Official Review: Control. by Kara Petrovic

[AvidBibliophile]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Control." by Kara Petrovic.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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When daily life feels like a constant struggle, how can you begin to overcome a suffocating sense of inadequacy? Eternal isolation leads some souls to rage against reality in a desperate attempt to feel like something more than just an empty shell. Control. is a painfully honest collection of poetry by Kara Petrovic. Throughout various inpatient psychiatric admissions, this author spent several years deeply immersed in mental health treatment centers. The resulting impressions and experiences led to this publication of dark, gritty, and unapologetically authentic content. The book is divided into three broad sections that explore different coping methods Petrovic intimately encountered.

Rotting flesh, burn marks, tequila-induced numbness, submissive sex acts, narcotic use, and pharmaceutical cocktails were all mentioned. The poetic passages addressed the tendency we all have to internalize our emotions. If we shield ourselves from external sources of judgment and criticism, it helps us (somewhat) limit our degree of emotional instability. Petrovic attempts to relinquish control while maintaining a tenuous grip on sanity, but the ultimate road to recovery and contentment can be a difficult and complicated one. I specifically enjoyed the poem “IT’S A MAN’S WORLD,” but there was also a particularly poignant passage that appeared in “SCORCHED EARTH”:

“i am littered in scars and
covered with bad intentions
ineffective coping mechanisms
faulty perspectives
and a sorry personality”

At least ten minor grammatical errors were present, and I did encounter several instances of odd and exaggerated spacing that somewhat disrupted the visual flow of information. From a formatting standpoint, this book would likely benefit from an editorial revision. Many passages appeared to contain run-on sentences, but I feel they were a stylistic choice made by the author intentionally. Other than the poem titles themselves, capital letters rarely appeared throughout this book, so end punctuation was the only indicator of sentence separation, and proper nouns were shown in lowercase font. The aforementioned errors and observations were the only aspects I disliked.

Due to the prevalent presence of graphic, mature themes, sexual content, and scattered profanity, I feel this book would only be appropriate for adult audiences. Other trauma survivors will respect the transparency of the poetic truths. Anyone who has personally experienced or been diagnosed with a mental health disorder will connect deeply with the psychopharmacologic treatments mentioned. The author has included thoughtful trigger warnings about drug abuse, self-harm, sexual assault, and suicidality in the opening pages. The individual warnings accompany all applicable sections, so readers wishing to avoid certain topics have the tools to do just that.

I award this book a rating of 3 out of 4 stars. The author bravely shared all aspects of a journey that took them through the highs and lows of bargaining, longing, loathing, self-compassion, sedation, guilt, regret, and soulful mourning. Through sharing this authentic collection of poetic rhetoric, Petrovic hoped to process many past hurts and insecurities. The ultimate path to long-term healing is a convoluted road that cannot be walked alone.

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Control.
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[RetiredOBNurse]

This book sounds like it contains a lot of intense and sensitive topics that are presented in the form of poetry. What a twisted and tangled life so many people obviously live on a daily basis. My hopes that by writing these poems this author found a sense of relief and comfort through words. Thanks for an excellent review of a challenging piece of literature....

[AvidBibliophile]

This book sounds like it contains a lot of intense and sensitive topics that are presented in the form of poetry. What a twisted and tangled life so many people obviously live on a daily basis. My hopes that by writing these poems this author found a sense of relief and comfort through words. Thanks for an excellent review of a challenging piece of literature....

Poetically intense and sensitive topics for sure. Feeling isolated, mentally assaulted, and misunderstood fuels a lifetime of pain that seeks a creative outlet. I hope this author found a small sense of relief in the process. Thank you for your kind words and interest.

[kandscreeley]

This must have been cathartic for the author. It sounds quite dark and very emotional. I don't think it's for me. Thanks.

[AvidBibliophile]

This must have been cathartic for the author. It sounds quite dark and very emotional. I don't think it's for me. Thanks.

It was definitely dark and disturbing and emotional and honest throughout. Life is full of complicated feelings and traumatic memories for many people. This author spoke their genuine truth. Thank you for coming by.

[Nqobile Mashinini Tshabalala]

I hope that penning this book down brought the author some healing. Thanks for sharing this book with us.

[AvidBibliophile]

I hope that penning this book down brought the author some healing. Thanks for sharing this book with us.

I hope the very same. Writing can often be cathartic, and sharing our difficult journeys with others can sometimes help us feel seen and heard and validated. I appreciate you coming by.

[Sou Hi]

Thanks for your informative review. I'm amazed that poems can be used to describe so many negative issues. Still, I understand your feeling about the book's grammar. It's really tiresome when we have to struggle to identify where the end of a sentence/paragraph is.

[Kirsi Cultrera]

This book seems emotional and quite dark. I am not much into poetry but handling these kind of issues is probably easier through poetic approach. I sincerely hope that the author found the path to long-term healing.

Thanks for your thorough review, nice job!

[Josephe-Anne]

I really enjoyed reading your review. It seems as though the author wrote these poems as a way to heal from past traumas. Through poetry, we can express ourselves in an honest, unrestricted, and (often) abstract way.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this book.

[kdstrack]

The author has expressed some deep emotions in these poems. I appreciated your final statement about not walking alone. Hopefully, the author's experiences can help others to see that their is hope, no matter how dark the day. Thanks for the thoughtful review.

[Chigo Nwagboso]

Thanks for a detailed review. This book is rich in knowledge, and will be of great important to readers.

[AvidBibliophile]

Thanks for your informative review. I'm amazed that poems can be used to describe so many negative issues. Still, I understand your feeling about the book's grammar. It's really tiresome when we have to struggle to identify where the end of a sentence/paragraph is.

I think poetry offers such a freestyle approach to sharing that it’s easily approachable for most. Since no one will ever understand our speech patterns and writing style to the same degree that we do, subjective use of punctuation can get tricky. I applaud any author who is willing to share their story in such a format. Thank you for your comment!

[AvidBibliophile]

This book seems emotional and quite dark. I am not much into poetry but handling these kind of issues is probably easier through poetic approach. I sincerely hope that the author found the path to long-term healing.

Thanks for your thorough review, nice job!

It was an incredibly emotional and honest collection of poems and rhetoric. When some issues feel nearly impossible to talk about, poetry has a way of providing a platform without judgment attached. Thanks for your sweet words!

[AvidBibliophile]

I really enjoyed reading your review. It seems as though the author wrote these poems as a way to heal from past traumas. Through poetry, we can express ourselves in an honest, unrestricted, and (often) abstract way.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this book.

Completely agree with you there, and thank you! Poetry seems to offer an unrestricted avenue for freedom of speech. Abstract emotions meet the alphabet in truly impactful ways.