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the things I didn't say in therapy
In her very first book, poet Logan Duane takes her readers on a journey filled with grief, abuse, love, and perseverance. "the things I didn't say in therapy" is a collection of poetry crafted with raw emotions that will pull on the heartstrings of her audience. Follow Logan as she shares her most vulnerable thoughts; because although vulnerability is uncomfortable, it is often profoundly freeing.
142 pages, Paperback
Published July 10, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 210 reviews
September 29, 2022
3.5 stars! My first ever poetry book. I really loved the last section on recovery. Some of the poems were SO impactful to me but others I felt like I either couldn't relate to or were just a bit short so I had trouble getting into them. However, that may be because I haven't been through a lot of the trauma that the author has been through. A very emotional read overall though!
January 6, 2023
This was definitely a raw book of poetry, some feminist, mostly emotional inner dwellings that were reactions to loss, grief, trauma, assault, recovery, and my favorite, love. This book is in the same vein as Amanda Lovelace poems, as in the template and the content is similar, though this book is entirely it's own. The way Logan speaks about grief is very guttural and raw, and I felt her emotions the most in those passages, as well as the ones about love. My favorites:
"Gentle hands touch my
mind
soul
body
like only you can,
because when two lovers collide
every living creature on Mother Earth
can feel the fire as their bodies
melt into one
graceful goddess.
You give me wings."
"I love you
like the moon
loves the tides
and the stars
love the skies."
"Gentle hands touch my
mind
soul
body
like only you can,
because when two lovers collide
every living creature on Mother Earth
can feel the fire as their bodies
melt into one
graceful goddess.
You give me wings."
"I love you
like the moon
loves the tides
and the stars
love the skies."
April 11, 2023
In my opinion it was good. Just good. Wasn’t for me. I waited so long to read this book & it was disappointing.
September 5, 2022
It’s an easy read - I blew through it in an afternoon. But that’s actually part of why I didn’t connect well with the book. The poems are easy to digest and to understand. The emotions and feelings are upfront, raw, and direct which seems like what the author intended with this collection. In that, she succeeded brilliantly.
But it left me feeling unfulfilled. It is a collection of raw emotion with no reflection or insight. I empathize with the author but don’t feel like I understand the shape of her pain or my own any better. It felt like it scraped the surface and if you’re telling me this is the stuff you didn’t say in therapy, I want to hear you in all your depth.
But it left me feeling unfulfilled. It is a collection of raw emotion with no reflection or insight. I empathize with the author but don’t feel like I understand the shape of her pain or my own any better. It felt like it scraped the surface and if you’re telling me this is the stuff you didn’t say in therapy, I want to hear you in all your depth.
November 19, 2022
“you’re not a burden, you matter, you matter, you matter”
“i like to believe that you’ve become the biggest, most beautiful sunflower of them all”
this book hits you right where it hurts most but its so powerful
“i like to believe that you’ve become the biggest, most beautiful sunflower of them all”
this book hits you right where it hurts most but its so powerful
May 3, 2024
Un recueil poétique à la fois puissant et émouvant, où certains passages résonnent de manière saisissante, même s'ils peuvent être éprouvants à lire. #relatable #unpeutropréel #lol
"I watched silently as your love for me became your lust for my body"
"I watched silently as your love for me became your lust for my body"
November 15, 2022
2.5/3 My first poetry book
February 2, 2023
My book club chose to read this book this month. The title had me intrigued and I really wanted to like this book, I TRIED to like this book, but ultimately I just didn’t. I love reading poetry but, unfortunately, I didn’t love, or even like, this collection. The poems are super vague and read like magnets you’d find among monogrammed shirts in a teen store full of fluff. If this is what the author didn’t say in therapy, what in the world did she say?! Give me the goods. Speak to me. Tell me what’s haunting you. Tell me what has transformed you. Tell me what you really, REALLY, didn’t say in therapy.
Also, wayyyyyyyyyy too many typos.
One star, though, because it does take courage to publish your writings.
Also, wayyyyyyyyyy too many typos.
One star, though, because it does take courage to publish your writings.
October 31, 2022
Bin kein großer Poetry Fan und das war mein erstes Poetry Buch und der Großteil davon hat mich nicht sehr angesprochen/mir gefallen, aber dafür gab‘s auch einiges was mich TOTAL angesprochen hat.
Ich hatte teils das Gefühl, dass die Emotionen nicht ganz da waren. Als wärs nur etwas wo man kurz hinschaut, aber sich nicht weiter Zeit für nimmt.
Wie gesagt, manches hat mich total angesprochen und meine Gedanken, meine Gefühle komplett gespiegelt - ich hab mich verstanden gefühlt.
Aber vor allem beim Recovery Teil hatte ich das Gefühl, dass es nichts „tiefes“ sein soll.
Vielleicht liegt es an mir und meiner Unerfahrenheit mit/in dem Genre.
Aber ich hatte mir durch den Titel einfach MEHR erwartet.
Größere Gefühle.
Wirklich dunkle Gedanken.
Dinge, die man halt in der Therapie ungern oder nie ansprechen will oder jemals einer anderen Person erzählen will.
Aber nichts davon fällt für mich in diese Kategorie.
Ich hatte teils das Gefühl, dass die Emotionen nicht ganz da waren. Als wärs nur etwas wo man kurz hinschaut, aber sich nicht weiter Zeit für nimmt.
Wie gesagt, manches hat mich total angesprochen und meine Gedanken, meine Gefühle komplett gespiegelt - ich hab mich verstanden gefühlt.
Aber vor allem beim Recovery Teil hatte ich das Gefühl, dass es nichts „tiefes“ sein soll.
Vielleicht liegt es an mir und meiner Unerfahrenheit mit/in dem Genre.
Aber ich hatte mir durch den Titel einfach MEHR erwartet.
Größere Gefühle.
Wirklich dunkle Gedanken.
Dinge, die man halt in der Therapie ungern oder nie ansprechen will oder jemals einer anderen Person erzählen will.
Aber nichts davon fällt für mich in diese Kategorie.
April 4, 2025
I love you
like the moon
loves the tides
and the stars
love the skies.
like the moon
loves the tides
and the stars
love the skies.
May 25, 2021
2/5
I didn’t connect to the reader or was able to read this and find it relatable. If you, however, were put in these certain circumstances then I’m sure you would’ve found it a more meaningful read. But for me, it didn’t hit home. As for the way of writing, it wasn’t smooth or had much emotion I could decipher. But it also depends on the person reading the poetry because everyone will have a different view. And this is mine.
I didn’t connect to the reader or was able to read this and find it relatable. If you, however, were put in these certain circumstances then I’m sure you would’ve found it a more meaningful read. But for me, it didn’t hit home. As for the way of writing, it wasn’t smooth or had much emotion I could decipher. But it also depends on the person reading the poetry because everyone will have a different view. And this is mine.
July 11, 2023
“You have done nothing to warrant the pain that you're feeling. You did nothing to deserve what you've gone through. No matter how many times vour brain tries to convince you that you don't belong here on this earth, it's wrong. Your life matters. Your happiness matters. You deserve to sit in a field of your favorite flowers and flip through the pages of a treasured book. You deserve to wake up in the morning and smile at the sun as it tenderly kisses your sleepy cheeks. No one gets to take away your joy. No one gets to take away your core values and beliefs. You are strong. You are brave. You're allowed to wear confidence on your shoulders like a badge of honor. You're allowed to take up space with your body and your words without feeling guilty. You're not a burden. You matter. You matter. You matter.”
November 24, 2022
pretty words but they did not move me. Those are thoughts that cross my mind pretty often. I like poetry that brings new perspective to things and incaurages to think deeply and even rethink a lot of things…. This was not it for me but It might be for someone else
January 22, 2022
I would like to say that there are so many things I love about this book that I wouldn't be able to list them all. However, if I had to pick one, I would say that this book is very relatable on a sentimental level. I personally believe that everyone has gone through something that was a secret and meant a lot to them, good or bad. So yes, many have not gone through these specific events, but the words in this book goes deeper than those specific events; it goes to the feeling you felt when you went through what you went through and what the author wanted you to feel. When I read this book, I found myself in tears or shaking my head because it is so unbelievably mind blowing how the author could display my feelings about events and put them into a book in someone else perspective. On top of that, the words! Yes, they may of not been smooth but, they did mean something deeper and that was all that matters. Poems are poems because they rhyme but also because of how significant they are. That's what makes this book a good book, because it means much more than the words on the pages.
August 26, 2024
Such an amazing poetry book. Touches on several painful topics. The first section about grief and sadness is both beautiful and relatable and the last section about recovery gave me some things to keep in mind when moving on in life. It was a very well written book of poetry that I’ll 10/10 read again.
Read
March 24, 2024can’t rate it bc its too personal
January 2, 2026
First read of 2026! Why not start off with a poetry book!
I found this book on fb marketplace randomly and decided why not try it, it’s only $5! And I’m so glad I did! The title is was initially caught my attention, but then I saw the sections the book was broken into and I thought this book was really going to hit the feels!
.
.
This book was broken into three sections:
• About grief and sadness
• About pain and abuse
• About love
• About recovery
.
.
Really the only section I thought wasn’t going to resonate with me was the grief one, bc I’m very lucky to not have experience much grief in my life, but even as someone who hasn’t, reading some of those really really made me pause and say “oof”. The sections that resonated with me the most were pain/abuse and recovery. Most of those really hit me in the feels! 🥺 but I loved them!
This entire book felt very raw and unfiltered and I thank the author for that. 🩷
I found this book on fb marketplace randomly and decided why not try it, it’s only $5! And I’m so glad I did! The title is was initially caught my attention, but then I saw the sections the book was broken into and I thought this book was really going to hit the feels!
.
.
This book was broken into three sections:
• About grief and sadness
• About pain and abuse
• About love
• About recovery
.
.
Really the only section I thought wasn’t going to resonate with me was the grief one, bc I’m very lucky to not have experience much grief in my life, but even as someone who hasn’t, reading some of those really really made me pause and say “oof”. The sections that resonated with me the most were pain/abuse and recovery. Most of those really hit me in the feels! 🥺 but I loved them!
This entire book felt very raw and unfiltered and I thank the author for that. 🩷
January 23, 2023
Årets första bok i bokklubben. Mitt val i kategorin poesi. Fokus låg på att hitta 4 dikter (en i varje del) och resonera kring hur den påverkade oss.
3/5 stjärnor. Det finns vissa dikter som går på djupet, andra som en bara passerar.
Hela boken är i helhet klockren då författaren är en okänd ung kvinna som skrivit gentemot sin anonyma förövare. Hon skriver i en dikt att han endast kan ta åt sig är om han själv erkänner vad han har gjort emot henne:
”(…) so the only way you can be angry with me is to admit what you have done.”
I en av de avslutande dikterna i boken skriver hon att hon ska uppfostra sin son (deras gemensamma?) till ”twice the man he is”.
Amazing. You go girl
3/5 stjärnor. Det finns vissa dikter som går på djupet, andra som en bara passerar.
Hela boken är i helhet klockren då författaren är en okänd ung kvinna som skrivit gentemot sin anonyma förövare. Hon skriver i en dikt att han endast kan ta åt sig är om han själv erkänner vad han har gjort emot henne:
”(…) so the only way you can be angry with me is to admit what you have done.”
I en av de avslutande dikterna i boken skriver hon att hon ska uppfostra sin son (deras gemensamma?) till ”twice the man he is”.
Amazing. You go girl
December 24, 2023
TW: SA (!!!), abuse, SI
I’m taking on my friend’s rule: if I cry, it’s 5 stars. And I cried. A LOT. This is SO vulnerable and raw- so much so that it took me over 2 weeks to read the entire book (less than 150 pages). I felt so heard, especially the anger that comes with grief. I’ve bookmarked so many pages and know I’ll read this again, which rarely happens with me. The best poetry book I’ve read to date, hands down.
I’m taking on my friend’s rule: if I cry, it’s 5 stars. And I cried. A LOT. This is SO vulnerable and raw- so much so that it took me over 2 weeks to read the entire book (less than 150 pages). I felt so heard, especially the anger that comes with grief. I’ve bookmarked so many pages and know I’ll read this again, which rarely happens with me. The best poetry book I’ve read to date, hands down.
April 23, 2026
It's always hard to rate poetry, but this is written in the format that each poem connects to tell a larger story. It's dark, and you can feel the emotions dripping off the page. Some of her words definitely struck a nerve and made me feel some big emotions. Overall, it was written beautifully, despite it being a tough to read topic.
February 24, 2024
The author portrayed the things they’ve been through and how it affected them and their mental so beautifully. The poetry was simple, there was no overuse of figurative language and that was something I could really appreciate.
July 27, 2022
One of the most raw, real poetry books I’ve ever read. I resonated with so many of these poems and they just hit me right in the feels. Definitely would recommend this one!
August 31, 2022
Estuvo ok, la verdad es que algunas de la experiencias de la autora no puedo relacionarme pero hubo otras que si. Siento que la poesía es muy abstracta y necesitas tener una conexión con lo que está hablando el autor para poder conectar y la verdad casi no la sentí.
May 5, 2023
2/5 stars - While some of these poems were beautiful, I just could not connect with them.
February 17, 2025
Lowk gave “I write in words” iykyk
Or
I cried
You crew
We both crode
But some of the pages were pretty good
Or
I cried
You crew
We both crode
But some of the pages were pretty good
June 30, 2025
“To look at yourself in the mirror and want to die
is a feeling that can not be described to those that have never existed in such darkness.”
is a feeling that can not be described to those that have never existed in such darkness.”
June 11, 2023
Heartbreaking
January 11, 2024
Really great book I finished it in a half an hour. The poetry was wonderful and the descriptions really made you feel what she writing about
November 6, 2024
we need to stop confusing tumblr poetry with a book worth publishing.
March 28, 2026
NOTES: Finished it on 3/27/26 - 3/27/26
DISCLAIMER: All quotes enlisted are Paraphrased. All song lyrics are Paraphrased.
TW: grief/loss, abuse, SA, bullying, suicide/self-harm, trauma, existential/spiritual struggles, dark thoughts, intense love/romantic content. Abbreviations. Help from ChatGPT only for TW, Citations, Abbreviations, ‘Not DONE’ and checking work. Mentions people (YouTubers, authors, characters, music artists), books, shows, songs/song lyrics.
(cited: ‘JustAli’. ‘Night - Elie Wiesel’, ‘Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins’, ‘Better Than The Movies - Lynn Painter’, ‘Emily Henry’ books. ‘Stranger Things’ - ‘Max Mayfield’. ‘Running up that hill - Kate Bush’, ‘Talking to the moon - Bruno Mars’.).
CHANGES: Might change to either 2, 3 or 4 Stars.
****Personally.... (As a fan review.)****
! Just a gut-feeling review / My words personally
! Not all Categories / Not DONE: “My Evaluation”, “My Reading Process”, “Author”, “Effectiveness”, “Problems”, “Observations”, “Themes”, “Quotes”, “Likes and Dislikes”, structure/organization, sentence clarity, consistency in tone, over clarification, repetition, comprehension/interpretation issues, flow, emotional cohesion, minor grammar/word choice.
! Not Math-Correct Rating. Not Professional ⭐️⭐️
! My Personal Evaluation and Rating.
- My Review = ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75 (3.75 Stars)
*Expectations and Reactions*
- Did not have expectations going into this, but picked it up because of a Book-Tuber I watched had read this (JustAli), and wanted to read something short and easy.
- This might be the first book thats poetry I’ve read!
*Plot Premise*
The author, Logan Duane writes her memoir in small poetry lines talking over about her grief, abuse, love and recovery.
(TW is advised) (All in 4 chapters.)
*My evaluation*
NOTE: Abbreviations
“TW” - The Warning/Trigger Warnings
“SA” - Sexual Abuse/Assault
“PS” - Postscript
Might be a short review!
This is most of what I could remember from reading. (A little bit of over analysis?)
- This book is just to tell her message and story. “JUSTICE” — is what she wants to bring to the last chapter, literally says “but I’m gonna tell this story and this message that outweighs the lies you’ve [her abuser] told”.
- Pretty simple book but a little dark — like just few simple lines of poetry but with (some what) deep meaning - in what I mean of somewhat, is because there’s not a lot of writing, instead written like quotes, and quotes are deep and dark but simple.
- this was a little funny, because for the “Love” chapter, I couldn’t quite get that feeling after, since I had just read some (quite) dark chapters.
- the healing chapter also kind of hit me? But I think it was more of Feminism or standing up which I didn’t really relate, but I related to healing
Did it feel like any other memoir book to me? I don’t know if this is a memoir, but no.
Its a bit niche. Their story’s are different (I don’t want to compare traumas) but it also may be in a result of different genre? (This is written in poetry and some are written in storytelling). So this feels different, writing is different, everything is different, so I’d say this is different just because how it’s made but I don’t think it impacted me deeply.
- My reading process went something like this
*! I have a subconscious reading problem (meaning I can't get immersed into a book lately), so my reading might affect this review, or my reading process and evaluation is different from others.
At the start I was reading the poetry, didnt really have thoughts on it but more than simple and easy, I was able to get some of the meaning and found them as deep and sympathetic, towards halfway I started to feel some things and get emotional of some situations that reminded me that was similar to the author’s experience. The middle, I didn’t relate to but was disturbed and had felt sympathetic to her but wanted to move on quickly. The end, I found it heartwarming, a little confusing, not relatable but happy for her.
I think overall my process… was a bit of mixed emotions. It was able to affect me but had some issues with the reading.
Author
-
Effectiveness
- Sympathy and heaviness
- I don’t think I’ve gone through SA either so it wasn’t triggering for me but it was disturbing, (of course since it is a disturbing topic).
But it also did feel like the movies again, because I’ve watched some movies and the way she talks about it is how it’s like in movies. So I do think that’s how people who’ve gone through that is like. And that movies portray it well. (Like feeling “owned” or “disgusted by your body”) (“raging against men”) (or that when they say “no one will believe you”)
- “But I will raise my son better off than you/better man than you/stronger so he can defend me” (?) (I forgot the lines but I know it’s about the son being raised stronger)
it reminded me of to how I felt, I remember I think I said it, that if I were to have a son. I would raise him right, treat women right. Not also because of relating to her experience, but because of how guys treated me (subtle bullying). So it kind of reminded me of that, but I don’t know if she also put the lines of “raising him to treat women right” too, or maybe she did
“But if I were to date a woman, I would remember to treat her better than any man. If I were to date a man, I would treat him what is known to be a woman” (I don’t want to mess up the idea since I don’t remember the exact quote, but I just know that it was powerful about embracing females and women) — This is low-key kind of powerful to me? I think it helps with relationship advice.
Problems
- I wasn’t really able to get the understanding/meaning of some poetry lines — misinterpretation
Observations
During the reading process, some things reminded me of the Author’s experiences.
(During “grief” chapter)
- Kate Bush “Running Up That Hill”
(Song lyric) “If I could make a deal with God, and get Him to switch our places, Im running up that road”
Also reminded me of ‘Stranger Things’, ‘Max’ — when she felt grief over her older brother’s death even thought he was abusive and resentful but she changed over him.
I watched that in 2022, and when I was reading those lines from the memoir of how the author wanted to switch places as well, it reminded me back to Max and made me think “is that what it’s like in real life?”
it made me feel sympathy, because also to Max, she’s too young to feel that way, to feel grief. So when the author had said that as well, (I don’t know the authors age) but you should never feel that way. And thats what broke me, is because you should stop shaming yourself, of feeling guilty, of feeling that you should’ve died and not them.
= my point is, why? Why do that? Why do you want to take over your life or switch places with them. Like don’t feel guilty because they died and you didn’t.
(Rhetorical?)
- Bruno Mars “Talking to the moon”
(Song Lyrics)“In hopes you’re on the other side, talking to me to”
“The talk of the town… yeah I’ve gone mad x2” — the author says she doesn’t want to move on and she wants the person that passed to be here, but everybody tells her to recover or get well soon, but they don’t understand. Yeah, this very much reminds me of this song. Like just in a deep emotional state.
- The writing is quote-able.
It made me realize back to my old self when I used to write in the ‘Notes’ app, of lines, quotes and sentences that happened with any occurrence in my life, or to explain my life or a feeling or something I’ve learned but put in a quote. In this book, the writing or how it’s built like feels like that Iike it’s just a book full of quotes to what they’ve realize in their life, or sentences that sound deep.
It has given me some insights on how it feels
I think movies and books have done a realistic portrayal of messages from real life. So comparing fictional works to this memoir is great to see which one is real.
- From books I’ve read, I have already known the message of “Telling your story to not be silenced” (‘Night - Elie Wiesel’, ‘Hunger Games’) it feels more real because the author also feels that way but in a different event. (She says she wants to tell her story, and this is a message to her abuser)(and the abuser cant cage her)
- But the first chapter, I have read books which I’ve already known on grief (‘Better Than The Movies - Lynn Painter’), but it has given me some new insights.
“People always tell you
* Grief changes people (obviously) ~ she says how she used to believe in God (might of misread), or how she didnt in believe in God anymore because of how she felt that way after that person’s death (she wanted God to take her life because of those heavy feelings, she wanted Him to make her switch places with that person… I can’t remember other details, but I know she had changed and wanted God to do something) point is, people might experience existential crisis. To ask “why this is happening” on to God.
* How to move on from grief / that person ~
*
Honestly, on what she talks about feeling grief, is kinda like how I see it in the movies. Because in movies, it portrays grief as “cant really move on from them/losing a best friend”?? ( in movies, I kind of thought it as a childish, or like a teen-drama? — where they miss their best friend that bad and ruin the whole plot or everyone around them) (So though I have never experienced grief, I think that’s how grief is like? In movies and in real life
- Now that I know how these feelings feel like (grief, abuse), love will feel like that too.
About wanting and loving the person really much (she says she wants to “collide with the person”, using a lot of figurative language on how she wants to search their soul and not care about the world if they kiss in public).
So since I have never experienced romantic love, and dont yearn for it but I do want to get it soon in my life. This is cool to see what love feels like. (Romance books also describe love that way ‘Emily Henry’ books).
Themes
- You will heal.
- Speak up/Tell your story —
- Grief:
Quotes
“But I don’t want to change my past and experience, the only part I regret and want to change is letting me take all the blame” — I relate to these lines, back then (off topic) I used to be bullied and it really traumatized me as a kid, and I had happen to change a lot because of that. But after a few years and I’ve recovered, I realize that I didn’t regret that experience, or that was for the best. Because it removed some of my own personal problems, it helped me change and recover into something better, it was for the best. So I think in a way, these experiences are traumatic but it helps us to be someone new. (Except for the last part “taking all the blame” is what I don’t relate)
“But instead of trying to become the person he had wanted/changing myself, I had learned to embrace who I am” — This goes… Sideways for me, because if I had applied to this to myself (since I do think you should embrace yourself, those scars if you had that trauma)(and also I have a different experience), I would’ve said no. Because I don’t really like myself and I want to change. But I also think it helps with embracing yourself and your environment supports that, instead of changing yourself for that environment. (So in conclusion, use this quote to embrace yourself, embracing your scars and trauma, the person even with your dark experience)(to some people who want to use it).
“The past does not defy me” — This quote is obviously popular, this method is obviously popular if you’re struggling with anything (grades, achievements, trauma, parents). I’d say it’s a good quote to an experience that you have had, good or bad. Does not define you, you can change as a person, you are you, and the experience that happens is not you.
(Plus, I have also used this quote in my lifetime when I have had tough situations, so I just wanted to pin out here since for anyone else to use it).
*Likes and Dislikes
- Liked how short it was and easy to read, nothing too intricate or loop with words, but a bit subtle of needing to find the meaning (poetry/writing)
- Liked that it was able to give me some feelings.
* Would/ Who would I recommend this?. // Would I reread it?
1. Yes I would reread this if I had to (missed comprehension/detail/meaning, school, request, short book).
2. No I don’t think I’d reread this book, it’s not because it’s bad or the content, it’s because I don’t personally want to, none of it as a whole relates to me personally/or connects with me, so its not even on my mind or no reasons leads to why I would reread it. But I’d reread my review then reread the book based off of that (like mentions, quotes, relating) stuff that hit deep with me the first read. And maybe I’d cry again.
Yes and no, I’d recommend this book.
I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this to you, since it’s not a favorite book/memoir/poetry of mine but…
Yes: I’d recommend it to you’re looking to read a short easy simple fast paced poetry book to knock off, and to hear out the authors message and story since it’s because it’s what author wanted this book to do.
No: But I would not recommend this to you if you struggle with similar experiences, content thats too heavy to deal with, or have different tastes.
66.79% would recommend!
If you like a short memoir thats written in poetry that discusses grief, abuse, love and recovery, content thats traumatic, writing is simple, easy to read and subtle meaning and somewhat relatable in quotes to anything general in life (this sometimes only appears) this book is for you to pick.
Just make sure to check the TW!!
I’d say personally my rating is:
This is overall quite not that bad (meaning it wasn’t too simple or execution didn’t land), after my evaluation and writing my thoughts out, it has definitely made my rating higher. But despite with my reading process and reading problem, it still felt like mid to me. But still, with the feelings that I had felt, the effectiveness/heaviness, the mentions, reliability, realizations and quotes, I’d give it a 3.4 Stars!!
A 3 for the reading process since it was mid, the decimals for the positive effect during the process, and after my evaluation, I think I would up it a bit by giving it .1
Now it’s 3.5 Stars!!
Personally rated: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 (3.5 Stars)
From my evaluation: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 Stars)
AVERAGE = ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75 (3.75 Stars)
~ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 Stars)
(.P.S.)
Had potential with good ideas but I don’t think I delivered them really well. :((
And doesn’t really feel done either.
Last part, ChatGPT criticized it and said it wasn’t good, but Im so done with rewriting it.
And unsure about the evaluation rating…?
——————————————-
**Critically (to criticize the book without personally judging it.)**
! All Critical Categories enlisted:
! All Categories DONE:
! Reading Comprehensions, Analysis, and Ratings.
! Unpersonalized Critique and Evaluation: With Evidence and Examples
(OLD ONE)
- Plot (Premise/Summaries, Elements, Ending, Themes. +) =
• My expectations:
• Plot
* Ending
* Themes
- Characters (Character Developments, Point of View, Depth) =
- Likes/Dislikes =
All my main likes and dislikes:
- Additional notes / Other =
- Conclusion
(OLD ONE)
AVERAGE =
~
(I haven't considered it yet)
HAVE TO DO THIS!!!
DISCLAIMER: All quotes enlisted are Paraphrased. All song lyrics are Paraphrased.
TW: grief/loss, abuse, SA, bullying, suicide/self-harm, trauma, existential/spiritual struggles, dark thoughts, intense love/romantic content. Abbreviations. Help from ChatGPT only for TW, Citations, Abbreviations, ‘Not DONE’ and checking work. Mentions people (YouTubers, authors, characters, music artists), books, shows, songs/song lyrics.
(cited: ‘JustAli’. ‘Night - Elie Wiesel’, ‘Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins’, ‘Better Than The Movies - Lynn Painter’, ‘Emily Henry’ books. ‘Stranger Things’ - ‘Max Mayfield’. ‘Running up that hill - Kate Bush’, ‘Talking to the moon - Bruno Mars’.).
CHANGES: Might change to either 2, 3 or 4 Stars.
****Personally.... (As a fan review.)****
! Just a gut-feeling review / My words personally
! Not all Categories / Not DONE: “My Evaluation”, “My Reading Process”, “Author”, “Effectiveness”, “Problems”, “Observations”, “Themes”, “Quotes”, “Likes and Dislikes”, structure/organization, sentence clarity, consistency in tone, over clarification, repetition, comprehension/interpretation issues, flow, emotional cohesion, minor grammar/word choice.
! Not Math-Correct Rating. Not Professional ⭐️⭐️
! My Personal Evaluation and Rating.
- My Review = ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75 (3.75 Stars)
*Expectations and Reactions*
- Did not have expectations going into this, but picked it up because of a Book-Tuber I watched had read this (JustAli), and wanted to read something short and easy.
- This might be the first book thats poetry I’ve read!
*Plot Premise*
The author, Logan Duane writes her memoir in small poetry lines talking over about her grief, abuse, love and recovery.
(TW is advised) (All in 4 chapters.)
*My evaluation*
NOTE: Abbreviations
“TW” - The Warning/Trigger Warnings
“SA” - Sexual Abuse/Assault
“PS” - Postscript
Might be a short review!
This is most of what I could remember from reading. (A little bit of over analysis?)
- This book is just to tell her message and story. “JUSTICE” — is what she wants to bring to the last chapter, literally says “but I’m gonna tell this story and this message that outweighs the lies you’ve [her abuser] told”.
- Pretty simple book but a little dark — like just few simple lines of poetry but with (some what) deep meaning - in what I mean of somewhat, is because there’s not a lot of writing, instead written like quotes, and quotes are deep and dark but simple.
- this was a little funny, because for the “Love” chapter, I couldn’t quite get that feeling after, since I had just read some (quite) dark chapters.
- the healing chapter also kind of hit me? But I think it was more of Feminism or standing up which I didn’t really relate, but I related to healing
Did it feel like any other memoir book to me? I don’t know if this is a memoir, but no.
Its a bit niche. Their story’s are different (I don’t want to compare traumas) but it also may be in a result of different genre? (This is written in poetry and some are written in storytelling). So this feels different, writing is different, everything is different, so I’d say this is different just because how it’s made but I don’t think it impacted me deeply.
- My reading process went something like this
*! I have a subconscious reading problem (meaning I can't get immersed into a book lately), so my reading might affect this review, or my reading process and evaluation is different from others.
At the start I was reading the poetry, didnt really have thoughts on it but more than simple and easy, I was able to get some of the meaning and found them as deep and sympathetic, towards halfway I started to feel some things and get emotional of some situations that reminded me that was similar to the author’s experience. The middle, I didn’t relate to but was disturbed and had felt sympathetic to her but wanted to move on quickly. The end, I found it heartwarming, a little confusing, not relatable but happy for her.
I think overall my process… was a bit of mixed emotions. It was able to affect me but had some issues with the reading.
Author
-
Effectiveness
- Sympathy and heaviness
- I don’t think I’ve gone through SA either so it wasn’t triggering for me but it was disturbing, (of course since it is a disturbing topic).
But it also did feel like the movies again, because I’ve watched some movies and the way she talks about it is how it’s like in movies. So I do think that’s how people who’ve gone through that is like. And that movies portray it well. (Like feeling “owned” or “disgusted by your body”) (“raging against men”) (or that when they say “no one will believe you”)
- “But I will raise my son better off than you/better man than you/stronger so he can defend me” (?) (I forgot the lines but I know it’s about the son being raised stronger)
it reminded me of to how I felt, I remember I think I said it, that if I were to have a son. I would raise him right, treat women right. Not also because of relating to her experience, but because of how guys treated me (subtle bullying). So it kind of reminded me of that, but I don’t know if she also put the lines of “raising him to treat women right” too, or maybe she did
“But if I were to date a woman, I would remember to treat her better than any man. If I were to date a man, I would treat him what is known to be a woman” (I don’t want to mess up the idea since I don’t remember the exact quote, but I just know that it was powerful about embracing females and women) — This is low-key kind of powerful to me? I think it helps with relationship advice.
Problems
- I wasn’t really able to get the understanding/meaning of some poetry lines — misinterpretation
Observations
During the reading process, some things reminded me of the Author’s experiences.
(During “grief” chapter)
- Kate Bush “Running Up That Hill”
(Song lyric) “If I could make a deal with God, and get Him to switch our places, Im running up that road”
Also reminded me of ‘Stranger Things’, ‘Max’ — when she felt grief over her older brother’s death even thought he was abusive and resentful but she changed over him.
I watched that in 2022, and when I was reading those lines from the memoir of how the author wanted to switch places as well, it reminded me back to Max and made me think “is that what it’s like in real life?”
it made me feel sympathy, because also to Max, she’s too young to feel that way, to feel grief. So when the author had said that as well, (I don’t know the authors age) but you should never feel that way. And thats what broke me, is because you should stop shaming yourself, of feeling guilty, of feeling that you should’ve died and not them.
= my point is, why? Why do that? Why do you want to take over your life or switch places with them. Like don’t feel guilty because they died and you didn’t.
(Rhetorical?)
- Bruno Mars “Talking to the moon”
(Song Lyrics)“In hopes you’re on the other side, talking to me to”
“The talk of the town… yeah I’ve gone mad x2” — the author says she doesn’t want to move on and she wants the person that passed to be here, but everybody tells her to recover or get well soon, but they don’t understand. Yeah, this very much reminds me of this song. Like just in a deep emotional state.
- The writing is quote-able.
It made me realize back to my old self when I used to write in the ‘Notes’ app, of lines, quotes and sentences that happened with any occurrence in my life, or to explain my life or a feeling or something I’ve learned but put in a quote. In this book, the writing or how it’s built like feels like that Iike it’s just a book full of quotes to what they’ve realize in their life, or sentences that sound deep.
It has given me some insights on how it feels
I think movies and books have done a realistic portrayal of messages from real life. So comparing fictional works to this memoir is great to see which one is real.
- From books I’ve read, I have already known the message of “Telling your story to not be silenced” (‘Night - Elie Wiesel’, ‘Hunger Games’) it feels more real because the author also feels that way but in a different event. (She says she wants to tell her story, and this is a message to her abuser)(and the abuser cant cage her)
- But the first chapter, I have read books which I’ve already known on grief (‘Better Than The Movies - Lynn Painter’), but it has given me some new insights.
“People always tell you
* Grief changes people (obviously) ~ she says how she used to believe in God (might of misread), or how she didnt in believe in God anymore because of how she felt that way after that person’s death (she wanted God to take her life because of those heavy feelings, she wanted Him to make her switch places with that person… I can’t remember other details, but I know she had changed and wanted God to do something) point is, people might experience existential crisis. To ask “why this is happening” on to God.
* How to move on from grief / that person ~
*
Honestly, on what she talks about feeling grief, is kinda like how I see it in the movies. Because in movies, it portrays grief as “cant really move on from them/losing a best friend”?? ( in movies, I kind of thought it as a childish, or like a teen-drama? — where they miss their best friend that bad and ruin the whole plot or everyone around them) (So though I have never experienced grief, I think that’s how grief is like? In movies and in real life
- Now that I know how these feelings feel like (grief, abuse), love will feel like that too.
About wanting and loving the person really much (she says she wants to “collide with the person”, using a lot of figurative language on how she wants to search their soul and not care about the world if they kiss in public).
So since I have never experienced romantic love, and dont yearn for it but I do want to get it soon in my life. This is cool to see what love feels like. (Romance books also describe love that way ‘Emily Henry’ books).
Themes
- You will heal.
- Speak up/Tell your story —
- Grief:
Quotes
“But I don’t want to change my past and experience, the only part I regret and want to change is letting me take all the blame” — I relate to these lines, back then (off topic) I used to be bullied and it really traumatized me as a kid, and I had happen to change a lot because of that. But after a few years and I’ve recovered, I realize that I didn’t regret that experience, or that was for the best. Because it removed some of my own personal problems, it helped me change and recover into something better, it was for the best. So I think in a way, these experiences are traumatic but it helps us to be someone new. (Except for the last part “taking all the blame” is what I don’t relate)
“But instead of trying to become the person he had wanted/changing myself, I had learned to embrace who I am” — This goes… Sideways for me, because if I had applied to this to myself (since I do think you should embrace yourself, those scars if you had that trauma)(and also I have a different experience), I would’ve said no. Because I don’t really like myself and I want to change. But I also think it helps with embracing yourself and your environment supports that, instead of changing yourself for that environment. (So in conclusion, use this quote to embrace yourself, embracing your scars and trauma, the person even with your dark experience)(to some people who want to use it).
“The past does not defy me” — This quote is obviously popular, this method is obviously popular if you’re struggling with anything (grades, achievements, trauma, parents). I’d say it’s a good quote to an experience that you have had, good or bad. Does not define you, you can change as a person, you are you, and the experience that happens is not you.
(Plus, I have also used this quote in my lifetime when I have had tough situations, so I just wanted to pin out here since for anyone else to use it).
*Likes and Dislikes
- Liked how short it was and easy to read, nothing too intricate or loop with words, but a bit subtle of needing to find the meaning (poetry/writing)
- Liked that it was able to give me some feelings.
* Would/ Who would I recommend this?. // Would I reread it?
1. Yes I would reread this if I had to (missed comprehension/detail/meaning, school, request, short book).
2. No I don’t think I’d reread this book, it’s not because it’s bad or the content, it’s because I don’t personally want to, none of it as a whole relates to me personally/or connects with me, so its not even on my mind or no reasons leads to why I would reread it. But I’d reread my review then reread the book based off of that (like mentions, quotes, relating) stuff that hit deep with me the first read. And maybe I’d cry again.
Yes and no, I’d recommend this book.
I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this to you, since it’s not a favorite book/memoir/poetry of mine but…
Yes: I’d recommend it to you’re looking to read a short easy simple fast paced poetry book to knock off, and to hear out the authors message and story since it’s because it’s what author wanted this book to do.
No: But I would not recommend this to you if you struggle with similar experiences, content thats too heavy to deal with, or have different tastes.
66.79% would recommend!
If you like a short memoir thats written in poetry that discusses grief, abuse, love and recovery, content thats traumatic, writing is simple, easy to read and subtle meaning and somewhat relatable in quotes to anything general in life (this sometimes only appears) this book is for you to pick.
Just make sure to check the TW!!
I’d say personally my rating is:
This is overall quite not that bad (meaning it wasn’t too simple or execution didn’t land), after my evaluation and writing my thoughts out, it has definitely made my rating higher. But despite with my reading process and reading problem, it still felt like mid to me. But still, with the feelings that I had felt, the effectiveness/heaviness, the mentions, reliability, realizations and quotes, I’d give it a 3.4 Stars!!
A 3 for the reading process since it was mid, the decimals for the positive effect during the process, and after my evaluation, I think I would up it a bit by giving it .1
Now it’s 3.5 Stars!!
Personally rated: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 (3.5 Stars)
From my evaluation: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 Stars)
AVERAGE = ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75 (3.75 Stars)
~ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 Stars)
(.P.S.)
Had potential with good ideas but I don’t think I delivered them really well. :((
And doesn’t really feel done either.
Last part, ChatGPT criticized it and said it wasn’t good, but Im so done with rewriting it.
And unsure about the evaluation rating…?
——————————————-
**Critically (to criticize the book without personally judging it.)**
! All Critical Categories enlisted:
! All Categories DONE:
! Reading Comprehensions, Analysis, and Ratings.
! Unpersonalized Critique and Evaluation: With Evidence and Examples
(OLD ONE)
- Plot (Premise/Summaries, Elements, Ending, Themes. +) =
• My expectations:
• Plot
* Ending
* Themes
- Characters (Character Developments, Point of View, Depth) =
- Likes/Dislikes =
All my main likes and dislikes:
- Additional notes / Other =
- Conclusion
(OLD ONE)
AVERAGE =
~
(I haven't considered it yet)
HAVE TO DO THIS!!!
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