Book Review | The Flowers Never Really Grew
A little book of very honest and darkly moving poetry.
The Flowers Never Really Grew by Jake Graham
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
A little book of very honest and darkly moving poetry.
This little book of poems covers subjects relating to abuse, mental health, and struggling to please someone who is very toxic, yet still has much importance in the poet's life.
I can relate to a lot of these poems as a trauma survivor myself. They're set in rhyme that has a nice flow and is done well, and while I often have trouble interpreting poems, I was able to understand a lot of these. Likely because I can relate to them as an autistic trauma survivor.
You, So Quiet is one of my favorites of the book. It makes use of repetition of a few lines like a song's chorus, and it makes the whole thing as dark and unsettling as it's meant to be. “You, so quiet / Your mind so deep in thought / Your eyes, absent / as if sight was never taught.” It's just so memorable.
I highly recommend this poetry collection, and I'm eager to read the second one, which I also have.
I'd like to add a small note here; if you're considering reading this for yourself, purchasing this book from Jake's Ko-fi shop supports him directly, and I highly suggest it!