Review of 17

[Alexander C Schmoock]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "17" by Lisa A Van Ahn.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Lisa Van Ahn's 17: Poems for a Pandemic, Essays for Quarantine is a book worth every time spent reading it. It is a collection of poems and essays, all seventeen in number. The book is on the themes of life, love, healing from grief, traumas, heartbreaks, and frustrations. Some poems are based on the experience of living through the covid-19 pandemic, while others are based on thoughts and life issues we have as humans. It, at times, proffers solutions to the said issues; likewise, the essays have similar patterns and themes. Read 17: Poems for a Pandemic, Essays for Quarantine to experience Lisa Van Ahn's creativeness.

This captivating book of poems and essays is very educative. I loved that Lisa Van Ahn used word plays but found a way to make it interesting and very understandable. She focused on recent issues that have been making rounds in the world, including the influence of the media in the covid-19 crisis and also more personal issues. Her choice of words was wonderful and will be well appreciated by the readers. The arrangement of the poems and essays was also sequentially done. The words also seemed original; I could tell they came directly from the poet's heart.

On the contrary, some of the poems seemed like they had the same theme, making some parts of the work seem repeated. Some readers may find that boring, as they almost conveyed the same message. There was also repetition of sentences in a particular essay; it was basically saying the same thing for the most part. It might be a typographical error, but it will definitely be unappealing to many readers. Those are the things I found displeasing about the book.

I will give Lisa Van Ahn's 17: Poems for a Pandemic, Essays for Quarantine a rating of 3 out of 4 stars. The deducted star was because of the repetitive issues I wrote about in the previous paragraph. I will not rate it lower because the book was exceptionally well edited. There were no grammatical errors, and it was also well written. It also addressed a lot of issues the reader will find really relatable.

I recommend Lisa Van Ahn's 17: Poems for a Pandemic, Essays for Quarantine to poetry and art lovers. People who are fascinated by word plays and twisted storylines will find this book very interesting. Furthermore, people in need of comfort and succor can find that in this book.

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17
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[Okoye Chinonso+]

Such a heartfelt theme. Reminds me of the poem A Brighter tomorrow, which also was about a pandemic.
Great review

[marta baglioni]

I admit I was drawn to this book by the stunning cover, but reading your review I was actually captivated. Thank you for a great job!

[Patty Allread]

You might say that one of the positive outcomes of the pandemic is that people were inspired to write about it. Thanks for your review.

[rose203]

The book seems to contain a wide range of themes. I will definitely check it out. Great review.