It is rare when I read a book of poems and love every single one. "Instructions for Traveling West" by Joy Sullivan is that diamond in the rough. This poetry collection joins "Above Ground" by Clint Smith as one of the best poetry books I’ve ever read. I devoured the whole thing in a day!

Sullivan has that rare and unmistakable gift to transform the most ordinary of experiences into an extraordinary gift of magic through her words and verse. Her poetry is raw, unapologetic, dazzling, and full of emotion and recognition. Sullivan is a master wordsmith who knows exactly how to write a line in just the right way that the stanza would lose meaning and be incomplete without it.

There is something in this collection for everyone, so please do yourself a favor and add this to your TBR pile.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House for providing an ARC of this book for me to read early, love wholeheartedly, and encourage everyone to read.

really enjoyed this book. The author wrote about a lot from love, to covid, to travel, to religion, to etc.

There were so many poems that I’ve already reread from this book. I will definitely be passing it on to others.

I loved the honest take on her religious upbringing and where that’s left her in her life now.

I loved the female empowerment and girls girl energy.

This book made me want to roll in the rain, scream at the sky, hold my loved ones closer, say the nice thing, dust off my suitcase, and do what’s best for me.

The introductory poem set up a great collection focusing on themes of moving, feeling unsettled, wanderlust, etc. The actual collection did not live up to that. I will admit, I prefer my poetry a bit more vague, and this was painfully autobiographical in places, and I am never able to relate to poems that feel like compulsive oversharing. Often it didn't feel like there was much connection from poem to poem. I'm sure other people will enjoy this collection, the writing isn't bad, it just isn't for me.

Instructions for Traveling West is a short but lovely book of poetry.
Each poem is like a tiny snippet or a story of part of someone’s life, they are in turn poignant, witty, heartfelt and familiar.
Definitely a book I would own and read regularly.

This poetry collection is so beautiful and apt for this moment in my life - so, so many of the poems resonated with me deeply and taught me a lot about heartbreak, independence, self-worth, self-discovery, loneliness, womanhood, and picking yourself back up again. Sullivan's personal journey is inspiring and bold and reminds me that there is so, so much that the wide world has to offer. I loved the opening poem and how each section of the collection tied back to it - realize you're homesick; howl; reacquaint yourself with desire; remember joy is not a trick.

"It's almost cruel, he laughs. After everything, how the world still insists on being beautiful."

I love poetry like this - achingly honest, full of love for life and the world and the people in it. I've followed Joy Sullivan on instagram for a while and looked forward to this book.

It did not disappoint.

Thank you to the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my review.

Joy Sullivan creates an intriguing premise in the way she breaks down this collection into five overarching themes set towards one goal.

The style of poetry is lovely, with beautiful metaphors and an interesting mix of the tangible and the abstract to lift meaning from her life, rather than simply retelling her life and hoping we find meaning in it. She does well in twining together themes and creating these wonderful observations out of the mundane. First and foremost, she touches on the lives lost and lives lived in girlhood and and how they transition into those of womanhood. She grapples with her Christian faith and has some beautiful poems rife with Biblical imagery.

There is something almost wild about her writing—and this goes beyond the subject material as nature plays a recurring role in her writing. There are poems whose meanings are more easily found and poems whose meanings you have to search for, who touch on the wild and the intangible, drawing past and present and love and loss together. I think it comes from her search for new beginnings, another theme that is apparent in this collection.

There was a handful of poems towards the end that I felt were ill-fitting—partially because of when they were placed within the "narrative" and partially because they all touched on the same subject matter so they felt almost shoved together instead of naturally interspersed throughout the collection. Overall, I think it is a strong collection of poetry and I'd recommend it to any woman feeling an itch under her skin or who is simply weary and tired.

Warning: these poems may make you laugh, cry, and think. It's a woman's journey - in poetic prose and poems.
It's a wonderful exploration of the inner life and progress of transition. While I disagree with some of her choices on her journey, Sullivan brings to light and life the heart how it feels to reshape her life.

Definitely worth reading.

Under a gorgeous, vibrant cover, a poetry collection all about leaving, journeying, and arriving unfolds. An interesting section and meditation on Eve (of the Garden of Eden). However, some of the imagery borders on repetitive (lots of fruit at various stages of ripeness held in women’s palms throughout).

a very strong collection. a few of these were so sweet, i wanted to read them to my roommates, to share a moment of tenderness with them, to feel recognized by certain poems, in particular "safe".

what keeps me from rating this a full 5 stars is the amount of prose poems in here, which i understand is entirely a personal bias and does not reflect the skill of sullivan's publication. i also feel some poems are just too "modern" for my taste, along with feeling like this book was not as fully curated as it could have been.

overall, a good read, with something for everyone in it.

What a lovely, thought-provoking poetry collection. I found this reminiscent of Mary Oliver's poetry in its appreciation of nature and urging of the reader to get out there and live their life. I enjoyed the more personal aspects of this collection as well. It's a nice balance between the author's personal story/recollections and poetry that feels applicable to/resonates with readers generally -- at least, it felt like it resonated with me. Inspirational, transitional, giving the reader that fresh-start feeling -- I'd highly recommend this collection to anyone in need of a boost of inspiration, motivation, energy, and reassurance.

Joy Sullivan’s debut book of poems was an absolute delight and one that I will revisit often. Including poems about traveling, finding ourselves, and moving away from conservative religion, Joy’s words are a balm for the soul. For fans of Kate Baer and Mary Oliver.

Instructions for Traveling West felt like a bunch of mini love letters that so honestly and beautifully capture Joy's origin and evolution through this life thus far. Joy has a special way of whispering into your soul when you read her poems. I feel them in my bones and memories of my own metamorphosis as a woman is evoked. Joy's able to capture this feral joy of venturing into the unknown with her fresh language and unexpected metaphors. She's tender with grief and reckless with joy. I loved this collection of poems and encourage anyone on their own journey with themselves, whether that be North, East, South, or West, to use Instructions for Traveling West as a fearless guide into their unknown.

Thank you so much for the advance copy of Instructions for Travelling West. This is going down as one of my top reads of all time. Every single poem in this book truly spoke to me on a deep soul level and I will absolutely be reading and re-reading this collection over the years to come. 10 stars!

I can’t even begin to describe how much I LOVE this book! I read poetry every day and keep a handwritten journal of all my favorite poems. I just about needed a whole new one just for this collection! Not only that, but I’m finding it hard to get into a new book of poetry. It’s like I’m not ready to move on yet, still savoring this one.
Joy Sullivan’s debut collection is about fresh starts; heading off into a future that is unknown. She is bold, honest, tender and intimate. Her heart is open as she shares her innermost feelings on possibly remaining childless, the anxiety of a cancer scare, among others. Yet this book ultimately leaves you with a sense of joy and fulfillment; like you just ended a long phone call with a best friend. I will definitely be purchasing a finished copy for my personal library!

For fans of Maggie Smith, Sarah Kay, and Mary Oliver, Instructions for Traveling West is a new poetry collection that's an ode to fresh starts, human connection, and listening to yourself.

If you are a Millennial who is disaffected by capitalism and wishing for a change in life, pick this book up right now. I found myself highlighting many poems that spoke to me and that I'd like to revisit—isn't that all you can really ask of a collection? That they speak to something inside you, reflect some deeper truth?

This wasn't a perfect collection; there's a section in the middle containing Adam & Eve poems that detracted from the rest of the more personal explorations, and at times some poems stretched beyond tenderness and bordered on cheesy. But overall, I found this collection to be really compelling.

Standout poems:
* Long Division
* Safe
* (Luck I)
* Wind and Bread
* Mercy
* In the Office
* Giving Notice
* After Covid
* Instinct

4.5/5 stars

Thank you @netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. I’ve had this one sitting on my shelf for ages and I’ve realized I just needed the perfect moment for it. Joy’s poetry is playful and carries stories beautifully, but can touch both immense joy and sadness at the same time. As with all poetry I think you need to be in the right headspace for it to land, but as a single mid-thirties woman who finds meaning in travel, this collection struck right at my core.

To say Joy Sullivan's Instructions for Traveling West is uplifting (it is!) is too easy. It is a ferocious call to experience joy and embrace change told from the perspective of a paving tiger. Sullivan instructs through story and metaphor in these fine poems. I imagine readers like myself dipping in again and again.

Stunning collection - a tantalizing mix of beautifully written poetry. Read in one sitting, looking forward to returning to this collection down the line!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Beautiful poetry. Highly recommend this collection & I will be buy myself one for my collection. Absolutely loved it and how much I connected to/ felt the emotions within the writing.