doll eyes. by Jessyca Thibault | Rating: ★★★★★ 

"I was looking for those distractions / Anything to avoid the pain / Anything to avoid dealing with what happened / But I think the longer you put it off / The harder it hits you / And I think the longer you hold back the tears / The heavier they are when they fall." 

I've been following Jessyca on Instagram for roughly two years. I know her as this: an incredibly cool girl with good taste in music, literature and lipstick. Seeing her book photography and thoughts is a treat. Talking with her is a privilege.

When I heard she'd penned a collection of poetry, I knew straightaway I had to support her--anyone who knows her presence on social media knows how wonderful she is. Needless to say, I didn't even have to question whether or not I was going to purchase doll eyes. I'm glad I did. It is the perfect addition to any poetic soul's shelves and there's no arguing this. Jessya Thibault carves out a place in the poetry community and has a voice that stands tall with many great minds.

And I can't wait to see where the future leads her.

There's something so deeply moving about Thibault's prose and that relies solely on her honesty. She shares with her readers the most intimate of thoughts. And how do you describe this? It's thought-provoking, relatable and told in what feels like real time. You find yourself nodding along to snippets of her mind and you think, "This. This is poetry. This is a feeling."

A good writer can create a decent poem. But a poet? A poet can captivate us with emotion. A poet can move us in so little time and keep us moving until we reach the end page. A poet can reach out and touch us with just a few words. Thibault is one of those voices that strongly compels the reader to turn the page; letting us into her thoughts bit by bit. She provides a voice that is painfully real in its heartbreak and the road she has taken.

And... ugh. It's beautiful.

Something about doll eyes. is like talking to an old friend. Playing catch up. Sharing secrets. It embraces you. It lets you in. It shows readers they are not alone on many fronts. That's what makes poetry pure and real. For a moment--only a moment or two--you are there in someone else's head. I think that will mean different things for different people.

And because of this fact, it's everything that life has ever been. It's all in the moments, as in life.

As I finished reading the collection, I remembered thinking that there's this strength to Jessyca's prose and personality that makes her voice so significant. The way she penned dolls eyes. is so impressive and I cannot stress that enough. I flipped through my highlights and tabs and messaged her quickly on Instagram, saying, "I have this theory that good writing is deeply personal (...) and good writing is like a good lipstick. This is good writing and this is your colour, girl."

Seriously, J. This is totally your colour. I thank you for sharing it with us all.

In short, doll eyes. is the perfect collection for any poetry lover.

Fans of Amanda Lovelace, Jennae Cecelia, Rupi Kaur, Lang Leav, Sabrina Benaim, Alicia Cook and K.Y. Robinson will adore Jessyca Thibault's debut poetry collection. 

Be sure to check Jessyca out on Instagram--she is genuinely one of my favourite Bookstagram ladies ever.