42 Degrees of Truth: Unicorn

by Victoria Ray

42 Degrees of Truth is a life-changing experience!

Each page of this poetry collection contains plenty of irony, dark humour, and straight-up oddness, all in the name of criticising social issues, cultural dysfunction, broken relationships, and our egoistic views.
Each poem is written with such beauty that you'll find yourself craving to read the next one. Some are extremely heartbreaking, some are bitter and erotic, some teeter on the absurd, violence, and rage...

42 Degrees of Truth is also a powerful window into the mindset of the 21st century - the frustrations of sexism, the burdens of the monotonous family life, and the futility of the new All-What-I-Am culture.

As to be expected from Victoria Ray, the poems are fun, sharp, and eye-opening, with a touch of dark melancholy.

Genres: Poetry

131 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 16, 2019

About the author

SE Crème de la Crème author Victoria Ray lives in a small town 62 miles west of Stockholm. She has garnered much acclaim for her So Absurd It Must Be True series and her Sophia von X thriller.

Victoria is a finalist for the prestigious Readers Favorite Contest and has been nominated for a Book Excellence Award for original writing. When she is not writing, Victoria spends most of her time reading, cooking, traveling the world, walking with her dogs, and catching her favorite Gota Lejon shows. An admitted sweets fanatic, she feeds her addiction by visiting the local bakery April on Sunday afternoons.

Keep in touch with Victoria via: @victoriaray_nb
Ray's blog https://raynotbradbury.blog

Reviews

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book to review. Don't let how long it took me to read this book fool you. It was only actually two really good sits.

Let's see, I feel like I should lead with there were several poems that I tabbed to come back to later or found particularly good food for thought. Some of those particular poems included: "A Girl in a Black Box", "Sexting Nation", "The Hand of a Human", "Today at 8:15p", and "Show Me a Sane Man". Those are the ones that really struck me more with other big themes in the world; politics, repression, modern love, and the social divide. I really believe that this book is actually FULL of big themes; I'm just not a particularly analytical person. I often don't catch most references unless they are extremely flamboyant or if they by chance connect to something that's happened to myself specifically.

The last section of the book connected with me personally the most. "Mirror" reflected (you like that?) a lot of feelings I've felt lately about myself and the world. 'We are too perfect, but still too empty', is one of my favorite lines from the piece. I think this poem was a really strong finish to the section divides. Part IV is short but powerful, which I think is it's purpose. So much has already been said in the book, but Ray has a little more for ya. That's what Part IV is.

I'm not 100% sure what "All Sorts of Wild" is about, but for some reason that egg piece just really lingered with me. I don't even like eggs. ...It's not actually about eggs, lol. But '[...]those eggs in a delusion that they are omelettes' just really stayed with me.

"The Art of Sanity" was also an interesting one for me because the entries read like a page of the dictionary. I like when we play with words or styles of writing like that. 'Love and Darkness' were my favorites; what that says about me is probably not a positive thing, lol. But they're accurate, and they're pure in this raw, open way. It's good stuff.

Okay, Okay, I could go on and on and tell you exactly what I liked about each poem I marked, but I should probably tell you some of my dislikes instead. This book is all over the place. Once I realized that that wasn't going to change I opened up to the concept a bit, but at first it was jarring. Then the more I read the more the unorganized scrapbook feeling started to work for me. It was random, and all over the place, but it was nice in a way that I didn't feel like there were any boundaries to what could be written. Like, even though the poems were grouped into sections, I would sometimes finish a new poem and go wow- that was totally different. But, immediately after I would shrug that indifference away because the book IS random and there's something really awesome about when random works.

The illustrations. They didn't start to really add anything to the story for me until they started featuring the one page, more detailed pieces. Those were nice. But the smaller ones inserted into the poems- those just felt like doodles. And, I get that doodles are often put alongside poetry now because it shows a little more into the headspace of the author when they were creating the pieces, but I personally am just not a fan to that style.

I liked a lot about this book. But, I still think I probably missed a lot about it, and could like it more once my brain finally matures into a more analytical creature (that'll happen one day, right?). So for now, it's three stars, but a recommendable three stars nonetheless.

[Waigumo Wanjiru · Rating 5 out of 5]

I discovered Victoria Ray last weekend and my first introduction to her was in her other book ‘So Absurd It Must Be True’ which I loved, loved, loved. Read it if you haven’t. I decided to read more of her work. What would befit a self-care Sunday bath time more than poetry? I read the book for almost thirty minutes before I realized I was cold and in a meditative state. My thoughts sinking deep in the words of this book.

‘42 Degrees of Truth: Unicorn’ is a collection of poems that are precise and evoke emotions in the reader. The title fits so well. It is funny, read ‘If a Beer Inside Me could Talk’ and get a good laugh out of it. It is melancholic, dark and satirical. The level of honesty that Ray put in her work is unmatched. She is unique, raw and her clarity is seen in this book.

You may read poems by W.B Yeats and think, “Well, that is something!” but you don’t know what the poem was about. With this collection though you can’t miss the point. You will point out themes such as love, life, social, political, connections, emptiness, loneliness. This is a collection that triggers your imagination.

I am no expert in matters poetry. In fact I find them very tedious to read, at times at least. This collection has impeccable grammar, the style is elegant, so simple yet capturing. The tone varies from one poem to another to effectively capture emotions that befit it. The flow is smooth. Reading one line to the next in such an easy “movement?”

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is just getting into poetry, treading the poetry waters. It is a book you could read at the beach and finish in a sitting. Did I mention that it has illustrations? Well, there is that! The cover is gorgeous. You can’t go wrong with Victoria Ray.

[Callie Wise · Rating 5 out of 5]

In 42 Degrees of Truth, Victoria Ray takes the reader on a mind-bending vision quest towards truth as only a poet can describe it, with visceral images hammered out in perfect cadence of words and pictures. Ray’s poems weave the reader between the darkest recesses of our consciousness, up through hills of hope for everlasting love, and back down again into desperate, drunken lust and loss. Through the poems, we are invited to a dance about eternal questions of life, love, loneliness, connection, God, and concepts that stretch the imagination. Ray seduces us with desire, sweat, and yearning – round breasts and thick thighs that draw us in aching like a prom date. This sexy yet melancholic poetic romp of word and imagery will keep you dancing on a razor’s edge yearning for more, or as Ray says in the poem “All Sorts of Wild,” a “crawling curiosity.” What will the next poem bring? Trust me, get the book and find out for yourself. You won’t be disappointed.

[Nata · Rating 5 out of 5]

You can run from the world away
Even often I do it delay.
Open this
And think a lot
Why the author creates it
For what...
inspired by Victoria Rey.

Can books take you out of reality?

It is my everything in moments of disappointment from the reality of this Earth. When it's too much when it's nauseous. I'm running away. I take a new book and go to another unknown world. So, "42 degrees of truth" came into my life. And for whom is it?! If you are an extraordinary person then this is all for you, about you ... Don't wait here for the classics. Love, hugs, snot, drool. It just doesn't exist here. The book says "hi" to the satire, some sex and humour. There are mysterious puzzles and thoughts. Yours, hers, theirs. Misunderstandings...A lot of things are not clear. But the book sucks you in, you cannot be stopped. I guarantee you. You will want more and more... until the last page. It is worth it. My favourites in “42 degrees”: Bridges, popcorn and buzzing/Poet's thoughts and bun's head... I like to eat buns)))/Black box. What's up with her, that girl?!/«You don't know me" wanted to learn/ “Different kinds of rainbows Are kissing your pillow”/ “To jump under the skin of Earth”/ “Is it possible to move the earth?” /”Who’s slowing my breath with the fears of doubt.” You're gonna understand. Go deep and think! You're smart.
On Repeat in your head every day “105 people die each minute. If you are reading this, you aren’t one of them. Smile and enjoy your day!”

[Linda Vesterlund · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous from the cover to the very last page!

[Tasnima Yasmin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gasping for breath beneath piles of emotions hoarded over the years is a beautiful mess called 42 degrees of truth. It is a voice inside your head that will echo out your loudest fears, worries, bruises and meet them with honest care and kindness. At first read it may seem to be a harsh take on society at large and a negative and critical view towards its issues but a closer look reveals the soft core that tends with charisma of a professional artist.

Artful and poignant, 42 degrees of Truth is set at a length of 136 pages which is a tad bit lengthy for a poetry book. It includes personal rantings about the harshness of life, the difficulties of women and the double standards of society in their treatment towards women. The collection is very fresh and invigorating. It jumps straight to the point and stares point blank in your face with hard truths that will makes readers ponder, gape and chuckle at the darker sides of laugh. But it is not funny neither is it meant to poke fun. It is revelatory, full of suspense yet feels like home. Every time a line is read, it echoes deeper thoughts and wiser meanings that only a very thoughtful and emotive person can resonate such as “Well, weak minds have no ears, they say.

It is believed,

Those, without a heart… can’t hear itself.

What a sad way to spend this life!”

Minimalism is what the book tends towards and there are illustrations throughout the book but only in black and white pencil drawings or doodles. What is extremely eye catching is the cover photo and it has been done to perfection. It is rather too colourful in contrast to the grimness that lies within but that is what makes the poems realistic. They reflect on the silver lining while dwindling on the absurd and notions that caricaturise ignorance and neglect prevalent in the society. However, a word of caution to readers who are not used to or fond of reading modern poetry will find the collection fragmented and disjointed.

I will also be posting this review to my blog www.bookbaboons.wordpress.com

[Steve M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every book that we come across is mainly in paragraph form following the rule of creative writing. However, what Victoria Ray has done in his book is to tell the same stories but in the way of poems. Ray has done it in a very creative such that she shows the people who they are and how they behave daily in the form of poems.
She has had a mixture of both poems and pictures in the book to emphasize the point she is bringing out in her poetry. The book is divided into four sections, with each one having a different topic. For instance, in part one of the book, she talks about the beginning of something special, daily life, love, and relationship. The love without color, which she terms as grey, black, and white together. She continues stressing on the stupid things people do that land them in trouble with the authorities, and their life's problems. For instance, in a picture with a beer can it is written, 'beer, the cause of, and solution to all of life's problems. The other two chapters expound more on the life of two people who are in love and the challenges they go through in their lives.
The book, therefore, presents to the audience the tribulations of two people in love. The knowledge in the book is mostly oriented to the men about their women but still has the experience that is for the women. The book is a must-read for poetry lovers. Ray has done a fantastic job of showing people the daily occurrences of peoples' lives through poetry, going against the norms. I think that makes the book stand out from the rest. Good job Victoria. Waiting for more works from you.

[Ella · Rating 2 out of 5]

Based on the official summary, I expected this book to be more driven by feminism and themathize social injustice, sexism and frustration with society for not giving us equal opportunities, maybe every day struggles in the dating world, on the workplace etc., all written with humor, satire, and maybe some crudeness. My expectations were wrong.

I think this collection of poems holds some gems. "The beginning", "Gravestone" and "Legs", to name a few, are fantastic. The rawness and the willingness to meet reality and write about it as it is is tangible. But the majority of these poems didn't awaken any strong emotions or thoughts in me. The humor, especially the sexual kind, didn't amuse me much - it’s more the type that your stereotypical uncle Joe would laugh at while obnoxiously slapping his knee, and both the concepts and the execution lacked the kind of freshness necessary to move me. Sometimes I wondered if the poems were truly meant to be written the way they were or if they hadn't been properly edited.

I wanted to give this book three stars and I planned to do so while reading, hoping to be convinced before the end to give a higher rating. The kick that I would've needed to do so never came, so two stars (AKA "it was ok") it is. Poetry is tricky because not every poem can speak to everyone. Even if this collection wasn't it for me, it might be for you.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Andreea Pădurean · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading Dulcinea and the Death Code, and So Absurd It Must Be True I have thought that I know Victoria Ray’s style. And yes, I am familiar with her style, but she continues to surprise me by adding, changing and creating countless angles for the solely purpose of showing us the extreme superficiality of the modern life.

Page after page, 42 DEGREES OF TRUTH: Unicorn, is very similar to a caricatured version of the real world, where a lot of things lose their value or are treated with ignorance. Life seems to be a savage sea of emotions where people act like heartless puppets, beautifully wrapped in commercial appearances.

Every time I enter Ray’s Universe I am surprised that someone, a few countries away, sees the world the same way as I do, but she skillfully emphasizes the most personal aspects of human existence, transposing them into an intriguing, bitter-sour literature that catches you from the first word.

Don’t lose the chance to read 42 DEGREES OF TRUTH: Unicorn, a book where the inner circles of the selfish, modern soul are revealed in the Ray manner.

[Book Talks Over Coffee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started reading this book with no expectations-after all its a book of poems (and I didn't wanma read any descriptions to spoil my review). Boy was I taken in for a surprise. The book was carefully thought out to portray aspects of today's society that we either consider "taboo" and ignore or think that we won't normally think about. I found myself stopping after every poem and really thinking about what the author is trying to express when the poem was written. I gave this book 4 stars because it is not really appropriate for younger audiences (aka teens) and I feel it there should be a clause stating that. Other than that amazing work done on this book and I would love to read of her works.

[Charles Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like how each poem is incorporated with a charming and endearing illustration, it really adds up to the reader’s eagerness to continue on to the next page. Victoria Ray is truly a remarkable poet, with all of her resilient words used to describe and narrate the different disasters among all of us, reading “42 Degrees of Truth: Unicorn Book” is indeed a marvelous experience for me. Especially on the poems revolving around erotic matters, those pieces are really something you need to look forward to, it can really cause your mind to be blown, kidding aside. This book is made up of different emotions, you can never really settle into one specific feeling once you are on the next page, each of them are really attached with a big tornado of emotion. So far the best collective I’ve ever read.

[Sarah Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book encompasses stern, intelligent, uncompromising poems that nevertheless contain an immense sensitivity and oddness of the world at the same time. “42 Degrees of truth: Unicorn Book” relates with every single deed that us humans kept as an undisclosed longing for something that we cannot really take a hold of, each page reflects on the rawness and vulnerability of the heart and mind when left unsecured. Victoria Ray did a really great job on touching the depths of the reader’s emotions, especially on how she turned darkness into a melancholic and ecstatic sentiment. What I like the most in this collective is the boldness and transparency of each word, the author didn’t really hesitate on showing the worlds gloomy reality through rhythmic literature.

[Isabella Martinez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I find this book attached to a sense of honesty and complexity of everyone’s troubles. Each poem examines the layering scenes of beauty, relationship, bigoted instances, spitefulness, and the actuality of how human beings run the world. This book made me realize that “control” is one of our main scheme on achieving and defining success, but unfortunately, this thing also leads us to unpleasant actions which results into an even more miserable life. Reading this book, “42 Degrees of Truth: Unicorn book” really took me into a whole new level of thinking and perception towards matters I didn’t really had time to think about before. The author, Victoria Ray justly deserves high esteem and admiration for capturing the tragic reality of the present.

[Grace Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book celebrates the uncelebrated adversities of life. “There is an empty black box on the street. It is still black. Just like everything around us” This line expresses the real world of everyone’s feeling of loneliness and vulnerability, on times of having no one/ nothing but an empty-aggressive mind and an aching heart. How enthralling it is to convey something so complex and sensitive through words alone. “42 Degrees of Truth: Unicorn Book” really played a great role into the transitioning of my point of view and insights towards the norm, this book helped me embrace the coldness of my understanding of living a “happy life” when in fact no one is ever truly happy when one is still tied unto the words of society. Sending applauses to the author Victoria Ray.

[Robert King · Rating 4 out of 5]

Besides the hopeful moments portrayed in these poems, there are also a lot of times where dissatisfaction, emptiness, and discomfort was showed. It’s doesn’t totally count as a bad thing, but sometimes people doesn’t want variety, most of the times the unity of a literary piece is much more appreciated, no matter how twisted or peaceful a writing is, when it is highly categorized, it will still come up as a well written and thought masterpiece. As for this book, a lot of themes were included, which is not exactly disagreeable, but I would highly recommend the author to categorize each of them in a selective order just to put a sense of settlement towards the reader’s emotions. Overall, this book is really a good read, it just needs a few more improvements to make it better.

[James Reed · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a poet, I really appreciated how precise each poem is. The line-break is defined, all principles are being followed while never sacrificing the essence of the theme. Each of them are really well thought and is straight-up well written, though some illustrations I didn’t really understand the relativity towards a certain poem, but I’m no artist and no judge, just an observer. Also a few points on the use of double dots “..” some are sometimes unnecessary and doesn’t add a sense, but those are only a few minor points. What I like the most about this book “42 Degrees of Truth: Unicorn Book” is its bravery. boldness, and naughtiness; it really plays your sensations and outlooks on certain matters.

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the leaps of theme and emotion between one poem to another, it does not just settle into a sole feeling, from the first to the last chapter of the book, you will always look forward to turn the pages. The use of words is appropriate, the illustrations are highly relative to the composition, the scenes are exceedingly clear and understandable, I would extremely recommend this book towards those people who seek independence and change in their lives. 42 Degrees of Truth is also easy to comprehend, unlike other books who require a strong background regarding language, this book will really fit on everyone’s capacity, taste, style, and choice of poem. Also, the way the poems were depicted is so organized. In general, this book is really worth the read.

[Henry Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this book “42 Degrees of Truth” we are presented with several choices of feeling, an upside-down experience that triggers our thoughts to be driven with desire, worry, sadness, humor, irony, gloom, and longing. This book deserves high admiration for being so translucent and unafraid to show how misery is living with us, and us unknowingly letting misery run our minds. Victoria Ray is definitely an excellent poet and a human being that is worthy of our veneration and high regards. This is the last part of the poem that really hooked my thoughts: You Aren’t a Hero “You are a fish that can’t swim. Why? Because. Because there’s no raging ocean. Not on your side. Never on your side.”

[Ace · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Funny and Insightful Assortment of Poems About Love, Sex, and Many Things In Between

A vast and profound range of poems covering the peaks and valleys of life ranging from love and sex to loneliness and death. The book of poetry contains 42 poems split into four thematic sections. The author takes us on a journey that includes sorrow, sadness, humor, and love. There are illustrations between almost every poem that provide some type of visual reinforcement of theme.
While the book can dip into some morbid territory, most of it is said in jest with a funny, satirical tone. On the darker side of the spectrum, there are poems like “Dreams About Death” and “Nothing Falls to the Earth and Dies” that deal directly with issues of mortality, death, and transitions in life. Humor and comic relief can be found in poems like “If a Beer Inside Me Could Talk”, which is an embarrassingly accurate portrayal of what your can of beer is thinking as you drink it during inopportune moments of the day. “A Cranky Fairy Tale” guides us through a lustful dream that ends in embarrassment, dissatisfaction, and laughter. The humorous poems help balance out some of the more intense poems in the collection. Concepts of love and relationships are explored in poems like “If I Could Only” that delves into the regrets and angst surrounding a love that was lost.
Throughout each poem, the author writes with a level of honesty and insightfulness about each topic, but there are no easy answers as everything is open to interpretation for the reader. The humor is irreverent, cheeky, and satirical at times, but it still pokes at issues in society that we all face. Overall, there is literally a poem for almost any mood or occasion.

[Lisa Sventer · Rating 5 out of 5]

a dialogue for your soul!

[Alexa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love poetry. I love reading poetry, writing poetry, and seeing inspiration in everyday life. I love how this author drew inspiration from a variety of places. Each poem felt different and alive in its own way. Some of the poems failed to resonate with me and that’s okay, different poems work for different people. Poetry can be really personal and tough to rate when you’re not exactly the target audience but just because I didn’t necessarily love some of the poems doesn’t mean it wasn’t good poetry. It only took me a single sitting to read not because I couldn’t walk away but because I didn’t want to. This odd but delightful assortment of poems is definitely worth the read.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Gabriel Noel · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC given by BookSirens for Honest Review

"42 Degrees of Truth" was a fairly enjoyable read. The poems were witty and satirical and discussed important topics in an accessible way. The frequent use of bolding and italics was somewhat off putting and pulled me out of the poems on occasion. My top three favorite poems are: "Everything Means Nothing", "Nightmare is a Noun", and "All Sorts of Wild". I'd recommend this collection for someone who enjoys witty and absurd reading or anyone who likes "off the beaten path" poetry.

[River Dixon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great, unique collection

I really enjoyed this. This author is one of the most unique writers I have come across in some time. She is quickly becoming one of my favorites. I’ll happily read anything she publishes.

[Andrea Stoeckel · Rating 2 out of 5]

“There’s no real standard for what makes a good or a bad poem. What matter is–if you feel anything after reading it; if it resonates with your emotions or life situation; if the words swirl in your head for many years afterwards or stay with you for the rest of your life.”

Irony box checked. Humor? Fairly dark. Satire? Definitely . Writing style? That’s where I divert from other reviews. I kept asking myself, even after re-reading parts of this book, why on earth I would WANT to read it.

Is there a category called “headache inducing”? If so, this book of poetry would sit on its top shelf. As a recognized poet in my own right,I’d be hard pressed to recommend this. But, I’m 63, and I doubt this makes me part of Victoria Ray’s audience, in part because I DO see standards for poetry. 2/5

[disclaimer: I received this book from an outside source and voluntarily read and reviewed it]

[Annie Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Victoria Ray’s “42 Degrees of Truth: Unicorn Book” takes us to her particular lens of the world’s disputes, dysfunctions, playfulness, human interactions, heartaches, and a lot of social misfortunes. Each poem is crafted with honesty and bravery, with all its stern viewpoint on how prejudicial way of doing things are considered as a normality on most angles of all God’s creation. The way the book conveys a whirlwind of emotion is really mesmerizing, from perverse wits to a cruel and shattering phrase, the reader’s excitement and passion on every turn of the pages was never really compromised. To sum it all up, this book is worth every ounce of praise and every second of time, truly an eye-opener and a masterpiece.

[Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first poem (Mirror) on the fourth part of the book is extremely in relation towards my viewpoint in life, I am always conscious and mindful on the way I do things, each step must be calculated otherwise I won’t be accepted anymore. Belongingness was once a center in my life, I was always afraid of being left behind, of being alone, of being different from everyone else; this poem really did capture my emotion. It’s surely heartbreaking to see my experiences written in paper, but it also led me into a new hope, it ignited a longing for improvement. I was once a prisoner in the minds of others, but that doesn’t mean I cannot change. Special thanks to miss Victoria for writing a book so magnificent and absolutely helpful on the lives of others, especially on the ones like me.

[Hans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Got my copy from BookFunnel.
Poems are honest, raw, thoughtful and fun. Really dig at the truth behind anxiety, depression, addiction, narcissism, lies of XXI. 100% recommend.

[Milica Topalović · Rating 1 out of 5]

I can't believe these reviews.