Review: Thunder and Daisy by Mercedes Paradiso

I received Thunder and Daisy by Mercedes Paradiso as an ARC from Netgally in exchange for an honest review.

Poetry, to me anyway, is supposed to transcend age, race, religion, disabilities and the like. It is supposed to take a seat in your heart, ready to have a conversation. It is why I love poetry and why it was some of the first writing I have dipped my toes in. Sadly, what I am finding in this new age of poetry is that it all feels "Pintrestable"(yes, I know it's not a word, but works here). These collections feel like they are not fully realized because it's more about hitting the beats of something that can possibly go viral.

All that said, I think that Mercedes Paradiso's poetry collection is a great debut. Did it knock my socks off? No. Did I enjoy it? Yes. Maybe my age is starting to impact my enjoyment of certain poetry collections, but I digress. I was impressed with this being Paradiso's debut and there were several quotable lines that lingered even after I finished the book. “There will always be some version of you lost in me.” That was one of those "pow" lines that simmer in a reader's chest that carries a weight of truth that was skillfully put into words.

There are clear instances of brilliant words strung together like from Ocean and the Owl - "...You thought I was a puddle/ you could drop a penny into/ my ripples would be/ delicate and small/ but I'm the ocean/ that washes you ashore/ my waves froth/ rage and / swallow you whole" The imagery conjured up in this entire poem from puddle to ocean and sparrow to owl gives the reader a real sense of self growth, of the power of seeing who we truly are when we peal back the expectations and labels others put on us.

For me personally, though, I don't think that this collection transcends as a whole, but the Thunder and Daisy collection has moments that do. It makes me excited to read what Mercedes Paradiso publishes next because, while not for me, her prose are strong and will resonate with younger readers for sure.

I have given Thunder and Daisy by Mercedes Paradiso a high 3 stars. The prose are easily digestible and will resonate with younger 20 something readers well. Overall, a solid debut.