I Hope My Voice Doesn't Skip

Thanks to Andrews McMeel Publishing for the ARC!

This is my second book by this author, and once again I was very moved by her words.

Amazing. Totally recommend it!

I’ve been waiting for a year to read more from Alicia and I WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED! There was one slight thing that I wasn’t to crazy about, and that was some of the songs/poems that she co-wrote with other people. Some of them just read weird or I just didn’t care for the songs. I would have preferred a single artist because I think that would have made it easier to listen and follow along with, as you could get used to voice and get into it more. But that didn’t even take away from my overall enjoyment of this! I still loved just about everything else about this book. I loved how it touched on grief and relationships. It flowed SO WELL. I think she has such a cohesive writing style that it didn’t seem jarring at times, it just felt like it all belonged in this book together. I can’t wait to reread these books and to read more from Alicia in the future!

A solid collection of poetry. I keep finding myself drawn to "Instagram poets," which to me sounds like it'd be a derisive term, but in most cases (this included) I've been really impressed. Cook is a confident poet addressing some hard-hitting topics. My only real critique is that I'd like to see her develop her use of artistic language in her future poetry.

I  received a free digital copy of this book from Netgalley for an honest review.

The moment this book hits the shelves, I am buying it. Good lord! The emotion and depth in some of these is incredible. "This isn't about the number six" had me bawling my eyes out cause I've been there. This book definitely gives all of the feels!


"Some days really are
good enough to taste"

As a new poet to me, I really enjoyed this collection of work. I knew basics around the themes including mental health, death, beauty, acceptance, love and more.



The layout, part as poetry, black and white then switching to vinyl format of a tracklist followed by more emotional song lyrics.



For me, these subjects are relatable and drew me more into the power of Alicia's poetry. They start off as basic observations that become a mostly saddening reality which bred these beautiful, moving poems.



Each situation was imaginable and immersed me into a world through the art of Alicia's words, truly moving, captivating and inspiring.



Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with the ARC of I Hope My Voice Doesn't Skip in exchange for an honest review!

Someone please just give Alicia Cook all the awards. I read her mixtape, Stuff I've Been Feeling Lately last year and absolutely fell in love with Cook's poetry. When I saw this on Netgalley, of course I had to request it. The mixtape was incredible, but this was something else entirely. Poetry rarely moves me enough to make me cry, but I was sobbing throughout this. Having lost a family member recently, reading through the pain of loss was hard-hitting. Alicia Cook has done an exceptional job of fitting those emotions into a selection of words.

Rupi Kaur, you'd better watch out.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this wonderful poetry collection!

"We are all recovering from something. This is for all of us."

After reading "Stuff I've Been Feeling Lately" By Alicia Cook, which instantly turned into my favourite poetry collection, I obviously couldn't wait to read this!

Before I get started I just want to say I am so glad for the trigger warnings in the beginning and also on each of the poems. I think all books should have them and I appreciate when they do.

Favourite poems: "I Am Marked." "Absent" "I Am Sorry For Your Loss" "Hard Of Hearing" "Dear God" "Aunt Em" and "This Isn't About The Number Six" (I don't think I have ever cried so much over a poem the way I did with this one).

While I did miss the song accompaniments from the first poetry collection, I still loved the new direction of this one.

Amazing author, a collection I would 100% recommend and I can't wait to read more!

In this season of life, where I am DEEP in bitterness, anger, sadness, and general misery and struggling to get out of it, this book was a shining beacon of light. It put words in my mouth, and while this might have just been a case of right book, right time for me, I feel like I'll always recognize the strength of this collection of poetry.

(All said, I did personally find the songs a weaker part of the collection overall, but that's not the way music is meant to be consumed necessarily, so I will be going to listen to all of the songs. The couple I did were awesome, and it adds something to the collection as a whole, honestly. Maybe more a 4.5 star rating but I'm rounding up.)

Less alone, more understood.
Thank you, Alicia Cook.

Thank you Netgalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for the ARC

This collection breaks down in two parts: EP, the poems and LP, the prose and songs. EP is full of memories, happy and uplifting, beautiful. LP is too much heartbreak and made me feel sad. Fair enough, we are indeed all recovering from something.

There's a beauty in these poems, for sure, but there's also a very definite bite. It delicately expresses emotions and feelings of vulnerability, but also does not hesitate to provide the darkness of those moments. I also picked up on a very definite rhythm that would make the poetry interesting when read aloud.

It's pretty bold and readable. I appreciate that in the poetry I read.

As I often find with poetry collections, some of these poems spoke deeply to me, and others I couldn't connect with all. I could still see how they could be relate-able to others. I found the writing style to be easy to read, and easy to get lost in. I read it cover to cover, and hardly noticed the time passing. All in all, i feel like it would make a wonderful book for any poetry fans, or anyone interested in getting more familiar with poetry, but want something light.

I have received a much appreciated digital copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Alicia Cook's talent really shines through in her second book of poetry. She not only lets the reader into her mind, but truly shows who she is as a person: her thoughts, feelings, struggles, pain, triumphs, and all.

I Hope My Voice Doesn't Skip is my first exposure to Alicia Cook, and it was a good one! Her skill describing emotions and relationships is so finely tuned that I felt drawn in to many of her poems, highlighting several passages for the future.

Poetry is an odd beast, it has many different forms, and whether you enjoy it depends so much on whom you're reading. That being said, I am glad I didn't miss this book! Alicia Cook is someone that I'd like to hear more from. I plan to read her prior works.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Andrew McNeel Publishing for allowing me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an unbiased review. All opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

"We are all recovering from something, this is for all of us" that first line got me hooked! So true!

"You were weak, and you gave up
You were weak and took the coward's way out
You were weak, and you left without a word"

That really gets to me! So many of us suffer, so many are left behind, so many don't understand!

"Tell me I will get over it
Tell me I will laugh about it when I'm older
Tell me I deserve better
Tell me I will smile again"

I wish I could smile again!
I have never really read poetry before, I have written some though. Those words moved me so much! So deep! You just keep on reading!!!

So deep , so touching, so much emotions!

Thank you for allowing me to read this for an honest review! Also shared on Twitter Goodreads...
Read this book, you won't be disappointed!!!

I really enjoy Alicia Cook's writing. This collection, like her last, is a really fantastic collection. She starts with simple pieces, but then slowly she gains traction, and before you know it you're hooked- unable to tear your eyes and your head away from her writing.

Yeah, there were a couple of poems that did not resonate with me, but mostly I loved them all.

I enjoyed this book and plan to purchase my own copy when it is released. I like how Alicia covers a variety of topics, events, and emotions over the course of the book. I like the cover art and the overall theme associated with the title and art. Thanks for the opportunity to read and review this in advance.

Cook's second book is more than amazing. It's super personal, with such enjoyable poetry. I like her poetry style, simple, not overdone. Her poetry does cover so 'touchy' topics in today's world. But I find her to be brave and her writing moving to be stepping out of a bubble, she's leading the way for more poetry that tells the truth not just dance around it. Her poems made me cry a few times, like 'Ten Little Girls'. Her words don't hide what she's feeling about I find that powerful.
The mix of poetry and music is such a clever idea. I feel that the two are similar while being different at the same time. The design and overall look it pretty as well. If you enjoy poetry, then you will not want to miss this one.

This collection of poetry features works on love, loss, and finding strength within yourself. It starts off with a series of short poems that are simple with a lot of thought put into them. The next section features longer poems with lots of meaning. The literature isn't too flowery and it feels personal. I was able to sense every emotion Alicia felt or had intended to put into the poem. I was able to sense some growth in her poetry when comparing it to Stuff I've Been Feeling Lately - this collection features poems with more personality and feels as if she is opening up more to the audience.
Unlike with Stuff I've Been Feeling Lately, I related to this collection way more on a personal level. I too lost a cousin very unexpectedly and I know the pain Alicia went through and after years, it still feels unreal. A few of her poems had me on the brink of tears because it followed her loss.

"This Isn't About the Number Six (an excerpt)
6 weeks before you died, we sat together.
You were sad, and I was mad,
but we managed to laugh and joke
about our crazy mothers.

We ate sandwiches together.
We hugged and shared our last words.
Of course, we didn't know then
they would be our last.

6 seconds before I knew you were dead,
I wasn't thinking about you.
I was thinking about the test
I had just sat down to take.
It was on Shakespeare's sonnets.

Then my phone rang.
..."

This collection shows beautiful, raw emotions that let's the reader know just exactly what she wants to say. I adored the format of the book where it isn't divided into sections based on a common theme. Instead, it goes on with her music theme where it feels like the poems have been put on shuffle so you'll never know what kind of poem you'll read next. I could be in tears for one, yet feel powerful and hopeful in the next. I love how Alicia just writes and writes and with this collection it feels as if I'm reading a diary or journal. I could not find any flaw to it either. Lastly, bonus points for the trigger warning page at the beginning that only tells you the possible triggers but also includes the title of a poem that contains the most triggers. Not only that but she even goes as far as labeling the poems with a trigger warning right after the title.
In the end, I would absolutely recommend this collection to everyone and cannot wait what the future holds for Alicia and her poetry.

Thank you Netgalley and Andrews McMeel publishing for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first book by Alicia Cook and let me just say that I truly enjoyed this poetry book. It's proven difficult for me to find a poetry book that I actually love. There are some poems that I didn't relate to (and that's normal) even if I wasn't able to I know there are readers who will. Some poems really hit me hard and some brought tears to my eyes. Alicia has a different style of writing than most writers and poets. I truly can't wait until all the poetry lovers and readers get to read this book!

A new instapoet voice for me, I found the collection quite readable and relatable. Many of the poems included are songs, with links to where you can hear them performed. I like that connection and merge into music. There are usual themes of grief, loss, empowerment, but also reflections on society for issues, in a punchy and effective way.

I spent the afternoon into the evening reading Alicia Cook’s new book of poetry entitled I Hope My Voice Doesn’t Skip. It took me a few poems to get the feel for her voice and style of poetry but after I acclimated, I enjoyed her work. I would call her a poet for everyday. She writes about the life lived with human foibles and heartbreaks. But her work is not hopeless. She offers courage to overcome and even to rise above the struggles and keep pressing forward. It has been said that loss motivates most all writing and while I’m not 100% convinced of that thought, most of the work in this book takes into account the losses experienced by one who has had to courage to love someone else and not only romantically but in family relationships and friends. I even found myself in a few of these poems because I, too, am haunted by a great loss in my own life. And isn’t this what a good poet does? I connected and engaged in her work. Among my favorite selections were “More Cherry Blossoms Than D.C. “,”Ortley Beach”, “Ready, Set . . .”, “Transitions”, “For You”, “Absent”, “I’m Sorry For Your Loss”, and my favorite “The Stains Left Behind” For poetry about real life, read this book.

I liked that not all of the themes in these poems were predictable. Some of them felt relatable while others felt super specific and autobiographical. I appreciated the way the author played with form, structure, rhyme, and both verse and prose poetry. Some of this I liked and some was just okay.

This book interweaves poems on hard topics and happy days. Alicia Cook writes masterfully about her experiences in the world in a way that is relatable to others.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the read.

I Hope My Voice Doesn’t Skip is a collection of poetry by Alicia Cook that covers the usual poetry themes of grief, love, loss, but also of addiction, murder, and crime, and she begins the book with a trigger warning for these things and more. She follows that warning with a simple statement that we are all recovering from something.

The book is delightfully structured reminiscent of a record album. Poems are broken down into two sections: EP and LP (the latter including generally longer poems than the former). In keeping with the theme, she refers to her acknowledgments as liner notes. Another great touch is that Cook provides URLs at the end of certain poems that lead to musical versions you can listen to on her website. I hadn’t seen that done before, and it adds more dimension to the experience of this book.

Among my favorite poems in this collection are: “Motor Skills,” “Am I Doing this Right?,” “Vellichor & Venom,” and “Bombilating Brains at Breakfast.”

Disclaimer: I received an advance-read copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

"But if I'm not pained by their pain,
I have not earned the right to be overjoyed by their joy."

Just as with Stuff I've Been Feeling Lately, I absolutely loved this collection. The writing is full of emotion and strength. I thought the music collaborations were brilliant and I cannot wait for whatever comes next.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This book of poetry comes with a trigger warning of mental illness, death, drug use, violence, miscarriage. For anyone who might be effected by these topics I would not recommend this book however, it is an amazing book of poetry.