The Other Side of Crazy

by Jodie Toohey

This second poetry collection by author Jodie Toohey explores, though poetry, the craziness of modern day life. It includes the prize-winning poem, "Out of the Blue."

Genres: Poetry

60 pages, Paperback

First published August 19, 2013

About the author

Jodie Toohey is the owner and operator of Wordsy Woman Author Services, a company that helps authors, soon-to-be authors, and want-to-be authors from pre-idea to readers with craft advice, revision and editing services, and book marketing planning services. She is the author of seven books, three poetry collections - Crush and Other Love Poems for Girls, The Other Side of Crazy, and Versed in Nature: Hiking Northwest Illinois and West Iowa State Parks - and three novels - Missing Emily: Croatian Life Letters, Melody Madson - May It Please the Court?, Taming the Twisted, and Taming the Twisted 2 Reconstructing Rain. Jodie lives with her family in Davenport, Iowa.

Reviews

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

*DISCLOSURE* - I won this book as a Good Reads "First Read" giveaway.

Let me begin by saying that I am no English Literature major, just a fan of good poetry.

Mrs. Toohey has put together a very eclectic collection of emotional poems. This collection covers everything from lost love, death, bubble baths, and fishing with family to advertisements for depression medication. There were several poems here that I was especially fond of, namely “When You Couldn’t Go Back” and “Used To It”. If these poems are a look into her soul, she has had much heartache. I have had this book for less than 48 hours and have read over it numerous times.

I intend to pass it along when I am finished, but it may be awhile. It is a wonderful collection that I highly recommend to anyone who is a fan of emotional poetry.

[Addie LeMaster · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was dark but relaxing at the same time. Loved it.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Other Side of Crazy is a short collection of poems about daily life. Sounds kind of boring, right? Not so, Ms. Toohey manages to pull in a depth of feeling tugging on our heart with a few, brief words. And with those feelings connects us all in the pain and joy that we all have experienced at one time or another. My favorite poems were: When You Could Go Back, Love of the Unlived, Arrival and Picture.

[Shelley Little · Rating 5 out of 5]

Toohey has an amazing quality as a writer that is rare. She is able to take the ordinary moments of human existence and turn them into poetry that gets to the core of who we truly are; She pulls out emotions that we all have felt at some time or another in our lives, but were unable to put into words.