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mixed feelings
"my feelings are mixed
through my love and pain
these are the parts of me
i wish i didn’t see
and other parts
i’m proud to be
all my feelings
all of me
here for you to see
come inside and
feel with me."
From popular film and television actor Abraham Rodriguez comes mixed feelings , a collection of poems and photographs that explores the back-and-forth emotions and experiences of love, heartbreak, and healing. Emotive poetry is brought to life with photographs that illustrate story behind the words. Composed of both English and Spanish verse, this collection speaks to young people experiencing the highs of love and the lows of loss.
through my love and pain
these are the parts of me
i wish i didn’t see
and other parts
i’m proud to be
all my feelings
all of me
here for you to see
come inside and
feel with me."
From popular film and television actor Abraham Rodriguez comes mixed feelings , a collection of poems and photographs that explores the back-and-forth emotions and experiences of love, heartbreak, and healing. Emotive poetry is brought to life with photographs that illustrate story behind the words. Composed of both English and Spanish verse, this collection speaks to young people experiencing the highs of love and the lows of loss.
- GenresPoetry
192 pages, Paperback
Published May 3, 2022
6 people are currently reading
159 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
April 10, 2022
Literally the worst "poetry" I've ever read. Half of the poems were literally the same poem just written differently. Not to mention the poems were really annoying, because the "poet" kept making the same mistakes with the same person. Like if you want to make dumb decisions, fine, but don't make me suffer through reading them written in 8 different variations just because you want to publish a book.
December 24, 2023
gets very repetitive because most of the poems were very very closely related so it just felt like bro was rambling at some point.... but i liked jt
i am pretty biased because these poems rlly just made me think about self respect and that life isn't over just cause ur relationship is over
boys will be boys but i can still thrive without one
i am pretty biased because these poems rlly just made me think about self respect and that life isn't over just cause ur relationship is over
boys will be boys but i can still thrive without one
April 13, 2022
Poetry is difficult to review. Poetry is emotion put to the page. How do you judge how someone expresses emotion? In the end, you don’t. Well, I don’t. I am not a poet, nor am I fully versed on the intricacies of poetry, so I don’t rate on a technical level. Poetry is as good as the emotion it elicits.
Unfortunately...
⭐️⭐️. It’s okay. There is an audience for this, but I’m not it.
Full review available here.
Unfortunately...
⭐️⭐️. It’s okay. There is an audience for this, but I’m not it.
Full review available here.
March 3, 2022
I could say I have mixed feelings about this one.
The poems were easy to read and honest. I really liked the ones written in Spanish. I like the way the author is telling us about his feelings towards this person, about how this love was in the end not good for him, but what can we say? Love makes us blind. We always want to try and hope to get the love we always dreamed of.
The collection didn't work for me, even though I like the way the author talks openly about his heartbreak and the emotions he felt because of this person. I felt like the poems were repetitive, like I was reading the same thing over again with other words. Like I read a few good sentences, but no poem I could really remember. We can all relate to these, to the pain and to the healing after our first heartbreak. I get what the author was feeling and that's why is a bit hard for me to give this rating.
It was not a that bad collection, just not for me.
Thank you NetGalley and Central Avenue Publishing for the free ARC!
The poems were easy to read and honest. I really liked the ones written in Spanish. I like the way the author is telling us about his feelings towards this person, about how this love was in the end not good for him, but what can we say? Love makes us blind. We always want to try and hope to get the love we always dreamed of.
The collection didn't work for me, even though I like the way the author talks openly about his heartbreak and the emotions he felt because of this person. I felt like the poems were repetitive, like I was reading the same thing over again with other words. Like I read a few good sentences, but no poem I could really remember. We can all relate to these, to the pain and to the healing after our first heartbreak. I get what the author was feeling and that's why is a bit hard for me to give this rating.
It was not a that bad collection, just not for me.
Thank you NetGalley and Central Avenue Publishing for the free ARC!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 12, 2022
I received an advanced reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley.
I really enjoyed reading this book. Abraham's poetry is very beautiful, easy to read and honest. It shows so much vulnerability. One of the most original things about this book is that you can find poems written Spanish, and also poems written upside down. Rating: 3/5 stars.
I really enjoyed reading this book. Abraham's poetry is very beautiful, easy to read and honest. It shows so much vulnerability. One of the most original things about this book is that you can find poems written Spanish, and also poems written upside down. Rating: 3/5 stars.
May 2, 2022
let’s try this once again
let’s see if this session
of expensive undivided attention
will be the one that finally
pushes me through
to no longer being in love
with you
Mixed Feelings is an incredibly easy to read, short poetry collection, centred around one failed relationship the author has had and all the heartbreak that comes with it. Generally, I felt the style of the writing was nice, it wasn't amazing and heart-wrenching but it painted a picture of the general sorrow the writer was going through and it flowed nicely. However, I think the poems (and the book in general) were all greatly lacking in details. Details would provide intimacy, give a sense of realness to your poetry, and really give the feeling that is it all, truly, coming from the heart. That's not necessarily the case when one of your poems (for example) is just this:
my favorite times were spent with you
i hope they are your favorite too
Like ... this is fine, it's cute and it could work nicely as the final two lines in a much longer poem but, on it's own, it's not giving my anything to really hook myself to sadly. The poems I did enjoy more than the others were the longer ones that specified one particular memory and actually helped me learn more about the poet and, as a result, relate with them a bit more.
Overall, I think this was just way too "short" of a poetry collection, not in terms of pages but in terms of how much content was actually in the book. I think the poet needed a year more of writing in order to fully flesh out and achieve the potential that's actually apparent on the page. It's certainly not a bad book but unfortunately, it's not a book I'll be remembering or raving about come tomorrow.
Special thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the e-ARC of this
March 24, 2022
There is a vulnerability in sharing poetry. It is often raw and foreboding, sharing pieces of yourself in ways that can be both intrinsic and relatable. It is tough to review poetry, with it being such a singular form, having different impacts and meanings based on the individual reader. It also becomes challenging when it comes to critiquing the experiences of the writer and the ways they choose to express them.
I will start with the Pros of this collection. The accompanying imagery is an excellent addition, adding visual presentations adjacent to the writing, which is blunt, easily interpretable, and relatable. It leaves the emotions of the writer plain and bare for the reader to understand, and is that not the point of poetry? The connection it forms?
However, nothing stands out about the writing, with the theme running through the book consistently but also running dry, with each piece sounding like the one before it, like the one after it. There lacks the versatility to bring life to these poems. Bluntly, it gets boring.
The companion imagery relates little to anything, often being similar to each other. There was nothing unique in this voice; these words made me want to divulge my time into these poems, reading like prose structured to look like poetry with none of the structuring aspects of poetry to make it pleasant.
It is always commendable to put yourself out there and share personal experiences through this medium, but this is not one I would recommend.
I will start with the Pros of this collection. The accompanying imagery is an excellent addition, adding visual presentations adjacent to the writing, which is blunt, easily interpretable, and relatable. It leaves the emotions of the writer plain and bare for the reader to understand, and is that not the point of poetry? The connection it forms?
However, nothing stands out about the writing, with the theme running through the book consistently but also running dry, with each piece sounding like the one before it, like the one after it. There lacks the versatility to bring life to these poems. Bluntly, it gets boring.
The companion imagery relates little to anything, often being similar to each other. There was nothing unique in this voice; these words made me want to divulge my time into these poems, reading like prose structured to look like poetry with none of the structuring aspects of poetry to make it pleasant.
It is always commendable to put yourself out there and share personal experiences through this medium, but this is not one I would recommend.
February 25, 2022
Absolutely heartbroken. This beautiful work of poetry nearly brought me to tears, opened my eyes and it was like looking in a mirror of despair of my past self. This book absolutely shattered me and shook me to my core.
This work of poetry is seeing the ups and downs of a relationship, a very hard and emotional relationship at its very core and feeling the tense emotion and sadness that fills the page. Abraham Rodriguez poured his heart out onto the page when he wrote this book and I found myself reading the words on the page as if they were written for me.
The raw feelings put into this book almost had me in tears because I related to it so much in the things that he talked about and the way the photographs in the book reflected on what he was saying in verse. The black and white photos really did something to the book as well, it was almost as if you could just see his broken heart in these photos as you read along.
This book is so deserving of five stars because the power of the emotion on the page is astronomical, I get choked up by poetry anyway, but as I said, this was personal. I got an advanced readers copy through NetGalley but I absolutely want to buy this book when it hits the shelves, that's how much it meant to me.
This work of poetry is seeing the ups and downs of a relationship, a very hard and emotional relationship at its very core and feeling the tense emotion and sadness that fills the page. Abraham Rodriguez poured his heart out onto the page when he wrote this book and I found myself reading the words on the page as if they were written for me.
The raw feelings put into this book almost had me in tears because I related to it so much in the things that he talked about and the way the photographs in the book reflected on what he was saying in verse. The black and white photos really did something to the book as well, it was almost as if you could just see his broken heart in these photos as you read along.
This book is so deserving of five stars because the power of the emotion on the page is astronomical, I get choked up by poetry anyway, but as I said, this was personal. I got an advanced readers copy through NetGalley but I absolutely want to buy this book when it hits the shelves, that's how much it meant to me.
March 10, 2022
Okay this book was so good.. This is the kind of poetry that i love the ones that have messages behind it when the author is putting all the vulnerability into the work of their poems. This book was so vulnerable and i loved the poems in this book. The pictures were also so great i literally LOVED it.
The take i got from it was basically how people can hurt us and tell us what we want to hear but in reality its all bs because the other party is struggling with other stuff. And sometimes us as humans just think we will be the person to change that person but we cant change everyone. PEOPLE need to be willing to change themselves we can only help for so long i could be wrong but thats the vibes i got.
And i just love the vulnerability this book showed. The rhymes alot of the poems had and just the heart this book had was just so strong. It touches down on heartbreak, Healing, Love and just everything alot of go through when we fall in love. The bad the good.
Thank you netgalley for this arc this poetry book was beautiful.
The take i got from it was basically how people can hurt us and tell us what we want to hear but in reality its all bs because the other party is struggling with other stuff. And sometimes us as humans just think we will be the person to change that person but we cant change everyone. PEOPLE need to be willing to change themselves we can only help for so long i could be wrong but thats the vibes i got.
And i just love the vulnerability this book showed. The rhymes alot of the poems had and just the heart this book had was just so strong. It touches down on heartbreak, Healing, Love and just everything alot of go through when we fall in love. The bad the good.
Thank you netgalley for this arc this poetry book was beautiful.
May 24, 2022
*I received an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
2/5
Lovesick. I would use this word to describe this collection because that’s all it is. And there’s nothing wrong with being lovesick or writing about these feelings, but in a collection of poetry I expected more depth and more themes. But it was just that. Lovesick.
It was beautifully written, just written to exhaustion. It was nice to read the first part when everything was new, but by part two is just became the same feelings reiterated over and over.
Photography was beautiful and matched the surrounding poetry really well. I actually preferred the photography towards the end as it was something new to the palate.
I liked that in part four there was kind of a breakthrough, and the monotony kind of changed. The format even changed which helped breathe some life into the collection.
Note that I am not a poet and in no way an expert at reading poetry, but overall I feel that if you’ve read part 1 of this book, you’ve read it all.
2/5
Lovesick. I would use this word to describe this collection because that’s all it is. And there’s nothing wrong with being lovesick or writing about these feelings, but in a collection of poetry I expected more depth and more themes. But it was just that. Lovesick.
It was beautifully written, just written to exhaustion. It was nice to read the first part when everything was new, but by part two is just became the same feelings reiterated over and over.
Photography was beautiful and matched the surrounding poetry really well. I actually preferred the photography towards the end as it was something new to the palate.
I liked that in part four there was kind of a breakthrough, and the monotony kind of changed. The format even changed which helped breathe some life into the collection.
Note that I am not a poet and in no way an expert at reading poetry, but overall I feel that if you’ve read part 1 of this book, you’ve read it all.
November 28, 2022
Firstly, I'd like to thank Netgalley and Central Avenue Publishing for the eARC for an honest review.
Abraham Rodriguez, an actor, decided to write a book of poetry about love, heartbreak and healing. Rodriguez writes openly about a relationship that caused him a lot of pain. I commend him for it. Sadly, I didn't enjoy this collection at all. I could say it was easy to read but it wasn't. There is no punctuation or capitol letters in any of the pieces which made me stumble constantly on how the poems were supposed to be read. Each poem is almost the same just said differently. They are vague with no real way for the reader to connect to them at all. Most pieces are barely a sentence. There are some pieces in Spanish but even translated they are as vapid and generic as the rest.
Before starting the book I noticed the Netgalley and Goodreads reviews where mainly negative and only 10% in I completely agreed. This isn't what I would count as poetry.
Amy x
Abraham Rodriguez, an actor, decided to write a book of poetry about love, heartbreak and healing. Rodriguez writes openly about a relationship that caused him a lot of pain. I commend him for it. Sadly, I didn't enjoy this collection at all. I could say it was easy to read but it wasn't. There is no punctuation or capitol letters in any of the pieces which made me stumble constantly on how the poems were supposed to be read. Each poem is almost the same just said differently. They are vague with no real way for the reader to connect to them at all. Most pieces are barely a sentence. There are some pieces in Spanish but even translated they are as vapid and generic as the rest.
Before starting the book I noticed the Netgalley and Goodreads reviews where mainly negative and only 10% in I completely agreed. This isn't what I would count as poetry.
Amy x
March 30, 2022
Like the title , i too have mixed feelings about this book , which is about love and heartbreak.
I admit it, i'm not an expert for poetry books but compared to the few i've read, this one seems disjointed and unorganized , first he says how he loves her then he says how she was bad for him but then again he's saying how good it felt the two of them being together . The pictures were unnecessary and the spanish verses with upside-down translations pasted next to them weren't creative (if that was the goal) but rather confusing . This was definitely not it for me but maybe people who went through similar stuff would resonate and love this book more than me ...
Thank you NetGalley for sending me this book for an honest review.
I admit it, i'm not an expert for poetry books but compared to the few i've read, this one seems disjointed and unorganized , first he says how he loves her then he says how she was bad for him but then again he's saying how good it felt the two of them being together . The pictures were unnecessary and the spanish verses with upside-down translations pasted next to them weren't creative (if that was the goal) but rather confusing . This was definitely not it for me but maybe people who went through similar stuff would resonate and love this book more than me ...
Thank you NetGalley for sending me this book for an honest review.
April 17, 2022
An interesting and emotive collection of modern poetry - illustrated with photography and dual-language prose between Spanish and English to create something very unique.
Rodriguez uses 'Mixed Feelings' to explore the natural journey of love, loss and healing and reflect inwards on his own confusing feelings. There is an obvious fragility and vulnerability to the prose that is easy to connect with and very compelling. However, I too, have mixed feelings about this as it contains the kinds of poems that are a simple statement of a few words and in that popular very post-modern classic but just aren't my style of poetry - however it will definitely attract many poetry lovers.
Rodriguez uses 'Mixed Feelings' to explore the natural journey of love, loss and healing and reflect inwards on his own confusing feelings. There is an obvious fragility and vulnerability to the prose that is easy to connect with and very compelling. However, I too, have mixed feelings about this as it contains the kinds of poems that are a simple statement of a few words and in that popular very post-modern classic but just aren't my style of poetry - however it will definitely attract many poetry lovers.
March 31, 2022
This is what I call baby "i" poetry. It's the overuse of i instead of I. The poetry was easy to read, can't deny that. I found that I really dislike poetry without titles. I understand what the author was trying to do in the sense of having these poems in no particular order and making a free flowing collection. But this did not work for me. I found it irritating as. Again, I understand that it is meant to be read that way, but it fell flat for me. This is just another poetry collection to add the the non ending Rupi Kaur phenomenon.
May 4, 2022
Mixed Feelings by Abraham Rodriguez was a tense, emotional collection of poems that were punctuated with stirring photos. This book expressed the difficulties of an on-again off-again relationship and the baby steps it takes to recover from a breakup. As the author found himself his voice became more confident and his emotions more clear. I enjoyed the progression of the poems and I'm sure they will be therapeutic for anyone experiencing heartbreak.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
November 26, 2022
3+ stars
This book was an emotional, personal exploration of past experiences, relationships, and feelings. It really wasn’t my style, but it’s hard to judge something that so clearly came from the heart. There were some fairly captivating photos included, a few poems had memorable word choices, and the dual-language (Spanish-English) pieces were interesting. It wasn’t really my preferred type of work, but I’m sure there’s an audience out there for it.
An ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book was an emotional, personal exploration of past experiences, relationships, and feelings. It really wasn’t my style, but it’s hard to judge something that so clearly came from the heart. There were some fairly captivating photos included, a few poems had memorable word choices, and the dual-language (Spanish-English) pieces were interesting. It wasn’t really my preferred type of work, but I’m sure there’s an audience out there for it.
An ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
March 18, 2022
** ARC Through Net Galley**
Poetry is a genre I am relatively new to. I have just started diving into it, and I'm so glad I was able to read the arc of this book! I thought that it was beautifully written, and I loved the style. The book is very emotional, and and I loved the story that was told throughout. I felt connected to the story in a way. I would definitely recommend this book. It was beautiful!
Poetry is a genre I am relatively new to. I have just started diving into it, and I'm so glad I was able to read the arc of this book! I thought that it was beautifully written, and I loved the style. The book is very emotional, and and I loved the story that was told throughout. I felt connected to the story in a way. I would definitely recommend this book. It was beautiful!
March 12, 2022
Rating: 5 🌟
First and foremost, I'd like to express my gratitude to Netgalley for providing me with an e-ARC of this poetry book.
what if commitment isn't for me?
why would anyone want me for more than just one night
This poetry collection is utterly heartbreaking. Every single phrase is profound, and I highly urge everyone to read it.
April 26, 2022
Thank you NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoyed the mixture of written word and images. It made for an interesting read but I felt like the actual poetry was quite mediocre.
Poetry is hard to review as not everyone will like the same thing. I feel like this just wasn’t for me.
I enjoyed the mixture of written word and images. It made for an interesting read but I felt like the actual poetry was quite mediocre.
Poetry is hard to review as not everyone will like the same thing. I feel like this just wasn’t for me.
March 9, 2023
i really enjoyed this collection. the poems were honest and raw and i’ve found that my soul could resonate with quite a few of them. the poet, within these pieces, sheds his skin and pulls back layers for his readers to view and experience. there were so many poems that i’ve found to be brutally truthful but full of so much hope towards the end. i’ve really enjoyed this collection.
December 25, 2023
Everything you could want in a poetry collection. The author pours his heart into the pages and connects with readers in a way that a lot of first-time poetry writers miss.
He manages to hit all the emotional beats necessary in a concise and relatable way, without needlessly rambling or embellishing. The prose seems effortless in all the right ways.
Beautifully written.
He manages to hit all the emotional beats necessary in a concise and relatable way, without needlessly rambling or embellishing. The prose seems effortless in all the right ways.
Beautifully written.
July 22, 2025
i think you have to be going through similar things as to what the author was going through when he wrote the book to fully grasp it.
some reviews didn’t like the repetition, i personally did. this is how getting over someone is like for me. the constant back and forth because wanting to be over than and wanting to love them.
some reviews didn’t like the repetition, i personally did. this is how getting over someone is like for me. the constant back and forth because wanting to be over than and wanting to love them.
March 29, 2022
Thank you to Netgalley, Abraham Rodriguez and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book, in exchange for an honest review!
Beautiful poetry and I loved the incorporation of Spanish poetry.
Beautiful poetry and I loved the incorporation of Spanish poetry.
March 28, 2022
My first poetry collection this 2022, and all I can say is that this collection gave its readers a chance to be vulnerable. It's easy to read, compelling, and very transparent.
When you get a chance to read this one, you'll be impressed because there are poems written upside down, and in Spanish. The feelings that were poured in to this book made me cry. It has the power to stir up my emotions.
A collection of heartbreak, healing, confessions, and love.
When you get a chance to read this one, you'll be impressed because there are poems written upside down, and in Spanish. The feelings that were poured in to this book made me cry. It has the power to stir up my emotions.
A collection of heartbreak, healing, confessions, and love.
May 22, 2022
such a raw testament of heartbreak and emotion. i was incredibly moved by this collection of poetry and the level of honesty poured into it.
October 19, 2022
i LOVE this book. it has put all of my thoughts and feelings, that i never knew i had, into words
October 29, 2022
Easy read and some good thoughts written down
November 25, 2022
made me rethink a lot of things 😭
November 4, 2023
Beautiful mixed poems about love, I absolutely adored it. Highly recommend 💕 The illustrations were stunning and I could truly feel every emotion he laid out in his poems. 10/10
January 28, 2024
Really corny heartbreak type poems, and with the random images of people standing in water / in despair, it's perfect if people are over at your place for drinks. Kills every time. So funny
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews