she must be mad

Hey loves!

When I looked at the cover of Charly Cox's "She Must Be Mad"*, I was immediately intrigued. I was about to leave Waterstones' poetry shelves, but ended up taking her book with me. As soon as I started reading it, I was hooked. Her book is a collection of short prose but mainly poetry, many (if not all) of which she wrote during her teenage years. One of the things I loved most about her book is that she truly sounds like someone her age. This was also said about Marina Keegan in the introduction to her book "The Opposite of Loneliness"* (you can read my take on the book here) and I think both authors fit that description very well, despite the fact that their writing is very different.

As a young adult who is still figuring out who she really is and what life as an adult is like, I read the book at the right time. It reminded me that it is ok to sometimes not be ok. It is a journey through the ups and downs of growing up and it reminds us of how far we all have come already. You cannot really categorise her writing easily, because she deals with so many aspects of a young girl's life, but I can say that it is absolutely worth reading.

The fact that Charly did not write her poems and short prose with an intention to publish them may have also added to their authenticity. When I read through the book, I felt like flipping through someone's diary at times. The issues described are just so personal, the emotions so raw, and the sentences are written in a way that reflects honesty. This is what also makes this book stand out among the many contemporary poetry books: Charly addresses issues in a clear and direct manner and rarely masks ugly truths with beautiful-sounding metaphors.

If you have ever felt confused, like you did not know where your place was, or who you really are, read this book. It contains so many important lessons and is the diary of an emotional rollercoaster many of us experience.

If you have a book recommendation for me, please let me know!

Lots of love,

Elena

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