Dirty Pretty Things by Michael Faudet | Rating: ★★★★★

"It is here, beneath the maddening silence I hear your name. 

An echo of you."

The first thing you should know is this: I'm a massive fan of Michael Faudet. He is, hands-down, my favourite male poet in the ever-thriving community of modern poets. There's just something about his prose that captivates you instantly and takes you on a journey. It's a quality that is not easy to achieve in so little words--but Faudet manages to do so at every turn.  

Dirty Pretty Things, his first collection, was exactly as you'd expect: dizzying and sensual; blunt and honest, compelling in a whimsical manner that cannot be described. Relying heavily on sexuality and matters of the heart, Faudet puts experience at the forefront. His voice comes across strong and heated.

He writes, you listen. And that is the best quality a poet can have.

There's something utterly arousing (for lake of a better word) about the manner in which Faudet bares his soul and analyzes past experiences. For many authors, dabbling in an erotic sort of prose can be mediocre at best. Like they are tipping themselves into a sort of drab exploration of sexuality. Faudet does not come across as such--he is forceful, to the point, in his words and that's what makes it work from pen to paper. Dirty Pretty Things sounds exactly as it should--human.

(Best of all, the mentions of sex feel neither try-hard or mechanical.)

You see one person's experience at the forefront. Faudet commands your full attention and keeps you in place. In truth, his passion is very prominent throughout each page and is what has, or will, draw a steady fanbase to him. You'll just want to hear more.

Impossible to put down, highly charged, Dirty Pretty Things is one of the best collections that modern poetry has to offer. Truly spellbinding, and an instant favourite.