I don’t generally read a lot of poetry.  Mainly because there are thousands of types of poetry with so many different styles and I haven’t really found one I like.  That being said, when Tiki Black asked me to read and review her book of poems, The Sound of the Broken Wand, I happily said yes, more than willing to give a book of poems a try.

I think one of the main reasons I am not a huge poetry fan is because in my opinion, poetry needs to have a flow.  And that does not necessarily mean it needs to rhyme.  I think of it as song lyrics.  I should be able to read through each line without having to read it multiple times to make sure I am understanding it correctly.  I think Tiki Black accomplished this beautifully if I am honest.  There were some poems in this book that lacked a flow, but it felt almost intentional instead of by mistake. They were lines the author wanted you to take extra time to read and look at, but they didn’t happen constantly, so it didn’t feel like your eyes were starting to glaze over.

In addition to being well written, the poems were also laid out in a way that it kind of told a story.  The poems were broken up into chapters and each poem related to each other in a way, which was really nice.  The best part about these poems, was each poem was about how I am happy with my identity and I am not going to change my identity to make you feel better.  I will exist long after I need you from my life.  I myself dabble in poetry from time to time, and I know my poems are a coping mechanism for me.  And I liked that Tiki Black’s poems could also be a coping mechanism.

That being said, I do see this book of poems as something geared more towards high school students, which is I think the only bad thing (though not that bad) about it.  While each poem had a maturity, I think the lessons in them would help high school students the most as those are generally the people that are trying to figure themselves out in a world that they don’t quite exist in yet.  This book of poems could easily be a school assignment where students have to read them and then try to mimic her style and meanings.

Overall – this was an interesting poem of books that I was glad I took the time to read.  The meanings behind them were wonderful and heartfelt, and almost everything had a flow that helped guide the reader through it.

Originality –  8/10

General Joy of Reading – 8/10

Overall Score – 16/20

The Sound of the Broken Wand: The Poems – Tiki Black

Cost* – eBook is $6.71.  Paperback is $18.01.  This book is included on Kindle Unlimited

*Cost is based upon what the book cost when book review is published