Sunflower Reviews

Astrid - October Leaves

Reviewer: AStridGSmile12

Review: October Leaves

Client: binge-writing

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Title and Cover

The title is pretty. Fall is always a welcome subject for people. The cover art is pleasing and simple to the eyes. My critique would be that I thought it would be a poetry collection themed on the subject of Fall itself. I understand that the poetry was composed during October, but the themes are based on topics that don't necessarily relate to the month or season. In my opinion, I would be a bit more precise, like, The Falling of My Leaves or The Ink of October. Also, you can keep the original title and change the art to convey the blurb more that would help dispel the notion that we will be expressing our love for the kiss of Autumn.

Blurb

The quote is ensnaring, and the writing is easy to understand. Easily enough from the blurb alone, I can tell you are a very passionate writer, which makes me excited. I love passionate writing. So, hardly anything to fret about the blurb, but the lowercase and misplacement of punctuation can be fixed, but that's only if it's not an artistic flare. If it is an artistic approach, maybe try writing it in a different format if possible.

Writing and Flow

October Leaves is a charming collection of poetry that is beautifully and antiquely written. It at times sounds like a Greek chorus in plays of old, and I found myself thinking and trying to figure it out happily. It was a great moving collection.

I must admit that some themes and subjects were a little perplexing to me. I know who Rumpelstilskin is and the fairy tale, but surrounded by the context of heaven and such, it left me grasping for straws in my head. Also, what is a Bombay? I tried googling it, but I only got Mumbi, a kind of Bollywood movie. Yet, both had a great structure and provided me with an excellent thought-provoking session.

The way the author structured it in parts was beneficial for the reader. I understood what I was about to read before reading it, and it was nicely received.

My favorite poem was her child. I loved it because it reminded me of Edgar Allen Poe for some reason. It wasn't because it was dark or creepy but because it's imaginary and movements were the charts psychological. I felt every word and how- in the end- something important stopped existing, which was hard but fulfilling for me- the reader. Now it might not be what I think it is, but poetry is always only a process, and the point of it is to try to understand the writer with the few words provided.

I feel like you know what being anonymous feels like, and I feel you know what losing someone, something, or even oneself is like, which in some ways resonates with me. Keep writing and growing because your talent for composing shines through, and the world should have such an effort from you.

Grammar

I didn't misunderstand a thing regarding the reading or pronunciation of any word. This being poetry, punctuation is a mute subject, really.

**I'm sorry it is a short review, but it is a short poem collection.