I’m kind of getting into the groove of reading poetry lately… Maybe it’s because there’s a lot of it being published that’s aimed at teenagers and young adults, maybe it’s because I fancy something a little bit different. I don’t know. Nevertheless, I was intrigued by this poet that had come by way – R.H Sin. Apparently, he is a very well known poet with many fans saying how his contemporary poetry is magical. I was eager to see if I agreed.

There are moments when the heart no longer wishes to feel because everything it’s felt up until then has brought it nothing but anguish. In She Felt Like Feeling Nothing, r.h. Sin pursues themes of self-discovery and retrospection. With this book, the poet intends to create a safe space where women can rest their weary hearts and focus on themselves.

She Felt Like Feeling Nothing is written in the same category and style of Lang Leav and Amanda Lovelace – contemporary poetry talking about love, loss, abuse and finding yourself whilst journeying through life. People have said that this type of poetry is ‘Tumblr spacing’ poetry and whilst some people love it, and some people hate it, I’m not quite sure where I fit in on the scale. I don’t love it… I don’t hate it… I think it’s ok. It’s not my favourite style of poetry, I like poetry that sounds more musical, more classic. Not something that reads like a normal sentence. I like rhymes and structure.

“she realized that wanting him
meant losing herself
she realized that she couldn’t
save her own soul
because her hands were too busy
holding the hand of someone
who no longer deserved her energy”

― R.H. Sin, She Felt Like Feeling Nothing

The structure of She Felt Like Feeling Nothing is pretty straightforward, with simple writing, not punctuation and just line breaks. As with other poets like Leav and Lovelace, there are aspects in Sin’s collection that will be triggering for some individuals. Sin’s writing is raw and brutally honest, not shying away from the emotional turmoil of abusive relationships.

Don’t get me wrong, the poems within this collection were heartfelt, and I did actually tab quite a lot because there were loads that I could relate to, but this type of poetry doesn’t intellectually stimulate me. They make feel emotional, sure… Because I’ve been through a lot of what contemporary poets are writing about, but I like more of a classic style of poetry. I can definitely appreciate how much work and effort and emotion go into writing a collection like this, but unfortunately, this style of writing just isn’t for me.

Disclaimer: this book was sent to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review