I always have a hard time rating poetry books because I never get as invested as with a literary fiction, with that being said I really enjoyed this one. Even though I didn't connect with all the poems, Andrea's writing in poems is truly beautiful and those I did connect with, I really <i>felt</i>. Andrea talks about the struggles of today; sexuality, mental health, love - both wonderful and tough, hate - gun violence and that orange guy in America. All of them emotional anf gorgeous.

Probably my favorite collection of poems I've read <i>(even though I haven't read that many)</i> I'm very excited to read more of her work!

Thought provoking...

Though I do not fully stand and support what the author writes, I admit that it is very thought provoking. Bringing issues about gender, America, politics, world peace, self love and many more, I could understand the thoughts from the author’s point of view.

Since I could only relate to some of the poems, this book did not really speak to me and so it would be hard for me to comment much. I did enjoy those countering self love and social issues like panic attacks though.

I think this book will be much more appealing to the LGBTQ community as most of the poems were written in that perspective. Even so, I am grateful to experience this journey.

Thank you Button Poetry for allowing me to review this book through NetGalley.

"But heat rises for the same reason people rise-because they have to. I think the heat would like to rest sometime, don't you?"

Before this book I had never heard any of Andrea Gibson's poetry but I feel I need to go back and read the rest of their works because this book was so emotionally effecting to me. I don't think there was a moment reading this collection that I wasn't crying or on the verge of tears.

I loved the mix of topics in this collection, no real rhyme or reason to how they seem to be arranged. It's exactly the kind of thing I love in a collection of poetry.

“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.”

Words fail to do justice to the magnificence of Gibson’s latest work. I found myself reading and re-reading, highlighting and dissecting, and, ultimately, marveling at what she accomplished in just less than 100 pages.

Passionate and powerful, this collection of poems is for anyone and everyone who feels confused by themselves or the world around them. With poems focusing on social issues, mental health, and sexuality, this collection put into words things that I think people, including me, struggle to find words for.

Some poems were short, dictionary-like entries, while others were longer, but all of them hit hard, leaving me, the reader, nearly raw from the honesty and pure emotional value of them all.

This book is a masterpiece for all of us and a sad love song for all people from the lgtbq community.
An ode to selflove and a prayer against violence and drugs.
I wanted to cry and to laugh at the same time and these words were all so powerful!
I would lie if I would stay I understood every poem, but I cherished every single word.

Andrea Gibson is by far my favourite poet. Their poems are so raw and honest and beautiful. Their ways of describing things, feelings, and situations is so unique that by times this book took my breath away.

I will definitely be buying a copy when it releases.

Absolutely beautiful collection of poems by Andrea Gibson. I was originally interested in the book because of the interesting cover and the description of "queer poetry", and it totally exceeded my expectations (as I have not read Gibson's work before this).
This collection of poems is so much more than just the queer perspective, its raw emotions and heartfelt voices create such a punch as I read it. Some of my favourite themes are America, self-acceptance/self-love, depression, romance.
<i>Truth knows everybody's dark side / is daytime somewhere.</i>
Thanks to Netgalley and Button Poetry for allowing me to read the ARC!

I got approved for this arc on Netgalley and immediately sat down and read the whole thing in one sitting. Gasping and highlighting and holding my hand to my chest and sometimes that hand press turned into a clutch. I highlighted more than ever and I wanted to share each line with the world.

I already have the book ordered but if I didn't I'd go order it again. Do your heart a favor and get this book.

heart breaking poetry.
This is my first time reading Andrea Gibson and I must say it was beautifull. Such a master piece... It's dificult to find words for such a incredible heart touching writing. If you are looking for poetry so intense that you can almost taste the anger, the sadness and the joy. this is your book.
ORLANDO
"... even life is like funeral practice:
half of us already dead
to our families before we die,
half of us still on our knees
trying to crawl. ..."

Do I recommend this book? I think that by now you should have read it

I'm going to admit it, this is the very first book of poetry I can honestly say had me hanging on EVERY SINGLE WORD. God, the feels. I don't know how I didn't know about this artist before. I broke up with poetry a while back though, but recently we got back together: I started taking a poetry class and, inspired, decided to see what NetGalley had to offer me (thanks so much for this galley in exchange for this honest and enthusiastic review).

This poet is really, absolutely, completely incredible. I was so swept I stanned out a bit: followed every one of their social media accounts, watched all their videos on Youtube and read half the book out loud to my wife. I've pre-ordered a copy.

I expected to get through this 96 page collection in one sitting, instead it took four. The poems are so powerful and thought provoking, I had to take small bites and digest them fully before I could return for more. Gibson is obviously incredibly skilled with words and poetic form, yet it's much more than that at work here. Regardless of one's sexual orientation, love is love, and heartbreak is heartbreak-everyone knows it. Regardless of one's political views, when you're passionate about them, that's potent. These concepts are all universal, and she strikes each cord with vivid, carnal imagery, it's impossible to not feel overwhelmed with emotion.

While I knew of Andrea Gibson, this was my first experience reading their poetry. I enjoyed this powerful collection that touched on topics like love, mental illness, queerness, drug addiction, sexuality, and politics in America. I would definitely recommend this collection to others.

This is the first I've read of Andrea Gibson's work and I am honestly blown away by the delicacy of their words, along with the sheer honesty and rawness that radiates from each page. From politics, to gender, to social media, to sexuality, Gibson tackles numerous topics with such passion — Orlando especially broke my heart — and I absolutely look forward to reading more from this author! I cannot recommend this enough.

“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.