Honestly . . .

I'm all for rating books I love so that others can enjoy them, authors get that encouragement, and truly good books get a boost. But I haven't been much of a "reviewer" since middle school. Recently, though, I read an ARC (advanced reader copy) in exchange for an honest review. I'm really glad I took the time to think about a book critically like this, because it really does add to the reading experience as a whole–especially when it comes to poetry. That's right, I'm about to give you a review of a poetry book!

I can't tell you how long I've been waiting for this opportunity . . . I've always wanted to be a beta reader/receive an ARC (even though I've gotten beta readers for my books and sent out proofs as ARC's before), but I've never done it. Until now. I jumped at the opportunity when the author of A Kudzu Vine of Blood and Bone, Tristan Tuttle, reached out for readers. And I read the book quickly–poetry books aren't usually too word-count-heavy, after all–then I had to sit with it for a while. I put off writing this review because I wanted to find the words to do this work justice.

I gave it some time. I reread several poems, let the phrasings and feelings linger . . . Then finally settled in for this.

I'll start out by saying I'm pretty picky when it comes to poetry (wonder why?). I will read cliché stories, books with plot holes, sub-par writing, and love it: But I have weirdly high standards for the poetry I consume. Now that that's out of the way–I really enjoyed A Kudzu Vine of Blood and Bone. What I admire the most about Tristan Tuttle's style is the amount of emotion she is able to pack into each piece and the way she calls forth similar feelings in the reader (A.K.A. - me, lol!). This book is Tristan Tuttle's debut collection and really is a cohesive and moving work. If you're a poetry fan, then I sincerely encourage you to give this book a try. The e-book version is available now for pre-order on Amazon here:

https://us.amazon.com/gp/product/B09SM3WPDM/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i0

And you can get your copy on April 18th of this year!

I'll also be getting the print version ASAP, for rereading purposes and so it can live on my bookshelf with that gorgeous cover displayed. 😘

If you want to get more updates and follow her journey, you can find the author of this book on Instagram @tristantuttle as well as sign up for her emails. Happy reading!