“Bri collected some of her earliest work for this volume, and reading it sent me right back to my own teenage oversized emotions and struggles with every kind of relationship in school. She might tell you that she was more focused on vibes than visuals, but I marked up my copy with underlines and exclamation points and plenty of comments about the lines and scenes that will be stuck in my head. My favorite of the bunch is “Red,” which Bri was kind enough to let me perform in front of other people. So many of the poems devastated me and dredged up a nostalgia I wasn’t sure I wanted–I related to the speaker and remembered feeling the same way: misunderstood, alone, unable to be loved. Any of these poems could have been written by me in my teens, too, and instead of reading them with embarrassment or disappointment, I found a grace for my younger self that might not have been possible if I had been reading my own work.

I’m looking forward to the next two books in this series, where Bri promises to explore adulthood and motherhood, and I already got teary at the sneak peek she shared.” – Jem Spears