Wonder

by Chris Emery

Wonder asks how we live with history, with absence, with longing ― and how we keep returning to the difficult beauty of the world.

In his fifth collection of poems, Chris Emery explores the nature of wonder in its various forms of awe, reflection, and the marvellous. The poems range from the absurd, to the historical, the comic and fantastical – dropping us into stories and places we never quite expect.

The collection considers where and how we live: in the city, in the country, on the coast, or elsewhere – and the strange lives we endure in often disparate communities, connected to each other through history and nature, and sometimes separated by it.

As with Emery’s previous work, the poems reveal the intimate and fleeting in human experience, and can delve into the mundane, reverie or dreamscape, each lyric serving to illustrate the joy of common experience, all expressed in musical and arresting language that never avoids the freight of emotion.

Genres: Poetry

80 pages, ebook

Published November 3, 2025

About the author

Chris Emery lives in Cromer with his wife and children. He is a director of Salt, an independent literary press. He has published two previous collections of poetry, a writer’s guide and edited editions of Emily Brontë, Keats and Rossetti. His work has been widely published in magazines and anthologised, most recently in Identity Parade: New British and Irish Poets. He is a contributor to The Cambridge Companion to Creative Writing, edited by David Morley and Philip Neilsen.

Reviews

[Colin Jack · Rating 3 out of 5]

In "Wonder", Chris Emery explores awe, beauty, history, and the marvels of everyday life.

He leans heavily into vivid imagery, obscure word choices, and surprising juxtapositions, aiming to offer fresh perspectives. While I appreciated the intent, the execution didn’t quite land for me. Much of the "wonder" I experienced was me wondering if I was missing something, or if the meaning just wasn’t there.

I kept waiting for a poem to truly stick with me, but instead of awe, I mostly felt mild puzzlement or indifference.

Though some pieces felt playful, Emery largely avoids rhyme, rhythm, or sound play like alliteration. Several free verse poems didn’t feel especially poetic, and the meter was sometimes clunky enough to trip over.

That said, I respect the effort to capture fleeting, intimate moments and to move between the mundane and fantastical. The collection has a distinct aesthetic, but it didn’t leave much of an impression on me. If you enjoy experimental imagery and don’t mind a lack of lyrical flow or emotional weight, this may work better for you. For me, it was an uneven read that never quite found its footing.

2.5/5 Rounded up.

[Kristiana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emery is clearly an accomplished poet and Wonder is an enjoyable collection to read. I definitely preferred the more personal pieces like 'Bagging Up' and 'Identity', and I definitely felt these were more memorable than perhaps the majority of the collection. But good, enjoyable poetry nonetheless.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I find reviewing poetry difficult. It is such a subjective medium. A book will connect with some people and not others. A book will connect with a person on some days but not others. Some poems in a collection will speak straight to your psyche and others will leave you unmoved.

This collection by Chris Emery definitely moved me. There is some gorgeous work in this small volume.

"Arctic birds: your first your last.
A screaming match you run right past. A black shale beach and
black tide sifting, a lime green hill with deep fog drifting."

That paints such a vivid picture in the mind.

Then "Bagging Up" brings tears to the eyes with simple, true language.

Then in "Brogues"-

"Perhaps you kept them hoping
I should wear them later. They are too small for me to walk in. The
treasures of your death have so far proved unsuitable."

Wow, that is such an unexpected word and yet this is an emotion captured.

There is playfulness here too. In “Minor”-

"And I want better rhymes than these,
or no rhymes at all, for academics in long essays to ecstatically
tease

hot meanings into rapture. And, I want, with all our golden
multitudes, to please."


There is a lot going on in this collection and I will revisit it.

I was given a copy of this book by NetGalley. And I would note that some of the formatting of the poetry will not have come across properly in this review.

[A.J. Sefton · Rating 4 out of 5]

As the title of this book of poems suggests, Wonder is about all things in life that inspire awe, admiration and the unexpected. But the most unexpected thing is that the poems are not all sunny views on the beauty of nature but also about regret, the passing of time, history and the lived experience. The scope is vast.

The language and imagery is always powerful, often emotional and intimate. There are many memorable lines, such as 'Stay anywhere long enough, and a world will die,' which is the one I find the most poignant and enduring. However, the poems that include descriptions landscapes are the best and most poetic, although they show the harsh and bleak reality rather than a romantic pastoral scene, which is their strength.

Moody, evocative and emphatic, this is a wonderful collection.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonder by Chris Emery is a captivating and carefully composed collection that reveals a deep sensitivity to language, nature, and the nuances of human emotion. From the very first poem, I was hooked.by the first piece, called 'wonder' stood out immediately with its striking imagery and subtle emotional pull. Emery has a gift for evoking mood and meaning in just a few lines, and there's a quiet confidence in his voice that carries through the whole book. While a few poems felt more abstract and harder to connect with, the majority offered moments of real insight and beauty. A strong and memorable collection that invites multiple readings.

[Katrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

One of the first things that struck me when reading Wonder was the variety of imagery Emery manages to conjure throughout the collection. I also appreciated the range of topics covered within its pages.

While the poems explore several themes such as absurdity, melancholy, memory, and the ordinary, I found the more personal pieces to be the real standouts.

With thanks to the publisher for the ARC.

[Kendra · Rating 4 out of 5]

The human experience is my favorite topic. Taking observations...situations...life into written word, this collection of poems delivers in a way that I connected to each small moment. The poet's writing style does not hinge on a conscripted rhythm, but rather flows in an accessible, thought-provoking manner.

Thank you to NetGalley, Salt Publishing, and poet Chris Emery for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. "Wonder" was published November 3, 2025!

[Jennifer Loschiavo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emotional and sent my brain on a trip through memory lane. It really made me think about what is really going on in the world, in my world. It was lyrical and open minded but showed emotional maturity. It showed a strong point of view. I will be re reading this when i am in my feels about some choice things for sure. Fantastic poems. Well done.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

this chapbook made think me of being tucked in the corner of a bar in a seaside town, listening to the stories of the people around me. it was sometimes a little silly, and sometimes really profound, and wholly enjoyable.

thanks netgalley and salt publishing for providing me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This poetry collection reminded of really sturdy writing we'd read as examples in my college poetry class. This is a collection of good work with the occasional profound line that I really strive to find in poetry.

Thanks for the ARC