Not sure what to rate this collection. I had a bit of of a tough time getting through the writing style it seemed to have a lot of fancy words combined with flowery writing. I believe I got through 50% or more of the collection.

What a collection of poetry.  First of all, thank you NetGalley and Northwestern University Press for providing me with a free copy of this poetry collection in exchange for an unbiased review.  I really appreciate getting to read so many different types of poetry that span so many subjects.  With that being said, this style of poetry isn't really my favorite or one that I seek out to read often.  It can often feel jumbled and messy and can make my head hurt while trying to understand it. Regardless, I actually had a fun time reading this and trying to crack the code.  Sometimes, the poetry read more like prose which made it feel more like the inner workings of the author's mind.    I think that poetry like this is important because it makes the reader work a little harder to try to understand the subjects.     

Something that kind of shocked me at first was how contemporary some of the poetry seems.  For some reason when I received this, I didn't expect that.  Perhaps the cover itself fooled me.  Because of this, it can be easy to connect to some of the poems and identify yourself in the lines.   

Another aspect of this collection that I enjoyed was the use of colors and textures in descriptions and how rich the text itself feels because of all the sensory words and ideas included.  Sometimes this can go a bit overboard and make the poems feel a little uncomfortable or like something maybe you shouldn't be privy to.  While it is not comfortable, it is still interesting because it showcases the power of the written word and what it can make a reader feel.

Overall, I think that the emotions and feelings that this collection of poetry conjures are so captivating.  The use of structure within each poem and the apparent lack thereof adds to the sometimes confusing or constricted feel.  It was fun to read this and see what feelings I got from each piece while trying to decipher what the author was saying.

Not a long book with a few longer poems. I wasn't totally huge on the poems, others would likely get more out of them.

A deceptive collection in that its small size would have the reader believe that this would be a quick and easy read. The poetry is involved, but at the same time rewarding if one gives the time, effort, and contemplation to the writing. There is also a difficulty in providing samples for review. Sauvage, my favorite poem in the collection, exists as a complete poem and cutting out a sample would leave the beginning and end from it. Line ends do not break the thought but simply signify the end of space to the right. A single period and one forward slash offer the only punctuation. The use of a single period as punctuation is common in the collection. The forward slash, usually indicating a line break when part of the poem is used in a prose article, are used in the short line structure of the presented poems.

The title refers to the thin cord used in falconry to ensure the bird returns to its master. The French definition implies that it used to retain a bird of little faith. The reader now wears this restriction. Like a falcon that existed as a free animal, symbolizing success and victory, the free reader becomes tethered to the poet’s writing by an invisible cord searching while searching for freedom in the words and phrases. Complex, compelling, and abstract.

2.5/5*
First off, this is not a style of poetry I normally like, and this book was no exception for me. I had a hard time making sense of some of them and a few made me feel like I was having a stroke (namely Taylor).