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This is How I Die: Collected Poems

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In "This is How I Die", Kat Savage brings all of her previous works together under one title. Mad Woman, Anchors & Vacancies, Redamancy, and most of Throes are sectioned here to take you on a journey. From madness to love and the heartache in between, it's all here.

220 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2017

33 people are currently reading
434 people want to read

About the author

Kat Savage

61 books695 followers
Kat Savage’s unique brand of storytelling combines some of her own truths with a little bit of fiction to connect to people in a very real way. She writes about ugly things authentically and shamelessly.

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5 stars
55 (44%)
4 stars
46 (37%)
3 stars
11 (8%)
2 stars
4 (3%)
1 star
7 (5%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
Profile Image for Alicia Cook.
Author 11 books466 followers
August 15, 2017
A trend seems to be emerging...and that's collected poems. Which are, by definition, poems that have appeared in other works, now collected into another, larger work. Especially as a self-pub'd author, it's very hard to sell your work the first time around, let alone again in a different, higher priced form. HOWEVER - Kat Savage understands her readers - because she loves them. In this collected work, Savage made sure to give her readers who may already own the previous work, a new experience. In this collection, she includes sketches and artwork and shows the work in an entirely new light. I would recommend this to both anyone who has never read Savage and those, like me, who have read her for many years.
Profile Image for Aliaa.
589 reviews88 followers
August 1, 2018
It took me awhile to finish this book and it was mostly because it was "too romantic" for me. Also because I'm in the middle of the longest yet reading slump but let's ignore that bit.
Anyways, even though this poetry collection is all about love I found myself more than a little liking it. I don't know it just felt so personal, it was almost like I knew Kat better after I finished it and for that mostly I gave it the fourth star. The poems themselves are well written but then again I'm no professional critic 😅
Profile Image for Rehan Abd Jamil.
655 reviews34 followers
March 13, 2018
We are holding hands and i don't know why. Our fingers are intertwined and i think we walk this way simply because it's the way we've always walked..it's reality right?
Profile Image for A.D. McCammon.
Author 23 books386 followers
October 24, 2017
♥️

Relatable. Powerful. Beautiful.
*I always fell in love with the unobtainable because the hurt was familiar and in so many ways, it was safe.
Profile Image for Briana.
177 reviews23 followers
August 15, 2017
I always feel bad because Poetry takes me so long to get through but it's because I think you need to take your time and savor each piece for what it is. This is How I Die is Kat Savage's work put into one book that flows and takes you on an adventure through her heart. I always appreciate her work because it makes me feel and always pulls me in. I will always buy Kat Savage's work :)
815 reviews89 followers
January 6, 2018
let me start off by saying this is the longest poetry book i have ever read but it's multiple chapbooks in 1. i loved mad woman the first time i read it, i love it even more this time around, it continues to be my favorite chapbook. i thoroughly enjoyed this entire book
Profile Image for Rachel Nicole Wagner.
Author 2 books91 followers
December 24, 2017
Beautiful

In its layout, language, movement and unfolding; this is a beautiful piece of work. Thank you, Kat, for being so real and sharing your words. Looking forward to your future works!

Xo,
Rach
Profile Image for Jessica Katoff.
Author 7 books72 followers
August 18, 2017
Kat has such a way with words. I know that's ridiculous to say. You'd expect anyone who has the stones to publish a book to have that. But, maaaan, her talent is just... I have no words. Every piece in this book is so visceral, so well thought out, so right down in your soul. I found myself stopping and just staring at the pages so many times, looking for my name in them, because they were clearly written for me. I'm sure you will too. To have that kind of universality to your work is so rare. This one is such a gem. This book. And this writer. Could not recommend either of them more.
Profile Image for Renee.
211 reviews30 followers
August 23, 2017
I never considered myself a poetry kind of person. Heck, I was never much of a reader. To me, Poetry was always a rhyming, "roses are red" kind of thing. I was so so wrong. I have since re-discovered poetry and much of that credit goes to Kat Savage. Her words reached through the pages, and touched my very protected heart. I saw myself and my life in so many of her poems. I don't know her personally, but it is obvious that her writing is from deep down in her soul. She didn't just give us a glimpse into her heart, she opened it wide open for us all to read. I felt like I was reading her journal and what she was enduring at different points in her life. After each one, I would sit and think about it before I could move on. I love when I find a writer who speaks to my soul and that is exactly what she did with her powerful words. Everyone needs to have this in their library.
Profile Image for Renee.
338 reviews
December 29, 2017
Fine example of the life of the self-indulgent, immature and fragile that bleeds poetry to explore their feelings. Maybe I am just tired of the youthful cliche or can't relate because my unstable relationships are not of the sexual nature but rather the familial betrayal type. Dunno... but, this just didn't speak to me. Understand, I am very happy for those who found comfort and support in her words of youth and Spring and love and betrayal... due to birth order, not all of us can readily revisit Spring and it seems I am the Wallflower at this party. No, wait! I have to leave because I think I might get sick.
Profile Image for Bobbieshiann.
437 reviews90 followers
December 29, 2017
“i write you into my poetry
to keep myself from dialing
your old number.
i fuck on paper
to keep from faking it
with strangers.
none of it makes you
come back to me.
but none of it erases you either”.


“i have entire oceans folded into my skin,
and my kisses taste like sea salt.
there is coral reef cliff in my heart
and this is where my lovers go
to commit suicide.
they sink into the the black abyss below
and wait patiently in piles for a lifeline
that will never come for them.
i’ve never been good at rescuing those
who willingly drown themselves in me”.
Profile Image for Maria.
501 reviews15 followers
September 7, 2017
I read this collection of poems slowly because I wanted to absorb all the emotion they emitted. Kat Savage is simply a wizard with words. I was mesmerized by her talent and the way the words seemed to flow effortlessly on the page. My heart felt almost every emotion it can handle while reading. I can't gush enough. This was a beautifully executed and I'm so glad I was able to read it. I'll will carry so many of her words with me, most likely on my skin.
Profile Image for Shannon O'Connor.
Author 64 books848 followers
September 11, 2018
Loved

Amazing collection that shows the timeline of the authors hopeless attitude toward love & how she opens up to the idea. She describes her past romantic failures and ends with a great love who treats her right and makes you believe in love again. Showing us that even the most hopeless deserve to be happy. Beautifully written poems that hit too close to home for me personally.
Profile Image for Rochelle Bartee.
1 review
August 19, 2017
Every time I read work by Kat Savage I end up feeling so many emotions. She writes of love and heart ache in such a way you can't help but think of all the guys you've stumbled across in your life! most of the poems I had read from her previous works but there were. few new ones in there! absolutely beautiful work!!!
Profile Image for Elena ( The Queen Reads ).
868 reviews38 followers
December 17, 2017
Most love, I’ve observed, is narcissism at its finest and most cunning. Love is always about how you feel but not necessarily how the other person feels. The notion that simply because you love someone they should be willing to love you in return.



I love you.
Here I am.
Love me back.



And we have the audacity to be wounded over the loss of something we never really had.
Profile Image for Janelle (Nellie).
64 reviews1 follower
February 2, 2019
There were some good poems in this book but towards the end I kind of got the sense that she was sending the message that if you get a boyfriend your whole life will get better. When your life can get better without being in a relationship. I get that’s her personal story but certain poems had that theme. Also I found two grammatical errors in the book.
1 review
August 20, 2017
The very first poem stopped me dead in my tracks and I've been contemplating the REAL-ness of it for days! Thats poetry. relatable and makes you think. always have loved Kat Savage <3 and this book proves no different.
107 reviews13 followers
November 9, 2017
If you couldn't tell from the title, this collection is filled with relatable pain and heart ache. It is beautifully done.

The final section of this collection is filled with joy and hope and wraps up a this journey with love and commitment and opens the future up for new adventures.
Profile Image for K.Y. Robinson.
Author 6 books341 followers
December 7, 2017
Kat Savage knows exactly what heartache feels like and craft words that'll rip your heart out. Every poem I read made me think of former lovers who disappointed me and left me in pieces. It was like Kat was sitting inside of my hurt and documenting everything. Wow!
Profile Image for Karyl Ahn White.
61 reviews4 followers
February 22, 2018
Kat’s poetry is raw and reveals both strength and vulnerability. I love these poems and read them over and over again. So thought provoking and relatable. I cannot recommend it enough to lovers of modern poetry!
815 reviews89 followers
August 15, 2020
i grew up. i got older. so did my view of kat savage and her poetry. there's honesty, vulnerablity, melancholy, a little bit of hope, a lot of love, and this tenderness i can't explain. it's a gift. her words are a gift.
Profile Image for v'sreadingjourney.
4,511 reviews
December 17, 2021
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Method: papereback

Rating: 4/5 stars

Thoughts: Really enjoyed these, never read her before but enjoyed these poems.
Profile Image for Rebekah.
153 reviews12 followers
August 24, 2017
I love her work. She is incredibly talented. Her poems are so easy to relate to and so eloquently speak the words and feelings I could never articulate.
Profile Image for That Babe Ceres.
182 reviews2 followers
April 8, 2018
Love and loss

These poems really good. Anyone who has every been in love or breakup can relate to these poems. I highly recommend this for poetry lovers.
Profile Image for Lovelene Pearl.
221 reviews26 followers
June 22, 2020
It was okay. I did skip the Mad Woman chapters because I just recently read it so I proceeded to the two other poetry by the author.
Profile Image for Felicia.
576 reviews38 followers
August 29, 2017
I absolutely adore Kat Savage. I had already read most of these poems before because I own all of the books this collection of poems come from, but it was just as profound the second time reading.

My favorite poem from this collection is 48. It is the first one I ever noticed of Kat’s on Instagram and immediately felt drawn to it. It will always have a special meaning to me because it is what opened my eyes to this wonderful author.

Kat’s writing is so real and honest. I feel like I am experiencing her happiness and pain while reading her words. I have only in the last year gotten into enjoying poetry and to find someone who can make me feel that way and draw me in for the full experience is amazing!

This is a fabulous collection and I highly recommend it!

I was given an eBook copy from the author to review.
Profile Image for Ally Guay.
101 reviews1 follower
January 9, 2018
The amount of highlights I have, let's this book speak for itself. Amazing. I saw myself in every line in every page. Love this poets' work. I did not want this collection of poetry to end.
Profile Image for Caitlin Michelle.
588 reviews6 followers
June 17, 2018
I really, really enjoyed this and felt connected to it from the start. I’ve been struggling to find strong poetry on kindle, but this one did not disappoint! Definitely one I’ll have to buy in print!
Profile Image for Nora.
50 reviews15 followers
March 13, 2021
This book has soo many poems that describe me. I loved the author's writing style and I loved what these poems were trying to say. 3.5/5
Profile Image for Nicole Belanger.
Author 4 books18 followers
August 20, 2017
As always, I enjoyed reading Kat Savage's collection of poems. I received this book in exchange for an honest review, and I can honestly say that her words are raw and real.It feels as though Kat has cut open her heart and bled all over the pages. And once we get through all the chaos, we get a glimpse of the beauty left behind. I loved the way the poems seemed to progress, from a broken poet to one who has finally found happiness.

I can't wait to read more!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews

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