This Is How You Survive

by Lana Rafaela Cindric

Bad news: No one is coming to save you.

Good news: You can save yourself.


THIS IS HOW YOU SURVIVE is a poetry collection of moments and a happy book before anything else.

With poems such as "I Think It's Brave" and "You Can Save Yourself," This Is How You Survive represents the circular journey of life. It does not shy away from grief and healing, or joy and anger.

It simply accepts them as they are.

"If you are looking for something to read that will inspire you to buy combat boots and the reddest lipstick you can find; that will make you want to grab your keys and drive off in search of adventure without a destination in mind; that will remind you that no matter how many people have tried to break you, you're still alive and kicking - this is the book for you."
- Amazon Review

Genres: Poetry

110 pages, Paperback

First published November 5, 2017

About the author

Lana Rafaela Cindric is a writer, and a big fan of neon and cryptozoology. After all, what's a world without chupacabras?

Her first poetry collection, This Is How You Survive has been known to make people grab their cowboy boots and depart immediately in pursuit of joy, so caution is advised (or at least a sturdy suitcase).

Reviews

[Lana Cindric · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretty good, if I may say so myself.

[Isabelle | Nine Tale Vixen · Rating 5 out of 5]

i like to begin the new year by rereading a top favorite, so 2020 is off to a good start.

this is still one of my favorite poetry collections; it soothes my hurt and nurtures my spark. the poems span the spectrum from a raging forest fire to cold coffee, galaxies being born to scraped knuckles to love notes scribbled on old receipts. it pays tribute to the love and the hate, the fury and the joy, those diametrically opposed yet wholly codependent facets of the human existence.

these poems feel like coming home.

-------

[2018 review]

Incredible. Every poem shines, vivid and relatable and inspirational. Lana has a wonderful writing voice and wields it expertly, a force of chaos and persistence and humanly flawed life. (Also, shoutout to Bethany — the book cover is gorgeous, perfectly fitting for its lovely contents.)

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, what can I say about this book?

I've been reading Lana's poetry on tumblr ever since she has started writing it and this collection is such a wonderful, monumental showcase of her talent and development as a poet and as a writer.
The book itself is divided into three parts, but you hardly notice that while reading; the flow is seamless, dreamlike, more of a one stream-of-consciousness than separate story and that's good, cause, well, it IS one story. Lana's story but not exclusively; I believe it's the story of each and every Millenial girl, torn between happy and sad, between wanting to be hopeful and careless and this bitter pessimism dragging us down. Those poems are just like that, stuck somewhere in the middle but wishing and dreaming and the yearning not even specifically for something better, but just for something different.

I have, of course, a few of my personal favorites among all the poems; "Sweet", which deals with the author's grandmother and growing old; "Lives", which paints such vivid visions in your mind that you can swear that you've been there, done that ( "I was a peach orchard once, I'm sure/ You don't forget that kind of joy" - this might be the single most moving, most wonderful verse in the entire collection); "June 11", "Pretty" - damn if this poem doesn;t feel like Hayley Kiyoko song; "Why do you write?" which honestly left my crying; "Cherry sweet" which is actually one of the few romance themed poems in this collection and really does feel very sugar sweet in the best way; "Humanity"; " We drank up the rain but it didn't save us" which actually has an amazing storyline for something so short. These are the ones that spoke to me on this deepest level but really, you could read pretty much every single one of those poems and be amazed.

So how does this book leaves you feeling? Honestly, just... good. It leaves you feeling better about yourself and the world than you did when you were starting it. It leaves you enchanted and hopeful and moved - and isn't that what good poetry is supposed to do?

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was Lana's poem titled "Spread Your Wings" which was what first drew me to her writings. As someone who has been struggling with depression, her words were like a comforting and strangely empowering source of hope. This Is How You Survive is no different. Her collection of poetry meets me exactly where I am without glossing over the dark and ugly parts of day-to-day healing. She holds so gracefully the darkness and light, hope and despair, and joy and anger of what it truly means to be alive. And, she does it beautifully and seamlessly.
If you are interested in mental health or have struggled with it, you may very well find this book to be a refuge for the soul. To me, it is a book about healing for those who are healing, or those who are seeking it. It has certainly met my need for beauty and comfort and familiarity in dark times, and I know it can be a source of hope for those brave enough to find it.

[Soha Ahmed · Rating 4 out of 5]

Her poems filled me with power, hope and- most importantly- faith in myself, my worth. Because sometimes "survival" seems more fitting to describe this crazy journey called Life, where you have to fight for your place in the world and this- this is how you survive.

[Julia]

This book has my favorite of her poems: Things We Should Learn From the Stars. So so good.

The rest of the book is beautiful as well, but that poem is just amazing.

[Jojie Alcantara · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Whenever you feel like you are not good enough,
like you are too small, stuck in one place with nothing to
look forward to -please remember that life is long
and you are still young.

There are so many worlds you have yet to uncover,
so many words to learn the taste of,
so many things that will make you wonder,
nights that will fill your heart up with the feeling
of complete satisfaction –If I die now,
I’ll have zero regrets. If I die now,
I’ll die knowing what the world’s smile looks like,
not just claws. If I die now, I’ll have lived enough."

-- How timely, how relevant, how soothing, to be told to survive against all odds and given encouragement to rise above the challenges. While I have many favorites, with I Think It's Brave as my top poem, Lana's words haunt you as a gentle reminder to hold on to our sanity, and get through life's ups and downs-- and now through this pandemic. To think that this was written a few years before then may be a tad foreboding, yet somehow still calming. We are not alone in our fears, insecurities, sadness, pain, hope, love. I thank you for the book, Lana.

"And it takes my breath away
because we are all struggling on this planet,
working and exploring and trying -oh, we are trying
so hard.
But we still have the time to
breathe out I love you
and mean it."

[Alina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a poetry collection where you can hear the author yell I CAN SURVIVE through the pages. It reads like the monologue you tell yourself when you just need to keep going. It is affirmation. It is bravery. And it is also chilling and real and relatable.

It reads best as a collection of poems. The reuse of words and imagery - stars, thrones, crowns, hurricanes, a friend's comforting hand - stretch across the whole book. I found the book because of the individual piece "I Love You" (which I've also seen commonly titled "I think it's Brave". I recommend googling to read that one if you've never read it) and am glad I thought to look for more by Lana Rafaela after seeing that poem.

I especially enjoyed "Spread Your Wings", "Like Honey", and "Anatomy of the Soul" as individual poems. The pieces really shine as one larger work so I do recommend reading this whole book. It really is a work of art.

[Julia Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. It’s very relatable. When I was going through a particularly deep extended period of depression, I often kept this book with me. I still keep it in my nightstand.

I had seen “I love you” online, and it was so perfect I looked it up and bought this book.

“I think it’s brave that you get up in the morning, even if your soul is weary, and your bones ache for a rest.”

So many people can identify with that. And after years of “not giving up” and just reading the hope and healing woven into the words, I can feel them, too. I can write again, and a part of that spark that let me do so came from reading this poetry.

I am sorry the author has experienced the pain and struggle reflected in her beautiful writing, but I’m so grateful she shares it so eloquently, and uses it as a tool of healing.

[Mitta Thakrar · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is magical.

Everyone should buy it! Lana explores mental health, feminism, self-love, self-discovery and just how tough life can be in this memorizing book. You can feel the raw emotion in the pages, she brings certain scenes to life in a way that I haven't seen in poetry before. I usually take a picture of my favourite poem of a book to share on social media but I couldn't pick one, every single poem is just so incredible and moving. It's one of those books that will get you through a tough day and remind you just how badass you are.

I can't thank Lana enough for writing this and sharing her words with us.

If you're not reading this book then you are missing out.

[Coco · Rating 5 out of 5]

You have to read this at least once in your life

[Priya Chaudhary · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book of poetry which gives you all the hope you need in one go! A book that everyone should have in their collection.

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is life changing. I read it within a few days and immediately bought it as a gift for a friend. It is really as if Lana cracked open my brain and put my feelings into beautiful words.

[Natalie T. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread Cindric's poetry today because, as a war refugee from Croatia bearing witness to that experience, her work (published in 2017, when Cindric was 21), is (sadly) even more urgent and timely today, as the Ukraine war creates a new generation of children uprooted and fleeing for their lives. Cindric's poems are bold, unabashed, fearless, blunt, scarred, and passionate. “I am a war child and /while I do love the blue sky,/ mine has always been red,” she explains in “No Fear” (page 76). “I forgot that people are born differently,/ love first,/ scars later.”

Particular favorites of mine: “Names” (page 24), “Antigone” (page 37), “Unbecome” (page 32), “If Not a Monument, Then a Poem” (page 82), and “Victory” (page 93).

[Rebekka Magnella · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found a line written by Lana back in circa 2015, and I've followed her since. I've read TIHYS a few times and each time I find something new that touches me, while I cry over the same poems. I've used it for gifts, and I think it's absolutely amazing. It's the first poetry collection I read, and I would recommended to everyone, even if you don't usually read poetry. :)