Peluda by Melissa Lozada-Oliva | Rating: ★★★★★

As a note, an e-galley of this novel was sent to me via NetGalley by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinion in any way.

Wow, 2017 has been a stellar year for poetry and I can't stress enough how much I loved Melissa Lozada-Oliva's peluda without bordering on incoherent fangirling. Because there's something so deeply moving in her words and one thing is certain: she is a voice that was desperately needed in poetry. And her prose is something of magic, humor and complexity.

peluda is one of the best releases this year (one of those rare 5 stars) and something I feel incredibly honored to have experienced. If you're dubious about the page count, and how short it is, know this: she packs a serious punch. A. Serious. Punch. Seriously, I'm still kind of staggering back a bit from being knocked out like this. Lozada-Oliva, do it again. Thanks.

Following up fantastic releases like Depression & Other Magic Tricks, The Chaos of Longing, Smoke & Mirrors, Stuff I've Been Feeling Lately, I Am More Than a Daydream and The Princess Saves Herself in this One, PELUDA makes its mark as something new when it comes to what makes young poets prolific these days.

Her journey is just as intimate as you'd expect but there's something undeniably necessary to her story and what it means for diversity in literature. What it means for people who often have no voice or are muffled out by their counterparts. Young readers, young poets, are going to pick up this release and find themselves in Melissa like they may not in other poets.

Further, it gives us that honesty that is so desperately lacking and really, really compels readers. If you have 50 pages of work to show us, chances are it's going to be lackluster or sensational. Thank-fully, this is sensational. What I loved most about her prose is that it's got everything in it--a raw intensity that makes poetry so captivating, the complexities of who she is, a specific sort of humor and it's all woven so intelligently that you can't help but to feel like what you've read was truly something special.

And it is.

Overall, PELUDA is one of my favourite releases in poetry this year and it would be a tragedy not to pick it up. I can't wait to hear more from Melissa Lozada-Oliva and am eagerly keeping my eyes on her in the least creepy way possible.