Review of A Brighter Tomorrow

[Cecilia_L]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "A Brighter Tomorrow" by Lori Schneider, MD.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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"Amid the pandemic, overwhelmed with emotion,
I turned to pen and paper for catharsis.
Poetry has become my true devotion,
A window to the soul that illuminates the darkness."

A Brighter Tomorrow is an uplifting poetry collection penned by Lori Schneider, MD. As illustrated in the above quote, the author begins by sharing that poetry is both her creative and therapeutic expression. In addition to addressing emotions evoked by the pandemic, Schneider's poems contemplate various themes of love, racial injustice, hope, courage, and animal advocacy. The author cites relevant quotes from Deepak Chopra, Robert F. Kennedy, and Harper Lee. Schneider credits advisor Anthony Jones with the final and title poem that promises better days ahead.

The author presents a thoughtfully organized collection, dividing its 98 pages into seven sections and concluding with the title poem. I noted a minor discrepancy regarding the book and poem title: the former uses the adjective "brighter; the latter displays "bright." Otherwise, the book is exceptionally edited. Although Schneider primarily adheres to a rhyming-scheme format that some poetry enthusiasts may find slightly formulaic, those willing to look beyond first glance will appreciate her consistent and intentional style. The book features an assortment of artfully arranged photographs and beautiful paintings by Mark Salevitz, MD.

I most like the storytelling aspect of Schneider's poetry. In "Pandemic Closet," her longing lament about the necessary adjustments to her wardrobe will resonate with those who have also traded pencil skirts for yoga pants while unclothing a deeper meaning. The poignant “Say Our Name” is “written in memory of all those who died as a result of injustice.” Schneider retells the love story of her maternal grandparents in "Sealed by Fate" and sensitively broaches interracial marriage in "No Regrets." Animal lovers will enjoy her poem about "Milo" the service dog. I appreciate that the evocative collection includes no ambiguous poems with vague references.

My only suggestions for improvement involve formatting. Given the book's overall professional appearance, I was surprised by the absence of a hyperlinked table of contents that would provide readers with more convenient access to their favorite poems. Likewise, the Kindle version lacks appropriate screen-orientation formatting, which requires tedious page-by-page enlarging and exiting to view text and art that is less than half the page size in some instances. (Incidentally, I double-checked my device's display settings before mentioning the issue.)

Overall, I rate A Brighter Tomorrow 4 out of 4 stars. The formatting issues are minor in light of the collection's beauty as a whole. I recommend the inspirational book to fans of poetry and art. It contains no profanity.

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A Brighter Tomorrow
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

[Blessing Odii]

I've always been an ardent lover of poetry. I love the review.

[Umesh Bhatt]

Seems to be a collection of poems related to the real life situations. The overall tone appears to be inspirational and arousing hopes for a better future of mankind. Thanks for the superb review.

[Felix Mbole]

Super poem collection on real-life situations is very enlightening and inspirational. Giving hope for tomorrow's generation.

[Reading_Jack]

I love the style of using a poem to start the review. it already invites me to the book. I also appreciate the author and the subjects discussed in the poems. beautiful work!

[Duke Nwador]

A really nice review. I also loved the way you started with poetry, it caught my attention. Good job.

[Stainlesseda23]

I love the poem at the beginning which actually reminds me of COVID 19. Just the poem makes me feel as if I'm about to read my own story. Honestly, the review has been artistically styled and I love it.

[Adelle v]

Seems like Lori Schneider cover all the aspects of life in this collections. Thanks for an informative review.

[Emmanuela Amasiobi]

Nice review.

[Mbenma Esther 080]

I enjoyed reading every bit of this review. This is a work well done by the author. Thanks for the review.

[Aisha Yakub]

Poetry is indeed therapeutic. Thank you for the review.

[NSAJ]

I've always been fan of poetry and dramas. I really like the review.

[Oliver Kalowela]

Poetry gives a deep thought of events. I love your review, poetry has become part of me in this Covid-19 era. Thank you.

[Regard003]

Poetry are very nice. But I've never read a therapy poetry before so I'd love to check this one out. A very detailed review. Good job

[Mayang Bature]

I appreciate the dedication that this author employs to explore her passion for poetry. The hope for a better tomorrow is one that many people hold on to and would definitely relate with. Congrats on BOTD!!!