Love Her Wild by Atticus

5 out of 5 stars

(sent by Simon and Schuster Canada)

____________

Gives ‘Milk and Honey’ a run for its money. ~ BV

____________

When I received this book of poetry from Simon and Schuster Canada, it wasn’t because I had chosen it off an advanced reader’s copy newsletter. It wasn’t because there was an ongoing blog tour. It was simply because they thought it would fit my personality, my mindset. They could not have been more correct. Thank you Andrea. I am forever grateful.

____________

The letter the company put inside the book read:

“Atticus beautifully captures the little things that make life beautiful, and I think this collection will awaken your sense of adventure.”

____________

Did it ever.

 

The writing is beautiful. Separated into three parts – Love, Her and Wild –  Atticus finds a creative way to portray his thoughts and words through the use of the title. The entire book is filled with poems accompanied by black and white photos. Not only are the words captivating, but the photos are eye-catching as well and in most cases enhance the poetry’s meaning. His poetry did not rhyme but flowed through word choice and symbolism. The length of his poems varied – one was two sentences another was two pages. This added diversity to the reader’s experience.  

 

The book’s common themes are love, heartbreak, adventure and self-discovery. These are themes many people can relate to.

 

My favourite poem is found on page 46 and reads:

We drowned out the voices in our hearts

that our love had run its course,

for this night at least

the old music played louder

than the truth that beat beneath our shirts,

and as the stars melted into morning

we smiled at the old stories

and left our love hanging in the air

as we embarked alone

on our tomorrows.

 

The underlying theme of this poem is a mixture of love and heartbreak. The couple knows their love is dwindling but they are trying to forget, if only momentarily, with a night out of music and conversation. Nothing changes though. In the morning they both leave and disregard the love they have for each other, knowing they need to move on because their love has run out.

 

I recommend this book for everyone aged 14 and older. If you are lost in this world, trying to find yourself, searching for a purpose or inspiration, get lost in the pages of this book. It will give you a good cry but it will be the most healthy cry you’ve ever had.

– BV