Rachel Wiley

Revenge Body is a poetry collection that explores anger (righteous and not), black identity, body image, loss, want, and mental health.

Revenge Body

Lauren

This is a great collection of poems about mental health, body positivity, being female, and being Black/biracial. I could really relate to a lot of the poems about being fat and struggling with mental health. While I did enjoy the poems there were some that I couldn't get into. Some of them just didn't pack the punch that the other ones did. 

Thank you to NetGalley and Button Poetry for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sintia

** spoiler alert **
           2.5 stars

This was an interesting collection and I like the writing style, but I don't feel like I connected with the poems. They were all written well and I admire the things Rachel Wiley decided to write about. We get a great collection with a variety of important themes like mental health, trauma, relationships, blackness, body shaming... I liked more the ones about mental health (Excuses is my favourite), but still this collection didn't work for me.

Thank you NetGalley for the free ARC.

J’Naia Stepp

I’ve always found poetry as a way to tell a story without TELLING you a story. Here, it’s done beautifully and with such purity. You can tell it came straight from her heart. Beautifully done.

Casper

Disclaimer: I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

See the full discussion here: https://casperintherye.wordpress.com/...

As with most poetry collections, some of the pieces in Revenge Body were better than others. Wiley discussed a lot of personal experiences in this book with a primary focus on body image, self-identity, and mental health. The titular poem was concrete style and curved across the page as the author described their relationship with self-image and experiences with judgmental people.

My favorite poem of the bunch, "Safety Spell for Sea Monsters" held beautiful imagery and emotion. It didn't rely on classic button poetry style to show emphasis, instead it was impactful on its own through wistful storytelling and decidedly strong word choices.

Unfortunately, some of the poems did fall flat for me. A lot of the topics discussed here aren't executed as well as they could be. For example, "Ghost Me, I'll Write Your Eulogy" felt immature to me. I understand that friendships (and the demise of them) can be hurtful even as an adult, but the language choices came across as petty and immature. The same for a couple poems regarding the author's ex. I think there is a way to tap into these experiences without teetering into what I'd expect to see in my high school diary.

Overall, I thought this collection was hit or miss, but absolutely worth the read for someone who typically enjoys Button Poetry. Doubly recommended for those who experience body image issues, difficult childhood memories, and mental health issues. There are definitely moments of brilliance in this work- I only wish they were more consistent.

Gabriel Noel 

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

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