3.5 stars.

I jumped at the chance to read and review some more poetry and did enjoy this it just isn't going into my all time favourites.

It was very raw and emotional but did feel slightly unedited which it could ahev done with, it certainly won't out me off picking up from this author in the future though, I'll give them another go for sure.

Worth a read and poetry is so individual it may end up being a favourite.

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy this poetry collection. Part I started off really strong but the succeeding ones bored me to a point I am completely detached. I hate rating this low because it has a potential. I guess I am not the right audience for it. Sorry.

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read and review this.

Honestly, not the right collection for me. I found it basic and boring.

I don't usually read poetry and I requested this because I felt like it sounded like an interesting way in.

A lot of the poems were so raw and unfiltered I could feel a lot of the emotions. I feel like a lot of the poems were strong, but it could probably have been edited a bit more to really cut deep at the very emotional parts.

I especially enjoyed Tossed and Be Her(e) again.

Thank you NetGalley and the author for this ARC.

3.5 stars! There were some really great poems in this collection. You can tell the author really poured her soul into her writing. I’m sure some of these pieces were very difficult to write while also being cathartic. I felt like I got a deep understanding of the author and her emotions while reading her poems. With that being said, I did have a hard time connecting with some of the writing and I would’ve like the explanation of the different types of knives as an introduction to each section rather than at the beginning. Overall, there are many people that could relate to these poems about love, heartbreak, trauma, and resiliency written in a very vulnerable and heartfelt way. Thank you Central Avenue Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

All in all, love letters and pocket knives by j j celli isn’t my favorite work, I don’t think it’s my style, but I can definitely see it getting popular in certain spheres. All poetry has a place, and there were some great gems among here,

This is a powerful collection of poems. J.J Celli is raw and honest in this autobiographical poetry. The writing is so strong and vivid. I think most readers would be able to relate to something in this book. I would definitely recommend and can't wait for her next release.

Thank you NetGalley and Central Avenue Publishing for the advanced copy!

This poetry collection is a tragic love story that delves deeply into the feelings of the author in a beautifully heartbreaking way.
As you read you really understand the pain and hurt and love, the combustion of emotions and feelings the author is throwing out to the world. This poetry collection is so unique to the author but despite that I think it’s relatable to everyone in some way and will touch a lot of people’s hearts.

So, this poetry collection centers around a very interesting and sad topic, the poet being shot by her partner and grappling with all of the feelings that ensue. It was very emotionally raw and transparent, and I felt that I got to know the poet in a way, which is great work on their part.

Related to the title, the collection starts off by ascribing feelings and meaning to four different pocket knives, each of which corresponds to one of the four different parts of the collection. This is an interesting approach, but I think that piece might have been more impactful if it were broken up as introductions or concluding pieces to each part. It's a bit of spoiler in the beginning, and by the time I got to the butterfly knife, I'd forgotten the specifics of what the butterfly knife meant. But perhaps the concept overall didn't speak to me.

There were a lot of very strong pieces, but I think this could have been edited down to be shorter, as I didn't feel like every single poem really needed to be there.

But still, I think if you read the synopsis and find it personally resonate, you should check it out and might enjoy it more.

Thank you NetGalley and Central Avenue Publishing for the advanced copy!

This was an utterly stunning collection of poetry, the fact that this is a debut collection absolutely blows my mind. Every poem made me think about something and more importantly it made me feel something. Absolutely fantastic

Arc review

I liked most of the poems in here.
You can read & feel the emotions of the author.
Some were a bit hard to follow for me personally but I still wanted to read more of them.
As a debut this is amazing!

I'd give it a 4,5 out of 5.

Thank you so much for everyone involved for the arc!

Sadly the poems just didn’t land for me as I had hoped, I didn’t feel each poem flowed in an easy manner. I much preferred the shorter poems, they felt more impactful for me, such as “who we wish we were”, but poetry is all down to personal taste so I wouldn’t want my review to put others off picking this up!

Thank you to Netgalley & Central Avenue Publishing for the review copy.

This collection is powerful and difficult to read in places. I felt like some of the prose resonated incredibly well, while other blocks felt hard to read and misplaced. It was a great collection, but it is definitely not for everyone.

Sometimes the passion can burn, at other times it leaves you with second-degree burns.

Love letters and pocket knives is J.J Celli's debut book of poems. A razor-sharp insight into this writer's heart and past. Hard truth, love, obsession, pain and longing find their place in words and fragments in this book.

Judging someone's poems is always a tricky step, after all, can you equate someone's pain with a number of stars? And doesn't everyone read these poems in their own way?

Not every poem touched me equally or came in as hard. I also noticed that I did not understand everything immediately, but can you understand what cannot be explained? The words are pure, some raw others poetic. Each part and each knife explores another part of the truth and the closing of a chapter.

Important! There are potentially triggering elements in this book! It can be a comfort to those looking for that but also be especially warned. But above all, remember, you are never alone.

The collection of poems seems very personal and intimate, like a late-night conversation. Some deal with quite heavy themes. Others feel kind of lonely like someone trying to find a connection.

Soft and gentle then hard and sharp.

This collection of poems will have you feeling all the feels. From sweet love to sharp love and everything in-between. I could really feel J.J. Celli's raw emotional heart throughout this book.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

"A longing so deep I dare it not to end"

These were so painfully honest that reading them almost felt like an intrusion. Each word was thoughtfully put after the one before it every step of the way. I really enjoyed this - poetry is a fairly new thing for me to read so I never quite know what to expect. But so much of this felt like it had stolen some thoughts from my mind and put them to paper. Really, really enjoyed this.

Rating poetry is so out of pocket wild to me, because how can you rate someone’s art? Love Letters and Pocket Knives was a beautiful compilation of heartfelt poems by J.J. Celli. While these poems didn’t necessarily resonate deep within me, that doesn’t mean that they won’t be exactly what someone else needs to read. BlackBerry Brandy was my favorite- as that was the poem that hit home most for me. I rated this 3 stars not because it was deserving of 1 or undeserving of 5 but because while they weren’t my favorite, they will absolutely be the favorite of so many others. I hope you pick it up and read it.

This was a powerful poetry collection knowing it is autobiographical. I read it in one sitting and one day later I still and think about how possible to move on from that. I would love to read more about the author's past, perhaps a full on memoir next time or a novel based on all those experiences?

Honestly not sure how to review poetry. But I loved this. I felt everythingggg. I can't imagine what I would do or feel if this happened to me, but I appreciate reading about this journey and I'll probably buy a physical copy.