Hello there!
Title: The Sky and the Sea
Author: Kevin J. Johnson
Publisher: AuthorHouse
Published Date: 22nd July 2013
Rating: 2 stars
*Thank you to the author for the review copy*
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Synopsis: "Back to the sea," someone said, and many agreed, so they went.
Forsaking the land, they stepped cautiously into the waters, like newborns
opening their eyes to peer at the world for the first time. What they found was
a world that itself, seemed to be alive--shifting and swaying like some
gigantic animal. And it was here they found their new home among the rocks and
coral, the fish and fauna. Flowing through the water's veins, they quickly
became woven into the sea's intricate pattern. But they never forgot those who
had stayed behind. And they longed, one day, to be with them.
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Review: The Sky and the Sea is a collection of
mostly poetry and a few short stories which I flew through. It took me under
half an hour to consume the whole thing, which was very fast. So here are my
thoughts…
When I started off with the reading, I got very excited.
The first poem was very good, and it was moving and deep. I was so satisfied
that the rest of the poems would be this way as well. But after that first one,
it got a little… juvenile and young in the writing style. The poems weren’t as
good quality as the first one, and I quickly understood why the author chose to
put that one first. I think the writing needs a bit more refining, and some of
the poems seemed to have little… point?
However, the author’s use of rhyme was always good. His
short stories were mostly good, although there were only two or three – far too
few for me to really consider this collection a collection of poetry and short
stories. I wanted there to be more stories in order for me to truly think of it
in this way.
I think the theme of it being about the sky and sea was
prominent in most poems… but the author strays from it from time to time. I
mean, there was a poem about popcorn and watching movies! I wondered how that
fit in with anything at all, but to each their own…
I felt like there needed to be more a conclusive end to
the collection as a whole.
I did have some favourites. IMperfect was the first poem
and it was incredibly well done. If a Tree Falls… was also meaningful, and
Floating on Ashes and Cinders was beautifully written. My favourite short story
had to be The Great Philosopher. I loved it, until the end. Because I was
tracking a deeper meaning to the story but then the end kinda ruined that. But
the beginning was really good.
All in all, I just don’t think this collection was one
for me…
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Gif Summary:
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Olivia’s Question: What’s your favourite poem?
Olivia-Savannah x
I am not a fan of poetry in general. A poem about popcorn and movies sounds a bit different to be sure. Sorry this collection wasn't better for you. Great review!
ReplyDeleteAh, then this wouldn't be one for you in that case! It was very... unique?
DeleteThanks for sharing your review.
ReplyDeleteAlways love to write them ;)
DeleteCollections like this one are usually pretty hit and miss. It sounds like this one was more of a miss for you.
ReplyDeleteI agree - they either go really well or not too good :/
DeleteI'm not good with poem collections, but thank you for giving this one a shot!
ReplyDeleteI wanted to give it a fair try!
DeleteI appreciate poetry even though I don't read a ton of it. I like the idea of an anthology of poems and I own a couple of them. I'm glad you could find a couple of favorites in this collection, they sound interesting just from their titles :D
ReplyDeleteI'm glad that you're someone else who enjoys poetry. I really love good poems :)
DeleteNot really a poetry fan, per say. I do like stories written in verse, but I can't quite connect with straight up poetry. Sorry you didn't love this one.
ReplyDeleteIf it doesn't work out for you, then it just doesn't.
DeleteIt's a shame this collection didn't live up to the standard of its first poem. I love strong poetry books, but would give this one a miss I think.
ReplyDeleteIf a poetry book works out for me, it can be a truly wonderful reading experience.
DeleteIn terms of poetry, I like anything from Maya Angelou.
ReplyDeleteOoh she is a brilliant poet!
DeleteI haven't read poetry in years. I must say that I like old school poets such as Frost and Wordsworth. Too bad this collection was a flop, better luck next time!
ReplyDeleteOld school is usually my favourite kind as well, but I'm trying to find some modern favourites...
DeleteDon't know about my favorite poem but get this I'll say my two favorite poets are Bob Dylan and Dr Seuss
ReplyDeleteLike your blog by the way
Dr. Seuss is a brilliant poet, and accessible to so many people as well! And thank you ^.^
DeleteThis is Kevin J. Johnson, author of The Sky and the Sea: Poetry and Prose. First off, let me say, this is not an anthology. I wrote all of the poems and stories. I chose the title "The Sky and the Sea" because a lot (but not all of the poems) either deal with one "element" or the other. Also, one of the poems has this same title, and since I felt it was one of the strongest pieces, I chose it as the title to the book. I am sorry this reviewer didn't like the that much, but it did receive favorable reviews from Kirkus and Amazon. I encourage readers to check out those reviews, as well as the book itself. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteHere are the links.
Deletehttps://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/kevin-j-johnson/the-sky-and-the-sea-QWtHKXig/
https://www.amazon.com/Sky-Sea-Poetry-Prose/dp/1481766449/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1486235197&sr=8-1&keywords=the+sky+and+the+sea%3A+poetry+and+prose
Thank you for explaining your reasoning and why you wrote the way that you did. Hopefully readers will check out more reviews!
DeleteNo problem. Thank you for taking the time and effort to review it.
ReplyDelete