Review of Hold Your Breath

[Kavita Shah]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Hold Your Breath" by Rana Bitar.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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Hold Your Breath by Rana Bitar is an anthology of sixteen poems written during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rana has written poems about her kids, parents, and cancer patients. These poems awaken poignant memories of the coronavirus in the readers’ minds.

It reminds us of the difficult times of the pandemic: the panic, the fear, the grief—it all comes back. These poems bring the reader back to the past, when the pandemic was ongoing, and remind us of the safety rules and sad emotions. Some aspects might have never crossed our minds, while others were relatable.

The first poem is called Corona One, wherein she recalls her past and talks about where she would be if it were the end of the world. While it felt like the world was ending, Rana had a beautiful end zone imagined, and I loved how she wrote it in words. Grass, wind, and water—let her be one with them.

The poem titled April 1st paints a picture of a bright day that came as a surprise in the middle of the book, but a recheck of the title cleared away my doubts. It might be considered usual on a sunny 2023 morning, but not during the pandemic.

In Warning, she tries to question and stop Mr. Corona, but it is futile because he will not listen to anyone. Personifying something like a virus was a great way to vent all the emotions of blame and vain efforts. I could picture a rude person who is not listening because he only does what he wishes, regardless of others.

In Self-Quarantine, she asks about the shape of isolation. What are the shape and size of isolation? And the poem Perception shares the story of a woman relearning to see beyond the four walls. I think we all lost something that we had, be it in a physical or non-physical form. I recommend you read the book to discover something you might not have pondered.

Every one of these poems was poignant and memorable. It uses comprehensible language that makes it easier to read and grasp. While there are only a few poem pieces in the book, it contains more words than a thousand-page book on the same topic.

I rate Hold Your Breath five out of five stars. I disliked nothing about the book. It has the most vivid set of sad and wholesome poems that I have read in a while. A professional skillfully edited the book, and I found no errors.

I would recommend the book to readers still dealing with the aftermath of COVID to let their emotions flow. Let your feelings out; it is better to let them out than to keep them bubbling up or pent up. I think it also acts as a way to deal with and heal from the grief over the demise of loved ones.

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Hold Your Breath
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[Omneya Shakeep]

This is a well-detailed and engaging review, Kavita. You described each poem in a few but comprehensive words. I'm not sure I would enjoy reliving the time of the pandemic and reading about such a sad and stressful topic, but I enjoyed reading your review.

[Hazel Mae Bagarinao]

I'm reading this book now and the author's emotions resonate with me. I feel like we have something in common - love in the wilderness, the quietness, and the boring activities seen by most people. It is short but full of beautiful emotions from the author. Kavita! You wrote Hold Your Breath's review perfectly!

[Anil G]

Amazing review with detail and nicely summarized the poems in your own words. While people losing many things in the pandemic, there were people who find themselves because of the time they spend with them. I feel, we all live more and worry less.

[Chris Agbara]

Hold Your Breath by Rana Bitar is a powerful anthology capturing the essence of the COVID-19 pandemic. These poems evoke vivid memories and emotions, reminding us of the difficult times we faced. Great review!

[Kavita Shah]

This is a well-detailed and engaging review, Kavita. You described each poem in a few but comprehensive words. I'm not sure I would enjoy reliving the time of the pandemic and reading about such a sad and stressful topic, but I enjoyed reading your review.

Thank you Omneya Shakeep for sharing your thoughts. I know that it's a heavy topic, but these poems are nice, do read if you get a chance.

[Kavita Shah]

I'm reading this book now and the author's emotions resonate with me. I feel like we have something in common - love in the wilderness, the quietness, and the boring activities seen by most people. It is short but full of beautiful emotions from the author. Kavita! You wrote Hold Your Breath's review perfectly!

Thank you for the praise Hannie! I guess it's work in progress, but you think so, that makes me very happy（＾ｖ＾）
I got a chance to read you views as well. Totally agreed—resonance it is.

[Kavita Shah]

Amazing review with detail and nicely summarized the poems in your own words. While people losing many things in the pandemic, there were people who find themselves because of the time they spend with them. I feel, we all live more and worry less.

Good point Anil. We learnt to live more instead of working, and a much needed break for some of us. Some learnt new skills, YouTube tutors, creators, spiritual stuff, etc. A totally new perspective for everyone.
It's like the pandemic has it's good and bad, but from major sources we created a panic that escalated the situation.
Thank you for the deep comment Anil. There's more to gain with every loss.

[Kavita Shah]

Hold Your Breath by Rana Bitar is a powerful anthology capturing the essence of the COVID-19 pandemic. These poems evoke vivid memories and emotions, reminding us of the difficult times we faced. Great review!

Thank you for the comment Chris!
We can ponder so much from this pandemic poem diary. True, there are memories and emotions aplenty with which we can relate to in each poem.