Self-proclaimed swiftie and award-winning author/professor Emily McCausland brings us an English professor’s love letter to Taylor Swift! McCausland goes line by line through 46 of Taylor’s songs, pulled from all 11 of her albums, to break down the Swift’s poetic mastery and literary talent. This book reads like an English poetry class, but with songs that any fan will know by heart. The glossary at the end is really helpful. This would be best enjoyed as a hardback coffee table book, perused whenever inspiration and interest strike. It’s a great read for any swiftie!

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Thank you to Andrews McMeel Publishing and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I teach a college-level course on Taylor Swift, though from a social science perspective. This book is such a great compliment for that class to introduce students to some of the ways that literary scholars would interpret Swift's lyrics. I can't wait to use it next time I teach the class.

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As a dedicated Swiftie, I thought I knew everything there was to know about Taylor Swift’s discography, but this book completely blew me away! The author’s deep dive into Swift’s lyrics, themes, and evolving musical style is nothing short of brilliant. Whether you’re a casual listener or a die-hard fan, this book offers a fresh perspective on Taylor’s work that will make you appreciate her artistry even more.

What really set this book apart was the way it made me think about Swift’s lyrics on a much deeper level. I found myself going back to my favorite tracks with a new perspective, discovering layers of meaning I’d missed before. If you love Taylor Swift’s music, or just enjoy thoughtful literary analysis, this book is a must-read. It's an insightful, comprehensive, and engaging look at one of the most talented and influential artists of our time. Highly recommend!

As a swiftie I had to check this out and i must admit that this helped me alot with understanding the songs and enlightened me more about my idol.
I HIGLY RECOMMEND

As a swiftie and former front row of English class student I loved this one! I haven’t thought analytically about poetry for over a decade and this was such a fun way to dive back into it! I loved seeing handwritten annotations that part was really fun for me!

Did not finish - this reminded me of a high school student that wanted to do an english project around Taylor Swift, so somehow convinced her teacher that she could make connections and find literary devices in Taylor Swifts lyrics, but then turns in just annotated lyrics.

If you’ve ever caught yourself dissecting Taylor Swift’s lyrics line by line, Stars Around My Scars feels like a total gift. Dr. Elly McCausland sets up shop with her highlighters and red pen to walk us through 46 of Taylor’s most beloved (and often dissected) songs, highlighting everything from subtle literary allusions to clever poetic devices. What’s really great here is how approachable the writing style is. Even if you’re not used to close readings or critical essays, you’ll find yourself scrolling through lyrics thinking, “Oh, that’s what that line really means!”

Each chapter reads like a mini deep-dive, complete with margin notes that point out interesting language choices and easter eggs that connect across Taylor’s albums. It’s basically the English Lit class of your Swiftie dreams, and it cements the argument that Taylor’s not just a songwriter—she’s this generation’s defining poet. If you love analyzing folklore and Lover as much as belting along to them, Stars Around My Scars delivers a brand-new way to appreciate Taylor’s brilliance.

Stars Around My Scars, written by Elly McCausland, is a book of annotated poetry of the songs of Taylor Swift. It goes through different albums and songs by the artist, and looks at how they were written, themes in the songs, and connections to literature and other songs. I really enjoyed how there were notes in the lyrics, and also a more detailed synopsis after the lyrics. It was also helpful to have the different literature terms defined, and have an index at the back where you could look to see where different songs were talked about. I also really appreciated the connections that were made between different songs, and how the writer was praised through the book.
Thank you to NetGalley, and to the author and publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so interesting to me. I definitely consider myself a swiftie but as a nonnative english speaker sometimes her lyrics are hard to understand. The way this author dissected the songs but by bit made it so much easier to understand. I guess this book is my sign to start reading more classics because so many of taylor’s lines are based of popular classics. I almost wish she would’ve included all songs but that’s obviously almost impossible since taylor has like 3 million songs. Still this book was eye opening. I am truly convinced that taylor has a song for everyone. Her albums are so diverse in genre and her songs are so different from each other yet a lot of them also are secretly connected. Learning about all the easter eggs and some of the reappearing lines was definitely so cool! I definitely recommend reading this no matter if you’re a swiftie already or trying to become one or even if you don’t listen to taylor at all. This book gave me a new look into her world.

I had a really good time reading this book, and seeing some annotations of some of my favorite Taylor Swift songs.

Taylor is a genius and this book proves it. Her lyrics have been dissected by fans for ages, yet this was a more academic view and I loved it. Though it did remind me how long it's been since I've taken an English course, (I appreciated the glossary) I loved this analytical look at TS's songs. I was amazed by how the author pulled out so many poetic themes, but also how she found connections across albums that I never noticed.

Is Taylor Swift a poet? This book aims to answer that question (and of course the answer is yes), and it does so in a beautifully crafted way. I wish I could read about every favorite song!

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC of Stars Around My Scars, publishing on 1-28-25!

When Taylor Swift took all her music off Spotify in 2014, I (my dad's wallet) caved in and I downloaded 1989 on my iTouch. We took an 8 hour road trip for Thanksgiving and by the end of it, I was a full-blown Swiftie. As someone who also loves dissecting and understanding lyrics, I really enjoyed this book. I thought the format was very effective, as the author was able to point out simple flourishes like rhymes with her annotations while also using additional essays to explain the song's significance in the album and overall discography. I don't have much experience with poetry and felt like this was accessible, but can see it being basic to those with previous knowledge. I felt like I learned the most when the author connected songs together or described concepts as "Swiftian." I'm not sure it's necessary to read every chapter, but I think it's worth picking up and leafing around to your favorite songs or songs you want to know more about. I also thought the songs included were a great mixture of hits and lesser-known songs, it really felt like the author picked what was most noteworthy.

My favorite chapters: You Are In Love, ... Ready For It?, Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince, seven, ivy

Songs I wish she included: Cruel Summer, cardigan or the one, right where you left me

A book that annotates the brilliant poetry of Taylor Swift? In all of her eras? Say less. This book is a lovely way to pay homage to the Queen Taylor Swift. If you could get a bunch of Swifties in a room who want to give their thoughts and feelings about songs, I imagine you'd find a lot of what is written in these pages. This book is a beautiful way to honour the lyrics but also to give insight into the meaning of the songs which could add more understanding for it's readers who are unsure on Taylor Swift's meanings throughout her songs.

This was a cool book. I think it’s safe to say YES, Taylor Swift is a poet. This book is perfect for both English teachers and the Swifties in your life. My only criticism is that there were some things not included in the glossary that should’ve been, such as “staccato”. Really interesting overall

Thank you for this ARC! As a huge Swiftie since day 1, I enjoyed this book and the opportunity to dive deep into the lyrics of Taylor’s discography.

I really loved this! The format was interesting and almost felt like a look into someone's diary. I'm a diehard Swiftie and even I learned new parallels and metaphors that I hadn't realized before. I will say: this isn't for everyone. If you're not knees deep into literature, poetry and dissecting and annotating, this isn't for you. Even if you're a Swiftie.

An absolute win for the bookish swifties, this was a fun analytical take on Taylor's lyricism and one of the best published versions I've read. Highly recommend this to all the swiftie readers in your life.

E-Arc provided by netgalley!

I’m not a poetry gal usually but I really enjoyed the way each song is broken down and its lyricism analysed! The analysis of TTPD is a particular highlight, but i also really enjoyed the deep dive into the songs from Red and Speak Now. Will definitely be buying a copy when its released out into the world.

Stars around my Scars is an analysis of popular swift songs through the lens of literary device and theme. The author, an academic who teaches a course on Swift, takes us through each era highlighting the standout songs of each one. I enjoyed how her analysis was woven through the eras as Taylor Swift often refers back to her own past as a motif in her writing. I enjoyed the journal like presentation and annotations of the lyrics sheets, another nod to how Taylor has shared her insights with us in the past. I do think some of the language used was a bit academic when it could have been put in simpler terms for the audience and I don't know if I agree with all analysis (this is all subjective of course) but overall it was a fun read for the Swifties.

I must confess I never particularly understood the deepness or nuances in Swift’s lyrics and poetry. However I particularly enjoyed the annotations as they allowed me to be more critical and deeply enjoyed the music I have loved for a long time.

I went from crying looking at the ceiling, jumping around my room, in silence in the bus -all while listening to Swift’s discography- to taking the time to just not feel but hear the details in storytelling.