Soft Tortures

by P.A. Bitez

Soft Tortures is a poetry collection split into three chapters; each chapter navigates the subjects of Devotion, Desire and Destruction. This book addresses the thin line between pleasure and pain and the inner torture that can come from accepting both.

Genres: Poetry

130 pages, Paperback

First published January 17, 2017

About the author

Princess Arinola Adegbite or "P. A. Bitez" is a Jamaican-born Nigerian poet, songwriter, musician, filmmaker, and actress. In 2017 she won Slambassadors, a national poetry competition, and published her debut poetry collection Soft Tortures. In 2020, she became one of the six finalists of BBC Words First. She is a member of Young Identity.

Reviews

[Alice-Elizabeth (Prolific Reader Alice) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the writing style in Soft Tortures and the way the collection had multiple sections showcasing raw and deep thoughts. Available on KU!

[Jackie Stephens · Rating 5 out of 5]

"You are the scalding sweet hot cocoa
that burns my throat but I continue to swallow."

"So I turn my heart to stone because if I feel
nothing I can't feel alone."

"You are the oil to my water,
and I am the lamb to your slaughter.
We do not mix | I died at this"

These are just a few quotes from the beautiful poetry collection 'Soft Tortures'
it feels like more than just poetry, sometimes the words feel so full of pain,
and love and sadness that they spring off the page. I really enjoyed it and I
feel very proud to be the first reviewer on Goodreads to review this almost perfect collection.

[Nathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book surprised me at how brutally honest and well-written it is. If I'm being honest it's not the type of book I'd usually pick up but a friend recommended it to me and told me about the age of the writer so I read it and I was intrigued from the very start. The writing style fluctuates but is always enjoyable and intense, there were some poems that stood out to me and sometimes I go back to them. I'm definitely going to start reading more modern poets.

[Clinton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed soft tortures and i don't usually read poetry books but this has peaked my interest in the genre . My sister bought this book and i read her copy but if this author produces more like this i would definitely buy a copy for myself .

[Adrian O · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bitez's poetry is full of dark imagery that is electric, intense, and gory at times. Many of her poems are poignant and throughout the poems, there is a witty spark that juxtaposes the dark moments. I'll be looking out for more work from her.

[Sam James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brutally intense

[Shannon O'Connor · Rating 3 out of 5]

What

Okay i honestly don’t know how to rate this, the first 85 pages or so really had me and i was like wow i love this. Then I continued and the poems were so ridiculously written I lost hope as i tried to get to the end.