This Is the Journey

by Alison Malee

This Is The Journey is a stillness. A clean slate. A step back. An open window. 

The counterpart to The Day Is Ready For You, This Is The Journey is a collection of poetry and prose to help bridge the space between wanting, waiting, and possibility. 

Genres: Poetry, Poetry Plays

144 pages, Paperback

Published April 2, 2019

Reviews

[Julia Sapphire · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you so much to Andrews McMeel Publishing for sending me an early copy in exchange for an honest review

I was really excited to get this collection in the mail! It is divided into three sections and described as "poetry and prose to help bridge the space between wanting, waiting, and possibility."

It was a decent collection, nothing amazing in my opinion but not horrible by any means. They were a few poems in here that I could really connect with and that I thought were great. There were not really any poems that I thought were bad, some were not as strong as others but that is to be expected. Overall it was an enjoyable and good collection, but if you are looking for something mind-blowing this might not be that for you.

[Sabrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I hear wings outside my window and it sounds something like hope.
Don't you think?"

[Arybo ✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the idea of rebuilding one's life through poems. I loved the part about adolescence, I saw myself between the lines, I found interesting and moving parts. Unfortunately I have not experienced as many changes and things as the author, so on many things I have not had direct experience, but I can say anyway that I was happy to have read about certain topics and situations. I recommend this book to everyone, especially to people who has to face great changes in life.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me a free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

🔸OWLS 2019: Herbology 🔸

[Dora (Swift Coffee Book Blog) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fine and nice collection of poems which, unfortunately, in my case did not meet its ideal reader.
I don't say I didn't like these poems. I appreciate the topics it touches, the strong presence of the poetess, the struggles throughout her life, the way the collection is structured, the journey she herself took and the journey she took the readers to with her. I don't know if it's the style of the poems, the way she expresses herself (these are very subjective things, and many times I find myself not really liking someone's style, even though I can't really out M finger on why exactly I feel that way. I might even appreciate it on a rational level - like in this case.), or that I couldn't really relate (maybe because my experience of life is different), but I felt a bit detached.
This in no way indicates that it's not a great book, that these are not great poems. They are. They're just not for me.

[Jessi · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.75*

I remember buying this book at the Strand Bookstore in NYC and it was such a lovely day - so I wish I could rate this one higher but I can’t. I liked the concept but the poems just weren’t it for me ✨

[kaiana · Rating 4 out of 5]

“nothing owns humanity like time”

[Nancy Lewis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mostly unremarkable prose broken into lines to look like poetry.

[Haley Radke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved following Alison's adoption reunion journey through poetry. Her poem "what happens when you meet your father at twenty-four" is stunning. A quote that still reverberates, "a father who is, at best, still a stranger. a man who is wearing your face."

Thoughtful, delicious language. I loved this book of poetry. Very relatable for adopted people.

[Amy Layton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the Journey is one of the most beautiful poetry collections I've read in a while.  Perhaps my favorite line in this entire book is "If it wasn't for all this human I would howl."  How is it possible that Malee doesn't know me at all yet completely understands my innate and inherent being?  What it feels like to be a woman?  (Hello, Women who Run With Wolves!)  

In this compilation, Malee discusses heartbreak, family, loving, and living.  Her poetry uses just the right words, pinpoints just the right emotion.  It's truly a work of art, and I'm so glad I've discovered her so that now I can read her other works!  Definitely keep an eye out for this--you're not going to want to miss it!

Review cross-listed here!

[Alicia Cook · Rating 5 out of 5]

It seems as though Malee has lived 1,000 lives between this book and her last. Her voice has always been honest and brave, even when it wavered, but the growth between collections is undeniable. She is reaching new heights by revisiting old parts of herself. She is looking ahead, by reflecting back and making peace with what was. She is one of the most truly, poetic voices out there right now. I recommend this collection.

[Jamrock · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recently read (all, I think) three books, so I am posting the same review for all of them

==
I recently crashed headlong into a kindred spirit with a shared love of words and music genres. One of our shared discoveries was the work of Alison Malee. I consumed quite a lot direct from her Instagram but then plunged headlong into the well of words that is her published output. Where to start? I'm not sure if you ever "finish" a poetry book, even if you read it cover to cover as I often pick up anthologies and find new meaning in poems I once skipped over. Some poems are like catching whispered fragments of private conversations, others are like glimpsing private notes to her current partner or former lovers. Many poems left me wondering what the author had to experience or endure in the creation of the poems. Many of the poems, the ones bookmarked, felt like reliving personal emotions and experiences or hopes (and fears) of future feelings.

[lilli clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

you know im always going to be a poetry fan.

[Stephanie]

“The quiet, unsuspecting intimacy of now, this very moment. What a victory it is to be alive and still believe in something.”

[Ariana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally posted on: The Quirky Book Nerd

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

This is the Journey is a follow-up to her previous collection, The Day is Ready For You. As the title would imply, she takes the reader on a journey throughout the work. This is both about her own personal journey as well as the reader’s. Not only does she write on very relatable emotions in general, the inclusion of actual events in her life adds that extra bit of humanity and realism into them. One of the main messages to take away from this collection is that we are not alone on our journey—we are bound together by similar feelings as we travel through life’s ups and downs.

Like the last collection, I found her writing to be equally as beautiful and powerful. She has a talent for really engaging a reader in each poem and pulling them into her words. I was completely hook just on the gorgeous writing alone, but there are so many other ways that Malee’s words moved me. I felt a deep connection with the vivid emotions and imagery she uses to convey the meaning of each piece. In my opinion, her poems are complex and sometimes abstract and it works perfectly for the equally complex emotional journey she is writing about. I would highly recommend giving her work a try and I definitely plan to read more of it in the future.

[Olivia (Stories For Coffee)]

Not my favorite collection in the world, but it was good to pass the time

[wulvz · Rating 4 out of 5]

“When I say I hope age settles you,
I mean there is more than being alive
enough.

There is more than this”

Ok wow! I’d say closer to a 4.5 than 4. Genuinely impressed and overall shocked given I bought this from a used bookstore on a whim. First poetry book in a long time that wasn’t from Glück or Dimitrov or Siken or Vuong that fully grabbed me.

Her prose is lovely, and in some of these poems god damn did she know how to use it. My only critique is here and there it felt like she gets carried away with over detailing and “over showing” which sometimes to me comes off as either too hand-feedy for my taste or so overly defined that it feels pretentious.

Man, that is an awful thing to say about poetry and to no degree do I find Malee pretentious. Just the way I perceive some writing habits that can put me off during a read a bit.

I really do think she is incredible and plan to buy the rest of her books. In many ways she reminds me of Glück, in the way the she is so emotionally concise (and describes the entire spectrum of her emotions so beautifully) yet sometimes will gain slack when focusing too much on the less emotional beats of her poems and instead focus on describing nature (which they r both equally fantastic at, I just think it feels like an unnecessarily long detour from the emotional roots of a poem).

Overall so so so good, I only write a lot about things that left a great impact.

[hannah gracee2 · Rating 5 out of 5]

ive realized that even though i do read to escape like many others, and read because i sincerely enjoy it, i mainly read to learn. i love learning. i love school. i love learning lessons. ive noticed that i read to make myself better. i focus on the characters life and personality so i can learn from it. i remember quotes that helped me when i was struggling or that i related to so much it changed me. i love learning about mythology, the process of writing, magic, etc. i think this is why i love poetry so much. you can learn from others. their mistakes, loves, or victories. all while being mentally pleased by the amazing wording and rhythm. anyways, never be ashamed of your love for learning. its a beautiful thing. btw i loved this book!! it was very relatable and helpful!! i also loved how its was put together! and the cover!! WONDERFUL<333

[Anzuma Akther · Rating 3 out of 5]

Recently discovered about NetGalley, wanted to give it a try, and found a familiar name. I've been following Alison Malee on Instagram for a couple of years now, and I adore her insta-poems. This book was more of her personal journey like the title suggests, and it was nice to read and learn more about her.

The cover though! Absolutely gorgeous <3

The content felt a bit underwhelming, but I'm not complaining. To bring about a person's experiences, emotions, pain, confusion, anxiety all onto the pages for the world to read and judge maybe is a very excruciating task, and she did her very best. I hope to read more of Alison's work in the future!

[Aaronlisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why is this poetry collection being talked about everywhere like Rupi Kaur's Milk & Honey was. I hate comparing poets against one another or even collections of poem against other collections but to me this collection of poetry was far superior to Kaur's two books.

There's nothing wrong with Kaur's poetry but I've heard it termed Instapoetry and I agree with that term. It's short, punchy and sometimes not very deep. Sometimes I felt like Kaur's poems were the starting point of a conversation. Malee's collection expands on her thoughts, there are few short poems but most are a bit longer and delve a little deeper into the themes and topics Malee is writing about. And while I can't personally relate to every single thing that she was writing about, I could feel what she was telling me and empathize with her.

I also adored Malee's use of language. This was just a beautiful collection of poems.

I think this collection - although it may not resonate with all readers - is the collection that I wanted Milk & Honey to be.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

I’m being modest when I say four stars because how can I rate anything that alive? It feels almost strange to be critical of anything so wholly engaging.

It’s been so long that I’ve experienced poetry that makes me have actual emotions. I responded. I laughed, teared up, interacted with the text naturally and made so many notes along the way. I already know that I will revisit this book.

I feel like some of the poems are responses or additions to poems that came before from other brilliant female poets. I can see their influences and am so grateful to see someone writing today with just as much care and thoughtfulness as I’ve learned to love from studying poetry.

[Elizabeth Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

There I was, standing in the poetry aisle at a local bookstore, seeing which books called to me. I picked This Is the Journey from the shelf (or rather, This Is the Journey picked me), opened it and starting reading. The poem (pg. 52- woman) took my breathe away, reminded me how fierce I was and empowered me. I flipped the page, kept reading. The next poem did the same and on it went until I was the crying girl in the poetry aisle. This book is a gem. Alison's poems spoke straight to my heart and I'm sure they'd do the same for you! Highly recommend!

[Sara Morgan · Rating 2 out of 5]

… This book is bad. Phew, okay, glad that’s out of the way. Look, I really wanted to like this book. I love the concept of this girl growing and changing as she moves and experiences more of what the world has to offer. She’s gone through a lot and it has clearly inspired her in more than one way. The actual poems, however, are where this book kind of falls apart. The writing style feels very weird at times and then flat-out lazy at others. Having one sentence in the middle of the page is not a poem, it’s a phrase. This book just really isn’t for me, I guess. I’m sure it can appeal to some, but I just could not get into this.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not a poetry reader but as a mom of two young kids, I wasn’t getting a chance to read at all and thought that poetry might be good to try. This book found me at a used bookstore. I loved the cover and opened to a random page and knew I needed to take it home. After reading a few poems, words came to my my mind and I started writing my own poems in the back. I now journal with this poetry format when prose doesn’t quite fit my need of expression. I look forward to reading more poetry after this.

[Imogene Dacanay · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found myself attached to this book more than I have ever imagine, with all honesty, I didn't think that I will be able to relate to this book, I guess I was proven wrong. 2019 was a year for me to rebuild myself, my life- and this collection helped me and guided me.

heartbreak, relationships, love, and life. The 4 words that sums up this collection. Though an undeniable abstract and complexity, it was easy to connect with the words and the writing style.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a strong collection of poetry, although I have to say I like Alison Malee's shorter poetry than her longer works. Some of her poetry I liked better than others, but overall I appreciate the focus on the strong, purposeful female presence and living live to the fullest. "The only way to live is to live." Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy.

[Sion Sennon · Rating 5 out of 5]

You truly get an exclusive look into the authors soul when reading this selection. The book is eloquent, thought provoking and challenged me as a reader to to look inward when deciphering its many different angles. I loved this collection, Malee did a great job and I would certainly recommend it to fellow lovers of poetry.

[Patricia Braunegg · Rating 5 out of 5]

This poetry collection is a beautifully written look at the unique journey of her young life so far, including the depths of emotion that she, and perhaps many adoptees experience. The pieces that most deeply touched me were the ones in which she let herself be vulnerable enough to share her raw emotions about the process of “finding” family. Language is gorgeous! Definitely worth reading!!

[Audy · Rating 5 out of 5]

An insightful and cathartic experience through and through. I appreciated this collection on both a technical level and emotional one. I’ve read Alison’s previous two collections and I can definitely say that her writing structure and content have grown tremendously. I thoroughly enjoyed this read.

[Shannon O'Connor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this collection! It resonated a lot with me when Malee speaks of her family and her experiences meeting biological family. I did think there could have been more of a rhythm or sections of the book as I felt like it went back and forth between self love, family, romantic love, and back and forth. But overall I loved the poems and this collection.

[j_karlovska · Rating 4 out of 5]

4*
I enjoyed This is the Journey even more than The Day Is Ready for You! Alison Malee's poetry is something different to what I'm used to but I love it nonetheless. Some of these poems really spoked to me, I reread them multiple times before moving on. Also the cover grown on me since I bought it, now I think it's super pretty!