Official Review: Notes in the Key of Heartbreak

[revna01]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Notes in the Key of Heartbreak" by Imani McGee-Stafford.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Notes in the Key of Heartbreak is a book of poetry by Imani McGee-Stafford. McGee-Stafford is a current member of the Atlanta Dream-a WNBA team-and has branched out into the literary world to share her love of poetry. As a prelude to her first poem, the author uses a quote by F. Scott Fitzgerald: “And in the end, we were all just humans…Drunk on the idea that love, only love, could heal our brokenness.” This quote sets the tone for a moving collection of poetry, centered around the author's disappointments in love and her quest to achieve self-love.

The collection is sixty poems in length, broken into three sections, with a pertinent quote segueing each transition. The bulk of the individual poems are under a page in length; some are merely a few lines. The author pours her heart onto the page and it is easy to get caught in a feeling of empathy for her tribulations in love. The pieces are relatable, underscoring the confusion, apathy, and hurt that go hand-in-hand with a failed relationship. The author gradually reveals her awareness that in order to love another, you must first truly love yourself.

What I enjoyed about this book is the vulnerability contained in the author's words. Having my own predilection to poetry, I can appreciate the poignancy of a no-holds-barred approach to this genre. The author's writing style is straightforward, leaving nothing for the reader to unveil or surmise. She is heartfelt and sincere, delivering a raw look at her struggles and the lessons she has learned the hard way.

I did have some hang-ups about the book. First, several of the poems are lacking a title; rather, the title is the first sentence of the poem. If this technique had only been used once, I would have found it creative and intriguing. Secondly, there is a distinct monochromatic tone to the material. I understand the author’s intention to have a congruent theme, but I felt it was overly monotonous and somewhat depressing. I believe this issue would be alleviated if the author selected twenty-five (or so) of her favorite pieces and reformatted this book into a chapbook. She could then revisit a full-length book at a later date, introducing additional themes.

The book was well-polished and free of errors. My preference would be to rate this book 2.5 stars, as I feel measures could be taken to maintain the reader’s interest. Since half-stars aren’t an option, I have rated this book 3 out of 4 stars. All-in-all, it is a nice effort and the author should feel proud of producing a respectable work of poetry.

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Notes in the Key of Heartbreak
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[Bigirimana Celestin]

The author gradually reveals her awareness that in order to love another, you must first truly love yourself. I agree with the author about this. If someone never love himself it is easy to him to become a terrorist. To kill himself become an act of hornor. Thanks for your review.

[kandscreeley]

Wow! A multi-talented woman. A member of the WNBA and a poet. I wish I was into poetry, but I think that it would be lost on me. Still, I admire the author for putting herself out there like this! Thanks.

[stacie k]

I admire this author for being so vulnerable in recording her tribulations in relationships. Sometimes poetry can be difficult to interpret, but this collection sounds easy to understand and straightforward. Thanks for a great review!

[revna01]

The author gradually reveals her awareness that in order to love another, you must first truly love yourself. I agree with the author about this. If someone never love himself it is easy to him to become a terrorist. To kill himself become an act of hornor. Thanks for your review.

Hi,
What an interesting perspective, thank you for your input.

[revna01]

Wow! A multi-talented woman. A member of the WNBA and a poet. I wish I was into poetry, but I think that it would be lost on me. Still, I admire the author for putting herself out there like this! Thanks.

Hi,
I would imagine it to be especially difficult to share such personal things when in the public eye. Then again, maybe that's why she thrives in that arena-she is able to out it all out there.
Thanks for reading

[revna01]

I admire this author for being so vulnerable in recording her tribulations in relationships. Sometimes poetry can be difficult to interpret, but this collection sounds easy to understand and straightforward. Thanks for a great review!

Hi again,
I tend to prefer my poetry with some hidden meanings, but that is just a matter of personal opinion. In poetry, there's really no right or wrong way to expressing oneself. Thanks for reading

[RoselineIjeoma]

Wow this book really touched me. I tried loving someone but they keep on breaking my heart. I have learnt to start loving myself first.

[noltrawz]

Love has always been a major theme in this piece of literature. Love speaks about anything and everything in the society and to the culture we have right now. The author is to give us the message that we have all the love in the world.

[revna01]

Wow this book really touched me. I tried loving someone but they keep on breaking my heart. I have learnt to start loving myself first.

I'm sorry for your tough experience but I'm glad you were able to take away something constructive from it. Thank you reading and commenting.

[revna01]

Love has always been a major theme in this piece of literature. Love speaks about anything and everything in the society and to the culture we have right now. The author is to give us the message that we have all the love in the world.

Thank you for reading and for sharing your insights!

[Libs_Books]

I think this is a very fair-minded review. I don't mind so much when a poem doesn't have a title, but a monotonous collection of poems about heartbreak is not something that would appeal to me.

[revna01]

I think this is a very fair-minded review. I don't mind so much when a poem doesn't have a title, but a monotonous collection of poems about heartbreak is not something that would appeal to me.

Thank you for reading and for your feedback cheers!

[lbhatters]

I enjoyed your review. Thank you for sharing!

[revna01]

I enjoyed your review. Thank you for sharing!

Thanks for taking the time to read and comment!