watch the deer

by Ashly Kim

Told in twenty precise prose poems, watch the deer is the story of a family and a place.And, mostly, of an animal.

Genres: Poetry

34 pages, Paperback

Published September 5, 2018

About the author

Ashly Kim (she/her) is an over-caffeinated Philadelphian, poet, and weekend fishmonger. When not adventuring with her two kids, she enjoys eating tacos or finding new books for her literary hoard. And she's doing it all in black sweat pants.

Her writing has appeared or is forthcoming in the following literary magazines/journals: Peach Velvet Magazine, Stanchion, Royal Rose Mag, deathcap, Southchild Lit, perhappened mag, Wyrd & Wyse, Hungry Ghost Magazine, the tide rises, and lavendar bones magazine.


FIND ASHLY HERE:

Instagram @ashlykimchi

Reviews

[Fay Pretty · Rating 5 out of 5]

This short book blew my mind; lyrical, raw and touching.

This is a potent story of going home and balancing your roots and yourself. It depicts losing someone in a plot that is symbiotic to hunting season. It's clever, left me feeling slightly haunted and completely awed- and it's on Kindle Unlimited.

A recommended poetry read from me.

[J.R. Rogue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omgggg this was so good. Let’s talk about how more people need to know this author. I was transported to the setting, felt like I was there. I love the complete story this collection told. 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻 bravo

[Lexi Vranick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book three times - once for the words and the story they tell, once for the metaphors and all the deeper meaning, once to marry them both together. This little book carries so much weight in its pages. The story reminded me of a Gillian Flynn novel: a city girl goes home to the country, sees family and old faces both friendly and better forgotten, and is reminded of the things she misses, and the things she wishes she could wash away. There's a melancholic overtone to the book as a whole, but it's so much more than that. It's the feeling of being too small or too big, the feeling of past and present mingling, the joy of hugging your mother and the sorrow of saying goodbye and the big release of breath when you cross the border to a home you made all your own.

Ashly Kim doesn't just tell you this story; she helps you live it. She opens a door and lets you inside, and only when you cross the threshold do you realize you're on a stage ready to act out this incredible piece she's created. It's simply magical the way she wraps you up in her words and doesn't let you go. I just love this book. It's unique and it's thoughtful and it's perfectly Ashly. I'd especially recommend this for any fiction fans who want to explore poetry, but aren't sure where to start - it's a great way to dip your toes in the water. Just be sure to watch the deer.

[Morgan Nikola-Wren · Rating 5 out of 5]

READ. THIS. BOOK.

Simply put. Ashly Kim writes like no one I have ever read before. Her work is at once grounded and lyrical. I cannot tell you the number of times I have read a poem of hers and thought, "My gosh, I wish I wrote that!"

[Amanda Butler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Concise. Heart-rending. Beautifully written, these prose poems tell a story about place with fleshed out characters.

[Anne Chivon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ashly always thinks outside of the box and everything she writes is so original, so interesting, and it keeps you waiting for more. So I'm waiting for more ❤️

[Nicholas Trandahl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! I’m not an avid reader of prose poetry usually, but this chapbook of prose poems snagged me immediately.
These poems tell the story of a young woman returning to her tiny dying hometown for her grandfather’s funeral, which collides with familiar domesticity and the ritual of the opening day of deer season.
So much of what I read resonated with my own life.
Excellent read!

[Dahlia Eleanor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Content Warnings: This book contains strong language as well as descriptions of death (human and animal), funerals, grief, depression, adultery, injury, car accidents, blood, gore, guns, knives, hunting, and butchering.

I received this book from the author back before it was published as an ARC, in exchange for an honest review. I told the author then how much I loved it, and three years on, that hasn’t changed.

I absolutely adore verse novels, stories told in poetry, and I’m of the belief that there’s not enough of them in the world.

Read full review here

[Cheyenne Raine · Rating 4 out of 5]

moving through a film of memories

this was a highly personal narrative collection of, prose? stories? i wasn't sure what to expect but ashly's writing always hits a spot where you feel like you're watching the movie that is her words.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked how deer represented the narrator's childhood, and how deer themselves were so tangled up in the lives of the rural people from whom she came. I wish this book had been longer and more fleshed out.

[Shannon O'Connor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this collection! So cute and realistic. Wanted to hear more from the perspective of the narrator. Definitely could see this as a full novel but works well alone as short stories.

[Sasha Elise · Rating 5 out of 5]

a beautiful and quick read

this was a beautiful quick read that was a breathe of fresh air and clear nostalgia in a few pages