The book enlightened me about the pain and discomfort faced by the patients suffering from Lyme disease. The author has penned down the verses to express her feelings due to this disease. The poems are not the conventional poetry that we read. They are more of her experiences with the disease and her everyday struggle to combat the effects of Lyme.
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The descriptions are sure to give goosebumps to the readers. One verse which remained with me and also throws light on the title of the book is when the author goes to a grocery store and says that if ever she gets cured of the disease, she would eat a particular food item. The storekeeper, unaware of her condition, says, "NOT IF, WHEN."
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Recommended reading !!

I have no wish to be cruel: I understand that the author is undergoing an extremely physically and emotionally tolling sickness. I admire her openness and her sharing her story. However, the poetry feels rushed, unfinished. I know that she said that this collection is unedited -- but leaving it unedited is definitely detrimental to the book. I wish I could rate this higher, and I wish Ms. Tierney all the best.

Gaily Tierney's Not If, When is a really lovely collection of poetry as a daily journal of a life with chronic Lyme disease.

I enjoy a lot of the poems, especially the really meaningful ones. I do wish there was more explanation about Lyme disease because there was barely anything about the disease itself.

I also liked the pop culture references and jokes throughout the book. It made it more fun to read.

I troughs the 2 or 3 pictures were nice but there were so few that they felt a little out of place.

I felt like even if you don’t have this particular disease you could still connect with it on some level which I loved. You get an understanding of what they go through and can connect on a different level.

This piece feels intimate as if someone is giving me a warm hug while patting my head. It does feel like a bunch of love letters from a stranger for us — not only for people who is fighting from Lyme Disease. This verse collection does not only relatable to them, but people who struggles from any 'disease', be it something inner (spiritual, mental) or outer (physical).

The author describes her daily interaction with life and people in general, her constant conflict with herself (for not being able to do things she used to), and how she comes to term with it. Not to mention, the author is pretty hilarious :)

I have many favourite in this one — like 'Chekhovian Delight', 'Jetlag' and 'Honey Badgers Dont Give A Shit'. It makes me read more about Lyme Disease that I used to be ignorant from too.

So it is my very first time I got an e-ARC from NetGalley for an honest review and I am humbled that I got this one.
Poetry is one of my favourite genres to read from. But poetry that is related to chronic illness like Lyme disease was something extraordinary. Initially, I had no idea what this disease was all about but then I went on and searched about it. And there I realized how painful the experience must have been for anyone going through it. The poems describe the life of a person with a chronic illness, their struggles, and their pains and how even being so similar to others they feel so different.
I loved how these poems not only resonate with the patients of Lyme disease but also many who are suffering from different chronic illnesses. The poems generally cover topic such as depression, the difference of routine, life before and after disease. The poems are simple yet leave their impact on the reader.
Some of the poems that caught me off guard were “Parasitic Debut”, “Siri Came for me in the nighttime”, “thanks, man ”, and “ Field notes”
This book deserves the best from its readers as the writer put her vulnerability in front of us to tell people with such chronic illnesses that they’re not alone. The support in the form of literature is really important so that people can relate to the stories, they can relate to the books they’re reading. I would love to read future work from the writer.