite type of writing.
January 11, 2024
"He reminds me to question my existence; why my creative accomplishments are inadequate in his eyes, a man who had to leave because of war. Being the eldest daughter is similar to the Final Girl in a slasher movie; everyone has to die for you to survive. But I don't feel like the Final Girl. Not when it's my blood on the knife."
While I think there needs to be some degree of connection to any piece of media for someone to deem it good or bad, I think poetry requires a lot more of that than most. So, while I know a lot of other readers really connected with What Haunts Me Most, I was unfortunately not in that category. It's because of this that I won't say that I think Kouri's poetry is good or bad - it was simply just not for me.
That being said, however, I do feel like What Haunts Me Most was a little bit of a let-down in terms of what I thought I was going into. This poetry collection is touted as horror poetry, with the excerpt from the poem "The Final Girl" serving as an overarching example of what you can expect to read in this book. As a big horror book fan, I personally don't consider this book to be horror, or horror poetry. While some other reviewers found the language and visuals in What Haunts Me Most to be gut-wrenching, disgusting, or terrifying, to me, it just read like any other poetry book written by a woman about womanhood. There's nothing here that's actually horror, so much as it's simply the dark realities that women live with.
I, personally, am also just not a fan of the motifs in this book. Honestly, I'm not even certain I can call them motifs or themes, because they aren't overarching or recurring things; they're just the same words and analogies copy and pasted from one poem into the other. You could make a drinking game out of it, really: take a shot every time Kouri writes about peaches, Christianity, or describes a woman's genitals as "the hole between my legs." There are nearly thirty poems in this book, and yet, half of them read like the same thing over and over again.
I also have some complicated feelings when it comes to a few poems in particular, namely "For Tara Calico." There are a few instances of Kouri writing poems or making allusions to about true crime cases, like the Flannan Isle Lighthouse mystery of 1900, JonBenét Ramsey's 1996 murder, and the disappearance of Tara Calico in 1988. Now, I'm a true crime fan, and I enjoy true crime media, but there's something about writing poetry about the potential kidnapping and murder of a woman you don't know that doesn't sit well with me. The poem is intimate, but it's very much about a real person whose loved ones have gone through a very real trauma, and I personally didn't find it entirely appropriate. It really just feels like the sensationalizing and over-familiarity of true crime cases that is so unfortunately common with a lot of mainstream media.
Overall, What Haunts Me Most just really wasn't what I expected it to be, and what I was given didn't resonate with me.
**Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book!
While I think there needs to be some degree of connection to any piece of media for someone to deem it good or bad, I think poetry requires a lot more of that than most. So, while I know a lot of other readers really connected with What Haunts Me Most, I was unfortunately not in that category. It's because of this that I won't say that I think Kouri's poetry is good or bad - it was simply just not for me.
That being said, however, I do feel like What Haunts Me Most was a little bit of a let-down in terms of what I thought I was going into. This poetry collection is touted as horror poetry, with the excerpt from the poem "The Final Girl" serving as an overarching example of what you can expect to read in this book. As a big horror book fan, I personally don't consider this book to be horror, or horror poetry. While some other reviewers found the language and visuals in What Haunts Me Most to be gut-wrenching, disgusting, or terrifying, to me, it just read like any other poetry book written by a woman about womanhood. There's nothing here that's actually horror, so much as it's simply the dark realities that women live with.
I, personally, am also just not a fan of the motifs in this book. Honestly, I'm not even certain I can call them motifs or themes, because they aren't overarching or recurring things; they're just the same words and analogies copy and pasted from one poem into the other. You could make a drinking game out of it, really: take a shot every time Kouri writes about peaches, Christianity, or describes a woman's genitals as "the hole between my legs." There are nearly thirty poems in this book, and yet, half of them read like the same thing over and over again.
I also have some complicated feelings when it comes to a few poems in particular, namely "For Tara Calico." There are a few instances of Kouri writing poems or making allusions to about true crime cases, like the Flannan Isle Lighthouse mystery of 1900, JonBenét Ramsey's 1996 murder, and the disappearance of Tara Calico in 1988. Now, I'm a true crime fan, and I enjoy true crime media, but there's something about writing poetry about the potential kidnapping and murder of a woman you don't know that doesn't sit well with me. The poem is intimate, but it's very much about a real person whose loved ones have gone through a very real trauma, and I personally didn't find it entirely appropriate. It really just feels like the sensationalizing and over-familiarity of true crime cases that is so unfortunately common with a lot of mainstream media.
Overall, What Haunts Me Most just really wasn't what I expected it to be, and what I was given didn't resonate with me.
**Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book!
January 21, 2024
4.5 stars
"Being the eldest daughter is similar to the Final Girl in a slasher movie; everyone has to die for you to survive. But I don't feel like the Final Girl. Not when it's my blood on the knife."
If you are a fan of slashers, horror movies, and horror poetry, THIS collection is 100% for you! I enjoyed What Haunts Me the Most and think it's a slam-dunk of a poetry collection. It's short, punchy, honest, gritty, and glaringly uncomfortable at times. This was a collection that I'm so glad I stumbled upon and so happy to have found in the trenches of Netgalley. I read it at the perfect time and it was exactly what I needed to start a long 3-day weekend. I recommend this for my horror and poetry girlies! This is one you don't want to miss!
"Being the eldest daughter is similar to the Final Girl in a slasher movie; everyone has to die for you to survive. But I don't feel like the Final Girl. Not when it's my blood on the knife."
If you are a fan of slashers, horror movies, and horror poetry, THIS collection is 100% for you! I enjoyed What Haunts Me the Most and think it's a slam-dunk of a poetry collection. It's short, punchy, honest, gritty, and glaringly uncomfortable at times. This was a collection that I'm so glad I stumbled upon and so happy to have found in the trenches of Netgalley. I read it at the perfect time and it was exactly what I needed to start a long 3-day weekend. I recommend this for my horror and poetry girlies! This is one you don't want to miss!
November 13, 2023
This Poetry collection was very refreshing to read, as you don’t see a whole lot of horror in poetry. Usually, poetry is full of beautiful language and flowery metaphors (also found in this collection), but the macabre and horrible can sometimes be better at eliciting emotion. Which is something this collection has plenty of.
I’m very particular about what poetry I like, and while I far from hated this, I can’t really say I loved it either. That being said there were certainly moments that struck me and I could relate to.
If you love poetry, and especially the gritty ones, you should definitely give this collection a shot!
Big thanks to Netgalley, Querencia Press and the author Chimen Georgette Kouri for allowing me to read an E-Arc of this poetry collection.
I’m very particular about what poetry I like, and while I far from hated this, I can’t really say I loved it either. That being said there were certainly moments that struck me and I could relate to.
If you love poetry, and especially the gritty ones, you should definitely give this collection a shot!
Big thanks to Netgalley, Querencia Press and the author Chimen Georgette Kouri for allowing me to read an E-Arc of this poetry collection.
September 6, 2024
Unfortunately this was a huge letdown for me. I expected a horror poetry collection with the final girl element, but this was not it.
I decided to stop reading the book at 50% because I didn’t understood anything that was going on neither did I enjoyed it nor spooked by it. The writing style was beautiful I need to admit but this book definitely wasn’t for me, I’m just happy I realized it in time and didn’t forced myself to finish reading a book that I wasn’t even liking.
I decided to stop reading the book at 50% because I didn’t understood anything that was going on neither did I enjoyed it nor spooked by it. The writing style was beautiful I need to admit but this book definitely wasn’t for me, I’m just happy I realized it in time and didn’t forced myself to finish reading a book that I wasn’t even liking.
Read
November 18, 2023This is something new to me, horror poetry. The language was flowing and ranged from creepy to sorrowful, with a lot of crossover feelings. It was easy to relate to the sense of regret and loss that was present through most of the book. I enjoyed it, and I hope I get to read more horror poetry in the future. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this
November 20, 2023
3.5 Stars
This dark and poetic collection was definitely a different type of read. The imagery was profoundly vivid and eerie. Where poems are typically nuanced with more floral, lyrical prose - this was more nightmare inducing styled metaphors of grief, sorrow and pain.
Super creepy, not for the faint of heart, but written beautifully nonetheless.
This dark and poetic collection was definitely a different type of read. The imagery was profoundly vivid and eerie. Where poems are typically nuanced with more floral, lyrical prose - this was more nightmare inducing styled metaphors of grief, sorrow and pain.
Super creepy, not for the faint of heart, but written beautifully nonetheless.
November 28, 2023
Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC.
"They can tear the house down, throw out the betrayal I abandoned in the backyard, and I will still think about you on your birthday."
Probably my favorite line in the whole book.
Hauntingly beautiful. A bit graphic, but the imagery is brilliant.
I can relate to the grief and the anger.. the way it is written stirred something up.
A first for me in the horror poetry category, but def wont be the last.
Every older sister needs to read this.
"They can tear the house down, throw out the betrayal I abandoned in the backyard, and I will still think about you on your birthday."
Probably my favorite line in the whole book.
Hauntingly beautiful. A bit graphic, but the imagery is brilliant.
I can relate to the grief and the anger.. the way it is written stirred something up.
A first for me in the horror poetry category, but def wont be the last.
Every older sister needs to read this.
December 16, 2023
Filled with folklore, the haunting of girlhood, and wildly fantastic folklorish imagery, Chimen Kouri has once again created something raw and visceral. Her depiction of being the eldest daughter is incredibly moving. It lingers with you throughout her carefully crafted language that not only touches the senses, but deepens them.
January 31, 2024
Dark, abstract and eerie collection of poems full of haunting imagery. The poems are quite heavy since a lot of them deal with death in some way, or other darker themes, but I still wouldn't classify the book as a horror genre. They are beautifully written, I'd say that they are more prose-like, they invoke certain atmosphere and make you visualize what's written with ease. But I must admit that I didn't quite understand many of them. The abstractness of them all and the way in which they are written pulled me in at first, but just that wasn't enough to hold my attention for long enough for me to finish the book, so I ended up DNFing it at around 50%. Which I do find strange, since I usually enjoy that kind of poetry. But with this one I just didn't click. Still give it a try if you're interested in beautifully written poems that contain dark imagery and tackle heavier themes.
(I got an ARC of this book on NetGalley.)
(I got an ARC of this book on NetGalley.)
December 9, 2023
Startlingly vivid and visceral imagery. Not a punch to the face but more of a drowning in a bucket of pigs blood.
My brain slowly put together the memories, hurt, trauma torn in to pieces shown like little clips from an old home movie.
I could feel the rage, captivity, pain and could almost hear the creatures and backwoods critters haunting her crawling next to my bed.
Haunted, yes but not broken: “Unlike you, when imprisoned in the Tower, I always find a way out.”
“I burn The Hanged Man, his surrender nonexistent.”
The tarot references amongst everything else were some of my favorite finds.
Some of these images remind me of my own nightmares. Fucked up? For sure, but the subconscious processes trauma wildly.
Definitely a must read. Absolutely not for the faint of heart.
Thank you to NetGalley, Querencia Press and Chimen Kouri for providing an advanced readers copy.
My brain slowly put together the memories, hurt, trauma torn in to pieces shown like little clips from an old home movie.
I could feel the rage, captivity, pain and could almost hear the creatures and backwoods critters haunting her crawling next to my bed.
Haunted, yes but not broken: “Unlike you, when imprisoned in the Tower, I always find a way out.”
“I burn The Hanged Man, his surrender nonexistent.”
The tarot references amongst everything else were some of my favorite finds.
Some of these images remind me of my own nightmares. Fucked up? For sure, but the subconscious processes trauma wildly.
Definitely a must read. Absolutely not for the faint of heart.
Thank you to NetGalley, Querencia Press and Chimen Kouri for providing an advanced readers copy.
December 28, 2023
*3.5 Stars*
* I received an advanced digital copy for free and I am leaving this honest review voluntarily*
Hello Fellow Readers,
What this book has taught me is that poetry doesn't have to be flowery language and lyrical words. Chimen shows us that it can be dark and gritty. When I was done, I did need a day to really collect my thoughts on how I feel about What Haunts Me the Most. I still don't really seem to be able to fully grasp it, but what I do know is that I did enjoy it.
The hauntingly vivid poetry conjured a lot of sorrow and pain, and I reread most of the poems because I wanted to understand them. Ultimately, I will say this is definitely a mood read and there is something for everyone, whether you want to be the victim, or the hunter, if not you may want to stay away entirely.
Overall, it was certainly entertaining and thought-inducing.
* I received an advanced digital copy for free and I am leaving this honest review voluntarily*
Hello Fellow Readers,
What this book has taught me is that poetry doesn't have to be flowery language and lyrical words. Chimen shows us that it can be dark and gritty. When I was done, I did need a day to really collect my thoughts on how I feel about What Haunts Me the Most. I still don't really seem to be able to fully grasp it, but what I do know is that I did enjoy it.
The hauntingly vivid poetry conjured a lot of sorrow and pain, and I reread most of the poems because I wanted to understand them. Ultimately, I will say this is definitely a mood read and there is something for everyone, whether you want to be the victim, or the hunter, if not you may want to stay away entirely.
Overall, it was certainly entertaining and thought-inducing.
November 21, 2023
When I saw this being described as "horror poetry" I knew I had to try reading this. Poetry is not my preferred reading format, but these poems were impactful and dark to read. You really felt the emotions and trauma of the character being described, and the poetry format really lent to a deeper understanding of the actions being described. Lyrical and haunting, while these poems are not in a typical poetic format, they are written with an internal flow that gives the reader a very clear visual of the poem.
Thank you to the author, Netgalley, and Querencia Press for providing me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to the author, Netgalley, and Querencia Press for providing me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Read
December 20, 2023Thank you Querencia Press for a copy of What Haunts Me the Most.
"Being the eldest daughter is similar to the Final Girl in a slasher movie; everyone has to die for you to survive. But I don’t feel like the Final Girl. Not when it’s my blood on the knife."
What Haunts Me the Most is for anyone looking for…
• Trauma of being the oldest daughter
• Horror but in poetry form
• Creepy, unsettling horror
REVIEW
What Haunts Me the Most is a short, poetry collection but not easy to get through! Creepy, emotional, and just down-right unsettling. Definitely not something to binge and requires lots of unpacking after each piece.
"Being the eldest daughter is similar to the Final Girl in a slasher movie; everyone has to die for you to survive. But I don’t feel like the Final Girl. Not when it’s my blood on the knife."
What Haunts Me the Most is for anyone looking for…
• Trauma of being the oldest daughter
• Horror but in poetry form
• Creepy, unsettling horror
REVIEW
What Haunts Me the Most is a short, poetry collection but not easy to get through! Creepy, emotional, and just down-right unsettling. Definitely not something to binge and requires lots of unpacking after each piece.
November 21, 2023
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Querencia Press for allowing access to the ARC of What Haunts Me the Most, for an honest review.
I have never read horror poetry before, so this was a new experience for me. It was very emotional - sad at times, and also very creepy and disturbing. It was written very beautifully and flowed well.
I do feel like there should be some sort of trigger warning because some parts were extremely graphic to me, but other than that this was a very intense, quick read.
I have never read horror poetry before, so this was a new experience for me. It was very emotional - sad at times, and also very creepy and disturbing. It was written very beautifully and flowed well.
I do feel like there should be some sort of trigger warning because some parts were extremely graphic to me, but other than that this was a very intense, quick read.
November 30, 2023
I saw that this book had poetry, trauma, AND horror and I was instantly intrigued. I wanted to see how Chimen executed joining those two topics together and it was very interesting! I feel like if you are familiar with horror movies or horror books, you would understand the references in the book a bit better than I did but it was a great overall experience!
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me a copy of this e-arc for my honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me a copy of this e-arc for my honest review.
December 4, 2023
In What Haunts Me the Most, Chimen Kouri crafts explosive verses. Intention is elusive, to fully understand her meaning you must read again, read between her words, asking yourself what her words mean, what does she want from you? Kouri’s poems force readers to slow down and consider her experiences. Why has she written this? What is the truth hidden in this phrase? To read Chimen Kouri’s poems is to interrogate experience and consider our most basic purpose here, to bring meaning to this world.
November 17, 2023
A dark poetic collection filled with grief, pain, and unheard sorrows. I loved the imagery, I felt like both the hunter and the prey running through dark haunted woods. I highly recommend reading if you're in the mood for poetic gothic horror.
Thank you to Netgalley and Querencia Press for this ARC.
Thank you to Netgalley and Querencia Press for this ARC.
November 11, 2023
I'm not usually a huge fan of poetry but this collection was formatted in a way that didn't bother my eyes and remained interesting throughout every poem. Some seemed a little more pretentious than others but as a whole this is definitely worth reading.
November 27, 2023
Wow, Chimen always hits! This book is a bloody, seductive ride through swamps and dark woods chasing after a girl with ribbons in her hair. At times, it felt almost overwhelming with its imagery. A fantastic exploration of how family and girlhood will come to haunt us.
December 7, 2023
What a refreshing take on animalistic, truly defiling poetry with a spooky twist. I love horror but I’m not a huge poetry gal. But this…this was captivating and engrossing with each page. I couldn’t wait to read the next short story and guess the plot behind it. Truly a fun read!
April 15, 2025
Solid poetry about the leaving of things and regrets.
November 25, 2023
Poetry without the poems. Grim, haunting, fearless, snapshots of nightmares.
These are words you read slowly, allowing them to digest, only moving on to try and escape the discomfort. Wisely chosen images come together, clarifying uncomfortable situations that are usually left unspoken.
These are words you read slowly, allowing them to digest, only moving on to try and escape the discomfort. Wisely chosen images come together, clarifying uncomfortable situations that are usually left unspoken.
April 21, 2025
What Haunts Me the Most is a thoughtfully curated collection of Chimen Georgette Kouri's magnetic work. Another fast favorite for me- vivid pieces, gripping themes woven within, and a tone of effortless intimacy. The style is immersive. Already looking forward to reading again!
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews