I am a home to butterflies

by J. Alchem

A captain sinks with his ship
then why cannot a lover?

This collection of poetry is all about you and me, but I am afraid it will no longer be about 'you and me' once a reader picks it up. It will then be about them only.

It will be all about the one they loved like thunder, about the one they struggled hard to keep, about the one who had left them in the middle of their 'forever', about their world shattering into pieces, about them gluing together every piece, and about them falling in love one more time.

And if you still think it is about you and me, you haven't loved someone like thunder, yet.

Genres: Poetry, Fiction, Romance

247 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 17, 2018

About the author

J. Alchem is a voracious reader and a critically acclaimed author. He is the winner of several Awards and Accolades including Amazon Pen to Publish 2017 and The Best Author of the Year 2017-18.

The author has written in several magazines and newspapers and received appreciation for the same. His notable works include two well-received, bestselling titles; A Road Not Traveled and The Highway Man. One Award-Winning title, Undelivered Letters. And his latest releases, I am a home to butterflies, and Kalam.

Recently, he has sold screen adaptation rights of his book, Undelivered Letters to an award-winning producer.

Reviews

[Sneha Khatri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Literally, I am a home to butterflies after reading this book.



It has everything that a soul desires to have a bite of: Love, Pain, Suffering, Wisdom, and More and More love. The poetries are so beautifully crafted that you don't put the book down unless you are done reading it. And you feel like to pick it again once you are done because there is a lot you want to either take a screenshot of or want others to read.



Some of my favorite shots are:

I never understood
why the compass needle
had always pointed north
until
I fell in love with you



Your name flashes on the screen
and butterflies
are no longer homeless

and,

Many love me
but yours love
is my favorite

and,

I don't like dead watches
but I desperately want
a pair of them
when I am with you



Even Soulmates
have to
try harder
to be together

and,

You know
how hard it is
to not dial your number



It is twenty eighteen
and we still don't have any medicine
that can make us unlove someone

and,

It was a winter night
I was eleven
I was homeless
And I had no shelter

There were vultures
All around
I did not know
How to save myself
And whom to trust

And then I saw
A temple
With its door wide open

I smiled

Now I could save myself
Now I could be secure
But then I realized
I was on periods



There are so many such amazing poetries in the book that will take your heart away. There are some seven letters as well in the book. And they are like Cherry on the cake with an Amazing climax.



It is a book that mustn't be missed

[Priyanka Verma · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I am a home to butterflies” is one of the finest collection of poetry and the best book by J. Alchem so far. I loved it like anything. Some of the poetries were like “wow. Just wow” and I couldn’t help but gripped book more tightly and read ahead in a single go. And when I was done reading it, I read it again and took screenshots of my favourite poetries. A must-must read.



The book is divided into two parts; Poetry and Letters. Poetry has nine themes (chapters) while Letters are total seven in numbers. Let’s talk about poetry.

Life This section has poetries about life; ranging from encouragement to harsh realities of life. For instance;

Out of the one she loved
And the one who loved her
She chose the one
The society had permitted.

You This section has poetries about the female protagonist and all the poetries are so beautiful to make you fall in love with her.

Have you ever looked into her eyes?
don’t do,
there is no way out.

Love This section has poetries about love. It portrays the state of being in love so well and so beautifully.

I never understood
why the compass needle
had always pointed north
until
I fell in love with you.



Obstacle This chapter talks about the struggle the male protagonist and female protagonist go through.

Even soulmates
have to
try harder
to be together.

Breakup This chapter talks about the situation of break up. If you had a break up, you will surely relate to it.

We were strangers.
We are strangers.
But yes,
in between,
you came close,
really close,
and promised,
we will never be strangers.

Pain It is all about the pain and suffering after the break-up stage.

I easily forget
lyrics,
movies,
books, and
birthdays.
Then why is it so hard to forget you?



Awakening Awakening has some of the most amazing poetries.

We could build a home
And live happily thereafter.
But then you decided to build a wall
And now I don’t know
If either of us
is happy here.


Wisdom A stage of self realization after break and pain.

Thanks
for breaking me into pieces.
Now I can fix my pieces
differently.

Love again This chapter shows that you may fall in love again, too, if one goes unrequited.

Someday
someone
is going to look
into your eyes
and read
what you cannot say
and tell you
what you want to hear.



Letters

There are seven letters in the book. All the letters are connected to each other and flow like a story that has a climax in the end. And the climax is one of its kind that would blow your mind. Though the poetry section is my favorite in the book, climax won me.

Overall, I loved the book like anything. It is something that should be cherished forever. Something that can be read over and over.

Recommended? Of, course go for it.

[Kritika Singh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has two stories which are told through a collection of poems and letters. And that's the most beautiful thing about this book.



The first story of an unknown protagonist who once meets the love of his life and eventually falls for her. They go through the various phases of love only to have a break up later. The girl moves on while the guy gets stuck with after effect of a dead relationship; pain, awakening, wisdom. The story ends on a happy note when the protagonist again falls in love that shows we fall in love more than once if first goes unrequited. The first story ends with a really beautiful poem;
Promise me,
if you ever do
you will break me differently
I don't want you
to remind me of someone else

The beauty lies in the way the story is told through poems. You feel each and everything the guy goes through and you relate with the poems irrespective of your gender.

The second story starts with a letter where the male protagonist, Ayaan writes to his ex and story unfolds with every letter. It shows the depth of his love, the pain he has gone through, and everything he did to bring a smile on his girlfriend's face. And then comes the seventh letters with some secret that will blow your mind.



This book is a must-read for its one of its kind experience.

[Nitin Sharma · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful Collection of poems and heartbreaking letters. I couldn't ask for more what this book offers. Some of the poems directly hit you hard on your heart while some make you think about life, love, and people around you going through pain.

The book portrays an image with every poetry you read and you cannot help but read ahead.

The only drawback I found in this book was it was a really short length. I wanted to read more and more poetry but sadly there were countable numbers.

The letters part was a surprise for me. I thought it was just a poetry boom until I found seven letters in the end. The letters are like a story and has a climax in the end that makes this book more lovable.

A must read.

[Nikhil Biswas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poems! Poems! Poems!
Wow! Wow! Wow!

I had loved the previous work of Alchem and It was always refreshing to read his every title whether it was his first title, A Road Not Traveled or the last one, Undelivered Letters. This one, I am a home to butterflies, compelled me to write a long review.

The book is divided into two parts; Poems and Letters. While the poems take you on a wonderful journey from life to love again, the letters reveal a different side of love. There are so many relatable poems in the book. My most favorite ones are:

Your name flashes on the screen
and butterflies are no longer homeless

Stop seeing love
in people
they are just mirrors

Let's exchange our heart
you understand
how much I love you
and I understand
Why you don't

Maybe not today
or tomorrow
but someday
after years
or decades
you will understand
the one you let go
was the one
worth keeping.

Every poem is mind-blowing. It is a kind of book that must keep around you and re-read every now and then.

[Urvashi Panchal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a home to butterflies is a collection of short poems and a series of letters to ex. Both have two different stories in the background.

While a series of poems is a story of a person finding the love of his life, falling in love, facing obstacles, having a breakup, going through the pain and falling in love once again, the series of letters is a story where a broken guy, Ayaan writes monthly letters to his ex-girlfriend, Swati, who had left him for her ex. The broken guy writes monthly letters (at the same date his break up had happened) only to receive a bigger heartbreak in the last.

The narration of the book is smooth and soft. You don't have to apply effort to get anything, it melts in your nerves on its own.

This book is not just a book, it is an experience of life. While reading it, it feels like it is your own story running through poetries and letters. You relate with the narration and love every bit of it.

A beautiful read.

[Bharath · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a short, cute book, and also different. In fact, its unusual format is what you should read it for.

A large section of the book is a series of short musings (some very short like quotes and some longer poetry) of Ayaan who misses his love Swathi. He is unable to forget her, worries how she is as she was in an earlier abusive relationship, and seems to have gotten back with her ex. He agonizes over why this break happened and hopes he can bridge the divide. But how – he is hesitant as Swathi has been categorical in moving away.

The later sections has a series of letters Ayaan writes to Swathi. There is no reply for most of the letters, and then finally…..It is at the end that you understand more of what transpired till then….

Well worth a read – short and sweet it is!

My rating: 3.5 / 5.

[Abhishek · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a home to butterflies is not a book it is an experience that everyone goes through. The book is divided into two parts; Poetries and Letters.

There are nine stages in the poetry part. While reading you will surely find yourself at one of the stages at least. We all have gone through it at some part of our life. The book clearly portrays the love, the life, the pain, the obstacle, the heartbreak, and the awakening that you end up saying, "wow" because someone is out there who understands your emotions more than you do. And it is what makes this book really really special. It has so many- so many heart touching, heartwarming, heart winning, relatable poems.

The second part is a collection of letters. Letters which are written for the ex. Letters that have pain, care, and love in gallons and gallons. And the climax of the letters almost kills you.

A great read.

[Apoorva · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't expect the letters in the end but I've to say they gave an interesting twist to the story. Apart from that, it was nice poetry; unfortunately, not to my taste. I wished the cover page had butterflies lol!

[Shalini Choudhary · Rating 2 out of 5]

What happens when you fit motivational punchlines and cliched lovestruck pick up lines, the outcome’s this book. The first half of the book’s such a snore. Anyway the second half of the book or rather the ending 20% of the story saves the book. I’ve read some previous work of the same writer and I was expecting this book to be so much better. I feel disappointed.

[Surbhi Das · Rating 3 out of 5]

"And maybe
the God had created a few souls
without any companion.

~to wander~to cry~to write~to paint~to sing~to read."

I am really not into reading poetry so honestly, going into this book, I didn’t know what to expect. To my surprise though, I really liked this book. “I am a home to butterflies” is a collection of musings about love, kindness, persistence, growing up and moving on. In fact, it strikes very close to heart because of the so many wonderful truths it conveys about life and importance of self-love.

The book is divided into two parts, the first part is obviously poetry and the second part is written in the form of letters. Honestly, I thought the book had an amazing beginning, I was so invested and I absolutely loved all the thought-provoking poems which were based on society, women and their choices. The poems based on love, betrayal, pain and moving on, even though good and honest didn’t really hit home for me. Mostly, I suppose it’s because I am really not in that phase of my life and also, because many of the poems kind of felt repetitive.

The second part of the book which is written in the form of letters is actually unique, especially the ending. I didn’t see it coming and I was taken aback. The letters are written by Ayan, whose girlfriend has left him for someone else and he uses writing letters to his ex as a sort of coping mechanism. Now, I felt the author did a wonderful job of penning down the various emotional struggles one goes through after an end of a relationship, it’s melancholy, poignant and many people will relate to those circumstances. Personally though, I felt Ayan’s voice a little whiny and needy. Again, it may be because I never faced any such situations in my own relationships but that’s what I felt. Also, there are themes of self-harm discussed in the story which can be trigger for many people.

Thank you, Sidra for the review copy!


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[Biswajeet Ghosh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one is the second book I have read from the same author. His first book, Undelivered Letters was based on a really different concept. So, I picked up this book thinking that it will also deal with some different theme or concept. I was a little disappointed and a little glad as well when I completed this book. Disappointed because it was not having such a wonderful concept like a postman who forgets to deliver letters and delivers them after twenty years. And happy because of the way this book, I am a home to butterflies, was written. It won my heart.



Let me have a dig in positive and negative of this book. Let's start with the things I didn't like.

(1) The book is of a short length and some of the poetries were used just to move the story ahead.

(2) The letters part needed more work in terms of beautifying the love of Ayaan. Some of the letters stole my heart while some just ended up doing no effect at me. It looked like the author was in a bit hurry.

(3) It needed a proper division between Poetries and Letters. The readers might think of both as the same story while there are two different stories in the book.



Now let's talk about the things I loved:

(1) Poetries are just wow, wow and wow. It feels like you are reading about you.

(2) The poetries flow like a story. It was the most beautiful thing about the book. The poetries were put in a manner that you end up living a story when you complete the book.

(3) The variety of poetry. It has poetries from almost all stages of life. Life, love, obstacle, break up...



(4) The book doesn't harm anybody. It lifts the spirit of every person, especially women. They will feel empowered after reading it.

(5) Some of the letters are beautifully crafted especially letter number four and five.

(6) The climax of poetry section and Letters. Both are just mind-blowing. Poetries end on a happy note where the protagonist again falls in love after going through pain, awakening, and wisdom. Letters end with a great twist that will make you cry and wonder at the same time.



In the last, this book is something that must be felt instead of reading. If you feel it, you will discover more layers in the book and will end up loving it more.

[Antara Bhattacharjee · Rating 3 out of 5]

What drew me to this ebook was the author - J Alchem, to be very honest.
I had read one of his novels "Undelivered Letters" which had left me wanting for more. I had seen a lot of potential in the author in terms of building the story and then delivering it.
I immediately picked up his latest poetry collection "I am a home to butterflies" when I came across it with the expectations of getting introduced to something good.
However, the beautiful and colourful cover always gives me an OCD for not having any butterflies!!
Nevertheless, we start on page 1 and go through the mostly 4-lined miniature poems which immediately feels like a deja-vu (have I read this somewhere else?).
I am not a sucker for romance but I am a big fan of witty wordplay & some of the poems from this collection had enough of these.
Throughout the first section, I kept trying to bind the title with the gist of the poems, but towards the end - I absolutely got it. Yes, we are all A Home To Butterflies - when we have them in our stomachs, chests, brains or in every other organ when we are in love!
This is what love does to us... either it ruins us completely or makes us a king. Don't you agree?

I can easily visualise a young man - 24ish, with a broken heart, unable to sleep, or express, oe even breath; sitting on his study chair around 2am and jotting down his feelings with the exact relatable words just to find some solace.
Love makes us go nuts...
We hallucinate, we wear an invisible pair of rosy coloured glasses and just hear or see what we want to.
Similar to what Ayaan experiences for his ex-gf. As narrated in the second section of the ebook.
From me a 3 star, (c'mon he's one of my fav Indian authors!)
If you are looking to read something relatable then you MUST read J Alchem's "I Am A Home To Butterflies" (it's only 49 bucks)
Looking forward to reading his recently published full-version paperback "Undelivered Letters".
Good luck Alchem
Peace out ✌

[Merril Anil · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had read and loved the author’s first book Undelivered letters so naturally when i received this book by the author’s team i was excited and especially since it was a collection of poetry. I must say that the title itself was amazing and had a unique flavour to it so if for nothing i was impressed by the book title in itself . I am home to butterflies. What a beautiful thought and idea .The book gave me mixed views as various aspects of the book while was impressive and exciting there were other aspects that didn’t click well with me. one of which being the poetries itself. so to explain more effectively let me just bifurcate the review into what i loved and didn’t.

First lets begin with the things that i couldn’t resonate with in the book. The book basically is a poetry book or is it ? To me it was a collection of thoughts and ideas. But then that is my dilemma because where i couldn’t consider this is a poetry book, the words and the thoughts and ideas, basically the content was simply amazing. I treated the book as pretty much a collection of thoughts and ideas and was able to appreciate and enjoy it much more. Basically it contains thoughts and letters all combined to behave more like a diary of a broken heart which essentially doesn’t come with any kind of order or particular arrangement style.

As i said above , the ideas and thoughts can’t essentially define as a poetry because every paragraph seem to be a different idea and thought process in general and kind of stands apart from the preceding and succeeding paragraphs and that is why i took it as a compilation of quotes and verses and voila ! what a read

There were lines that were simply profound and wallpaper worthy. I loved a lot of the ideas that was being spread through the book. One of the most surprising things in the book was the chapter categories, it goes in a very fantastic order from life, to love, heartbreak and the epiphany that comes from the pain of losing on love and then eventually wisdom. You have to have the book in hand to understand what i am saying.

There are couple of letters towards the end of the book which totally blew my mind because while going through them i thought it to be another heartache saga but the end note was simply clever and even an eye opener

So basically i have mixed feelings about the book because there are a lot of things that i simply loved and adored in the book and certain things that i couldn’t place my heart into. But in general i would say that the book is worth the try for some of the most beautiful words and ideas it shares but perhaps refrain from approaching it as a poetry marvel. Plus the book hardly takes an hour. it is quick, smooth and short.

[Oviya Balan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Commendable work

Touching lots of relevant topics and dealt everything with simple yet powerful words. The final few pages put me on a rollercoaster ride. Couldn't ask for a better one.

[Pradeepa · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Pain Increases

Before it subsides.

You can call it

Dressing of wounds.

~just hold on.” - I am a home to butterflies by J. Alchem

I have never read a poetry before and I have always thought, a person like me, who enjoys fiction, wouldn’t be able to love poetries as much. But this book has proved me otherwise.

This simple, yet more meaningful poetry ‘I am a home to butterflies’ by J. Alchem, was all about a collection of different aspects of life, love, relationship, break-up, pain and so on. The book had two sections – first section is about poetry and the next is about letters. I could relate to the poems about women, society and the choices, women have to go through because of the society. The poems about love, pain, relationship, break-up would leave you with an ache.

The second half of the book was more interesting, especially the twist in the end. It is about the letters written by Ayaan, to his girlfriend Swathi, who had left him for her ex for some unknown reason. He continues to write her letter putting all the emotional feeling into words, that one goes through after break up and how he suffers to move on from that part of life. The letters felt heart-breaking and lonely. But I felt Ayaan was little clingy as the letter was mostly about the wonderful time they spent together and how he pacified her and was there for her all the time irrespective of her ex treating her badly and now that she had left him for her ex. But the end was different and unexpected. Overall, it was a pleasant read! @mysecret.bookshelf

My Rating: 3.5/5

[alostbibliophile · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this review copy in exchange for an honest review.
"I am a home to the butterflies" is a collection of poetry and It also consists of 7 letters written to an ex-girlfriend.
When I started reading this book I thought it was just poetry but then when the author introduced the letters i got hooked. Few parts of the book were so emotional and even heart-breaking.
The ending left me speechless! It's a very short read, I read it in about an hour. Overall I liked the book very much, especially the letters!
🌟🌟🌟🌟 stars

🔸Favorite poem from the book
"Love a book.
They don't leave.
They don't die."

🔸Favorite paragraph from the book
"Do you know what is the difference between leaving someone and dying? When people die you don’t question yourself. You don’t blame yourself. You accept it as nature’s rule. But when people leave, you question yourself. You blame yourself. You cannot move on. You die with every passing moment because you think everything is your fault. You question your complexion, your height, your personality, your behaviour and what not. You lose trust in yourself. You lose self-confidence. Your own shadow scares you and you die bit by bit."

[Yasaswi Suryadevara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This kindle book has been sent to me in exchange for an honest review.

Coming to the book, OMG this collection of poetry has been enticing, empowering and excruciatingly beautiful.I loved the awakening part from the poetry. There were many poems that i took screenshot of who says that I was smitten with this book.Poems remind you of your loved ones and the pure love that one individual can have unconditionally for another. Im glad to have read this book.


Second section Letters blew me apart. The pain and the suffering ayan experienced had me in pain and i was badly wishing for his happy ending and then i was blown to pieces at the end.DAMNNNN this book is riveting, amazing(insert all the adjectives here). I am a home to butterflies is a wonderful book of poetry and letters that will rip you and sew you back perfectly.I finished the book in a single go🖤.

[Arifa Anjum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title:I am a home to butterflies
Author:J.Alchem
Genre:Poetry
Format:Kindle

This book is a collection of poems and quotes which are divided into various sections like Love,Life,Heartbreak,Obstacles etc.
All these poems are heart touching and heart melting.
The best thing about the book was the letter part.There are 7 letters in the book.Six of which were written by Ayaan to Swati.He wrote these letters to Swati as she ditched her for her ex.In these letters he talked about her,how he missed her after she left her for her ex.And the moments they spent together.
The seventh letter written by Swati as a reply to the Ayaan's letters.What Swati wrote in the seventh letter will completely shock you.

It a short book which you can read in one sitting.Some of the poems are very beautiful.
I recommend it to everybody.Author wrote this book with love and pain.Overall a good book.

[Jeyasri Ramesh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thats a beautiful title first of all. The book unfolds into two parts: short write-ups and a set of letters.

The write-ups from the journey of love to heartbreak are so relatable and speaks your heart. Then and there comes a few snippets that can make you feel the pain beneath.
My fav was - “You came like a stranger and left like a stranger and killed me in between.”

The letters part is where you get to know the story behind more like that of a flashback but with an unexpected twist at the end.

In a nutshell: a short read that will make you feel like hugging the other half of yourself.

[Shrikanth Venne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very good quotes and thinking

Reading this book I really feel that author has gone through these feelings. He knows how a boy who is always on this side of the ocean where he suffers. All quotes I really loved it but the last chapters related to the letters written by Aayan was little lengthy which was shifting my thought to some other things. The letters written by Aayan was lengthy but was too emotional and heart touching. The quotes are so good it reminded me my love story. overall I would say a good Goodread... 😊

[Jigar Parikh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful ❤️

Received this Kindle version for an honest review and I would say I loved it.

I had read his book 'Unposted Letters' before and had loved his style of writing since.

This book had poems and some letters which touches your heart straightway.
Poems are simple yet effective. The letters portray the love and sufferings of the broken heart. And I guess many people will be able to connect with these letters.

Really happy to read it!

[Pankaj Giri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Before I start my review, I would like to say that apart from being a talented author, J Alchem is a wonderful person. He practices the kindness that he preaches in his books even in his own life and his interactions with others.

I know J Alchem ever since we were selected as finalists in the inaugural Amazon Pen to Publish Contest. He went on to win the contest along with Sudha Nair. I read his contest-winning book early last year and I liked it. This latest release from him was getting a good response from readers, and I had been planning to read it soon. When Antara Bhattacharjee offered me a review copy, I lapped it up immediately.

The first half—actually 70%—of the book consists of poems. The poems are short and sweet, and I liked many of them, especially the ones that inspire you to be selflessly kind, love yourself, and never give up. There are some hard-hitting ones too, like the ones on feminism. The ones on love and breakups and also good, some are so beautifully penned that you end up pausing to reflect on them and admire the author, but after a point of time, they start sounding repetitive and corny. Moreover, just like his previous book, the occasional grammatical and punctuation errors sort of disrupt the flow and might annoy serious readers. Also, some of the shorter poems (the one or two liners) were a bit too abrupt for my liking.

The second half consists of letters. Parts of it are cheesy again, but I have to admit that the author has been able to capture the feelings of the protagonist (a wholehearted lover who has been betrayed) quite comprehensively. The ending was a bit strange but an innovative one.

Overall, I think this is a brave, unique piece of literature by the author. Definitely recommended for a short one-time read which will urge you to put the book down and reflect on a few occasions at least.

3.3 stars from my side.

[Arti Manekar · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title "I am a home to butterflies" is really very beautiful. Cover, I found was kinda irrelevant but, it's okay. The book is a collection of poetry and letters. Those were not actually long poems but lil quotes which were actually good. Some of them I liked so much that I could not stop myself sharing them with my love. Some thoughts can be used by couples for their beloved. Some were so sad. But all of them were full of emotions. It's easy to read a book with lil quotes because they take less time. Many, who don't like to read large books, but wants to read, can read this one.
Next half of the book was a collection of letters, may be unsent letters, which I later came to know were online letters. A broken heart can definitely feel those letters. I didn't get that why all those letters were written on 19th of different months and years. I was feeling like author has felt every bit of the pain, which made him write this book, but as soon as I read the last reply letter I got to know about something new, and something I guess very dangerous. I wish no one in this world to go through such a disorder. Language was good enough.

My honest take, "The Highway Man" was better than this, as that book was spreading happiness at last, and this one was containing more pain.

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a home for butterflies is an unique and creative book that is sectioned in two parts. The first section comprises a collection of poetry which are
1) Life.
2)You.
3) Love.
4) Obstacle.
5) Breakup.
6) Pain.
7) Awakening.
8) Wisdom.
9) Love again.

It focuses on stages of emotions that each person lives through when they find love and try to capture each precious moments of this feeling. These poetry are excellently well versed and I absolutely love it. My most favourite part is Obstacle because all the poetry under that topic spoke to my soul.

There are these tiny illustrations in a few of these poetry and its absolutely gorgeous.

I feel like this eclectic collection of poems has something for everyone. They are deep,enthralling and soul stirring.


The second section contains seven letters which is written by Aayan to his ex girlfriend Swati. It's sort of short story told totally in form of letters. And the last letter was totally an unexpected twist that I didn't think was possible. It was amazing just like the previous section and i enjoyed it thoroughly as well.


The cover is stunning and it gives happy vibes it basically made me smile.


Regardless to say this was definitely an unique read. I would highly recommend this to everyone who loves to read poetry.

[Selva · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is only the second collection of poetry in English that I am reading. I would say it belongs to the category of Insta(gram) poetry. I follow 3 people on Instagram, one being Rupi Kaur, who regularly write verses on Instagram which mostly deal with love, loss and intimacy. This collection follows the same template in categorising the different poems under titles like life, love, break-up, wisdom and awakening with a set of love letters to boot. The poems were simplistic, talked about stuff we all relate to if we have been through a relationship and a break-up. They were all likeable though I didn't go 'wow' on any of them. Sample this: This one is the first poem under 'Break-up'

And
You leave a story
incomplete.

and this one

Thanks
for breaking me into pieces
Now I can fit the pieces
differently

- Liked the above one a lot

All the poems had the same kind of structuring. See if they are ones up your street.
At the end, tagged on, were a bunch of love letters and a twist ending which I didn't care for much.

P.S: Copy given for review by publishers

[Riddhi Kishnadwala · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emotional and heartbreaking is how I would describe the poems and writings in I am a home to butterflies. Extremely touching and well-versed, J. Alchem strikes a chord with the readers. The pain and the feelings are beautifully portrayed. Definitely an emotional roller-coaster ride about love, pain, break-ups and moving on. The definite twist is the final letter in the section a letters.. I would recommend reading this compilation at least once!

[Mishika · Rating 3 out of 5]

Apologies to the author for not posting this review in time. I thought I did, but clearly I hadn’t. Anyway, here I am now, posting my review for this book I read way back in January. (I wasn’t able to retrieve my old review, so this is a revised one. I did refer to the book in order to review it again.)

I am Home to the Butterflies is a book that made me think. It made me think about things, but it also made me think about people’s perceptions of things. There are some things, some ideas that resonated with me. There were some others that I have my reservations about, and I shall deal with them later in detail. Even still, there were some parts that I vehemently disagreed with. I am going to divide my review in these two/three parts, but just including a few excerpts here and there (otherwise this review will probably end up being longer than the book itself).

Things that I related to:

” I look at the rat - trapped in a rat trap - because of a loaf of bread.” – Just loved it!

“...I am home to the butterflies.” – Beautifully put, the context and even otherwise!

“I want someone who can make me cry half of my life and treat me like an object for the remaining half,” – This is a reflection of what I see around me all the time. Devastating as it may be, it is also true.

“Pen and Pain are the two most powerful weapons-use them wisely.” – Hell yeah.

“Love a book. They don't leave. They don't die.”

Things I did not agree with:

“The wrong one will teach you how to spread your legs but the right one will teach you how to spread your wings. ~hope you get it.” - Sex is not a bad thing. Let’s not stigmatise it. There is nothing wrong about ‘spreading your legs’, as long as that is what you want to do. Agency and autonomy – golden words.

“No one is ugly you must be looking from a wrong angle.” – A lot of people are ugly. Their acts and deeds make them so ugly that they barely remain human. (Side Note: I am studying criminal and HR law. Genocides are ugly, rapes are ugly, war crimes are ugly – people who commit or commission them – definitely very very ugly.)

Love is not suffocation. Love is space. It is a lesson that comes only with time and age (and experience).

Love is not life. It may be a very important part of it, but it still is just a part. You make your world go around, with or without ‘love’. Self-love is good enough.

“I know I can never have you and it strangely makes me love you even more.” – Obsession is not love. Nope.

“If your mother had kept you in her stomach for nine months, despite all the unbearable pain, you are surely worth loving and worth keeping.” – Something very disturbing about this thought.

Thoughts I strongly oppose:

“There should be a separate temple for the women who are on their periods. No, they should be worshipped there.” – Bleeding is human. It is just another thing about being a woman. Do not give it a special status, either this way or that. Worshipping is also discrimination, just positive discrimination. I do not see the need. Let humans be, well, humans.

“We need one small but effective way - to teach men to behave themselves.” – Good lord, NO! Dividing gender roles is a problem. Smash patriarchy, if you have to, don’t smash men. Men and women both enable patriarchy. That needs to be changed. No more, no less.

The Letter
The end of the book makes it so worth it! Even if poetry isn’t your thing, I’d recommend you to pick up this book JUST for the letters. It is quite something – whether good or bad, one can decide for themselves. For me, it was like a bullet I did not see coming at all. (Heading too Google now – you’ll know why once you read the book.)

However, overall, the book flows. The language is simple and easy to understand. But because of my own prejudices, where I am and what I am doing, the voice of the book was slightly juvenile-ish and, in parts, made me cringe. But like I said, it makes you think. Read if, even if it is just for that. And for the letter. Cannot/ should not miss that.

[Yeeshu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most heart touching read.

Wow!!! What to say about this book. This is the best thing I have ever read till now. It's a collection of poems but they are more than that. It's the heart of a lover, a broken one , a one who is struggling for the identity in this crowded world. Each and every poems directly crossed through my heart. After all the poems there is a story which has two protagonists Swati and Ayaan in from seven letters first six is written by Ayaan to Swati confessing to her. Which was very common things that every broken lover writes. But...but...the last letter which was reply of Swati to Ayaan has leave me stunned band mouth open wide. I wasn't ready to read that thing which Swati replied. Over all Author has done splendid job. Language is very easy. It just took 1 hour me to read it. Cover is beautiful and book is damn awesome. I highly recommend this book to everyone.

[Shashank Singh · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's simply a piece of art! And my favourite read!
I loved the book...Some poems are so good that my eyes swarmed with tears.. ❤ illustrations add to the beauty and depth of the book..the best part of the book is letters . Those seven letters are just amazing what can be a better climax than those of the letters .. all the poems are just amazing and my favourite one is ..
Out of the one she loved
And the one who loved her
She choose the one
The society had permitted👌👌
Overall It's a must read book🙏