Child of the Moon by Jessica Semaan | Rating: ★★★★★

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

Child of the Moon is one of the best collections of poetry I've read in years. Hands down, it truly is. The first thing you should know about Child of the Moon is, it's crackling with energy and despair and hope and shame and fear. We seek comfort in connection in our poetry, and this is one of those collections that is so gripping--you, too, will have whitened knuckles from holding it so tightly. From the very start, I felt as though I'd already seen a glimpse of Jessica Semaan's soul and that was a feeling that I could never shake.

You see, every line of Child of the Moon is so potent that, at times, it becomes a little overwhelming to the reader. This is not a bad thing. In fact, it's remarkable. I think that, while I felt truly connected to the prose even within the first page, it truly clicked with me whilst reading the passages from "Top 10 Self-Doubt Tracks (On Repeat)" and in every moment after that, I just knew, with a jolt of electricity, just how special this collection was. Semaan has a gift in exploring the darkness of ones self and it's just... incredible to read. And impossible to put down.

There's this aching quality to many lines in this book that I can't bring myself to describe. Perhaps it goes back to how potent the writing, the sheer emotion, is within Child of the Moon. But, I physically ached throughout this collection. There are far too many emotions and moments to acknowledge with it, but that merely tells you of the quality--that at its core, Child of the Moon reflects Semaan's soul and you cannot, and should not, look away.

This book is best reserved for the night-time. It's not unlike looking to the moon at the same moment many others do--you look into the sky and you just know there's someone on the other side, and you are suddenly... not so alone. There's this tone of understanding in so many of these poems, towards the end, and the way it ties into the themes and Semaan's prose is beautifully done. "Crater" is one of the most perfect, and simplistic, examples of this fact.

Semaan hits readers with a blunt honesty in poems like "When Nothing Can Take Away the Pain" or "The Many Ways I Suppress Myself" or asks the questions on the tip of our tongues via "How Did We Come to Disintegrate?" and then picks you back up, trying to piece her own self back together, with added commentary in "Paris, 2017", "Standing Rock, 2016" and "Healing #3"--the truth is, there is an abundance of poems to cite as must-read in Child of the Moon.

Which is just proof that you should read the collection.

Overall, Child of the Moon is a piece of art that demands to be heard. I loved it from start to finish. Told in a compelling prose, armed with stunning illustrations, Child of the Moon is something you won't soon forget.

Child of the Moon will be available January 8th, 2019. Just in time to start a new years journey.