Dear Me At Sixteen by Shannon Sonnenberg-Pietila

This poetry collection focuses on the way as we look back and reflect on life as the teenagers we were that could help those going through those equally tough and formative years hopefully relax and adapt and realise life in your teens is all about embracing chances and first's without taking life too serious. The collection goes beyond the superficial parts of life in teens where we often found ourselves focusing on looks being the thing that worries and matters most to embracing who you are at your core mattering more importantly. A fantastic collection for any teen growing up worrying and realising actually life should be all about relaxing on what we can't change and adapting to embrace what we can control to become a stronger, healthier version instead.

Getting Through What You're Going Through: Notes and Poems for Hoping and Becoming by Tanner Olson

This collection of poetry and notes included to add depth to the story of the creation of this collection opens us to all look around us and accept what we can or cannot control, just ease. From discussing the pressures of stress and how they can make you physically ill in various ways, for example, my own mum has suffered with Psoriasis from stress with no previous experience in any of her sixty years of life she'd live through including some rough times. The book reminds us to hold Hope and Grace and believe life can get better through all the tough times we face. The poem, Grief, was simple in reading but full of deep feelings and emotions. Not All Growth Is Seen, too, was a strong poem about depth over natural observation at surface level. Let Change Come, how we should embrace the good and bad of life that shapes us especially as we often can't stop it happening. It's a book about embracing life and getting outside enjoying nature and connection with others too and the snapshots captured of life and discussed in the book are delightful and eye-opening. A book to leave you feeling able to relate to many aspects and comforted that we often all face similar hards times.

Drowned Promises by Sara Simic

TW Alcohol abuse and violence. Growing up in an abusive household witnessing alcoholism turn into violent outbursts and hearing her father beat her mother, Rose escapes at night and meets a kind young fisherman, William, who's straight talking and kind to her. An aspiring artist, Rose gets through life dreaming of escaping to Paris to become a famous artist, yet, the pull to William is a strong bond she doesn't want to say goodbye. With a serious undercurrent to the whole book about abusive households and addiction, where love is not always displayed in a healthy way and showing to have passion to follow your dreams despite adversity is possible. There was also clever cover imagery and choice of colours tying in the plot line nicely and I enjoyed the characters soulmate style intertwined story too.

Painting Through The Rough by David Aro

Dex is a student with a strong work ethic instilled by his parents to strive for the best grades and high athleticism to achieve whatever career he desires in future, if only he can learn to control his temper which gets him into trouble risking his future achievements. However, whilst being banned from golf due to his temper, he meets artistic Hazel who together, they discover a passion for an art project that can benefit them both and brings two people unexpectedly closer together in a slow burn bond of understanding. Seeing the characters building up their trust in each other was beautiful and so realistic too especially as teenage life can be a tricky time emotionally to navigate as we see in the characters separate issues throughout the book. Also, as a girl who grew up playing golf myself as a kid and always drawing or reading I really loved the book for engaging us in thinking and appreciating the sport of golf not regularly used in children's or teen fiction and the book being written in a good flowing verse style too was engaging and more interesting to read as mini poems supplying the storyline to unfold that way too, a fabulous book to review!

Before the Full Weight: Carrying You Always by Miriam Oglesby

This poetry collection was short and tender focusing on the loss of babies and miscarriage. Carrying You, was a tender poem, how once conceived you will always feel a link to baby and being a mum whatever circumstance, in life or death. A poetry collection to make you feel how precious life is.

The Meth Diaries by SaDee Hodge

I always enjoy SaDees poetry, each collection is gritty, gripping and ripe with raw emotion in each line, stanza, verse and always flows so well detailing her story. This collection focuses as you can gather from the title about drug abuse and the effect it has on your life and others around you and how addiction occurs trying to cope with deep pain and trauma. There's no holding back, a raw and real look at life dealing with addiction and it's effects on your life and those around you.

Gone Missing: Someday We'll Meet Again by Linda G. Hatton

A short collection of poetry focuses on detailing the thoughts and feelings as people and pets pass, reflecting on your own idea of death and wishes for after the event thinking ahead for how you desire your loved ones to react and feel even though you can't change it. A short collection but with depth of thoughts bravely faced and made into concise poems that hit you deep.

Memento Mori by Kay Haven

This was a moving collection of poetry about death, grief and loss in any way where love was involved. Some stand out poems to me were: If These Walls Could Speak, how places, rooms and items hold so many memories, observed by the surroundings. The Five Sonnets of Grief, was sad and beautiful in the storytelling poetic recount of how losing the love of your life leads you through a dark isolating path. Reflections, was a beautiful poem about the art our bodies wear and how each person views us differently especially to how we view ourselves. Artists Never Heal, about how writers and poets, singers etc, will all draw on the feelings of pain time and time again to create beautiful art from the pain. It was a deeply moving collection and utterly relatable if you've faced grief and loss.

A Piece Of Me by D.E Bivins

This collection of poems was about how we loose little pieces of us in different experiences and how it changes and shapes us. Some stand out poems to me were: Empty Words, about trust broken by promises unkept and betrayal and the inability to go back and trust as you once did again. We Live, We Die, about the fragility of life and lessons we learn through this experience of living. Words, about owning your power to share your experiences in poems or stories. Social Media, was an open poem about how life has changed for the worse as we disconnect in person and try to connect online keeping distance and hoping on chance of connection instead. A lot to a little and Change, how you can live through times where you had everything to having nothing you expected. This was a collection to feel how life transforms us over time.

Hold The Cork by Lee Mawdsley

This poetry collection not only has a fun title, but the poetry spilling out covers so many vast areas of life we all encounter and have to adapt, change and cope with. An Empty Letter, about wanting to regain contact after being close before yet struggling to be able to communicate. Rain and Pain and The Darker Hours, were two poems looking at how the weather makes us feel more deeply and relates to our thoughts contrasting or inspiring. Life Lessons and Old Habits, how we can feel like the constant cycle of living means we're always learning whether it's good or bad developments. Support, about all the ways, you can find someone truly caring deeply for you and wanting to help. A great collection about all the good and bad times in a relationship and how it can be testing, ending and ultimately makes you feel deeply.