"This collection cut close to my soul." —Kat Savage, USA Today bestselling author
“How can you love a monster when so much was taken?”
In Daddy Issues, three-time Goodreads Choice Awards nominated poet J. R. Rogue examines how fathers—absent, abusive, violent—can shape our minds and hearts during our formative years and beyond.
Wading into the dark waters of familial trauma, this collection reopens wounds closed, scarred, and fresh, and is dedicated to fathers breaking cycles and mothers playing both roles.
J.R. Rogue first put pen to paper at the age of fifteen after developing an unrequited high school crush and has never stopped writing about heartache. She has published multiple volumes of poetry and novels. Her work has been recognized with three Goodreads Choice Awards nominations, a testament to the impact of her work on readers.
In addition to her writing, J.R. Rogue is a certified yoga teacher with additional certification in Yoga Nidra and Trauma-Informed Yoga. She is passionate about mindfulness and meditation, and currently studying Foundations in Meditation. Furthermore, J.R. Rogue has been sober from alcohol since January 1st, 2020, a personal achievement that she is proud of and that has strengthened her commitment to mindfulness and wellness.
J.R. Rogue resides in a small town in the Midwest with her family, where she enjoys a peaceful life reading and telling stories
"My best features stolen from a man who wears my name—gave this name & knows not my voice, my hopes, the scar on my leg, & the freckles anew."
Wow. I loved this poetry book! I can relate to so much of it. I even teared up a time or two haha. There's so many good poems, I can't pick a favorite. They're told in a way that makes you want to keep reading, even if it hurts. Beautiful!
"How can you love a monster? How can you shower tears, drown the drain with salt, when so much was taken?"
I fully recommend this to anyone who has daddy issues or wants to understand daddy issues better. Loved it. ♡
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This collection cut close to my soul. I feel so many of these words personally, it was hard to remember they weren’t mine. Like someone reached into the depths of my heart and splayed it out for all to see.
"he is no shadow, & I will shine with love you couldn't pull forth"
The words were heavy and cut like knives. They encompassed all the pain and sorrow and even as someone who has never experienced this I could feel the gravity in these poems. That's Rogue's gift. The ability to make you experience something you've never experienced before. To draw you into world's you have no part in and capture you.
My heart hurts just reading these. I can feel the pain with every word on the page. Deep and dark and moving. J.R. Rogue knows how to put feelings into words unlike anyone else.
Rogue doesn’t hesitate to deep dive into painful and very open wounds, some that time may not fully heal. She carefully dissects different relationships, allowing the heartbreak to spill onto the page.
You won’t leave this collection unscathed. I mourned with some of the pages that struck me hardest.
I enjoyed reading poetry in between long books and this was great for it. Luckily, I have therapy cause I will need to discuss some poems in this. I know so many people could relate to the trauma and heartbreak in this. Us girls with daddy issues specifically.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Societies glamourised version of ‘Daddy Issues’ can get F@cked. This here is the raw, festering wound that so many have lived through and continue to live through.
If there are words for the pain, trauma and shame etc. that comes with having daddy issues this collection of poems says them all.
‘… you were supposed to be the shield, the hard voice that scare the monsters away …’
Reading this collection had me remembering the things I have tried to forget, the things that meant my father is more monster than dad.
‘… he is no shadow, he is no nameless he wears the name father ..’
‘… daughter of abandon daughter of no one …’
Not only will this collection resonate with the child in us that has scars from the man that should have been our first love in this world, but also to the mothers filling both roles.
TW for this poetry collection as mentioned at the start of the book; anxiety, depression, ptsd, suicidal thoughts, sexual abuse, physical abuse, rape, murder.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review
J. R. Is clearly a talented poet, and her book tackles a range of emotions and ways father issues take action. I honestly quite liked a lot of the poems in the book but there were also a few misses. Quite good book I'd recommend giving it a read.
It is hard to find the words to describe this collection. If you have been in any of these situations, you know. You know the fear, the hate, the helplessness, the anger. These poems connected with me on so many different levels, that when I had finished reading I had to stop and take a moment to let it all pour over me. Until I was okay again. So powerful.
“Daddy Issues” is not light-hearted joking about why girls love bad boys or unavailable men. This collection of poems is a look into the real lives of women whose fathers have caused various forms of trauma and the consequences that follow. These are truly moving and relatable, some, bone deep.
“& I am cold, colder, courage shrunk up & smaller when I speak”
I probably say this with every release but this has to be my favorite poetry collection now. Jen has managed to make me feel every emotion with each new poem. As someone with “daddy issues”, I felt relief with the knowledge that I’m not alone, but also anger and grief that others have experienced so much pain from their daddy issues.
Beautiful release.
“he just wants a good life— exorcise him from what's left of yours”
This is a very well written book of poetry. Beware, though, that you may need a Kleenex; I'm not kidding. The poems deal with just what the title implies: "Daddy Issues." Heartbreaking, raw, explosive, brutal, abusive are just some of the adjectives I would use to describe the poems.
It is hard to express the emotions you will feel reading this collection of poetry. J.R. Rogue gives us such raw honesty in her words that you have to sit with each poem and take in all the gravity of that moment. It’s heart-aching and beautiful, it lets others know that they are not alone.
I used to think I am not a poetry person. Therefore, I thought I must avoid all poetry at any cost. Turns out I was wrong. Turns out I like the right kind of poetry - one that is all about taking a look into the author's soul. And this is it, just this kind of intimate work of art.
Powerful collection that allows us to see J.R. Details her relationship with her father and how that affected her relationship with men. Rather sad to read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.