Burn After Reading by Jessica Ciencin Henriquez is a book I first heard about through my writing group and later from a few passionate readers at my office. Going in, I only knew that Henriquez had experimented with erasure poetry in a way that was both bold and surprising, but I wasn’t fully prepared for the emotional depth and raw honesty that would follow. This book felt like it was written for me, which is the impact every author hopes for. As someone who is deeply drawn to memoirs, Burn After Reading checks all the boxes: vivid life experiences, a courageous examination of trauma, and a deeply redemptive arc that inspires.

Henriquez structures the book with a masterful pacing, building momentum that pulls you through each section with urgency and anticipation. The erasure poems do a lot to build momentum as they feel like a surprise or a gifrt oferred to the reader. By the time I reached the final section, I found the writing not only emotionally intense but also deeply moving—especially in those closing moments where the themes of loss and renewal hit the hardest. It's the kind of writing that makes you feel almost breathless from its beauty and power.

One standout piece for me was the poem Pressed Between Pages, which captures the devastating loss of her grandfather in Colombia, the author's homeland. Henriquez brings her cultural heritage and the Spanish language into the poems so seamlessly that it adds layers of depth and emotion without ever alienating the reader. It’s a delicate balance for multilingual writers to achieve, but Henriquez does it with such grace and precision that it enhances the narrative rather than distracting from it.

Although this was my introduction to Henriquez's work, it certainly won’t be the last I read from her. Burn After Reading is a stunning exploration of purpose, pain, and ultimately, healing—a collection that I’m certain will resonate with readers for years to come.

As poetry is a highly subjective medium, relying on the space between what is written and what is read, this review is but my humble interpretation of Henriquez' words.

Burn After Reading reveals Jessica Ciencin Henriquez' soul laid bare. This poetry collection features grief, loss, pain, change, transformation, bearing witness to the beauty of life and an uncontainable love for life itself. All in an original, cohesive, playful format which leaves every page a gift for the reader to discover.

When this book made its way to me I was intend on savouring this collection. Maybe reading a poem a day. Instead I got so captivated by Henriquez' words I finished it within 24 hours. Every poem satisfied, but also left me wanting more. This shows the mastery with which these poems are ordered, in a way that is waxing and waning.

This collection has left a deep impression on me. It is no wonder Tzigane gets honored in one of the featured poems. The capacity to evoke emotion and playfulness in its purest form mirror Burn After Reading. They both leave their audience enraptured.

The fitting introduction and title to this collection prepare us for what I interpret as the overarching message the author wants us to take away after reading. Just like the author burned her book to reveal a personal message, I think Henriquez expects us to figuratively do the same. Read between the lines and take what you need right now from reading this book.

"Stop searching
beyond your own skin
for answers to the questions
that linger within you."

I expect to re-read this collection in the future and to discover even more layers, and new messages that resonate with me in that stage of life.

TW: loss of a loved one, grief, non-consensual drug administration, sexual assault/rape, divorce/separation

Thank you Rev Publishing and Jessica Ciencin Henriquez for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Burn After Reading felt like someone cracked open my chest and said, “Here, look at what you’ve been holding all this time.” The way Jessica writes about love—it’s not this filtered, picture-perfect, glossy version. It’s ugly love, lovr that’s been tested, pushed to the edge, and somehow comes back softer and stronger. I don’t even know this woman and I can see how deeply she loves, it’s in each of her poems. Though her writing about motherhood hit me the hardest. There’s something so sincere in the way she captures the tenderness and overwhelm of being a mom, the language she reserves for the poems about her son felt so careful or should I say full of care, I don’t know how anyone can read *Carry you home* and not sob. There were so many poems where I found myself not wanting to turn the page, just needing to let the moment, the memory she’s writing about; sink into my skin.

Throughout the book, I found myself nodding, like, “Yes, this is exactly it.” She wrote so perfectly what I couldn’t. It is not rare to feel like you’re friends with the author after reading a memoir or something intensely private but it’s pretty rare with poetry. In many ways it feels like a limited form that way. But I felt close to her, and seeing the other comments it feels like many readers agreed. It’s like she’s been through the paths I’m only beginning and there’s a comraderie in that. Most importantly, this book reminded me that healing is always there, waiting so patiently in the smallest, most overlooked places—in nature, in the quiet, in the spaces between. Brava, Jessica! I will be buying this book and keeping an eye on what this author does next.

Book Review: Burn After Reading by Jessica Ciencin Henriquez

Burn After Reading by Jessica Ciencin Henriquez is a deeply evocative and transformative poetry collection that invites readers into a journey through the most intricate and raw aspects of human experience. This debut collection navigates the vast terrain of life, grief, healing, and self-discovery, all through the lens of relationships, ancestry, motherhood, and love. It is a work that lingers, offering readers a space for reflection and emotional resonance, while challenging them to confront the most intimate parts of their own stories.

Jessica Ciencin Henriquez’s voice is a unique blend of tenderness and fierce determination, delivering a narrative that is both personal and universal. With each poem, she weaves spiritual wisdom with a confessional style, creating a space where vulnerability feels like a shared experience rather than a solitary burden. Her work is rich with the themes of her Colombian heritage, bringing in the vivid imagery and cultural echoes that ground her poetry. These elements make her poems feel both earthy and ethereal, rooted in the physical world while reaching for something transcendent.

At its heart, Burn After Reading is a meditation on human relationships and the cycles of nature. The collection is divided into five sections—Ignite, Illuminate, Burn, Embers, and Ashes—each mirroring the cyclical nature of creation, destruction, and rebirth. This structure not only lends a natural rhythm to the book but also serves as a metaphor for the emotional landscapes Henriquez explores. From the initial sparks of new beginnings to the glowing warmth of love, the scorching pain of loss, and the cooling ashes of acceptance, each section guides readers through the stages of transformation.

In the Ignite section, Jessica explores the moments that light us up—the initial connections and passions that mark the beginning of something new. Here, she captures the thrill of new love, the rush of inspiration, and the energy of potential. Her language is vivid and filled with the vibrancy of life, evoking the feeling of a flame catching on dry wood. Yet, there’s an undercurrent of awareness that every beginning holds within it the possibility of an end, a thread she subtly weaves through these early poems.

As the collection progresses into Illuminate and Burn, the tone deepens and the themes become more introspective. Here, Jessica doesn’t shy away from the darker aspects of love and loss, exposing the wounds that come from loving deeply and living fully. Her prose poems delve into the pain of grief and the weight of generational trauma, exploring how the past lingers in our present. But even as she writes about sorrow and heartache, there’s a sense of light—a determination to find clarity and meaning in these difficult moments. The imagery of light is central in this section, suggesting a glimmer of hope even amidst the darkness.

In the Burn section, readers encounter some of the most raw and intense poems in the collection. Jessica’s language becomes more visceral, reflecting the consuming nature of pain and transformation. Here, she uses erasure poetry to strip down her thoughts to their essence, revealing the truths that lie beneath the surface. It’s a technique that invites readers to engage more actively with the text, to read between the lines and discover hidden meanings. The experience is akin to sifting through ashes for remnants of what once was, searching for something enduring amid the ruins.

As the flames die down, the collection moves into Embers and Ashes, where the focus shifts from the destruction itself to what remains after. These sections are quieter, more reflective, allowing for moments of introspection and the possibility of renewal. In Embers, Jessica captures the lingering warmth of memory and the ways in which we carry our past with us, even as we begin to heal. Her poems here are softer, filled with a sense of acceptance, suggesting that even in the aftermath of loss, there is still beauty to be found.

The final section, Ashes, is a meditation on what it means to rise from the remains of one’s former self. Here, Jessica’s words are stripped of excess, leaving only the essence of her message—a quiet but powerful affirmation that healing is possible, even after the deepest losses. These poems carry a weight of wisdom, offering solace to those who have been through their own fires. They serve as a reminder that while the process of transformation is painful, it is also necessary, leading to a more resilient and authentic self.

Throughout Burn After Reading, Jessica Ciencin Henriquez plays with form in ways that add depth and complexity to her themes. Her use of prose poetry creates a sense of intimacy, drawing readers into her narrative as if listening to a close friend share their thoughts. The inclusion of erasure poetry is particularly striking, allowing readers to experience the act of finding clarity through the removal of what is no longer needed—a process that mirrors the themes of letting go and starting anew that run through the collection.

What makes Burn After Reading stand out is its ability to speak to the universal while remaining deeply rooted in the particular. Jessica’s exploration of her own heritage and personal history enriches the work, adding layers of cultural and spiritual significance. Her poems are infused with a sense of place, the rhythms of her Colombian roots blending with the broader cycles of nature. This grounding gives her work a timeless quality, as though the poems themselves have grown out of the earth.

In conclusion, Burn After Reading is a profound exploration of what it means to heal, to find strength in vulnerability, and to rise from the ashes of one’s former self. Jessica Ciencin Henriquez’s poetry invites readers to reflect on their own journeys, offering both comfort and challenge. It is a collection that celebrates the beauty in both destruction and rebirth, a testament to the power of words to light the way through even the darkest of times. For anyone who has ever faced loss, searched for meaning, or longed for transformation, Burn After Reading is a companion for the journey, a book that burns with the warmth of human connection and the promise of new beginnings.

I have been a long-time reader of Jessica’s work, but Burn After Reading feels like something wholly different, something deeper. There's a calrity and an intense intimacy in these poems that makes it impossible not to feel personally connected to the author. I can't imagine what she left on the editing floor because she shows you, me, us, the reader, her whole soul. The way she strips away layer after layer through her micro poetry (I'm not sure what that form is called), especially in the poems like 'Pray' and 'Less than Sin' and 'carrying you home,' is haunting. It’s like she’s capturing the fragility of memory, but more than that this whole book is an offerring, to honor what remains after loss. This book reads like a love letter to life, which she specifically says in the acknowledgement and that felt right. I found myself sitting with my own thoughts long after putting this book down. This collection is brave, there's no other way to say it, even if that word is overused especially for women writers. There is not a single subject that Jessica won't tackle with honesty that, at times, hurts. This collection reads like a rebirth and I feel fortunate to have read it. I look forward to seeing the final cover!

This debut poetry collection was a powerful blend of form and feeling, the author navigated between prose and erasure poetry with ease. The way Henriquez uses these forms allowed for a unique reading experience challenging the reader to absorb what’s said and what’s deliberately left unspoken. The erasure poems, in particular, offer a fresh and innovative way to experience poetry—they add layers to the collection, encouraging a reflective engagement with the text. Each word feels purposeful, making the reader feel like they’re uncovering hidden truths with each turn of the page. This was a soul-baring collection that was able to maintain specficity to the author's life while allowing the reader to find connective tissue from the first poem to the last. I would recommend this book to readers who are drawn to poetry that tackles deeper questions of consciousness, particularly those who appreciate the work of poets like Ada Limón, and Nayyirah Waheed.

I devoured this book in a weekend and can’t wait to dive back in. Burn After Reading is a collection that reached deep into my soul, stirring up everything that had gone stagnant. Jessica Ciencin Henriquez effortlessly crafts moments of intimacy without making the reader feel like they've been involved in a drive-by oversharing. Instead, she creates an emotional landscape that left me both gutted and profoundly seen.

The way Henriquez captures both the intensity of starting life with excitement and wonder, as well as the quiet resignation of loss, failure, and death, feels deeply visceral. This collection pulls at every emotion and invites you to sit with them.

Her use of erasure poetry reveals layers of meaning hidden in the unsaid. I’ve never seen erasure done with such elegance—it’s seamless, though I imagine so much careful consideration went into each 'burnt' poem.

Henriquez’s work feels like a deep meditation. It’s as if she’s asking you to sit with her through both her life, her grief and her healing. Her straightforward writing reminds me of poets like Sharon Olds, but her fearless bluntness—especially in the poem Before—creates a rare bond between reader and writer that reminds me of the comfort of Mary Oliver.

This collection isn’t just a read—it’s an experience. Henriquez keeps you tethered to her with every page. Many of these poems will stay with me for a long time.