I enjoyed this collection. I loved the long, lyrical lines and the contrasting images. Her lines had a beautiful rhythm. I also appreciated the contrasting of elegant description alongside popular culture. Recommended.

This is a great collection of poems that deal with the ephemeral and the everyday all at once, and honestly so. McLane writes without censoring--or at least it seems so--and that makes her work feel very real in an earth(l)y way. She reminds us that poets can make words that can wrap around anything--lobster traps, stoplights, paintings--to give readers a new way of seeing and hearing and thinking about the world around them.

"What You Want" is a collection of lyrical poetry that explores an age-old artistic fascination: nature. Most poems are about the natural world, from animals to landscapes, and often reference philosophers, painters, and poets who explore similar themes. The tone of voice is very self-aware and, at times, self-deprecating. The language is melodic, with the occasional unexpected rhyme that rarely feels out of place.

Unfortunately, McLane’s writing style and poetic voice are a bit too esoteric compared to my usual taste. As a result, it was hard to understand some poems. There were pieces, like “Mud Season” and “Crows,” that I enjoyed. Because of that, I will pick up a physical copy of this book when available. It is typically easier to decipher difficult writing when I can annotate and take notes. Hopefully, then I will appreciate this book more. Right now, I am rounding up from 3.5 stars to 4.

3.5 stars rounded down

A melodic love letter to the nostalgia and the earth around us. The more "pastoral" style was not for me, though that is a personal preference. I enjoy when McLane get's weird with her metaphor and onomatopoeia, specifically in "Weeds." I loved her personification of plants. Was definitely still an enjoyable read.

My favorite poems are "Self-Reliance", "Trees", and "Weeds."

i still haven’t fully arrived to the poetry world but i still wanted to give this a go. turns out, this book wasn’t for me. i liked some of the poems but most of them just weren’t my cup of tea. some poems i read in seconds and some took me longer because i didn’t find the correct flow to read them in. i’d still recommend this book to everyone who wants to give modern poetry a go, though. the book wasn’t bad by any means, it just wasn’t for me, as i said earlier.

Ah, finally. Some modern poetry I can enjoy. Pleasingly minimalist (except the few instances when they’re not) and appealingly melodical, these non-rhymes move like the river.
I liked the language and the description and the rhythm of the poems in this collection. I liked lines like “There’s no end to beauty and sh*t” juxtaposed with some serene beauty of imagery and moods.
All in all, a lovely read. Going to round up the rating. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.

First, I am so happy to have gotten advanced access to this wonderfully produced book of poems. I thank Maureen N. McLane, NetGalley, and FSG Books for sending What You Want my way. This beautifully curated selection of thoughts and moods throughout our narrator's daily life moves acted as a pleasant reprieve in between books about murder, gore, and horror. What You Want will hit shelves on May 2, 2023, and I look forward to more works by this lyricist.

"Elaborate fantasy a defense against reality or a part."

While reading this book recently amid my exams, it felt more of like a breeze in a closed room. The books and poetry do amazing and the continued picturesque descriptions and lucid ideas to open discussions alongside the boat analogy the whole road down was something I thoroughly enjoyed.

What felt off, was at some points the book can use tiny revisions, some parts feel choppy while the other travel along just fine. Maybe, it's just me but at points it's was tough for me to be able to understand and interpret the references made by poet.

The book is an enjoyable read and can work upto being better. I would recommend a revised version, maybe it was just that the ARC version was not edited, but I would love to recommend it to anyone who is a fan of description in their reads. This book has definitely something worth checking out.