The Music Was Just Getting Good

by Alicia Cook

Some good things must come to an end, for new things to begin. Poet Alicia Cook explores this grievous emotion in her latest and final mixtape collection, The Music Was Just Getting Good .

Alicia Cook is back with her highly anticipated final poetic mixtape, The Music Was Just Getting Good. Following in the footsteps of her first two installments, Stuff I’ve Been Feeling Lately (2016) and Sorry I Haven’t Texted You Back (2020), Cook is closing out her trilogy with a poignant and all too relatable look at the ebbs and flows of life. And why, even during our most difficult seasons, a better day can appear just around the corner.
 
Spread across 184 tracks (92 poems and 92 blackout poems), each paired with an accompanying song, Cook returns to her evergreen themes of mental health, hope, and recovery, and reminds readers that grief is not reserved solely for death. We may grieve who we used to be, moments that never came to pass, physical places, and, of course, people; people who’ve died, but also those who left, and those we had to leave behind.
 
A stunning closing number in a timely and necessary collection of work, The Music Was Just Getting Good is the balm your soul has been waiting for.

Genres: Poetry, Music, Art, Nonfiction

240 pages, Paperback

Published January 9, 2024

About the author

Alicia Cook is a multi-award-winning writer and poet based in Newark, New Jersey. Her writing often focuses on addiction, mental health, and grief – sometimes all at once. She is the curly-haired human behind the poetry books Stuff I've Been Feeling Lately, I Hope My Voice Doesn't Skip, Sorry I Haven't Texted You Back, and The Music Was Just Getting Good. Her work has been adapted into music and dance, and has been published in a number of anthologies, as well as in The New York Times, The Asbury Park Press, and Writer’s Digest. Her most recent poetry award is the 2026 Central Avenue Poetry Prize for her poem "The Squirrel Made His Way."

Reviews

[Reading_ Tamishly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yes, I would totally agree that some poetry in this collection do sound a little too childish and forced. However, as someone who has been reading the author’s work for years now I would say the author has come a long way and it’s been reflected in the writing in most of these poems.

If you are someone who feel like you are the only one suffering and lonely and misunderstood, I would say books like this help when nothing else can. If you love works by Amanda Lovelace, just go for this collection when it comes out.

Thank you, Andrews McMeel, for the advance reading copy.

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Filled with powerful emotions for sure. Slightly uneven delivery for me on Side A - some excellent, some not as much, but the blackout poetry of Side B was phenomenal.

4 stars.

[Marge Moen · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘live inside a slow-drip apocalypse’ - perfect! #track49

[Yves V.H. [Slow reading] · Rating 4 out of 5]

The beauty of poetry is that you could say the simplest phrases and it will either break or make your heart. I like the style of Alicia but sometimes it could get too wordy and because of that it either loses its appeal or confuse me.

🌸 Thank you Netgalley and Alicia Cook for the copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own

[Alisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alicia Cook’s new poetry collection. I’ve read her stuff before and I liked it but this collection just struck a chord with me. This focuses a lot on themes of grief, depression, adulthood and nostalgia, but also through it all on healing and hope. I kid you not, there wasn’t a single poem out of 184 poems that I didn’t like or that didn’t resonate. I think I just found my favourite poetry collection of all time.
Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone whose interest in poetry is generally nonexistent, I was surprised by how well this held my attention.

I love the idea of pairing poems with a related playlist, and though the connection from poem to song is more evident for some tracks than others, the concept is a good one and well-executed.

I thought the accompanying playlist itself was a good one, plenty of variety in terms of genre and era. And while I and I think most people I know use Spotify for streaming, I wish the playlist was on other streaming platforms as well, so that anyone might enjoy the book and its accompaniment regardless of which streaming service they use.

184 “tracks” felt like a bit much, if for no other reason than that it’s so far beyond what would fit on a mix tape. Would that we as teens growing up in the mixtape age (or in my case, mix cd) would have been able to include this many tracks. I also think it waters down the quality to include such a huge volume, though I’m by no means an expert on poetry so I’ll refrain from criticism in that regard.

Overall, great concept structurally, and I love that the playlist pairings make it feel a bit interactive for the reader.

*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

[Hailey Kroll · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alicia Cook has an incredible knack of painting a story throughout her poems, incorporating a line or stanza that really really strikes a chord. I absolutely adored many poems in side A, more so than I thought I would, but side B was disappointing. The blackout poems felt disappointing and bland, honestly out of place in the same book as the other poems.

[Reb · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 Stars.

Short and sweet poetry is starting to become my new favourite thing.

[BookishStitcher]

It feels wrong to rate someone's grief poetry. Something so deeply personal. As with all poems there are ones I loved and ones I found okay.

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this collection. It was written beautifully and I loved the layout. I really felt connected to some of these poems. I want to go back and read the other collections in this set of poetry collections. I’m adding this one to my shelves.

[Tee Lundrigan · Rating 5 out of 5]

It took me an embarrasingly long time to finish this not because it wasn't amazing but because this particular poetry book has a somg attached to each poem and needs to be thoroughly enjoyed.

I ended up adding quite a few somgs to my playlist and I csn hardly wait to grt my hands on some of her others.

[Juuu · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first read of the year.

It proved to be a delightful choice that lived up to its promising book description on Goodreads. Having requested an advance reader copy (ARC) last year, my anticipation was met with a collection of poems that resonated deeply with me.

Last year, I tried to delve into poetry, seeking a channel to articulate the surging emotions and thoughts that seemed to overwhelm me in the final months. It was reminiscent of how, back in high school, writing poetry became my solace when words failed to find an outlet.

This particular book rekindled that creative spark for me even before its official publication. What captivated me most was how each poem was inspired by songs, making them impactful. The inclusion of blackout poetry in the latter section of the book struck me as both incredibly innovative and artistically captivating.

To anyone seeking a fusion of lyrical inspiration and innovative creativity, I highly recommend giving this book a read.

Thank you Netgalley, author Alicia Cook, and Andrews McMeel Publishing for the arc.

[shaelene · Rating 5 out of 5]

absolutely breathtaking

[mylsmm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good book one of my favorite free verse books I have read

[Soé Abreu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alicia Cook’s third and last book of her poetry collection of Mixtapes, walks into the emotions faced through grief. In this one the author shares about mental health and how grief doesn’t have a timeline. It also shares how you can even grief places, relationships, and experiences.

I felt most of those poems very deeply, all the types and stages of grief. It is a little heavy to read if you’re not prepared to face those emotions, that’s why it has a trigger warning.

With that being said I give this book 4/5.

Thank you Netgalley and Alicia Cook for the ARC.💖

[T. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I liked the first few poems a lot, it started getting redundant too soon. I liked the blackout concept and it worked. I just wish the overarching mix tape idea followed the reality of mix tapes and maybe edited the book down to like 10-20 poems per side rather than twice that. I think that would have filtered out some of the lesser quality poems and I would have felt less bored by 20% in.

I did like some poems a lot, but again, they felt lost in what kind of read as a journal of all the unfinished or apocryphal poems you usually don’t get with a poetry collection.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

[elisa⋆₊˚౨ৎ · Rating 2 out of 5]

“Listen to me.
I am not the clearing in the forest. I am the havoc and brush that keeps you lost. I am not clear water.
I am zero visibility, and you will drown.“

Each poem in The Music Was Just Getting Good is accompanied by a song that fits the content and vibe. This feature drew me to the book, and I really enjoyed it at first, but after a while, it got tiresome looking up all the songs. Therefore, I continued reading most of the collection without paying much attention to the songs.

There are some gems scattered in this poetry collection, however, I am sad to say that, overall, I was rather disappointed. I think I would have enjoyed it much more if Alicia Cook had split the book into parts for each theme mentioned. Without it, it was hard getting lost between the pages, relating to them, and feeling all the emotions.

[Julie Kristine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you, NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing, for letting me read The Music Was Just Getting Good I'm exchange for an honest review!!

I think this is a really good poetry collection! I love the cassette tape structure, where Side A has 92 poems, all titled "track 1", "track 2" and so on. I could really relate to the narrator a lot of the time, and I saved so many of these poems as bookmarks! How er, Side B was my favourite, as all of the 92 tracks here were blackout poems! I loved reading those, and it's inspired me, as I now want to rest to create some blackout poems myself!! As much as I enjoyed Side A, I wouldn't have minded if the entire collection was blackout poetry... 😁

Solid collection, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 from me!

[Irono Yami · Rating 3 out of 5]

i found a few poetry on A Side beautiful, and i loved the idea of B Side, mainly because it was named "The Remixes" because i'm pretty sure that's not how Black Out Poetry works...
(and i guess it's nice for those who can't read black out poetry to list all of them at the end, but it made me question why i even bother reading those 92 individually)

[Mairwen Minson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an ARC via NetGalley for an honest review.

The third and last of a mixtape poetry series, The Music Was Just Getting Good is 184 poems paired with songs. There are 92 poems and 92 blackout poems, divided between Side A of the collection and Side B (a break in the book). The poems are labeled track one, track two, etc. with the paired songs at the bottom of the poem. And the songs will be compiled into a playlist on Spotify to listen along to when the collection is released. The poems deal with heavy material such as domestic abuse, death, grief, mental health struggles, and others. Some of the poems are from the perspective of suffering from those situations, but there are also many healing poems so the collection is not too sad or weighty, in my opinion. There are also some poems that focus on other themes, but the collection does start with a reminder to take breaks if you need to.

I loved the song pairings so much. There are so many artists that I would not otherwise have considered listening to or know about. The songs are a fun collection themselves, from a song in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer musical episode to Kendrick Lamar to Kelsea Ballerini and many others.

The poems are in a variety of formats and structures. I think that the poems were also paired to the different structures in a great way. The stanzas versus verse paragraphs or free verse poems match the meaning and vibe of the poems and augment the messages. Most of the poems are pretty short but they pack a punch for sure.

The poems are not super high in imagery, more matter-of-fact and direct which works for the situations that the poems discuss. There were some poems that really stood out to me. Track Sixteen on Side A really captures the older sister's life and pairing it with Surface Pressure from Encanto was perfect. Track Seventeen on Side A resonated with me on living with a constant, intrusive internal monologue. Track 58 on Side A was a really wonderful reminder that when living with mental health issues simply trying is progress and that celebrating the small victories is important. The poem was really universal, some of the poems feel quite personal, but this one and others could resonate with anyone who has similar experiences. Track 83 was a look at setting boundaries for yourself while caring and loving others which can be something that is really overlooked, but so important for self-care. Though I really liked some of the poems on Side A, Side B, the blackout poems made from the Side A poems, were all really good. Reading both sides made the blackout poems really powerful, even though they are talking about different things, and the song pairings on this side were even better. I struggle with blackout poems sometimes as in the wild they can feel so disconnected, but this whole collection sang together.

This collection was a great combination of poems and songs. And the poems really flowed together moving through the sides. The themes, while frequently quite heavy, did not overwhelm and did not mire the reader in the feelings, tying the sad with the uplifting. I liked this collection a lot.

[Jenny Radloff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dieser Gedichtband enthält 184 Gedichte, jedes davon kombiniert mit einem Lied. Die ersten 92 Gedichte handeln von Verlust in all seinen verschiedenen Variationen; Verlust eines Partners durch eine Trennung oder durch den Tod, Verlust eines Familienmitglieds o.ä. Die Autorin erinnert sich an Szenen aus der gemeinsamen Vergangenheit, beschreibt ihren Schmerz oder ihren Kampf, jeden Tag aufs Neue zu bestehen. Dabei thematisiert sie auch den gesellschaftlichen Druck, nach einer gewissen Zeit weiter zu leben und nach vorn zu sehen, obwohl man den Verlust innerlich noch nicht verarbeitet hat, und Gefühle wie Depressionen.
Im Anschluss daran hat die Autorin auf der "B-Seite" einen Großteil der Verse der 92 Gedichte unkenntlich gemacht, sodass nur einzelne Wörter übrig bleiben. Jedes Gedicht wird so auf einen Satz oder ein paar wenige Wörter reduziert, welche das ursprüngliche Gedicht noch einmal zusammen fassen, ergänzen oder eine positive Wendung darstellen. Hierzu gibt es erneut 92 neue Lieder.

Mir hat diese Gedichtsammlung gut gefallen. Ich mochte die Thematik und die Kombination von Lyrik mit Liedern, welche meist die Stimmung des Gedichts auffingen. Auch die Idee von "Blackout-Gedichten" war sehr interessant und ich war beeindruckt, wie hierdurch die ursprünglichen Gedichte in einem neuen Blickwinkel erschienen. Insgesamt konnten mich einige Gedichte emotional nicht ganz erreichen. Dennoch hat mir dieses Buch sehr gefallen.

Ich vergebe empfehlenswerte 4,5 Sterne.


In English:

This volume of poetry contains 184 poems, each combined with a song. The first 92 poems are about loss in all its different variations; Loss of a partner through a separation or death, loss of a family member, etc. The author remembers scenes from their shared past, describes her pain or her struggle to survive every day anew. She also addresses the social pressure to continue living after a certain period of time and to look forward, even though one has not yet internally processed the loss, and feelings such as depression.
The author then redacted most of the verses of the 92 poems on the "B-side" so that only individual words remain. Each poem is reduced to a sentence or a few words that summarize the original poem, complement it or represent a positive twist. There are again 92 new songs.

I really liked this collection of poems. I liked the theme and the combination of poetry with songs, which mostly captured the mood of the poem. The idea of "blackout poems" was also very interesting and I was impressed by how it made the original poems appear in a new perspective. Overall, some poems didn't quite reach me emotionally. Nevertheless, I really liked this book.

I give it a recommended 4.5 stars.

[Jxn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alicia Cook's latest poetry collection, "The Music Was Just Getting Good," is the final installment in her highly anticipated mixtape trilogy. Following the success of her previous works, "Stuff I’ve Been Feeling Lately" (2016) and "Sorry I Haven’t Texted You Back" (2020), Cook once again captivates readers with her profound insights into the ups and downs of life. Through her evocative verses, she reminds us that even in our darkest moments, a glimmer of hope can appear just around the corner. Comprised of 184 tracks, consisting of 92 poems and 92 blackout poems, Cook tackles timeless themes such as mental health, hope, and recovery. However, what sets this collection apart is her exploration of grief beyond the realm of death. Cook delves into the multifaceted nature of grieving, illustrating that we mourn not only the loss of loved ones but also the loss of our former selves, missed opportunities, physical places, and relationships we've had to let go. The juxtaposition of each poem with an accompanying song elevates the reading experience to a new level. The melodies and lyrics resonate with the emotions embedded in Cook's words, creating a harmonious blend of literary and musical artistry. This unique approach allows readers to immerse themselves fully in the profound depths of every composition. "The Music Was Just Getting Good" stands as a stunning final act in Cook's trilogy, addressing the core aspects of the human experience with raw authenticity. Her words serve as a healing balm, offering solace to weary souls in need of comfort and understanding. Through her masterful storytelling, Cook reminds us that we are not alone in our struggles and that there is always hope for brighter days ahead. In a world where vulnerability and self-reflection are often overlooked, Cook fearlessly exposes the complexities of human emotions, leaving readers with a sense of connection and reassurance. Her poetic finesse and ability to articulate the universal truths of life make "The Music Was Just Getting Good" a necessary and timely addition to any bookshelf. In conclusion, Alicia Cook's "The Music Was Just Getting Good" is an exceptional book that seamlessly weaves together poetry, music, and the human experience. It serves as a powerful reminder that even amidst life's trials, hope is never far away. This collection is a testament to Cook's immense talent as a writer and will undoubtedly leave a lasting impact on anyone who embarks on this lyrical journey.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have not read nor enjoyed poetry so much in a very long time.

With grief fresh in my heart, some of these poems reached deep down into my soul.

Side A was fantastic, and it took me a poem (or 3) to realise side B was a blackout version of side A. This new concept of blackout poetry was intriguing.

Mental health being explored made this even more poignant. Nothing, not a thought, not a feeling, not a doubt, was left out. The pages came alive, and at some points, I could not breathe. Some points I needed to stop to just cry and let that heavy grief lift slightly. Some points made me laugh.

Track 31, 34, and 70 are my favourites. They spoke to me the most.
31: "so when one person dies, a little bit of everyone they ever touched dies along with them"- I cried, no, I sobbed, with the realisation that my heart will forever have a missing piece, and nothing can ever fill that hole.
34: "I am not desentized, I am burnt out" "overwhelmed... tired... exhausted... hives... snapping... apologizing... weird dreams... crying... feeling like the end of the world is at my doorstep" - I felt seen. I could exhale that breath that I've been holding on to for too long. I felt hopeful.
70: "When you hear their belly laugh, smell their scent, swear you see them in a crowd, and your brain forgets for less than a second and you lose them all over again"- the cyclical nightmare that seems never ending. I feel less alone, less crazy, that it is not all just in my head. My thoughts and feelings are valid.

The only reason I do not rate this as a 5 star is that I would have preferred for the blackout to be after the original. 2 sides of the same coin, or should I say tape, yet I had to flip back and forth. I understand why it was done this way, for flow and continuity. However, I wanted to see both sides together

Finally, the music- rhythms, tunes, and lyrics made this book of poetry so much more interesting and emotional. Each song enhanced the meaning of each line, and deeply (in no other words that I can use to describe this feeling) tickled my brain!

4.5/5 stars

[Crystal Bishop · Rating 3 out of 5]

I will give this book of poetry 3 out of 5 stars. We're I only reviewing "side a", this book would relieve 5 out of 5 stars. As is, I must also review "side b" and that takes 2 stars away because that side deserves 2 stars. Let me start with "side a". Very poignant, very piercing. My warning is this: if you have jagged edges on whatever grief you are experiencing or have experienced, you are not yet ready to read these poems. If your grief is softened by time or something else, these poems will bring it back to clarity. These poems will make you question if you are sure there really are no more jagged edges. The author warns you at the very beginning to take your time, to take breaks when you need to. That warning is not a joke. I had to take several breaks because of the way the words were tearing and ripping at my heart. And it's a slow burn to get where you may need a break. I never saw it coming until it hit me hard. Like a fine aged scotch or whiskey. And don't drink while you read these poems, that will just make it worse. This is powerfully written with the perfect edge.
Now for "side b". Tracking the words of the blackout poems to read them gave me a headache. I feel the author would have done better just calling them poignant quotes and putting just the words to read and none of the blackout part on the page. I know I would have appreciated it better. The words themselves, once I figured them out, were mostly just as compelling as the full poems.
I did not know there was a key after the blackout poems so I could just read the words. That was smart thinking but would have been better had the start of "side b" mentioned that this was available and what page to find it. I did like that the author accompanied each poem with a mention of the song she was listening to. I did not make the choice to also look up and listen to the songs but I would bet that each poem is likely more powerful if the reader does choose to do that.
Thank you @NetGalley and @Andrews McMeel Publishing for the DRC. I am choosing to write an honest review.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

The conclusion collection to our poetry mixtape trilogy. I feel like I've been through a lot with Alicia since I first started reading these. And, I don't just mean me personally- I feel like reader and author have been quite a journey. But maybe that's just because I was really impressed with her and read all the acknowledgements (something I never do), followed along and became more aware of her advocacy for drug addiction and how it impacts others. (Yes, I even read her non-fiction book surrounding heroin) And, now, after all that we're at our last mixtape.

I have to say, I did go back through and look at my reviews of the first two books. What I found really interesting was both times I said I liked the remixes more. And, I do still really like Side B; I continue to be fascinated by the black out poetry. Some find it hard to follow but I think that's sort of what I enjoy about it, you have to follow along. The poems aren't always so easily right there, sometimes you have to piece the letters/ words together before you have the full picture. I also love, LOVE the "Blackout Poetry Key" at the back of the book. There's just something so satisfying about seeing all the 'answers' right there for me to highlight my favorites.

But! I think I actually liked Side A more this time. Initially I wasn't sure I liked the book as much has the others. But, after finishing it, I can see that marked almost every page. Sometimes I feel like with Alicia Cook books that the entire book is one big mark for me. Seriously these books are tabbed all up. Side A's poems were longer, they were the originals after all but I don't think them being longer is what did it for me. Longer yes, but meatier. Some of these poems were down right heavy.

I feel like this collection in general was heavier than the others have been too. Like I said, we've been through a lot. But, she said so many good things. It's a bit of a bittersweet ending. I'm curious to see where things take Alicia next.

[Seher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for the chance to read and review ‘The Music Was Just Getting Good’ by Alicia Cook.

The Music Was Just Getting Good is Alicia Cook’s fourth and final installation in her mixtape series. She does seem to have her devotees; her books average around 3.9 stars on Goodreads, based on 600 to 5300+ reviews. Those who like her style, will like her style. This last book comes out on the 9th of January, is 242 pages long, and like the others in the series is published by Andrews McMeel. The book is not available on Kindle Unlimited.

The style of the series is interesting; the book is divided into two sides. Side A has 91 poems, none of which have a title but are called Track 1, Track 2 and so on. Each of these “tracks” is accompanied with a song, which is an interesting way to read these poems. The second half of the book, called ‘Side B’, is a series of blackout poems based on the original 91 tracks. However, in this second half, each of the poems has different songs than the first.

To be clear, I absolutely love Track 27 and I think Alicia Cook has some real gems in this collection. I understand why her fans love her.

That being said, I believe that this collection needed to be edited significantly.

91 poems and then 91 blackout poems don’t seem to be a lot and then you open the book and they become a lot, especially when the same couple of themes are repeated again and again. Had the author halved the number of poems, the remaining ones would have been given the ability to shine individually instead of being lost in this sea of tracks instead of letting things become repetitive.

[McKenzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cook has grown a lot as a poet, and I feel this collection showcases her at her best. Writing on grief in its many forms (and causes), these poems are highly relatable. Her language and imagery is accessible, which makes her work appealing to a wide audience. This is definitely my favorite of all of her books, though admittedly some pieces are stronger than others. She has a mix of "I'm so sad" vibes and "it gets better" vibes--though I felt her "it gets better" poems often came across as bland and ingenuine. Still, there are some really special pieces in here. The way she writes about depression and grief gives voice to feelings most of us struggle to put into words--there were several times when I found myself nodding along and thinking "yes, that's exactly it!"
The second half of the book is blackout poetry created from the pieces in the first half. Honestly, I could have done without those altogether. I know it's part of the concept of these mix-tape books, but the poems in the second half are nothing special--most of them sound like pseudo-poetic things you might find in graphics on Pinterest. It's possible that blackout poetry just isn't for me, though--if you love it, maybe you'll find some gems I missed.
Overall, I'm happy to have this book in my collection (I both read a digital version from Netgalley and purchased a physical copy for myself) and will likely revisit my favorites often.

[readwithrishika · Rating 5 out of 5]

summary: so this a poetry collection featuring topics like motherhood, trauma, greif, womanhood, and loss.

footnotes: there are two sections of this book. the first is regular poetry, adn the second is blackout poetry, the poems are repeated from the first section, but most of it is "blacked out" or highlighted in black so you can't read it. the remaining words make a sentence or phrase, often more cutting than the original poem and offering a second layer of thinking.

thoughts: i think this is by far one of the top 3 poetry collections i have ever read. the poems were short enough that i didn't get bored, but long enough that i got the detail i wanted. the blackout poetry especially helped me gain a new understanding of what the author was thinking and feeling. i felt like i was with my best friend, going through a box of polaroids from back when we were teenagers, the whole time i was reading, the text was never once judgy or harsh, even when the author was talking about mistakes she made, it was in a tone that was reflective, not harsh which i loved so much, it felt like i got a peek inside her brain. truly, one of the best collections out there, i highly highly recommend everyone reads it.

[Krisi Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

I am not a poetry person, but I really enjoyed reading these and then the mixtape side B version with other messages was so creative and well done. I love that Cook put what song she was listening to at the bottom of each Track.
What a creative and good into back into the poetry world.

A few of my favorites

Track Five
Track Five Remix “I will love you in the afterlife, no matter how lonely”
Track Fourteen
Track Thirty-One “Grief is like a yawn— contagious; involuntary triggered when we see another person in mourning. We grieve their loss. We bury our dead all over again. We imagine loss we haven’t lived through yet. What is both frustrating and comforting about the ripple effect of the grief wave is that it happens because our hearts are linked.”
Track Thirty-Nine
Track Forty-Six
Track Seventy-Six
Track Ninety-One “I am not brave. I am patient with my panic”. “ I’m not brave. I’m purposeful. I’m patient. I’m disciplined in the art of doing things scared”.
Track Ninety-One Remix “Brace sadness activates brave art”.
Track Ninety-Two

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

“When some were still new enough to cry over losing balloons to the sky, I was losing people.”

Took a little detour from the reading routine I’ve been following the last few days to check out this poetry book. Exploring themes of mental health, addiction, and grief this collection has a poem that will hit home for everyone.

I loved the formatting of this book. “Side A” consists of a collection of poems (titled as tracks), each paired with a song that goes into the same theme. “Side B” consists of blackout poems formed from the original poems from Side A.

I personally found myself able to relate to the majority of the poems in this collection and I really appreciate the contrast between heartbreaking prose and humor. I would absolutely purchase this book to re-read later on.

“The basement door isn’t the only thing in this house that has become unhinged.”

The Music Was Just Getting Good will be available January 9th, 2024.

Thank you to Andrew McMeel Publishing and Netgalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!