Cover Image: Pulling Weeds from a Cactus Garden

Pulling Weeds from a Cactus Garden

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Member Reviews

ótimo livro de poemas com ilustrações irreverentes. Sombrio e belo, sinistro e metafórico. Um livro difícil de largar e mais difícil ainda de esquecer.

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I was expecting something creepy, almost disturbing, instead it was a series of poems. I wasn't really excited or anything while reading it. I am not sure what I was expecting, but I didn't get it.

I think you need a very particular mood for this small book and I don't think I was in said mood.

The illustration were enjoyable !

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I really loved the art that was paired with the poems. The poems themselves were interesting. The description does it justice. It surely is surreal and strange.

Thank you #NetGalley and Indigo Raven Publishing for giving me the opportunity to read this.
#graphicnovelpsychedelicsurrealismartistbook

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This story and art just weren't for me and that's okay! I still recommend checking it out if you like the cover art and the story's description. :)

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While I enjoyed the poems in this book, the visuals are what really hooked me. Seeing familiar figures and images presented in a such a surreal fashion was eerie and effective. I left this book feeling like I had re-read a spooky book from my childhood and had only the foggiest memory of.

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Thank you NetGalley and Indigo Raven publishing for allowing to read an ARC of this book!

I’m not going to give this a star rating because I don’t want my perception to negatively effect the rating this book and author truly deserve.

The illustrations were really good and creepy,it definitely set the tone for the book. Unfortunately I feel like the short stories or poems if you will, were lost on me. They sort of just went over my head,I don’t think this is a bad nor a poorly written book I just think it’s made for a certain audience and unfortunately that’s not me!

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I was very intrigued by the title and cover of this book, but I am a little disappointed. I think I maybe don't get it. The poetry wasn't for me, but the illustrations are very well done and are fascinating.

Many thanks to Nathalie Tierce, NetGalley, and Indigo Raven Publishing for this copy.

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I didn't really get the poetry aspect but I loved the illustrations, and many of them were funny and eerie

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Here's a perfect example of a book with the wrong cover. The cover depicts a detail from one of the illustrations, and doesn't show off Tierce's art well at all. For the love of me I can't think why it was chosen. If it hadn't been for the R. Crumb quote, I would've passed on this book.

Which would've been a shame! Because inside you get a collection of illustrations that reflect our times. They are accompanied by pieces of text, that I wasn't enamoured of as much, although they do at times help to pinpoint what the illustration is about.

But we're here for the art, and it's great! It's at times intense, slightly off (in a good way), disturbing, and it's always intricate and strangely beautiful.

Great!

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Indeed, a very different book. All the stories have been supported with beautiful pictures. But, the book was very short. I was expecting some more. Worth a one time read. Thanks to Netgalley and Indigo Raven Publishing for giving me an opportunity to read and review the book

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This is a bit creepy but well illustrated. The poems were short and fun to read. I also liked the fact that some of the poems were revisions of one of my favourite books. Entertaining.

Big cheers to Indigo Raven Publishing for the copy.

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Stunning artwork. The art overpowered the poetry. Reads as if the art came first and the author decided to add in poetry after the fact. I do wish there was more punch in the writing but at only 30 pages I blew through the book and before I blinked I was done.

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I was drawn into the title and cover of "Pulling Weeds from a Cactus Garden" by Nathalie Tierce as I am a sucker for adult fables. Most noteworthy, is the artwork throughout this short book. It is deserving of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th looks it garners from the reader due to the raw material the artist depicts.

Unfortunately for me, the poetry did not have the same punch as the art in this book does. I found myself turned off and checking out when I came across references to the pandemic and politicians that I find anxiety producing. Although this book was born throughout unprecedented, turbulent times, there is enough anxiety in real life without needing to take a dive into a book that adds to this. In full disclosure, as a nurse, I may be oversensitive to the material. Had the poetry actually left me to think about what I had just read, I might have had a different reaction, but it fell short in grabbing my attention.

Thanks to Netgalley and Indigo Raven Publishing for giving me an opportunity to read and review the book. All opinions are authentically my own.

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The art is gorgeous and unsettling, but the short poem retellings aren't particularly interesting or well done.

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Indeed, a very different book. All the stories have been supported with beautiful pictures. But, the book was very short. I was expecting some more. Worth a one time read. Thanks to Netgalley and Indigo Raven Publishing for giving me an opportunity to read and review the book.

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This really wasn't up my alley, I was expecting some twisted poetry from the front cover however the poetry in this felt very lack luster, however a lot of the effort went into the art pieces in this to go with the poems.
Amazing art, and short book.

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The art in this collection is incredible - ghoulishly beautiful images captivate and give an ethereal quality to simple poems about everyday life. The poems are simple but meaningful, thought-provoking and add so much depth to the art, the partnership of the two media is extraordinary.

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Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC.


Pulling Weeds from a Cactus Garden by Nathalie Tierce is a collection of adult fairy tale-like poems, each paired with surrealist mixed-media paintings from the author.
I'm not going to lie, after I finished it I asked myself....what did I just read??
It's a short book of only 3o pages, alot of work has gone into this don't get me wrong but I feel like most of that work has gone into the artwork rather than the poems.

The synopsis describes it as, "these tales of hazard deliver beauty and humor from the dark side of human interaction and alienation." Some tales are inspired by Aesop's Fables and others seem to be plucked from today's headlines involving covid and political issues.


Overall, Pulling Weeds from a Cactus Garden is a unique book that is very difficult to describe. At times, I found the paintings quite creepy. Going into this not fully knowing what it was about and going off the cover, it feels like a children's picture book.
It definitely is not a book for children, there is nudity, and the themes would definitely not be appropriate for children.

The reason I marked it so low was mainly due to the fact it was just a bit too weird for me. I'm sure that there will definitely be readers who will enjoy this book though and maybe found a different meaning or moral behind it.

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The illustration style of this book reminded me of Lane Smith (The Stinky Cheese Man And Other Fairly Stupid Tales). However, I didn't feel drawn to the artwork and the poems fell flat for me. The majority of them were very brief (3 lines and 6 words long in one case), and they didn't feel as well crafted as the illustrations themselves.

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Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Pulling Weeds from a Cactus Garden by Nathalie Tierce is a collection of adult fairy tale-like poems, each paired with surrealist mixed-media paintings from the author. The book is about 30 pages, but it's clear that a lot of work went into each page, perfecting the paintings and the poems. According to the synopsis, "these tales of hazard deliver beauty and humor from the dark side of human interaction and alienation." Some tales are inspired by Aesop's Fables and others seem to be plucked from today's headlines.

Overall, Pulling Weeds from a Cactus Garden is a unique book that is very difficult to describe. At times, it's humorous. At other times, it's scary. Looking at it from afar, it feels like a children's picture book, but it's definitely not a book for children. There is nudity, and the themes would definitely not be appropriate for children. The reason I took off 2 stars is because some of the images were just a bit too weird for me. I'm sure that there will definitely be readers who will enjoy this book though. If you're intrigued by the description, or if you're a fan of "hallucinatory imagery" - as the synopsis puts it - then you can check out this book, which is available now!

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