“Do you remember the first record
Where we didn’t have to change
the pronouns to sing along? We’d gone
so many years without music
that knew us.”

I didn’t know any poem by Andrea Gibson before starting to read this collection, but I’m really happy I found this and got the chance to read it.

The cover is also really beautiful, which adds to my urge to get the paperback and have collection on my shelf to skip through from time to time.

I originally was interested in this because of the poems from the queer perspective. And I loved those poems, they were very heartfelt and tender in some ways but also raw and unapologetic. Especially ‘Orlando’ really got to me, made my heart beat faster and ache in sorrow.

But this is definitely not ‘just’ a poetry collection about queerness, as one might think. There’s a variation of other subjects and issues made focus in the different poems that might or might not be related to the queer identity but can stand for themselves. There are very personal insights on therapy and suicidal thoughts and panic attacks, but also on politics, the Trump administration and more.

“I got so low I had to look up
To see rock bottom”

I think this is a pretty well rounded collection and I’ll definitely read more of this author.

Andrea Gibson has been my favorite poet for years, and I was anxiously awaiting this release.

I absolutely was not in anyway disappointed. How incredible it is to read such raw and beautiful accounts of being queer, being chronically ill, being depressed, being in love, and all in one book.

I expected to love this release but I didn't expect it to rock me to my core- there are many poems on the current state of our country that are so heartbreaking and difficult to read, but they are poignant, well done, and necessary.

If you like poetry even a little bit, please give Lord of the Butterflies your attention.

It's official, Andrea Gibson is my favorite current poet. This book is just SO GOOD, so heartbreaking and lovely and angry and BRILLIANT. They are the real deal.

Book obtained from NetGalley.
Main topics: gender, america, love, suicide, self-love/self-acceptance.

About the book itself: This is my first book by Andrea Gibson, and so, I had no previous knowledge of her writing style. It took me a couple of poems to really get into the book. I think this was because the poems are mixed: there is a poem on one topic, and then the next poem is about another topic. It might have been easier if the poems were organized by topic.
The words used by the author are clear, and the poems have a nice flow and are easy to read even though the topics are far from superficial.

About reading the book: Wow. This book fits in perfectly with what society is going through today. Several poems had me in tears, some brought a smile to my face and others made me stop and just stare blankly at the page. The descriptions of the author’s feelings as life happens around -as her sister spends time in jail, as her niece is growing up, as America deals with itself- are heartbreaking. The poems about love are sweet and realistic, but they are not sugar-coated, nor are the thoughts about self-acceptance. “What do you think about this weather?” is probably my favorite of this collection.

I hardly read poetry, but I came across a short video on my friends social media and I've not forgotten Andrea Gibson since then.

Then I found her newest collection on Netgalley and was so excited to read the ARC.

It ripped my heart out, shredded it and put it back together.

I can hear her voice in my head, raw and beautiful. I can't describe what reading this 96 page collection did to me.

I'll pick up ANYTHING she'll put out there and start my Andrea Gibson collection by pre-ordering Lord of the Butterflies.
I'd recommend this to anyone even if you don't usually read poetry.

Thank you so much Netgalley for providing me with an eARC and introducing me to my new favorite word artist.

Andrea Gibson writes with life and energy. These are verses infused with emotion and reflection.

Recommended for serious readers of verse.