Thank you to Querencia Press and Netgalley for this e-ARC. This is an honest review and all opinions in it are my own.

This is an in-depth review, going through the style of poetry and why I enjoyed it so much, so beware if you wish to know *nothing at all* about it before you read (tho I do not spoil any individual poems, twists or turns, nor are there quotes included).

Burning Of Absence explores grief in a thoughtful and striking way, but not just personal grief or grief of death. This poetry chapbook holds grief for a freer life, a different and kinder world for women and girls alike. Loss is depicted, yes, but also loss which hasn't happened yet. Imminent loss. Inevitable loss, or even preemptive, such as grief for a positive relationship with a parent that never had the ability to form.

It’s a short chapbook, with only 13 poems (I hope I counted right lol). Still it managed to move me and ensnare me, with its lush descriptions, refreshing and memorable metaphors, and recurring vivid imagery, often of fire or burning, sin, holiness, ghosts, graves. Much talk of bodies, and dissociating.

Thiru has a lovely turn of phrase, uses very strong sensory words, and I felt I was really there, in the room or on the end of that phonecall. I personally felt it was poignant, and it struck a chord with me. I whizzed through it, too, and never got caught or had to reread specifically for clarity.

My favorite collections and poems are those with a canon, a throughline, a cast of characters, someone to cling to or root for, a common place or time. I absolutely felt that here. The recurring imagery, of course, but also voices which felt the same, and stories/characters (whether or not possibly the personal anecdotes referenced in the description) which seemed to come back, again and again.

For me, the strongest poem was absolutely the first, and I felt putting it first was a really good decision. It set expectations for style, form and content, and the collection lived up to them. And even though this one felt fairly representative, Thiru still was not afraid to play with form and adapt it to the content and meaning of every single poem. I say it’s always nice to see a poem in list-form, or one that uses line breaks to create a certain flow, rhythm, and emphasis.

There were two or three poems where I felt like the lines were a bit more … thrown together, haphazard, disjointed, and I couldn't fully follow the throughline – as the imagery perhaps felt a little out of place, or the grammar was off for no discernable reason, or a line break didn’t emphasize the word I thought I was meant to glean meaning from – even if it had a strong start and strong finish. But it didn’t massively bother me. Those specific poems just didn’t end up being my personal favourites, the collection overall is still a strong 5 star for me!

I’d recommend this chapbook to people who, like me, enjoyed Roger Robinson’s A Portable Paradise, for its similar holy imagery and deconstruction of grief. Also to fans of Warsan Shire (of course) and Mona Arshi, for Thiru’s lush style is like theirs, and the ability to tell a story, as well as the feminist message and themes, which I loved here.

The cover reminds me a bit of Koleka Putuma’s Collective Amnesia. Still, it felt unique and I think it’s absolutely stunning. The grainy home video style invokes some real childhood nostalgia, and with the covered face I think of remembering someone who is no longer here, or perhaps never was close in the first place. It really sets the tone before you even open the book.

I’ll definitely pick this up when it gets a physical release! Probably won’t wait too patiently though lol

This review is also posted to goodreads, but I will update it – closer to the publishing date Sep 26 – with quotes and more in-depth notes. On the publishing date I will also upload a shorter review to instagram, with pictures and highlights.

While this is a short collection of poetry, it definitely packs a punch. I had to put my iPad down a few times just to marvel at how much the words resonated with me.

Topic covered include abuse, SA, neglect, relationships, and belonging.

My favorite poem was “Abandoned Letters or Confessions Since College.”

Noteworthy quotes:

“I'm sorry that you've had to prepare yourself for a battle that should never take place.
That you've had to fear not being fearful because not fearing the fear you're supposed to feel is asking for it.”

“Someone once asked me,
"Why not choose forgiveness over violence?"
I asked, "Which one came first?"”

I’d recommend.