An honest, raw, and intoxicating collection of poetry from the #1 Bestselling author of The Night I Spent with Aubrey Fisher and Keep You.
Because the day I came alive was the day I chose to love myself again.
Christopher M. Tantillo’s poetry debut, things i never got to tell you, is the first book in a trilogy that weaves personal narratives with professions about how we find ourselves in the many varied stages of falling in and out of love with others and ourselves. It paints a loose narrative as we navigate love, loss, grief, heartbreak, hope, betrayal, death, what it means to be a man expressing emotions, how we romanticize people and places and memories, and ultimately, healing. Like life ebbs and flows, the poems bounce from dismay to infatuation with the turn of a page.
Tantillo weaves an experience that will leave you heartbroken, seduced, and introspective on your own relationships, past and present. The collection invites the reader to reflect on the things they never got to tell to the people they loved, or that loved them.
Christopher M. Tantillo earned his MFA in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University in 2017 and his BA in Creative Writing from SUNY Oswego in 2012. He considers himself a hopeless romantic and a lover of all things YA. When not reading or writing, he enjoys running, movie marathons, and binge watching the next greatest show. He's an avid fan of anything horror related, despite not actively writing in the genre.Benji
He enjoys witty banter, awkward conversations, tarot, tea, and has an unhealthy obsession with gelato. You can find him, and his doggo Benji (Benito), in Niagara Falls, New York, where he grew up. He hopes to spread mental health awareness and advocacy with his writing, and hopes that his stories can help to both entertain and heal. His goal is to inspire someone else's life with his characters and stories, like his favorites did for him growing up. He considers his primary genre to be Dark YA Coming of Age Romance. He will continue to write stories told from the POVs of teens dealing with mental health issues, which come in all shapes and sizes.
He has also published essays in The Weaving Knight, The Great Lakes Review, and Twenty-two Twenty-eight. He is self-publishing his debut YA novel, which won 2nd place in the Sara-Merritt Contest in 2017.
Full disclosure, Christopher M. Tantillo is one of my favorite authors, but when he said he was coming out with a poetry collection I wasn't sure what to think. I'm not a big poetry fan, as most of it goes over my head, but when Chris started sharing his poems I was pleasantly surprised. Not only are they extremely accessible for a poetry novice like myself, but they are also heartbreaking, raw, and beautiful.
I enjoyed every last poem of in "things I never got to tell you", with my favorite being "Wishful Thinking"; it makes me emotional every time I read/hear it. Despite having a favorite, I must admit that all of Tantillo's poems made me feel so many things. He really knows how to draw emotion out of the reader, as he is truly a talented poet.
If you love poetry that where the poet bares their soul and holds nothing back, then "things I never got to tell you" is the perfect collection of poetry for you. You will finish feeling like you know the inner most secrets and pain of Tantillo. It's an incredibly beautiful experience. I can't recommend this collection of poetry enough.
This collection was refreshingly honest and it was a beautiful privilege to read something so personal. I'm a huge fan of Tantillo's fiction publications, and the word I'd describe both with was "poetic". Getting to read a poetry collection from the same author was everything I expected and more. The vulnerability and transparency that went into Things I Never Got To Tell You resonates through every poem and the imagery is as powerful as it was in his novels. This genre deviation seems so natural for Christopher M. Tantillo and once again leaves little room for doubt that this author will continue to impress in literature and open doors to conversations we should've had with each other and ourselves a long time ago.
Things I Never Got To Tell You is highly recommended to anyone dealing with doubt, regret, loneliness, or a desire to understand themselves and others even a little bit better.
“I’m terrified of the day I let you go,” i whispered your ghost said: “I’m terrified you never will.”
It pains me that I didn’t love this as much as I thought I would, especially since I really enjoyed the author’s previous book. But with poetry, it either clicks and resonates with you, or it doesn’t, and unfortunately, for most of this collection i was just waiting to feel that something. Only a few pieces truly stood out, and I wonder if that’s because it was split into three parts. Maybe reading just the first installment made it feel incomplete, I’m not sure.
That being said, I can still appreciate how deeply human, raw, and unfiltered this collection is. The author gives us a glimpse into his emotions, and it feels incredibly vulnerable, open, and, most importantly, personal and honest. His words carry a certain weight, and you can tell they come from a place of genuine experience and introspection. Even if this collection didn’t fully connect with me, I know many readers will find pieces in here that speak to them, especially those who have shared similar struggles or emotions.
Perhaps when all three books are out and can be read together, the full impact of the story will come through. I may revisit it in the future, but for now, it just didn’t hit me the way I had hoped.
The author definitely can communicate feelings through his poetry. Many of them impacted me as I felt a vulnerability and healing in these words. This is a book of poetry I can see myself coming back to over and over again. I’m sure I will feel new things that I didn’t feel this time.
I had to smile reading the poem about a kindergarten crush. It’s not to young to know it means something at that age. My crush was Suzanne Steele and she felt the same (I think). That was 57 years ago and she still holds a place in my heart. The heart holds on to things and never lets go.
These are emotions you can expect to have when you read this book of poetry. It was very beautiful and worth the time to read.
I want to thank the author for giving me an e-book of his poetry. My review is voluntary.
This was so vulnerable and emotional, and I will definitely be re-reading. I have a feeling I’m going to need a physical copy of the whole collection. Yes, need.
I’m not a poetry reader by any means. This book was exquisite. Raw. Real. Uncut. He really “goes there”. You can feel the pain emanating off the pages. While it’s a quick read, I needed to read it in chunks because it’s heart wrenching. At other times hilarious. He really knows how to control the flow. All and all absolutely beautiful
Poetry is not one of my go-to genres. BUT this one.... WOW!
Raw, personal, heart-wrenching, real, humorous, relatable... all words describing this beautifully written work of love and life.
I've read the ARC more than once. each time I discover new feelings, tears, tee-hees, and trauma. Chris is a talented soul who reaches deep into his heart and shares his life with his readers. I kept wanting to send hugs and sentiments to him to let him know he is not alone.
Thank you, Mr. Tantillo for the privilege to experience your heart.
Wow!! When I found out Christopher was writing a collection of poetry I was sooo excited!! I am a huge fan of his 2 fiction novels.
This first book of poetry was sooo emotional!! It broke my heart but also made me feel seen. I could relate to so much that was written
This collection was raw and beautifully written and I am beyond excited for the next 2 books this year!! Writing is hard, but poetry, in my opinion, is so much harder!! Christopher nailed the emotion and did great for his debut!!
This is the first of a poetry collection, and it spoke to my heartbroken teenage soul. This is a raw and heartbreaking collection of poetry about love, heartache, pain, and loss. The list goes on and on. I only say my teenage soul because that is where my heartbreak lies. I felt so close to some of these. Some are so full of depth, and some are simple with just a few sentences but still just as powerful.
If you are a poetry lover, dive in, and it will speak to your soul as well!
Thank you to the author for the advanced Earc, in exchange for an honest review.
Christopher has done it again. When I saw he was releasing a poem trilogy I was SO hyped. I couldn’t think of anything better and it did not disappoint.
Book one was filled with all the emotions. There were poems that made me crack up, some that made me cry, and so many that were so damn relatable. This book made me realize I wasn’t alone in my thoughts, and so many other people feel them too.
It was like a hug on a rough day. Please note there are triggers for a reason, so make sure to read those, but wow. This first one was breathtaking and heartbreaking all in one.
It gave me all the feels! What a great start to a trilogy. Christopher has always been poetic in his writing, so to see poem after poem from him was amazing.
The representation, and how honest these were just spoke to me in a way a lot of collections don’t.
“because the day I came alive was the day I chose to love myself again”
“i’ll die for you a million times.”
“Don’t really wanna die. Just wanna be not me.”
“just tell me how to let you go, because i’m still wrapped up in future yous i can never have”
If that isn’t enough to convince you to pick this up, I don’t know what will. Seriously, go read it!!
Christoper M Tantillo's first published work of poetry is deeply honest and personal. This first installment in his "Things Never Said" poetry series is a powerful and sometimes difficult exploration of heartbreak, loneliness, self-loathing, and the push and pull that occurs when two damaged people try to make a relationship work.
Though tough to read at times because of the open wounds revealed on the page, Tantillo's work remains raw and unfiltered, just like his fiction. He puts it all on the page without trying to make it overly pretty for the reader. He's not afraid of letting the reader see all the parts that are messy and unrefined. This results in poetry that feels like seeing someones bare heart beating on the table in front of you. The poems flow from angry to mourning to moments of profound clarity, bouncing between these in a way that feels like true heartbreak. Our emotions rarely follow a clear path from one to the other. We regularly feel more than one thing at once and that's exemplified perfectly in this first installment.
A beautiful, raw, emotional collection of poems from Christopher M. Tantillo.
In this first volume (of 3), Chris bears his heart and soul in every poem included. Poems that speak of first meetings, young love, longing, ended relationships, hope(s) for love (even rekindling of former love), body dysmorphia, regret.....and also hope, forgiveness, retrospection, and growth.
I appreciated the candor, the honesty, the titles--some made me chuckle. Tantillo gives us whimsy with some title names, like "The Grasshopper Sings to the Sleeping Fool" and "They Said to Plow but the Snow is Deep and I'm Unable to Keep Up," but both poems pack a punch to the gut with emotion and vulnerability.
I do enjoy modern poetry, and I very much enjoy with the formatting of a poem(s) goes outside the norm--not always left to right, or top to bottom. Tantillo uses formatting in several poems of this collection to keep our attention and accentuate a word/phrase/point or a feeling....the letters in the word "descending," where each letter is separated by several spaces and they appear to be "falling" over several lines, for example. I also appreciated the many styles of poems in this collection: rhyming, free verse, sonnet-esque, some haiku, and longer poems that are mini-short (ha) stories.
I feel like we see both a younger version of the author/poet at times, moreso in the earlier poems....and then we see the older, wiser author/poet, as if they are looking back and reflecting on their life or events or relationships. The separation of the poems in two parts: Sprain (Part One) and Crack (Part Two) also seems to group feelings and emotions or ideas in the poems together. Maybe this is a progression we should be anticipating? Sprain-->Crack-->Break(???)
Some standouts in this volume for me: "Why I Prefer to Walk Alone" "Hyper-Focusing to Distract from Looking Inward" "Tick" (the formatting) "Why I Hate Scales" "Necrophilia"
Highly recommend this volume, and the upcoming Volumes 2 and 3 later this year (July 15, Volume 2 and September 2, Volume 3). Well-worth the read and you'll very likely see yourself--whether that's a "current you" or a "younger you" that you recognize in these poems. Hoping we all heal and grow and learn.
This beautiful and raw poetry collection will have you in your feels and in your past from page one. I cracked it open and ended up devouring it in one sitting and marking my favorites to share with loved ones. A couple of the pieces had me wiping away tears. This collection is honest, raw, vulnerable, and so very relatable. Most if not all of us have suffered years of heartache while over and over finding "the one" and then losing them to the void of life... and wow, does it feel nostalgic to look back through someone else's eyes and feel all of those emotions all over again. I truly hope he finds his person in the end, whoever he is. Huge shout out to the author for wanting me to be a part of his early release team. I feel grateful and privileged to have been able to read this before it makes it's way out into the world. I only hope you all enjoy it as much as I did.
I have not read much for poetry before, but this collection was suggested to me by a friend and I gave it a try. I was lucky to get an advanced copy. And after reading it? I found it to be full of emotion, pain, and real life filling its pages. It is easy to get a feel for what the author has gone through in his life, as he pours his heart into his words. And for any times that something written may have resonated with me and my past? Those definitely existed. A well written collection, I’d say it is easy to recommend to those who are fans of poetry and for those who are new to it.
this book made me rethink everything i have learned about basic poetry, life, love, self worth. this collection literally gave me goosebumps. i have not read any of his other works as i just recently found him through a friend on threads app, and i am so glad she recommended him. his writing hits my heart in a familiar way but makes me feel the pain of my past relationships. i admire his quality, the structure, i feel his sorrows and joy. i am eager for more , his writing is beautiful, inspiring, moving, heartfelt.
This was my first work of Christopher’s that I have had the pleasure of reading! I am so thankful to have been chosen as an Arc reader and to have been able to read something so personal. He did such an amazing job writing about love and loss, he brought up so many emotions in me! What he talks about is so relatable, almost everyone has gone through what he has, and to be able to experience someone else’s life like that was beautiful. I cannot wait to read more of Christopher’s work!
This collection of poetry sheds a light on the struggles of healing from a multitude of pains. The pain in each word, phrase, and line is palpable and it is uncomfortable at times to read in that it feels you have been allowed to enter someone’s thoughts. I look forward to the release of the two additional books to see the journey we will continue to go on.
A huge thank you to Christopher for the ability to read this book of poetry early. I feel honored to be a part of this journey.
What a beautifully tragic book of poetry! I think anyone who has been through *that* breakup will relate to this collection so hard.
My great love died, so I'm not quite on the same wavelength as the author. Will definitely recommend this collection to my friends and share, but will not be personally continuing the other books in the series
I received an eARC from the author; this did not impact my review and all thoughts are my own.
I am the author! I wrote/curated this collection! It might just be the next best thing you’ve read since the last next best thing you’ve read! I’m exclaiming all these sentences! I do this same review format for all of my published works! I will continue blaming this on Aubrey (you know if you know)! We hope you enjoy the read!
This is an emotionally stirring book of poetry I could easily see being one of those books you pick up and find the poem you need when you need it. An examination of missed opportunities and wrong choices are laid out on the page for the reader to sink into and find truths they may not want to. A few poems really stood out to me and I commented those in my reading history!
Very well written poetry. The formatting is creative in ways that I haven’t seen before with any other poets. Some poems are straightforward while others have more depth and emotion behind the words. If you enjoy reading poetry that is meant to make you think and meant to make you feel the raw emotion of the author’s writing, this collection is for you.
Look, I've been taught "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all", so I'll just say that I liked this verse (if not the centre-alignment):
cut out my tongue and fuck me until i’m nothing but every dream i ever had of us
Note: I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This poetry book is a gastronomic feast for the soul—evocative, beautifully written, and emotionally immersive. Each poem transports you through pain, reflection, and raw reality. A poetic master piece.
I adored this book! I am not a poetry reader at all because it mostly goes over my dense head but Christopher did a phenomenal job and made it so relatable and beautifully written that I highly recommend it to any poetry lover. Wonderful job!
Not a huge fan of poetry but I did like the underlying message of these and I could see them touching and helping someone! Kinda gives me slightly darker Shawn Hunter vibes.
Im surprised with the imagery and strong feelings i had reading this book. Emotions are on top, images and sequences are very good and this is a masterpiece someone cant be afraid to read. GJ
Christopher has crafted a beautifully heart breaking collection of poetry that sinks into you. So many expressions that we’ve all experienced—put into words.
Fans of Christopher M. Tantillo's evocative fiction will find "Things I Never Got To Tell You" a compelling exploration of his poetic voice. This collection is a testament to his versatility as a writer, seamlessly transitioning from narrative to verse. The poems are imbued with a striking honesty and vulnerability, echoing the poetic quality of his novels. Tantillo’s ability to conjure powerful imagery remains undiminished. This work is a natural extension of his literary journey, opening up crucial conversations about self-discovery and human connection. Highly recommended for those navigating feelings of doubt, regret, or loneliness.
This Poetry book is devastatingly beautiful! I couldn’t put it down I didn’t sleep until I finished reading the entire book. It was vulnerable, real, so human. It’s so emotive there even elements of dark humor and lots of fragile romance, it’s dangerously good.