This was a strong collection of poetry, although I have to say I like Alison Malee's shorter poetry than her longer works. Some of her poetry I liked better than others, but overall I appreciate the focus on the strong, purposeful female presence and living live to the fullest. "The only way to live is to live."

This is the Journey is a follow-up to her previous collection, The Day is Ready For You. As the title would imply, she takes the reader on a journey throughout the work. This is both about her own personal journey as well as the reader’s. Not only does she write on very relatable emotions in general, the inclusion of actual events in her life adds that extra bit of humanity and realism into them. One of the main messages to take away from this collection is that we are not alone on our journey—we are bound together by similar feelings as we travel through life’s ups and downs.

Like the last collection, I found her writing to be equally as beautiful and powerful. She has a talent for really engaging a reader in each poem and pulling them into her words. I was completely hook just on the gorgeous writing alone, but there are so many other ways that Malee’s words moved me. I felt a deep connection with the vivid emotions and imagery she uses to convey the meaning of each piece. In my opinion, her poems are complex and sometimes abstract and it works perfectly for the equally complex emotional journey she is writing about. I would highly recommend giving her work a try and I definitely plan to read more of it in the future.

This was very enjoyable! It was very beautifully written and I will definitely read more of anything she writes.

This is the Journey is one of the most beautiful poetry collections I've read in a while.  Perhaps my favorite line in this entire book is "If it wasn't for all this human I would howl."  How is it possible that Malee doesn't know me at all yet completely understands my innate and inherent being?  What it feels like to be a woman?  (Hello, Women who Run With Wolves!)  

In this compilation, Malee discusses heartbreak, family, loving, and living.  Her poetry uses just the right words, pinpoints just the right emotion.  It's truly a work of art, and I'm so glad I've discovered her so that now I can read her other works!  Definitely keep an eye out for this--you're not going to want to miss it!

Great dedication. Surprisingly long for a work of poetry. I really liked the way the book was broken up. Definitely learned a lot about the author from her poems. Would recommend. I loved her truthful words.

I had a little bit of a challenge actually working up the endurance to finish this collection. There were a couple of gems but most of it felt Hallmark card-like and bland.