OnlineBookClub.org

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Insomnia" by Craig Capers.]

Craig Capers's Insomnia: 77 Poems is a collection of poems about love, relationships, birth, and grief. The poems are mostly short, though there are some longer ones. These poems reflect Capers's internal struggle to overcome past relationships and become a more independent person. Anyone who has ever had their heart broken will be able to relate to the struggle Capers describes. Any adults with failed marriages and children will also probably relate to Capers's poetry.

The aspect I enjoyed most about this collection was the title and its connection to the poems. While the poems are often written in the present tense, I imagined the author recalling these moments during his bouts of insomnia. Reading the poems in this way made them feel much sadder. When he describes the touch and beauty of his one true love, I felt bad that they wouldn't ever be together again.

Another aspect I liked about this collection was the images Capers included. He includes pictures of nature, animals, and cities that connect to the lines in his poems. The mountainous landscapes and lions added power to some of the poems. I liked the mixture of words and images.

Though I liked the images, there were some formatting issues. Sometimes, Capers would use the image as a background for a poem. I struggled to read the lines while reading these poems. Additionally, longer poems looked awkward on the page. To fit each poem on one page, the editor decreased the font size for long poems; this looked unprofessional.

Another aspect I disliked about the collection was the lack of focus at times. While most of the poems are about love and loss, some stuck out strangely. After a poem in which Capers defeats his obsessive thinking, he writes about how he is "ballin on a budget like fuggit" (25). This line destroyed the serious tone Capers built and confused me. There was another poem about how a mysterious "they" want to reprogram our minds using technology. This shift in focus also confused me.

Ultimately, I would give this collection 1 out of 4 stars. Capers discusses serious topics, but certain poems ruined the collection for me. There were at least ten errors in the text, and I didn't count the strange punctuation choices that could be interpreted as stylistic. There is some mild sexual content and explicit language, so young children and teenagers should not read this book.

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Insomnia
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I enjoy reading poetry collections and this one sounds very interesting. Sad to note the problems in this book though. Thank you for your honest review. Good job!

From the title, I had got the idea it would be about loss or heartbreak. Poems have their own ways to speak to the reader. Hoping to read it someday.

This review is touching. It's a huge reflection of the emotional distress involved in the pages of this book. Your review is quite captivating.

It's sad to see that the overall quality of this book is destroyed just because of the formatting of the poems. It seems that many people would relate to the poems included since it touches a vast range of emotions. I hope that the author would consider editing the bad parts as I am very eager to read his poetry. Thank you for your honest review!

Thanks for an honest review. I don't enjoy it when a book with potential is ruined by errors and lack of focus. I hope to read it someday, and see how I feel about it.

I don't really understand poems. I guess I am not into them. But your review is great

Vic Chimezie wrote: ↑16 Jul 2020, 02:36 Thanks for an honest review. I don't enjoy it when a book with potential is ruined by errors and lack of focus. I hope to read it someday, and see how I feel about it.

Thanks for commenting! Let me know what you think if you decide to read the book.

Fernando222 wrote: ↑15 Jul 2020, 16:51 This review is touching. It's a huge reflection of the emotional distress involved in the pages of this book. Your review is quite captivating.

Thanks for the compliment! I'm glad you enjoyed the review.

Really sad to see that it hasn't lived up to its potential. Thank you for the honest review!

Being one who has lived through heartbreak and loss I can relate to the author. You get to a dark place and don t know how or when you see daylight.
The author may have been careless in his writing but poetry is like music for the soul.

It seems the content of the book was not as bad as the editing. I would like to read it once it is edited to be readable. Nice review btw.