This was a pleasant read, albeit not the top poetry I've ever read. The illustrations were a nice touch, which I do appreciate, but some of the poetry could have been a bit more developed. Still, it is definitely a nice book for the right audience, and that is not something I can fault it for. ( )

NOTE: I received a free eBook copy of this book from LibraryThing's Early Reviewers (August 2023).

"Biting Thorns Off Roses" is a poetry collection in two parts. In the introduction to this collection, Hoffman tells that the writing of "Biting Thorns Off Roses" was a form of therapy for her, as composing these poems went hand-in-hand with recovering from a failed relationship and making sense of the suffering she put herself through. These experiences are evident in Part One, which leads the reader through some dark mental landscapes and Hoffman's own personal purgatory. It is honestly drudgery to get through: though there are hidden gems of insight in places, the verses themselves are indulgent, conjuring images of a distraught adolescent journaling in fury in their bedroom. Part Two, in contrast, couldn't be more different. It takes a 180 as Hoffman reflects on the nature of life, of growing and maturing, arriving at new understandings of one's own experiences and planting hope for the future. It's tempting to propose that a different author wrote Part Two, yet something intangible about Hoffman's writing style connects its voice to Part One. Perhaps the experience of composing these poems really was transformative for Hoffman, enabling her poetic voice to grow and mature in parallel to her lived experiences. The trajectory of the collection led me through despair to eventual peace and understanding, from repulsion to empathetic wonder as I connected with elements of Hoffman's verbalized experiences. ( )

Exceptionally insightful poetry delving into human personas -- the proverbial different hats, or masks, we wear while negotiating life. Thought provoking and very well crafted. Brava! Janice M. Frum

Poetry is so difficult to review. What speaks to one person does not necessarily speak to the next.

Or, in this case, some parts of the book stop speaking. Hah. Okay, so... I really liked the first part - it spoke to me and I believe I was following the "story". I enjoyed the decorative pages. I did not have any difficulties determining where a poem started or ended. The author uses whitespace, blank space and large gaps intentionally, for emphasis... this works.

As the book reached the midway, however, I feel I lost the thread of the "story", what is tying this collection together? The poems became more... ahhh....abstract perhaps... or ambiguous? Not sure I can put my finger on it, but they felt farther away from what I could connect to. (yeah, sorry, not much help am I) ( )

This poetry was moving. You could feel the pain, the promise, the hope. ( )