Cover Image: Small Cures

Small Cures

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

Title: Small Cures
Author: Della Hicks-Wilson
Pages : 186

Poems, poems, poems. This is an anthology of poems written for those who enjoy the prose and those who are lonely. The poems are meant to touch the heart, to inspire and to exclaim. It does all that.

I am not a poetry person - Oh believe me I pretend to be to the right people, but once again I get lost in the words of a poem, looking for a meaning and an explanation that I cannot discover. Although I am by far not the correct person to be judging/rating some ones poems, I just have to mention that Hicks-Wilson has a definite way with words, even to the untrained reader.
Lyrical and captivating her poems can easily inspire various emotions in the reader, leaving them to discover why those words in that order can get them feeling.

I believe the narrator did an amazing job in conveying the correct rhythm, the correct emotions and the correct tone. The perfect support to the lyrical writing of Hicks-Wilson.

As such I would recommend this anthology to those who want to dive into the genre and further for the long time lovers of this genre.

Was this review helpful?

Lovely collection of well-written poetry that conveys strength and vulnerability at the same time. Deep and filled with words of wisdom and advice.

Was this review helpful?

I love when authors narrate their own poetry, it gives it a little something extra, I think. That being said, I wasn't 100% taken with the narration, but the words themselves were engaging. I think I would have preferred to read the poems myself, rather than listen to audio. This was a personal delve into Hicks-Wilson; but also into myself. Poetry has way of imbedding itself into your skin as you read; and even if you are stretching it a bit, each poem links itself to some experience or other that you as the reader have had in your own life. Lovely, and a quick read if anyone needs something beautiful before bed or while commuting to work in the morning.

Was this review helpful?

This had powerful words, I enjoyed it quite a lot, maybe more so because it was narrated by the author herself.

It focused on self love, acceptance and empowerment, which isn't very represented usually (e.g: main characters who don't think they are beautiful, or lacking self confidence, or needing another character to verify them), and that aspect really entertained me.

I think I will read this again myself, it was special to hear the audiobook by the author, and gave me a perspective on how the author wrote it and why.

In general, I would totally recommend this!
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC of this audiobook.

Was this review helpful?

I don’t normally read poetry, but I’ll for sure listen to it! There was something about this Tumblr-turned-real-life-poet that I was immediately drawn to. Maybe it’s because I lived through the early 2010 Tumblr phase and I know what it’s like to be sad because it’s “cool”. Or maybe because there was some good stuff on the platform at the time. Who knows?

Five stars! I loved everything about this book/audiobook! Once I realized it was small cures for heartbreak and not small cures for childhood trauma (although it could be argued that childhood trauma is a form of heartbreak), I listened with a different set of ears so to speak. I listened with the intention to try to understand something I have never experienced. I listened with the intention to feel those raw and powerful emotions that accompany heartbreak. Most of all, I listened with the intention of healing. Whether it was for the author to heal from her experiences or for me to heal from my own shitty circumstances. This was a great first experience in listening to a poetry collection and I can’t wait to come across another one in the future!

Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Was this review helpful?

These poems really hit home. I like when I can relate to poetry so this was a a+ in my book. I deff recommend if you are in your 20-30s

Was this review helpful?

"everything we try to forget,
our blood remembers.

i cannot tell you where to put your pain.
i can only tell you
that this pain is not your main destination.

it is. and it is:
one point on a map
of a thousand others...

for you are only
traveling through hurt,"

Oh, I loved this collection. I just laid on my bed with my headphones, closed my eyes, and listened, occasionally quietly weeping. It was a balm to my soul.

Hicks-Wilson's poems speak of things that are true in such a pure, beautiful way. Her images are clean and honest and true, it's as if we immediately know her truths as life-long beliefs after she speaks them. I adored how each poem crafted creative, new ways to see my world.

The poems tell a story of romantic love and loss, but for me I identified with simply my pains of being exhausted. I took in her words and revived.

I listened to the collection on audiobook and loved the warm, empathetic cadence of her voice. I then read the poems and loved all the white space and breath visually between each poem. I highly recommend each format.

"actually, i was wondering
if branches on trees
ever get tired of reaching."

Iplan to order a copy of the poems and will then post a review to Instagram.

Was this review helpful?

This was a very unique set of poems. I was surprised by the originality, both in style and writing. The book is not just empty poetry that can be understood only if the stars align a certain way; on the contrary, this book feels like a conversation. the author addresses the reader with "Darling" "Honey" and so on. It is like advice from a good friend. the poems are short and pleasant. And the audiobook version is the creme de la creme.

Was this review helpful?

A resounding, WOW! For anyone that has experienced heartache or loss, this short collection of connected poems is exactly what the heart needs. Read by the author, this collection could easily pass as a single, lyrically beautiful piece that guides you through the stages of trauma; the initial diagnosis, treatments, and the gradual recovery.

Della's voice, speaking the word "Darling," feels like a desperately needed hug from a friend, inviting you to go ahead and cry, let your heart crack open, and let the healing begin. And I did. Five minutes in, and I was a puddle of tears (the good healing kind).

A beautiful piece of poetry, I look forward to more from Della Hicks-Wilson.

Was this review helpful?

Really thought the author did n amazing job of reading her poetry in this audiobook - she was impressive. Also impressive was putting together a connected narrative out of the output of many day's worth of off the top of her head poems. I really like how she did that. A lot of the poems were too short though; it felt at times like being barraged with a machine gun of poetry with not enough time with each idea, image, or metaphor.

Was this review helpful?

This was a pleasant collection to listen to while on a nice, quiet walk. Delia Hicks-Wilson has a nice, soothing voice! I find that poetry collection in this category of self-love & discovery tend to be similar, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Each of them appeals to different people and fulfil their purpose of sharing a reinvigorating and galvanizing message to their readers. Personally, I enjoyed listening to this, but I can't say it was my favourite. Still, if you're into this type of modern poetry, you'll probably like it!

Was this review helpful?

This poetry collection has more of a modern poetry style, which is definitely not for everyone. For me, it only works when there is a cohesive story that we can follow. In this case, that happens so it helped me enjoy the story more.
It's a very interesting group of poems and, obviously, some people will find it easier to relate to them than others. Even if they cover some universal topics.
Overall, it was a nice little read that I can see a lot of people enjoying.

The audiobook performance was absolutely gorgeous. The author, who is also the narrator, obviously understands the tone needed to make the poems feel more vibrant better than anyone. And it really shows in this particular case. The author's voice is really beautiful and clear, and her soothing way of speaking was relaxing but it didn't allow my mind to wander.

Was this review helpful?

The poems were good and I really liked the flow of it. The author's voice and delivery was beautiful.
I'd like to listen while reading at the same time, I think it would give the poems greater effect.

Was this review helpful?

I loved this so much! From minute 1 I knew that I'd enjoy this because of her voice, but I didn't expect to actually love it this much.

The flow of the collection was flawless, it honestly read like a long piece, not a collection of poems. I can see that the author and editors took great care with it.

The content is way better than other viral poets I've read, it takes the self-love side of pinterest (or other social media) to the next level, truly offering new ways of talking about mental health and relationships. I was truly astonished.

And the way she read this, her voice is so soothing. I listened to the audiobook in one sitting, and I immediately felt like I wanted to listen to it every single day (and I'm not one for re-reading).

Was this review helpful?

Format: audiobook
Author: Della Hicks-Wilson ~ Title: Small Cures ~ Narrator: Della Hicks-Wilson
Content: 3 stars ~ Narration: 4 stars

I would give this three stars because even though I mostly like the writing, it didn't feel like poetry to me. It was more like fragments of thoughts. Still, even though I liked the thoughts, poems left me neutral, and they didn't touch me as they should. I like how it is split into different parts: Diagnosis, Treatment, and Recovery.

The narration was calm and soothing but in original speed too slow for my taste.

Thanks to the publisher Andrews McMeel Publishing for the opportunity to listen to this! All opinions are my own.

Was this review helpful?

I enjoyed this short audiobook. The narration by the author was wonderful and the poems, although short, were beautifully written and heartfelt. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Was this review helpful?

Do you relish reciting poetry? If your response is yes, have you always thought about how the creation must have appeared while the author had written it? Or what it must be like when the artist reads it? Did you want to hear a poem than just studying it? When I got introduced to them, I yearned to listen to the originator's voice, reciting it at least once. When I understood that I could, joy knew no bounds.

Drafting a review for a poetry audiobook is really a bit hard for me as I have never achieved it earlier, but I am fully savoring the process. I liked that the artist took pains to actually provide a voice to her creations & not done by some different person. For me, it took it to a totally another level. Her voice is super soft-spoken & completely calms the audience.

Even though I savored hearing the poem, I wanted to read simultaneously with the sound (materially) & so felt a tiny bit misplaced. I think it can be fully appreciated if you have both the original text & the audiobook. The overall idea based on self-love, self-acceptance & self-empowerment is something everyone lacks in today's time. The full audiobook needs only an hour & therefore, it can be listened to on any occasion.

Bless you, NetGalley & Author Della Hick-Wilson, for the ARC of this audiobook.

Was this review helpful?

This is an amazing book, which really touched my heart and soul. It is a collection of short poems which come from a high vibrational place within the author's being. The poems are very touching, emotional and deep. They talk about how to let go of hurt and grief in order to love and accept yourself more, as well as covering other topics. The book is a great self help book and it is perfect for anyone who is going through a break up and who wishes to rediscover and empower themselves. I highly recommend this book, which is awesome!

The voice of the narrator is very calming, soft and healing and it helped me to feel relaxed while I was listening to the audiobook.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and Net Galley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?