Smoke Signals:

by Ashley Dun

This is a chronicle of life, seasons, heartbreak, and healing. Poems to make you feel less alone, loved, understood. The light fades and sometimes seems so far away, but spring will always come. The sun is always just behind the clouds. We hold on together and these words create the rope that can lift us out of the hole that so easily catches us. Grab on. Let it lift you.

Genres: Poetry, Nonfiction

70 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2016

Reviews

[Mahala · Rating 4 out of 5]

Smoke Signals is a beautiful portrait of love and heartbreak, depression and healing. Ashley captured in words each of those feelings and created a heartfelt, moving book out of it. It's in four parts, my personal favorite was "rebirth," it was absolute gold. I also love how in one way or another, almost every poem stuck to the theme of fire, it made the book really flow and each poem related to the next.

[Leah B · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just got this book today and I loved it. All of the poems that Ashley wrote are, as she says, 'not full of sunshine' and 'real.' Which I really like because again as she says it, 'makes you feel less alone.' Some of the poems in the book really spoke out to me and all of them are beautifully written.

[Lee Martens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Smoke Signals is the first poetry bundle by Ashley Dun. Her poetry is heartbreaking, but she makes sure to also add in hints of hope at the end of most poems. In four sections, she explores concepts such as relationships and mental health. This book will make you cry, smile and laugh. It will lift you up when you feel down. It will be a friend you can carry around with you wherever you go.

[Céline · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is definitely one of the best poetry books I have read, it’s absolutely wonderful.

It’s in 4 parts: “the fire”, “the falling”, “the dark” and “the rebirth”. I enjoyed all four but I think “the falling” was my favourite. The poems are mostly about being in love and heartbreak but also about mental health, letting go and healing. I love how all poems had personal meanings and were individual but at the same time they’re all connected to each other and anyone could relate to some of them. As said in the synopsis “Poems to make you feel less alone, loved, understood” they really do make you feel less alone and makes you understand that even if your heart is broken, you will heal no matter what.

I met Ashley during a Vesperteen house concert in Belgium but unfortunately I didn’t had the chance to read her book before. I must say that she’s an absolute sweetheart and when you have read the poems and then see how she is in person you just know she has a heart full of love.

I totally recommend this poetry book, if you have read Rupi Kaur’s book Milk and Honey then I promise you you’ll absolutely love this one as well.

[Samantha Cantu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Her writing style is amazing, It makes me feel like i've been floating along the ocean.

[Hailey Kroll · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’ve had this book since I was in middle school, but never finished it. I now remember why.

These poems are repetitive and have overbearingly religious undertones. Vilifying mental health in a book about depression because your religion thinks poorly of it, or because you don’t want to deal with your own struggles, is really strange.

Unfortunately, I do not recommend this book.

[Aria Maher · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was all I wanted and more. I knew it was going to be amazing, but these are the sort of words you'd like to get tattooed on your soul because they're so true. Ashley's poems are sometimes deceptively simple, but I found I kept going back to ponder the meaning of certain turns of phrase and expression. Some of these poems just cut me to the heart with their truth, but it's better of you read Ashley's words for yourself. Here's a few of my favorite quotes from the book:

"I'm not ready to give in to
what I don't know so feet
don't fail me now
let's run until the horizon blurs
and the heat of the sun burns
and please
let me die by
the fire
of life"

"never get comfortable with mental illness
or it'll steal your soul when
you least suspect it so
seek the light
brave like morning
bursting through darkness and
hold on for the new
if the sun can do it
so can you."

[Kika · Rating 5 out of 5]

beautiful and mesmerising, i always it carry it around wherever i go.

[Elh ✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is probably the best poetry collection I have ever read. I saw myself in every poem. I love it. Talent is a gene in the Dun family

[Daniela · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book made me feel. That’s the first thing which came to my mind when I tried to explain how I felt after reading it. It made me feel something, everything. I smiled, I cried. I felt it in my soul.
Ashley has this talent to put emotions, moments, smiles, clouds, tears, the moon and her stars into words. It even seems effortless. That’s what I call talent.
Smoke Signals (burn this) is the poetry you’ll need if you want to see something different, moving, beautiful and challenging. If you want to read something that will change you. It may sound weird, at first, to think that a book might change you, but it will. Because words are this powerful, and Ashley Dun’s words, oh how they will mark you. For the better. You will end up trying to reinvent human relationships, the world and yourself.
Burn this, but before that: read this. Fall in love, like I did. You will not regret it. It raw talent as its best.

[Rae · Rating 3 out of 5]

I absolutely loved the dreamy-ness of these poems. I read this is 2017 during the wretched period of middle school. I came across Ashley because she is Joshua Dunn’s, the drummer of Twenty One Pilots, sister. Every night I’d pull this little collection of poems out and read them over and over until I’d start to get sleepy. I never did physically burn this book. I didn’t have to. It lit enough of a fire in me to blaze my own trail and devour its teachings while giving warmth to others. And eventually, I did send up my own smoke signal, I asked for help, and I’m hopefully going to get it. This is what got me into writing. To document and turn it into art like this collection did. Something is so beautiful about the human journey and how we all experience our own version of it. Even now, I still write to this day just to preserve the slightest bit of my journey and to help myself along the way. Thank you, Ashley.

[Theo Eyckermans · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a special one , Ashley opened her heart , and put in words things that we all think but cannot express , these words will help you on a daily basis , when you’ll feel bad . It’ll help you to release your emotions , subjects like depression are in this book. When you’ll feel worthless , this book will show you that you worth it. Ashley words are special , they will make you feel alive, it’ll help yourself going through your darkest moments.
Read it , and be ready to change .

[Kait Richards · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brutally honest but very well put together and I really enjoyed the format of the poems and just was pleasantly surprised by this book. Would definitely recommend to my friends and others.

[Simone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful book!! it is a definite must read and a great book to read when you just need to escape from it all. I love Ashley Dun

[Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

sad girl poems.

[Tara Garner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it so much 🖤🖤🖤

[Jena Schuh · Rating 3 out of 5]

short poetry book about loneliness and heartbreak. Just wasn’t resonating with me as much as i wanted