I was in my favorite bookstore in Ann Arbor, looking for a book purchase to celebrate the second print run of A Ruin of Shadows, and decided to open Laura Sackton's 100 Trans Books I Love list in the poetry section and see if I could find something. I started reading this over lunch in Ann Arbor until I had to drive back to Lansing and pick up my kid from school, then later make dinner, and in between I was devouring this in every available moment because my brain did not want to do ANYTHING but read this book.

After finishing it, my thoughts were swirling, and as I was looking for language to talk about this I ended up reading reviews on goodreads. BIG MISTAKE. Because goodreads was FILLED with two and three star reviews of people who just don't like poetry? but like, they thought they would try it, one time? so they like, requested an ARC? and I guess this is kind of okay? for like, poetry?

Anyway, it sent me screaming over to twitter about how I wanted to fistfight everyone on goodreads. With some all-caps raving that THIS BOOK IS AN AMAZING SPIRALING EXCAVATION OF TRAUMA AND THE NEED TO UNDERSTAND IT, TO HEAL FROM IT, TO OWN THE STORY OF IT. FROM SCIENCE TO MYTH, THE UNDERWORLD TO THE OCEAN FLOOR, SCHEHERAZADE TO ARTEMISIA GENTILESCHI, ROOTED IN ANTICOLONIALISM, IT IS BEAUTIFUL AND DEEPLY EMPATHETIC AND HONEST. I LOVED THE WORDPLAY AMD THE REPETITION AND POETIC FORMS THAT FELT NATURAL AS BREATHING.

AN ACTUAL WONDER. ( )

What to even say? The way Tran manipulates and arranges language is absolutely (awe-)inspiring. This is easily one of the best poetry books I've ever read. ( )