Good Grief

by Brianna M. Pastor

Good Grief is a collection of poetry and prose written within a ten-year period of reflection; a tribute to trauma, loss, self-worth and growth. Written to gently close a chapter of pain, Brianna Pastor also honors the beautiful things that can be found throughout struggle. Good Grief is a delicate reminder that it is okay to acknowledge our most painful experiences while also loving them.

Genres: Poetry, Nonfiction, Mental Health, Self Help, Grief, Audiobook, Psychology

76 pages, Paperback

Published December 30, 2022

Reviews

[Shawnaci Schroeder · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 ⭐️

- I’m not usually into poetry and I didn’t really know if this would be something I’d enjoy, but I loved reading these poems so much! The last half was my favorite and I really resonated with so many of the poems. It felt like she jumped into my brain and put my feelings into paper.
- The first half of the book was really sad and I didn’t connect with it as much, but I see how necessary it was because it really told a complete story. Once you get into the last half of the poems, they’re really inspirational and I found myself just so engrossed in each one.
- I love how so many of these were really short and would honestly be so easy to go back to read again and again. Will definitely be reading more from this author!

[marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

so i was influenced by tiktok again..
i loooove poetry. like it's perhaps my fav genre.
this was.. okay. nothing bad nothing great.
a few of the poems were really good (i loved the one about turning 30 !) but overall nothing spectacular, like what I felt after reading Dearly (yes I know I talk too much about this book.. what can I say ?)

[Megan McSherry · Rating 4 out of 5]

not usually a poetry person but so many of these poems resonated with me.

“how can you feel the freedom of the sun when you have not sat for a while under the shade of the trees? surely, you can learn to appreciate both.”

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of poems and short stories about grief, loving yourself, and living in the moment. It was a nice short read.

“there are people waiting to meet you. people waiting to love you. there are places that stand still until you ve stepped foot in them. something really beautiful
could happen for you in the morning. there is so much waiting for your arrival. arrive there.”❣️

[Ellie Rahill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing special—you could’ve told me this was Rupi Kaur and I’d believe you. I didn’t relate to a lot of the poems but the ones I did relate to were good!

[Mariah Hatch · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mama these are not poems, they are Instagram captions.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘Because I loved you too much to not feel the weight of your absence’

[Megan Mae Oitzman · Rating 4 out of 5]

“there will always be safety here for you because i have created it for me and for all the intricate versions of ourselves that we will ever be”
🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

GOLLY….this is a fantastic collection. no surprise that i wept the whole time !!!! pastor has such a gift at communicating a lived experience to her readers. i've been profoundly touched by this work. i look forward to reading more of her work in the future!

[Pauline · Rating 1 out of 5]

Did not speak to me at all.

[Jordan Agmata · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is so tumblr coded. i am also so tumblr coded

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

“arrive there”

[alix (taylor’s version) · Rating 4 out of 5]

how i love poems

[Sharon🔮👽 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This encapsulated so much of my feelings through this time period of my life. Truthfully, I feel absolutely seen— and generally books have never made me feel that way like this. These poems and prose were emotionally raw and I believe that more of the world should read them to help themselves come to terms and accept these feelings.

Thank you to the author, publisher, & NetGalley for access to the e-ARC.

[Maddie Kouba · Rating 5 out of 5]

really loved these. one of my favorites:

“i am alive to learn and unlearn, to relearn and unlearn and learn again. i am here to unpack and develop and understand the value in struggle. i am here to hold my grief the way it deserves to be held, for as long as that takes. i am here to learn that there is no judgement where there is love. i am here to understand that i am not small. i am here, and i am learning that this is a big thing”

[Alicia Cook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brianna Pastor's poetic debut does not disappoint and will resonate with many. Good Grief (amazing title!) is a poignant introductory collection that sets the stage beautifully for what's to come from Pastor

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5. Not every poem was for me and not every style was for me, but i could feel the author’s catharsis in every word. Just wish it had brought more of my own as well.

[Kasey Doherty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this.

[Mustafa Darwesh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Felt sad, couldn’t sleep. I read this, and I think I can go to sleep now.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was a bit underwhelmed. Pastor's brave acknowledgement of depression and trauma was a quick, relatable read. There were also some moments of beautiful clarity and insight.
Overall, I was a bit underwhelmed by the collection as a whole. Most of the reflections were a little cliche, or expressing very real, understandable thoughts, but not in a way that felt novel or unique.

I think this might really resonate with younger audiences, but for me, it was a bit of a let-down, compared to similar meditations on grief, loss, identity, etc, like Bluets by Maggie Nelson. Other books of poetry on grief have gripped me. Good Grief passed over like soft breeze.

[Flo · Rating 3 out of 5]

"I chose not to name these poems or put them in any particular order. If I name them, they stay with me, and I am more than ready to let them go."

Good Grief is a collection of poems exploring grief, trauma, and healing.

I appreciated the brevity of the collection and found several poems genuinely moving. The book makes for a quick, emotionally resonant read. That said, most of the pieces didn’t linger with me for long—except for the opening line, which struck a perfect chord and set the tone beautifully.

[Sean Lassiter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this after “All About Love” was a really good combination. They complement each other immensely. Brianna really gets into the grit of grief. We have to accept it and learn to love ourselves in that place, or it will consume us and turn us into the person who kicked us into that very hell.

Learning to love our grief turns it into “good grief.”

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

bought after reading some of her poetry on Instagram and I’m so glad I did.
She did a beautiful job of acknowledging the duality of deep pain and self love.
Her story is one of significant trauma so there were definitely pieces I couldn’t relate to, but the beautiful thing about grief is that at its core, it is a shared experience.
This book felt like pain was warmly embraced

[dandelion · Rating 5 out of 5]

beautiful. so lovely. short and sweet yet i found myself having to sit and mark certain poems just because of how they resonated. truly beautiful. highly reccomend

[Laura Keyfur · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my new years solutions was to read my poetry and I’m excited for it!

[Monica Downe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can’t stop won’t stop reading poetry 😭 I love it

[Bennett Grant · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first poetry book I’ve ever purchased, and I loved it!

[Luci · Rating 5 out of 5]

if you’re a lost and heartbroken young adult, you should read lol! you’ll feel respected and understood. that’s all we really want to feel anyway.

[Venla Kataja · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kauniita ja herkkiä runoja

[Samantha Thrune-Zavala · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly highly recommend. Not even necessary for grief from death but grief of the life you had planned

[Maria]

“it is not your fault
if what you are chasing
wants your patience first”