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Revenge Body
Revenge Body is Rachel Wiley’s third collection of poetry, full of the sharp wit and bold honesty we know and love from Rachel. Wiley invites her readers to join her on a journey filled with righteous anger, Black identity, magic, mental health, navigating maternal relationships, and the love and loss that comes from a breakup.
95 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 25, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 134 reviews
July 19, 2023
Personal poems on being fat, biracial, queer, mental health, fraught family relationships and trauma
Nothing in our house is ever thrown away; it barely escapes or is buried alive - Want Not
Loved the frank treatment (and diverse set) of subjects Rachel Wiley deals with in Revenge Body, but I was less impressed by the overall execution.
Mental health (including how to respond to a suicidal friend), fat shaming, queerness, blackness, fraught family relationships (…or is the grudge holding you like your mother should have?) and bad moms (She’d never meant for me to have anything better than she’d wanted - Break up with your mother, I’m scarred)
Toni Morrison quotes precede the three parts of this bundle. I can't say the poetry is on par with that level of power, some poems feel a little too Instagram friendly, but still some struck me:
My sister reminds me that the bruise will fade, that I will not. - Unbow your head sister
I have stared at smaller bodies wondering what it might feel like to move through the world not so much as a steamship through a hostile canal - Heavy
Nothing in our house is ever thrown away; it barely escapes or is buried alive - Want Not
Loved the frank treatment (and diverse set) of subjects Rachel Wiley deals with in Revenge Body, but I was less impressed by the overall execution.
Mental health (including how to respond to a suicidal friend), fat shaming, queerness, blackness, fraught family relationships (…or is the grudge holding you like your mother should have?) and bad moms (She’d never meant for me to have anything better than she’d wanted - Break up with your mother, I’m scarred)
Toni Morrison quotes precede the three parts of this bundle. I can't say the poetry is on par with that level of power, some poems feel a little too Instagram friendly, but still some struck me:
My sister reminds me that the bruise will fade, that I will not. - Unbow your head sister
I have stared at smaller bodies wondering what it might feel like to move through the world not so much as a steamship through a hostile canal - Heavy
January 2, 2023
damn, rachel wiley strikes again. her poetic candor always blows me away.
(from "break up with your mother, i'm scared")
my experience with this particular collection was a bit unusual, because i read the first half at the beginning of the year, until my egalley expired earlier than expected. i wasn't able to acquire another copy until the end of the year, and by that point i thought i should start again at the beginning.
oddly enough, i enjoyed the first poems more the second time around. it's comforting to vaguely remember where things are going, and i think these poems all packed an even harder punch the second time around. it makes me think i should reread poetry more often!
in revenge body wiley explores familiar themes of family trauma, biracial identity, fatness, survival, grief, queerness, and heartbreak.
a few of my favorites:
"what we were," which is about the loss of childhood purity and loss of family. loss of the safe haven of young sibling bonds, especially after an angry adulthood severs them.
"red herring" and "the way back," which are both clever, heartbreaky, and full of intense imagery about an ex.
"multimedia portrait of the artist's grandma," which is also rich in imagery, made of a series of images that evoke wiley's grandmother. i can feel her essence through this poem.
"in which two women go over a cliff and retell to live about it," which is a hopeful spin on thelma and louise, which is so welcome. after so many painful poems, i love the sharp feeling of victory in this one.
Thank you to NetGalley and Button Poetry for providing me with a copy of this book in return for an honest review. All quotes are from the ARC and are subject to change upon publication.
My little girl heart with its stitched lace edges spent a fortune in
waxy birthday wishes hoping to one day thrill my mother with my
ability to magic myself steadily upright after one of her severings.
(from "break up with your mother, i'm scared")
my experience with this particular collection was a bit unusual, because i read the first half at the beginning of the year, until my egalley expired earlier than expected. i wasn't able to acquire another copy until the end of the year, and by that point i thought i should start again at the beginning.
oddly enough, i enjoyed the first poems more the second time around. it's comforting to vaguely remember where things are going, and i think these poems all packed an even harder punch the second time around. it makes me think i should reread poetry more often!
in revenge body wiley explores familiar themes of family trauma, biracial identity, fatness, survival, grief, queerness, and heartbreak.
a few of my favorites:
"what we were," which is about the loss of childhood purity and loss of family. loss of the safe haven of young sibling bonds, especially after an angry adulthood severs them.
"red herring" and "the way back," which are both clever, heartbreaky, and full of intense imagery about an ex.
"multimedia portrait of the artist's grandma," which is also rich in imagery, made of a series of images that evoke wiley's grandmother. i can feel her essence through this poem.
"in which two women go over a cliff and retell to live about it," which is a hopeful spin on thelma and louise, which is so welcome. after so many painful poems, i love the sharp feeling of victory in this one.
Thank you to NetGalley and Button Poetry for providing me with a copy of this book in return for an honest review. All quotes are from the ARC and are subject to change upon publication.
January 4, 2022
If you enjoy poetry by Rupi Kaur and Amanda Lovelace, you can go for this one as well.
Divided broadly into three sections, each section provides some personal parts of the author's experiences and feelings.
The collection is somehow bold and honest. Prepare yourself to be surprised at some parts and be shocked at some other parts. Quite enjoyable I would say.
The collection is all about speaking up and celebrating women.
Love yourself. Respect yourself. Celebrate who you are and who you are going to become.
That's the basic message I got after reading this poetry collection.
Thank you, Button Publishing Inc, for the advance reading copy.
Divided broadly into three sections, each section provides some personal parts of the author's experiences and feelings.
The collection is somehow bold and honest. Prepare yourself to be surprised at some parts and be shocked at some other parts. Quite enjoyable I would say.
The collection is all about speaking up and celebrating women.
Love yourself. Respect yourself. Celebrate who you are and who you are going to become.
That's the basic message I got after reading this poetry collection.
Thank you, Button Publishing Inc, for the advance reading copy.
December 10, 2023
These poems perfectly encapsulate not only what it’s like to be a fat woman, but also what it’s like to exist with ADHD. I’ve never felt so seen and understood. From a poet perspective, I did give it 4 stars because there’s some formatting choices I just didn’t understand. I think it may be because some of this is supposed to be spoken word? Definitely worth a read, and will be definitely checking out her other stuff.
January 26, 2022
I’ve never really been into poetry, up until last year I had never actually read any. This is my second poetry collection I’ve read and I really enjoyed it. The cover is really cool and grabs your attention before you even open the book, and the poetry inside matches. There wasn’t one that I didn’t like, but my top 5 were “Ode To The Invisible Girl”, “Handsome, Or In Which Neither Of Us Is The Man”, “Unbow Your Head Sister”, “Misguided Little Unforgivable Hierarchies”, and “Break Up With Your Mother, I’m Scarred”. This collection and each poem flowed really well; it explores themes of sexuality, mental health, childhood trauma, familial struggles, race, and body image. The author is unapologetically themselves and that really comes through in their poetry. I’m new to this kind of writing, and poetry in general, but I guess I’m a poetry person now!
*thanks to NetGalley for this book in exchange for a review*
*thanks to NetGalley for this book in exchange for a review*
January 4, 2022
A great collection of poems about mental health, body positivity, being female and being Black/biracial. I connected with some more than others but appreciated the unusual structure and formatting of the poetry. The poems on white feminism were standouts for me. Definitely a great #ownvoices book sure to resonate with a lot of people. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advance copy
February 21, 2022
Some were great, some just didn’t hit me as hard. Still feel very seen/heard in her poetry. I’m sure many others do too.
January 25, 2022
REVENGE BODY is Wiley’s third book of poetry, a fitting companion to Fat Girl Finishing School and Nothing is Okay, all of which are unapologetic in their exploration of body image, sexuality, race, trauma, relationships, and resilience. In her newest collection, the poet still claims her fatness; however, her “revenge body” is not that of a physical body , but rather the body of work itself. This revenge body feels like a rebirth. It is not vengeful, but self-assured—its softness is its strength. Whereas Wiley turned to humor and irreverence in previous books (like the online dating motif in Nothing is Okay) to seek poetic justice for the ways in which life has wronged her, in this book Wiley is a phoenix rising from the ashes, casting spells and taking names not by actively seeking revenge but by honoring her own tender, painful process of reinvention. Most notable in this collection are the poems directed towards her estranged and emotionally manipulative mother. It is clear that Wiley has done the work, in her own body, to process the trauma. It is also clear that the wound will still hurt. Despite it, she finds surrogate mothers, Sisters, lovers, herself, and falls back to praise—and in the end, what better form of revenge is there?
“My Sister blots out the shame that tailcoats my weakness,/ lays a hand to my bruises to remind the skin of its strength, that it did / not break though it had every right to, considering/ the ungentleness it was met with. My Sister reminds me that the bruise will fade, that I will not.”
(From “Unbow your head, sister”)
“Praise my therapist
Praise the universe and its divine clownery
Praise the chosen family who stay choosing me back
Praise the mothering in my despite it not coming from her”
(from “Praise to the Longest Night of the Year”)
Thank you Netgalley and Button Poetry for the advanced e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
“My Sister blots out the shame that tailcoats my weakness,/ lays a hand to my bruises to remind the skin of its strength, that it did / not break though it had every right to, considering/ the ungentleness it was met with. My Sister reminds me that the bruise will fade, that I will not.”
(From “Unbow your head, sister”)
“Praise my therapist
Praise the universe and its divine clownery
Praise the chosen family who stay choosing me back
Praise the mothering in my despite it not coming from her”
(from “Praise to the Longest Night of the Year”)
Thank you Netgalley and Button Poetry for the advanced e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
November 20, 2021
ARC given by NetGalley for Honest Review
Revenge Body is a delicious meal for the fat and radically happy body. Full of radical self love, deep longing, and angry feminism - Wiley weaves an artful poetic experience for the reader. Fans of Nayyirah Waheed and Andrea Gibson will enjoy the lyrical prose and female empowerment. I was particularly fond of the poems where Wiley speaks on the growth she comes into after breaking ties with her mother. They were raw and emotional but healing nonetheless.
My favorite poems are: "All The Pills I've Tried Before", "Heavy", and "Float."
Revenge Body is a delicious meal for the fat and radically happy body. Full of radical self love, deep longing, and angry feminism - Wiley weaves an artful poetic experience for the reader. Fans of Nayyirah Waheed and Andrea Gibson will enjoy the lyrical prose and female empowerment. I was particularly fond of the poems where Wiley speaks on the growth she comes into after breaking ties with her mother. They were raw and emotional but healing nonetheless.
My favorite poems are: "All The Pills I've Tried Before", "Heavy", and "Float."
February 24, 2022
Revenge Body, Rachel Wiley’s 3rd volume of poetry recently published by Button Poetry. Rachel Wiley is a queer, biracial poet and performer, and faculty member of the annual Pink Door Writing Retreat for women and nonbinary writers of color.
Revenge Body is the type of book I dreaded ending because I did not ever want to stop reading it, cutting the cords of connection and identification that seemed to attach me to her words. Imagine my delight upon discovering that Wiley has two previous volumes of poetry: Fat Girl Finishing School (the NAME ya’ll) and Nothing Is Okay, both also published by Button Poetry.
Never in my life have I highlighted so much of a book. At a certain point, I just gave up on highlighting since there were more lines highlighted than there weren’t. Wiley’s poetry reached deep into my chest and squeezed my heart in a way that made me laugh and cry. Her words held me in a way that made me feel seen and validated. Revenge Body set the record for the number of times I said, ‘yup’, ‘mhm!’, and ‘that’s right’ out loud while reading.
“All the Pills I Tried Before” hit home for me as someone who has been on and off psychiatric meds since I was 14 years old. Turning pharmaceuticals into poetry is no easy feat, but Wiley does it beautifully.
At certain points in the book, I wondered if Wiley had someone stolen my life and written about it. I, too, have an older brother who is full of rage and violence, yet beloved, babied, and forgiven, time and time again, by my mother. In “What We Were,” Wiley traces the roots of her relationship with her brother back to childhood through to the person he has become and the break between them.
Rachel Wiley, Revenge Body, page 17
This poem made me wonder, do all sisters of first sons feel this way? Do we all feel cut down little by little until we disappear? My own brother cut me with his words from as early as I can remember, hissing ‘fat pig’ under his breath at the dinner table. The hardest part is the disbelief from my own mother when I went to her for help. Like in “The Mother Riddle,” my mother two turned up the volume on the television, both literally and symbolically, when the abuse was happening, and once again years later when I asked for the smallest crumb of acknowledgment.
Wiley tackles intersectional feminism and the way current feminism is whitewashed in “Intersectional Feminism (AKA Actual Fucking Feminism) Plays The Dozens With White Feminism” and “White Feminism Watches The Color Purple” As both a feminist poet and a biracial poet, Wiley gifts us with a much-needed perspective on the failings of modern feminism in a way that’s both hilarious and impactful.
The way the writer weaves intersectional feminism with fatness is what makes this volume remarkable. The root of intersectionality is the fact that no single identity stands on its own. We are all complex people with many layers of identity, some visible, some invisible. Fatness and race are possibly the two most visible identifiers, making it impossible to move through the world without those around us letting us know how they feel about who we are, whether conscious or unconscious. In the poem “When The Fat Girl Stays Fat,” Wiley writes,
Rachel Wiley, Revenge Body, page 34
When it comes to having a body society deems unacceptable, many find it perfectly fine to make their distaste known. From my own father to strangers on the street, my body has been criticized, shamed, and faulted. I have been slandered under the gaslit shroud of ‘concern for my health.’ I know the fear of eating in public, at a restaurant, seeing others turn to gawk when the waiter brings our dishes, waiting to see what the fat girl ordered. Depending on what it is, they will decide whether I am shamelessly gorging myself day in and day out, or dieting. Either way, they will assume that the food I ordered that evening is a decision that leads directly to my unruly, fat body.
It is hard to put into words the way these experiences make me feel, but Rachel Wiley does it beautifully, line by line. She is the fearless gut punch the world needs, intersectionality defined, a sweet and shameless cupcake, and most importantly, an incredible writer.
To close, here are the closing lines from one of my favorite poems in Revenge Body: “Praise to The Longest Night of The Year”
Rachel Wiley, Revenge Body, page 63
This book was a free ARC for review but that doesn't change my opinion.
Revenge Body is the type of book I dreaded ending because I did not ever want to stop reading it, cutting the cords of connection and identification that seemed to attach me to her words. Imagine my delight upon discovering that Wiley has two previous volumes of poetry: Fat Girl Finishing School (the NAME ya’ll) and Nothing Is Okay, both also published by Button Poetry.
Never in my life have I highlighted so much of a book. At a certain point, I just gave up on highlighting since there were more lines highlighted than there weren’t. Wiley’s poetry reached deep into my chest and squeezed my heart in a way that made me laugh and cry. Her words held me in a way that made me feel seen and validated. Revenge Body set the record for the number of times I said, ‘yup’, ‘mhm!’, and ‘that’s right’ out loud while reading.
“All the Pills I Tried Before” hit home for me as someone who has been on and off psychiatric meds since I was 14 years old. Turning pharmaceuticals into poetry is no easy feat, but Wiley does it beautifully.
At certain points in the book, I wondered if Wiley had someone stolen my life and written about it. I, too, have an older brother who is full of rage and violence, yet beloved, babied, and forgiven, time and time again, by my mother. In “What We Were,” Wiley traces the roots of her relationship with her brother back to childhood through to the person he has become and the break between them.
“My brother grew up to be a magician,
My brother grew up to be twice as angry as he was tall
and he got so tall.
Spring loaded goldfinches always up his sleeves
and I, his assistant
cut down with a flourish,
phantom sibling,
a dull ache at the severing point.
The days I forget I have a brother
are the same days I forget I was a child at all.”
Rachel Wiley, Revenge Body, page 17
This poem made me wonder, do all sisters of first sons feel this way? Do we all feel cut down little by little until we disappear? My own brother cut me with his words from as early as I can remember, hissing ‘fat pig’ under his breath at the dinner table. The hardest part is the disbelief from my own mother when I went to her for help. Like in “The Mother Riddle,” my mother two turned up the volume on the television, both literally and symbolically, when the abuse was happening, and once again years later when I asked for the smallest crumb of acknowledgment.
Wiley tackles intersectional feminism and the way current feminism is whitewashed in “Intersectional Feminism (AKA Actual Fucking Feminism) Plays The Dozens With White Feminism” and “White Feminism Watches The Color Purple” As both a feminist poet and a biracial poet, Wiley gifts us with a much-needed perspective on the failings of modern feminism in a way that’s both hilarious and impactful.
The way the writer weaves intersectional feminism with fatness is what makes this volume remarkable. The root of intersectionality is the fact that no single identity stands on its own. We are all complex people with many layers of identity, some visible, some invisible. Fatness and race are possibly the two most visible identifiers, making it impossible to move through the world without those around us letting us know how they feel about who we are, whether conscious or unconscious. In the poem “When The Fat Girl Stays Fat,” Wiley writes,
“Once, I dared to enjoy an apple at a bus stop,
a large beautiful Honeycrisp apple, perfectly chilled,
and a car veered across two entire lanes of traffic to splash
my fat body with shame for being seen eating
anything at all.”
Rachel Wiley, Revenge Body, page 34
When it comes to having a body society deems unacceptable, many find it perfectly fine to make their distaste known. From my own father to strangers on the street, my body has been criticized, shamed, and faulted. I have been slandered under the gaslit shroud of ‘concern for my health.’ I know the fear of eating in public, at a restaurant, seeing others turn to gawk when the waiter brings our dishes, waiting to see what the fat girl ordered. Depending on what it is, they will decide whether I am shamelessly gorging myself day in and day out, or dieting. Either way, they will assume that the food I ordered that evening is a decision that leads directly to my unruly, fat body.
It is hard to put into words the way these experiences make me feel, but Rachel Wiley does it beautifully, line by line. She is the fearless gut punch the world needs, intersectionality defined, a sweet and shameless cupcake, and most importantly, an incredible writer.
To close, here are the closing lines from one of my favorite poems in Revenge Body: “Praise to The Longest Night of The Year”
“Praise my therapist.
Praise the universe and its divine clownery.
Praise the chosen family who stay choosing me back.
Praise the mothering in me despite it not coming from her.”
Rachel Wiley, Revenge Body, page 63
This book was a free ARC for review but that doesn't change my opinion.
November 26, 2021
Thanks to Netgalley and Button Poetry for the ARC of this. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.
I’ve loved Rachel Wiley’s other collections - Nothing is Okay and Fat Girl Finishing School, so when I saw this I was so excited to read it. It was such a satisfying collection, touching on parts of her experience that really resonate with me, as well as those that are unfamiliar and give me insight. I’m not a huge poetry reader, but Rachel Wiley is definitely an auto-buy author for me.
I’ve loved Rachel Wiley’s other collections - Nothing is Okay and Fat Girl Finishing School, so when I saw this I was so excited to read it. It was such a satisfying collection, touching on parts of her experience that really resonate with me, as well as those that are unfamiliar and give me insight. I’m not a huge poetry reader, but Rachel Wiley is definitely an auto-buy author for me.
January 25, 2022
4 stars. This is a solid poetry collection that packs an emotional punch. It's a bit grittier and the collection itself is bite sized and less than a 100 pages. However, there are some wonderful poems hidden in here filled with emotional turmoil, longing, and wanting to find your place. TW for eating disorders. This is a collection I definitely recommend. Review to come.
December 14, 2021
I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Okay so poetry is not an easy genre to rate or review so bear with me.
This poetry collection explores a variety of topics from fatphobia and body image to dysfunctional families, abuse, race, loss, mental illness,... and although certain themes were not relatable to me and to my own life experiences, I was able to be moved and to feel the emotions the author was trying to convey, and that is what I personally expect of poetry.
I enjoyed the sometimes atmospheric sometimes raw writing of certain pieces, while I thought that others could have used a little more editing, but watching Wiley perform previous versions of certain poems from this book made me appreciate the edited, final versions a lot more.
Okay so poetry is not an easy genre to rate or review so bear with me.
This poetry collection explores a variety of topics from fatphobia and body image to dysfunctional families, abuse, race, loss, mental illness,... and although certain themes were not relatable to me and to my own life experiences, I was able to be moved and to feel the emotions the author was trying to convey, and that is what I personally expect of poetry.
I enjoyed the sometimes atmospheric sometimes raw writing of certain pieces, while I thought that others could have used a little more editing, but watching Wiley perform previous versions of certain poems from this book made me appreciate the edited, final versions a lot more.
October 12, 2022
Excerpts:
Sometimes, when it looks like I am doing absolutely nothing, I am
trying so hard to do everything
that I might not see you standing there.
(from “Executive Functioning”)
Effexor:
pretty petals plucked from poppies the color of a gentle blush,
we slept and slept and slept
without dreaming of anything at all.
Apathy is the new love.
(from “All the Pills I Tried Before”)
Sometimes, when it looks like I am doing absolutely nothing, I am
trying so hard to do everything
that I might not see you standing there.
(from “Executive Functioning”)
I am 15 and my mother has caught me fresh off the phone
in a moment of unguarded joy.
She sweeps in and cups my laughter in her hands.
It flutters wildly against her caged fingers,
she marvels loudly at the rarity of the thing,
as though it is rare because I am selfish with my
glow,
as though she never saw the bloody smears of my smile
lighting up her son’s knuckles.
The trapped, delicate thing flickers out in her hands.
(“Glow”)Effexor:
pretty petals plucked from poppies the color of a gentle blush,
we slept and slept and slept
without dreaming of anything at all.
Apathy is the new love.
(from “All the Pills I Tried Before”)
January 3, 2022
If your mother disowns her own mother,
and her mother disowns her mother before that,
and you then disown your own mother, is it a grudge
or a genetic trait?
Rachel Wiley has discussed a lot of personal experiences in here like fatphobia, body image , dysfunctional families, abuse, race, loss and mental illness. The lines are very personal and filled with emotion. But, this style was not for me and I didn't like the execution.
and her mother disowns her mother before that,
and you then disown your own mother, is it a grudge
or a genetic trait?
Rachel Wiley has discussed a lot of personal experiences in here like fatphobia, body image , dysfunctional families, abuse, race, loss and mental illness. The lines are very personal and filled with emotion. But, this style was not for me and I didn't like the execution.
November 30, 2021
“…the same fat sneered at without consequence might be your one / and only advantage might be a gift; might be the only barrier between you and/ a pin-less grenade…”
This collection explores anger, trauma, mental illness, black identity, body image, fatness, queerness, loss, and grief- and covers each topic, and their interconnectedness, in such an insightful, beautiful, raw, and revealing way.
From the very first poem in this collection, the titular “Revenge Body,” I was hooked and had to finish it in one sitting. Equal parts angry and joyful, Wiley covers a huge number of topics in only a short amount of space, but does it so beautifully I never felt overwhelmed by the switch from one topic to another. My favourite poems were “revenge body” and “executive functioning.”
I loved how the author was able to write about conflicting emotions like anger, despair, joy, and a whirlwind of others, while also showing how these feelings can exist together as well. I especially enjoyed the honest exploration of relationships with toxic family members and how fond memories exist along side traumatic ones. I loved the vulnerability shown in how Wiley wrote about these relationships. Though experiences differ many people can recognize themselves in these poems.
The different poems will definitely resonate with many people in many different ways; some are so relatable they feel like hearing your own thoughts played back, just worded so perfectly, while others feel like a close friend is revealing their secrets to you. I can’t even describe how much I loved this collection. I just know that I finished this book feeling like I got to read something really special, and I can’t wait to read everything Rachel Wiley writes.
Thank you to netgalley for proving me with an e-ARC of this book.
This collection explores anger, trauma, mental illness, black identity, body image, fatness, queerness, loss, and grief- and covers each topic, and their interconnectedness, in such an insightful, beautiful, raw, and revealing way.
From the very first poem in this collection, the titular “Revenge Body,” I was hooked and had to finish it in one sitting. Equal parts angry and joyful, Wiley covers a huge number of topics in only a short amount of space, but does it so beautifully I never felt overwhelmed by the switch from one topic to another. My favourite poems were “revenge body” and “executive functioning.”
I loved how the author was able to write about conflicting emotions like anger, despair, joy, and a whirlwind of others, while also showing how these feelings can exist together as well. I especially enjoyed the honest exploration of relationships with toxic family members and how fond memories exist along side traumatic ones. I loved the vulnerability shown in how Wiley wrote about these relationships. Though experiences differ many people can recognize themselves in these poems.
The different poems will definitely resonate with many people in many different ways; some are so relatable they feel like hearing your own thoughts played back, just worded so perfectly, while others feel like a close friend is revealing their secrets to you. I can’t even describe how much I loved this collection. I just know that I finished this book feeling like I got to read something really special, and I can’t wait to read everything Rachel Wiley writes.
Thank you to netgalley for proving me with an e-ARC of this book.
June 10, 2022
3 stars
Unflinching reflections on mental illness, body image issues, & fierce resilience. While some of the poems are not to my taste due to writing style, I very much appreciated the content & the poet’s approach to life.
[What I liked:]
•These poems have many vulnerable & relatable depictions of struggles with both mental illness & ADHD. As a person who deals with both, it was refreshing to find poetry that deals with these kind of subjects so unabashedly & openly. We need more voices speaking about stigmatized issues like these.
[What I didn’t like as much:]
•Many of the poems felt long & wordy to me. I prefer poetry that’s spare, focused, & more concise. This is a stylistic preference, though, & I’m sure other readers will like it more than me.
CW: sexism, mental illness, suicidal ideation
[I received an ARC ebook copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Thank you for the book!]
Unflinching reflections on mental illness, body image issues, & fierce resilience. While some of the poems are not to my taste due to writing style, I very much appreciated the content & the poet’s approach to life.
[What I liked:]
•These poems have many vulnerable & relatable depictions of struggles with both mental illness & ADHD. As a person who deals with both, it was refreshing to find poetry that deals with these kind of subjects so unabashedly & openly. We need more voices speaking about stigmatized issues like these.
[What I didn’t like as much:]
•Many of the poems felt long & wordy to me. I prefer poetry that’s spare, focused, & more concise. This is a stylistic preference, though, & I’m sure other readers will like it more than me.
CW: sexism, mental illness, suicidal ideation
[I received an ARC ebook copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Thank you for the book!]
January 16, 2022
Revenge Body is a collection of poems with themes that deal with fatness, identity, queerness, family, and mental health. I was eager to get my hands on this book because I’m a fan of Button Poetry and Rachel Wiley. I enjoyed this collection of poems, some spoke to me more than others, some more cutting and visceral. Bold, honest, and straightforward, these poems are accessible to new and seasoned poetry readers alike.
However, I feel like something is missing from this collection. A spark, more bloodletting, just something. The collection was on the shorter side and I wish there were more poems included. Aside from those two nitpicks, I still enjoyed Revenge Body.
This is a solid poetry book that will resonate with readers that are drawn to its themes.
Thank you to Netgalley and Button Poetry for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
However, I feel like something is missing from this collection. A spark, more bloodletting, just something. The collection was on the shorter side and I wish there were more poems included. Aside from those two nitpicks, I still enjoyed Revenge Body.
This is a solid poetry book that will resonate with readers that are drawn to its themes.
Thank you to Netgalley and Button Poetry for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
December 17, 2021
this is a collection of poems from a queer biracial woman and her struggles with being overweight.
As poetry should do it evokes emotion I could feel how Wiley felt with each word. I even related to a lot of the poems and the ones I didn't, they opened my eyes to struggles I have never had to deal with.
The ones about her mother, in particular, reminded me of a family member and I felt so validated reading her words. My favorite of the poems was 'PROZAC 30MG', 'Peaches' and 'Break Up with Your Mother, I'm Scared'.
I highly recommend this collection of poems and I will be reading more of her work.
As poetry should do it evokes emotion I could feel how Wiley felt with each word. I even related to a lot of the poems and the ones I didn't, they opened my eyes to struggles I have never had to deal with.
The ones about her mother, in particular, reminded me of a family member and I felt so validated reading her words. My favorite of the poems was 'PROZAC 30MG', 'Peaches' and 'Break Up with Your Mother, I'm Scared'.
I highly recommend this collection of poems and I will be reading more of her work.
November 6, 2024
I have been fat nearly my entire life, buoyant though not a strong swimmer. I have longed for many people, none of them a previous smaller version of myself. I have stared at smaller bodies wondering what it might feel like to move through the world not so much like a steamship through a hostile canal, but I always return to my substantial and loyal body and the cargo of necessary it hauls
i like that this delved into the experiences of being queer, of being fat, but i feel like some of the poems could have been cut down and would have still had the same effect
i like that this delved into the experiences of being queer, of being fat, but i feel like some of the poems could have been cut down and would have still had the same effect
December 8, 2021
This is an emotional, engaging poetry collection, perfect for reading while you drink your morning coffee or tea. Rachel Wiley writes poignantly and directly about her experience. She takes her very unique life experience and with her expert hand turns these experiences into relatable poems.
As with any poetry collection, I found some pieces stronger than others. Overall enjoyable and definitely worth the read!
Thank you Netgalley for an advanced copy!
As with any poetry collection, I found some pieces stronger than others. Overall enjoyable and definitely worth the read!
Thank you Netgalley for an advanced copy!
January 12, 2022
I really like books published by Button Poetry; I find that I relate to a lot of the poems in every collection that I've read so far. However, while I did love most of these, there were also some misses. This is common in poetry for me, though, so I'm not sure if it was necessarily the author's fault.
Thank you NetGalley for the gifted copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you NetGalley for the gifted copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
November 11, 2023
not too bad but somewhat i was looking a bit more to some sort of uniquity of Wiley's writing which i couldn't find. a bit like Sabina Benaim's, nice but sort of repetitive when it comes to technical matters? three stars for bringing important topics like fatness, being Black and queer or struggling with trauma.
November 12, 2023
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for making this available..
I couldn’t connect with this book at all, it just felt like the author was trying to hard and half of the poems didn’t make sense to me.
Maybe I’ll pick it up again later down the line but I just didn’t feel it
I couldn’t connect with this book at all, it just felt like the author was trying to hard and half of the poems didn’t make sense to me.
Maybe I’ll pick it up again later down the line but I just didn’t feel it
April 17, 2023
Rachel Wiley can still fuck me up.
July 5, 2022
I always dig Rachel Wiley’s poetry.
July 10, 2023
like a 4.5 - really enjoyed thjs; lots of bookmarked poems in here
January 4, 2022
I have a feeling Rachel Wiley is going to be a name we start hearing about all over social media and bookish communities. I can already predict that her collection of poetry in the book Revenge Body is going to be very popular, this will be a top book of the year, I just know it! So many people are going to connect with Rachel's raw and open emotionally charged writing. Revenge Body is probably the most relatable book of poetry I have ever come across, dealing with a multitude of personal issues, race, sexual orientation, body image and mental health. I highly recommend everyone get a copy or two of Rachel's book, give one to a friend this book makes a perfect gift!
February 2, 2022
I have to say that Rachel Wiley is probably my favorite living poet. I've been a fan since first seeing Youtube clips of her performing her work live, and I own both of her previous books. I pre-ordered Revenge Body as soon as it was announced and read it the day after it arrived.
Revenge Body feels less relatable to me overall, since it seems like a much more personal journey for Wiley. She writes more about her relationship with her family--about recognizing and working to heal from their overwhelming dysfunction and rejection. She also works through a break-up and processes the emotional turmoil from that.
As always, Wiley's use of word-play and imagery is striking. Her voice and attitude shines through, and as a reader I root for her (the point in her journey when she clearly found a good therapist was a high point to me). While I found the majority of the poems in this collection extremely readable and evocative, I didn't connect as much on a personal level as I did with the work in Nothing Is Okay. Which is fine! I'd still recommend this because aside from the joy of watching her wield words as both shields and weapons, there is also a lot in this work that hits on a more universal experience.
Revenge Body feels less relatable to me overall, since it seems like a much more personal journey for Wiley. She writes more about her relationship with her family--about recognizing and working to heal from their overwhelming dysfunction and rejection. She also works through a break-up and processes the emotional turmoil from that.
As always, Wiley's use of word-play and imagery is striking. Her voice and attitude shines through, and as a reader I root for her (the point in her journey when she clearly found a good therapist was a high point to me). While I found the majority of the poems in this collection extremely readable and evocative, I didn't connect as much on a personal level as I did with the work in Nothing Is Okay. Which is fine! I'd still recommend this because aside from the joy of watching her wield words as both shields and weapons, there is also a lot in this work that hits on a more universal experience.
January 23, 2022
I would like to preface this review by saying it brings me absolutely no joy to rate Revenge Body so low. While I admire Wiley's brave endeavor of opening up and making art out of less than fortunate experiences, I just wasn't able to connect with this work.
Like others have stated, the biggest drawback of this collection of poems is the lack of proper execution. In her poems, Wiley tackles such as trauma, queerness, femininity, and fatphobia among other topics. These are, of course, powerful and sensitive subject matters. Unfortunately, due to the lack of proper execution, a lot of these poems simply fell short and felt unfulfilling. For the most part, I understood and empathized with Wiley's experiences, however, I was left wanting more and not necessarily in a good way. For as powerful as the subject matters are, and for how strongly the poet felt, I would have also thought the poems would have scratched more than just the surface.
Again, like others have said, if you enjoy tumblr or instagram poetry, you will likely enjoy Revenge Body.
Like others have stated, the biggest drawback of this collection of poems is the lack of proper execution. In her poems, Wiley tackles such as trauma, queerness, femininity, and fatphobia among other topics. These are, of course, powerful and sensitive subject matters. Unfortunately, due to the lack of proper execution, a lot of these poems simply fell short and felt unfulfilling. For the most part, I understood and empathized with Wiley's experiences, however, I was left wanting more and not necessarily in a good way. For as powerful as the subject matters are, and for how strongly the poet felt, I would have also thought the poems would have scratched more than just the surface.
Again, like others have said, if you enjoy tumblr or instagram poetry, you will likely enjoy Revenge Body.
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