Redhead and the Slaughter King

by Megan Falley

The dark, sexy, and dangerous landscape of Redhead & the Slaughter King is illuminated by its truth-slinging author, Megan Falley. More than a collection of poems, this book serves as a survival guide for anyone who has ever been a daughter. Knotted with gritty tales of addiction, mental illness, and girlhood, Redhead and the Slaughter King is the prequel to every time someone asked the question, “how the hell did I end up here?”

Genres: Poetry, LGBT

89 pages, Paperback

First published October 15, 2014

About the author

After receiving her degree in English Literature and Creative Writing from the State University of New York at New Paltz, Megan left her college town slam poet legacy for a bigger stage in NYC. Since then she has been published in a party of literary magazines including PANK, The Legendary, Kill Author, decomP magazinE, and The Literary Bohemian. In 2010 she recorded a CD, A Damsel's Guide to Distress, whose tracks were featured on the spoken word podcast IndieFeed. Falley is best known for her fearlessness in subject matter, metaphor and performance.

Reviews

[Dannii Elle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating 4.5/5 stars.

Raw power contained upon the page.

[Lizzie S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Redhead and the Slaughter King is a book of poetry by one of my favorite poets, Megan Falley. Her work is beautiful, painful, and intimate, and I made my way through this book in less than a day. One of my favorites.

Content warning: substance use, sexual assault

[Courtney LeBlanc · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Megan Falley's 2nd book of poetry and once again she delivers with a powerful collection. Megan is an excellent poet who captures feeling and meaning in every poem. Some punch you in the stomach with their strength and others are more subtle yet no less impressive and powerful. Megan Falley remains one of my favorite poets and her 2nd book does not fail to deliver. Read this book, you'll be glad you did.

[Donald Armfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the slaughter or the roast of the family left behind but at the same time an apology. There is only a handful of poems I did not care for. Megan Falley is the Red-Headed poet who puts all her dishes on the table and serves you a fresh voice of poetry with every bite being an exquisite taste.

Section III of this collection is amazing!

Top Favorites
- Balance
- Cutting School
- Golden Boy
- Portrait of my Brother as a Tree
- Dinner with Symbolism
- The Closet

[Molly Roach · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection was so powerful and hit me hard. The poems were raw and filled to the brim with grief and pain and love. There’s also a veiled sense of, shame maybe, at the telling of stories that do not belong to her fully, but have clearly impacted her greatly. I think she finds a beautiful balance in these feelings. Stellar.

[Summer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full of heartbreaking poems about loving someone with addiction and love in a broken family. This is the authors second volume of poetry, and while I loved the first one more she doesn’t disappoint here.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Megan Falley is my new favorite poet and this is such a lovely collection of her work - thematic but not stiflingly so, clear and self-reflective but not sentimental.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Knows no bounds

Every daughter Will feel the poem about her mother's Alzheimer's diagnosis; and many other parts of the book. Poetic brilliance

[Elena Martinez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honest.

[Loren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Megan Falley is an absolute master of language and imagery.

[Leigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm in love with Megan Falley.

[Claudia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful poetry that really captivates her life and provides an easy to follow storyline

[Gilly Halper · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite poets of all time. Brilliant. Only critique I have is that while I read I’m distracted by how badly i wish I could write like her

[Erin Henry · Rating 3 out of 5]

5 for beautiful wording but 3 for hopelessness and depression. I wish this family had had Jesus.

[stace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely undone by Meg’s way with words. INJECT IT INTO MY VEINS! 🩸

[Taryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection is incredible. It takes place in reverse chronological order, so it feels a little like a mystery when you're reading it. I also love how many of the poems look at the previous poem in a new way. One poem often cannot reveal the complexity of a situation, so I like that Megan Falley reexamines the topics that she is so compelled to write about. These poems are powerful, blending words together that you never knew were so right together until you've seen them side by side. From the very first poem, "Backhanded Apology", these poems just flow into each other and pull you in with them. Do yourself a favor and spend the money on this one. You won't regret it.

[Kendall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Falley repeatedly punches you in the gut with each poem. Every blow seems harder than the last, and she doesn't hold back. Her honesty and candid nature are what make her one of the very best poets in the business right now. "Redhead and the Slaughter King" is devastating and visceral, and while it might seem hard to find a ray of light among the deep weight of these poems, beauty can be found within the darkness, and that is why this book is such a triumph. It is Falley's best work.

[Tabitha · Rating 2 out of 5]

The title of this book is really the best part - bold, whimsical, and intriguing. The poems within... not so much. The book is really comprised of four basic poems (her mother's pill and love problems, her brother's substance abuse, her parent's failed marriage, and her guilt) which then have a few words changed before being copied to the next page.

I love Megan Falley's spoken word... this not so much.

[Megan RFA · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe should be a 3.5. This collection is at least as strong as her first, though it was inconsistent from poem to poem. Strong opening, sagging middle, bold finish. Sections III and I were my favorites.

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

So happy I got around to finishing this book of poetry. This is the first book of poetry I've ever read from front to back, so that's exciting. :) I met Megan when she visited my school last year.

[behsforensics]

Cutting is for My Brother’s Funerals (from The Redhead and the Slaughter King) By Megan Falley

[Stephanie M. Wytovich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunning.