I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Great book. I loved all the poems. I found them quite relatable and realistic.

Thank you kindly to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for this review copy.

This was an interesting collection of poetry, highlighting the ups-and-downs of being in your late teens. There were plenty of great passages that stood out to me, but overall the collection itself was just alright for me. I think being a little further removed from nineteen years old now, probably hindered me, especially in that my concerns now are different to then, but that doesn't mean it's not a worthwhile read. What I thought was great about Nineteen was how Makenzie Campbell managed to impart the knowledge that just because things might be tough, it doesn't mean they always will be, and also that we're not alone in feeling that.

This collection of poetry is absolutely beautiful! I felt connected with the author the entire time I was reading their work! I will definitely be reading more of her work once it gets published!

Nineteen by Makenzie Campbell, 192 pages. POETRY. Central Avenue Publishing (Central Avenue Marketing), 2020. $15.
Language: PG (1 swear, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
Campbell opens herself to be vulnerable about love lost and a journey of self-empowerment as she shares her stream of consciousness thoughts with readers. The words feel like poetry because of the emotion fused into them, but the free verse is untraditional and seems more like a memoir.
As I read, Campbell’s words felt calming and comforting to read, and she evoked self-reflection. While not all of her experiences are happy, Campbell is able to create an atmosphere of empathy and encouragement for readers.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

I received a review copy of this book via NetGalley.

A sincere and heartfelt collection with some particularly lovely pieces within.

Dieser Gedichtband ist in mehrere Kapitel untergliedert, und jedes Kapitel erzählt eine neue „Geschichte“. Die Gedichte reimen sich nicht, es sind eher (teilweise sehr) kurze Texte. Diese handeln von Liebe – wie es ist, sie zu verlieren, wie es ist, verlassen zu werden, und wie es ist, weiterzugehen und über ein Ende hinweg zu kommen. Die Sprache ist sehr bildlich und eindringlich, so dass man sehr schnell vom Text gefangen wird und sich nicht mehr von den Zeilen lösen kann. Mir hat auch sehr gefallen, dass zum Ende hin die Hoffnung eine große Rolle spielt; es wird sehr stark die eigene Kraft, das Leben selbst in die Hand zu nehmen und sich wieder aufzurappeln, thematisiert. Einige Gedichte konnten mich nicht erreichen, viele waren jedoch sehr berührend.

Daher gute 4 Sterne von mir.

In English:

This volume of poems is divided into several chapters, and each chapter tells a new “story”. The poems do not rhyme, they are rather (sometimes very) short texts. These are about love - what it's like to lose, what it's like to be abandoned, and what it's like to go on and come to an end. The language is very figurative and haunting, so that you get caught up in the text very quickly and can no longer detach yourself from the lines. I also really liked that in the end, hope plays a big role; the poems focus very much on your own strength to take life into your own hands and to pick yourself up again. Some poems could not reach me, but many were very touching.

Therefore good 4 stars from me.

I absolutely loved this collection of poetry! Makenzie Campbell fills it with love, heartache, friendship, grief, and all in between. She shares the brutal truth of our society.

We have belittled ourselves into accepting the standards set by paper magazines and digital corrections.
What I love about this most, is it's a wake up call. A realization.

When did other's perception of you become more important than your own opinion?
I think this quote really ties up the message of this book. It speaks for what we need to hear, or rather read. It continues to reach into your heart to mention falling in love, breakups, friendships, friends lost, and family. Most importantly, knowing your self worth.

I literally cannot recommend this enough to anyone. If you can read and understand the flow of poetry, please pick this up. In an era where we truly measure our self worth by the amount of likes we receive or follows, this work of poetry really becomes an essential read to remind ourselves to stay grounded and true to ourselves.

Thank you Makenzie Campbell.

When I read a poetry book I want to get lost inside of it, I want it to touch my soul, I want it to touch my feelings, I want to make me feel things that I didn't even know I had inside of me. For me that's what a good poetry book does.

Unfortunately Nineteen fell short on that, it had a good promise. It has good art inside to go together with the poems, the poems are suppose to reflect on events and that should bring feelings or memories just from certain places. But I couldn't connect with the poems, the way it was written...

I still liked a couple of the poems inside of them and would love to check out her other work and see how I feel about.

3 out of 5 stars for this one.

I got an ARC from Netgalley.

This book is one of the best poetry collections I've read so far this year. It includes matters such as heartbreak, love, loss, war, peace and healing. I could relate so much to this book, it felt like reading my own soul. I totally recommend it if you're a fan of Lang Leav or Amanda Lovelace. Rating: 5/5 stars

I enjoyed this book, it was the first book of poetry I've read and was an interesting choice.
I thought several of the poems were lovely and liked how the sections were set out and how they progressed through the book, but I didnt thinkbthe pictures added much to the digital edition, although I'm sure they would be lovely in a printed copy.
I'll look out for Campbell's next book.
Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the advance digital copy in return for my honest review.

I gave this poetry collection, Nineteen a two out of five stars. The poems in this collection didn't make me feel anything, it felt very I don't want to say basic but basic. I was hoping to enjoy it more but I just found it to be just okay.

I think perhaps this wasn't for me.

I love poetry, it has made me feel so seen and understood thanks to the personal words of so many.

But this didn't make me feel any of that and I think it really just comes down the the fact that I was not the right audience for this particular collection.

But I do think this would be great for the right person. For someone who has given too much of themselves in romantic and sexual relationships. For someone healing from a break up that left you especially heartbroken.

I am not someone who is or really ever has experienced any of those things.

This was one of the first collections of poetry I have given a go but I'm glad that I did. This wasnt like the poets we were forced to find meaning in as students. This was a poetry that I was actually very nostalgic for because it reminded me of my own poetry as a teenager. The lines and verses are mostly simple but hold a lot of meaning. One good thing I noticed is there is a poem for almost everything in this book. Some are only a sentence of two long but all of them are deep and seem to really hold emotional weight.

I would love to see this in the final and hard copy. I really loved this and connected with the story. I’m at the point where I’m already ready for a re-read because I feel like there is so much more to pick up on. It really pulled on my heart and I definitely recommend this to anyone who is looking for something a little different from what they normally read. 4/5 stars.

There were so many parts of this that I enjoyed. I highlighted several passages that spoke to me and my current life. This one didn’t get more stars simply because for me it didn’t flow well. It felt really choppy and sporadic.

Nineteen by Makenzie Campbell is a collection of poetry that explores themes of heartbreak, coming of age, and the ups-and-downs of transitioning from adolescence into adulthood. The collection is titled after the age at which Campbell experienced and wrote the contents. Unfortunately, a lot of the poems fell flat for me, reading often like the new genre of "internet poetry." That being said, a lot of her work shows promise and potential and I'm excited to see what else Campbell publishes in the future.

Another poetry book. I'm finding that a lot of recent poetry written is appealing to a younger generation. I think my teenage daughter would enjoy this more.

Unfortunately I couldn’t connect with this poetry, just wasn’t my style , there were a few I liked, but that’s the best I can say. I’m sure others will think it’s more their cup of tea, just not mine


Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

He is sweet
and kind
and everything
I have ever wanted
which is why
I cannot figure out
why I do not
want him.

(love never runs the way you want it to.)

Something I will never forget is that one moment on my husband's best friend's wedding. His (the friend's) sister was looking proudly at her big brother, telling me 'he's a good man. So is yours. I'm a bit jealous of people like the bride and you, I wish I fell for the good guys.' It struck me as odd at that moment. Like, there she sat, next to her boyfriend, who apparently wasn't good to her, saying that aloud. It always stuck, made me realize how lucky I am for falling in love with such a great guy who loves me so much. This poem reminds me of that moment, how sad it was during such a happy day.

A collection of poems, to me, is worth reading if there is at least one poem like this one, that brings out my own emotions or memories. 'Nineteen' was filled with them!

The formatting was messed up in my edition, so I don't have a clear idea of what this book is supposed to actually look like. I think the poems all blended together. But honestly, it still worked, and it didn't really affect my enjoyment of the book.

These poems are all about love: losing it and finding it again. As such, it's sad for a good chunk of the time...but a good sad, the kind that makes you think. The drawings are really lovely, and the imagery throughout the poetry is really lovely too.

Liked it much better than Rupi Kaur's poetry. It isn't melodramatic, it's just pretty.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!