Member Reviews

This fascinating poetry collection explores issues of; identity, embodiment and life experience. I highly recommend that you take a look.

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Profound, sensibly in touch with the idea of Nature. James connects the reader with a world of her own creation but rooted in her history, a bridge to a reality not everyone is aware of.
Recommended.

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This was a very good poetry collection. I don't have anything deeper to say than that. It was just very good.

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Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Pink Moon by Roshan James is a wonderful collection of poems that explores themes of spirituality, colonialism, nature, femininity, and self-exploration in a beautiful way.

Varying in tones, some works resonated with me more than others.

Overall enjoyable, with some emotional and thought-provoking moments.

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Rating: 4/5
(Gifted a copy on NetGalley in exchange for a review)

“Pink Moon: Poetry” by Roshan James is a lovely collection of poems focusing on nature, heritage, and time.

James’ work was pleasant to read. There was a strong sense of voice and all the poems felt cohesive. “Wonder” and “Spirit of Her” were standouts of the collection. James’ passion for nature, the universe, and especially trees was infectious. It was hard not to fall into not only what she was writing on but also personal past experiences with nature.

A few of the poems, like “Goddesses” and “Stand” felt a bit out of place. While the voice felt the same as in the rest of the book, the topics seemed to stand out. There was also a limited variety of types of poems. Aside from a few longer ones, most shared the same style.

I would easily recommend “Pink Moon: Poetry” for anyone interested in nature poetry or poetry in general. I found James’ work to be very consistent and accessible.

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The concept sounded interesting but the poetry just isn't good. It's a trite and formulaic and boring.

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"Pink Moon" by Roshan James is, a collection of spiritual poems.

I would give "Pink Moon" by Roshan James I would give a 3-star review because, I liked the poems and the concept but they were really not my thing.

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Pink Moon is part anthem of decolonization, part oracle of the time and to be honest, somewhat over my head. Earthy, magical and steeped in ancestral connection, the author fuses her lived experience as a Tibetan-Indian born in Canada with feeling disconnected from her cultural roots (relatable!)

A bit too ethereal and contemplative for my reading taste, but there are a few gems here.

"Doesn't land belong to everyone who lives on it
And the sea, the sea belongs to the blue?"

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Just like the gorgeous Nick Drake song, this Pink Moon is beautifully musical and peaceful.

This collection of poems by Roshan James is lyrical and soothing, and also features themes of displacement and reconnection. The poems were rich with all the elements of nature with personal reflection and realizations woven throughout.

Most of the poems are short, little lovely wisps of a thing, but anchoring the collection is a stunning poem called A Song for Trees that connects so many of the themes together.

I also loved Heartstrings and Hanging Things and especially the line "Pass me the scissors I’m about to go in."

Thanks to Net Galley and ECW Press for the opportunity to read this!

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It took me a minute to warm up to this collection, but it really is stunning.

If you like spiritual poetry, this is for you. And it is proper spiritual poetry, no white spiritual concepts like fake witch, pagan, and white feminist crap.

Roshan James doesn’t shy from calling out colonisers and the brutality of colonialism on the land. Connecting to Mother Earth is the key theme and I really felt it.

There were some really amazing lines that took my breath away

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I liked the cover of this collection and the subject matter, but I did not feel the poems were fully fleshed out. It felt like a trite writing exercise. There are some great individual lines and moments, but I did not come away from this collection asking questions about myself or the world around me, which is important to me in poetry.

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Thank you NetGalley and ECW Press for the chance to read and review Pink Moon by Roshan James.

While the whole collection wasn't my thing, I did really like a lot of the poets smaller pieces and excerpts from the longer ones, with my favourite being 'heartstrings and hanging things'. It's a collection that I will revisit in the future.

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Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced reader's copy.

James does a beautiful job of knitting together modern religion, Indigenous religions, and the world of nature and the galaxy all into one short collection. Some of my favorite poems in this collection brought to life the very trees we overlook in our daily lives. The forests are transformed into breathing, ever-changing worlds with just a few well-placed phrases. Even space seems alive through James's words. Overall, this is a read that digs in to what it means to be a small human on a large planet in an even larger universe.

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I got this book as an uncorrected eARC through NetGalley, and I really enjoyed it. The language is, for the most part, quite direct, but that doesn't make James's writing straightforward. I highlighted several passages, which is rare for me. I found her turns of phrase very relatable and moving. Some of the poems are quite short, some longer. Some resonated for me, some were meditative. I really enjoyed this one.

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First of all, I am so thankful to Roshan James, NetGalley, and ECW Press for granting me digital access to Pink Moon, a wonderfully beautiful collection of poems that had me shedding a tear and reminiscing on youthful days, all at once. Pink Moon is set to hit shelves on September 5, 2023, and I highly encourage you to bookmark this work of art.

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