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Choking Back the Devil
Choking Back the Devil by Donna Lynch is an invocation, an ancient invitation that summons the darkness within and channels those lonely spirits looking for a host. It's a collection that lives in the realm of ghosts and family curses, witchcraft and urban legends, and if you're brave enough to peek behind the veil, the hauntings that permeate these pages will break seals and open doorways, cut throats and shatter mirrors.
You see, these poems are small drownings, all those subtle suffocations that live in that place between our ribs that swells with panic, incubates fear. Lynch shows her readers that sometimes our shadow selves--our secrets--are our sharpest weapons, the knives that rip through flesh, suture pacts with demons, cut deals with entities looking for more than a homecoming, something better, more intimate than family.
It's about the masks we wear and the reflections we choose not to look at, and what's most terrifying about the spells is these incantations show that we are the possessed, that we are our greatest monster, and if we look out of the corner of our eyes, sometimes--if we've damned ourselves enough--we can catch a glimpse of our own burnings, what monstrosities and mockeries we're to become.
So cross yourselves and say your prayers. Because in this world, you are the witch and the hunter, the girl and the wolf.
You see, these poems are small drownings, all those subtle suffocations that live in that place between our ribs that swells with panic, incubates fear. Lynch shows her readers that sometimes our shadow selves--our secrets--are our sharpest weapons, the knives that rip through flesh, suture pacts with demons, cut deals with entities looking for more than a homecoming, something better, more intimate than family.
It's about the masks we wear and the reflections we choose not to look at, and what's most terrifying about the spells is these incantations show that we are the possessed, that we are our greatest monster, and if we look out of the corner of our eyes, sometimes--if we've damned ourselves enough--we can catch a glimpse of our own burnings, what monstrosities and mockeries we're to become.
So cross yourselves and say your prayers. Because in this world, you are the witch and the hunter, the girl and the wolf.
98 pages, Paperback
First published July 17, 2019
14 people are currently reading
540 people want to read
About the author
Donna Lynch
18 books50 followersDonna Lynch is a two-time Bram Stoker Award-nominated dark fiction writer, spoken word artist, and the co-founder—along with her husband, artist and musician Steven Archer—of the dark electro-rock band Ego Likeness (Metropolis Records). An active member of the Horror Writers Association, her published works include Isabel Burning, Red Horses, Driving Through the Desert; and the poetry collections In My Mouth, Ladies & Other Vicious Creatures, Daughters of Lilith, Witches, and the Ladies of Horror Fiction Award-winning Choking Back the Devil, among others.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
July 27, 2019
Horror poetry is a recent discovery for me. I didn't know I needed it until I tried it and now I can't live without it. All of the many voices I have listened to so far are identifiably individualistic. I think that if someone were to give me a blind taste test--I could sample a poem with only my ears and my heart--and I could tell you who wrote it (of course only from the horror poetry artists I've read before).
Donna Lynch is lyrical, yes, but she also teeters on the edge of flash fiction and folklore.
Some of these poems feel like they could reside in a collection of dark fables-there is magic and ageless quality.
Example:
"When I was a child I had a little house up the hill from the goat.
The serpent lived there in the wall, next to the shed.
I let him be as he stayed quiet.
We would track mud and dirt into the little house
and the spiders took up housekeeping in the summer."
Other poems read like disturbing journals:
"I let the madmen practice on me
How far I can stretch
How deep do I go
How well do I hold up under certain conditions"
I think my favorite thing to do is to read a poem two or three times and then meditate on it before moving on to the next one. Almost like you need to wipe clean, the mess the previous poem left in your mind.
I enjoyed this collection. Lynch writes like these words are attacking her from the inside. They are unflinching, raw, brutal, fearless and daring.
I applaud Raw Dog Screaming Press for being out in front of the pack when it comes to publishing horror poetry collections. I hope we can see more and more artists venturing out from the woodwork and giving us their unique, dark gift of words.
Donna Lynch is lyrical, yes, but she also teeters on the edge of flash fiction and folklore.
Some of these poems feel like they could reside in a collection of dark fables-there is magic and ageless quality.
Example:
"When I was a child I had a little house up the hill from the goat.
The serpent lived there in the wall, next to the shed.
I let him be as he stayed quiet.
We would track mud and dirt into the little house
and the spiders took up housekeeping in the summer."
Other poems read like disturbing journals:
"I let the madmen practice on me
How far I can stretch
How deep do I go
How well do I hold up under certain conditions"
I think my favorite thing to do is to read a poem two or three times and then meditate on it before moving on to the next one. Almost like you need to wipe clean, the mess the previous poem left in your mind.
I enjoyed this collection. Lynch writes like these words are attacking her from the inside. They are unflinching, raw, brutal, fearless and daring.
I applaud Raw Dog Screaming Press for being out in front of the pack when it comes to publishing horror poetry collections. I hope we can see more and more artists venturing out from the woodwork and giving us their unique, dark gift of words.
September 4, 2019
Demons come in many forms
Some with teeth and some with horns
But none so vicious as the hordes
That came to be when you were born.
Two of the literary genres I will never stop reaching for — in fact, they were the two genres I cut my teeth on as a young reader, so many years ago now — are horror and poetry. The two don't intertwine nearly often enough, but when they do, I need it. I have to say, I think Donna Lynch may be my new favorite modern horror poet, because Choking Back the Devil was absolutely incredible.
You were just there
When the gnawing inside me turned into vicious biting
When the switch flipped and all my lights went out
When I had no choice but to seize the moment
A lot of horror poetry is dark without much bite to it, but that's not the case here at all; if you find yourself easily frightened or squeamish, I wouldn't even hand you a copy of this collection, because it offers up scenes that are downright unsettling. There's body horror and gore coupled with ghost stories and possessions, but most of all, there are endless reminders of the scariest demons of all: the ones living inside our own heads.
You are your own Pandora's Box.
Every ugly thing needs a home, and the space inside your head works nicely.
As someone who has fought my own inner demons for nearly my entire life, there was so much in this collection that both set me on edge and made me feel incredibly and utterly understood. Donna Lynch gets mental illness in a way most writers can't express on page, for better and for worse — as the imagery in some of these poems made me close my eyes, take a deep breath, and steel myself for the next lines. If you're someone who tends to be upset by mentions of self-harm, abuse, suicidal thoughts, or anything along these lines, please proceed with caution. That said, I cannot recommend Choking Back the Devil highly enough, and am already itching to read more of Donna Lynch's incredible words.
Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with this review copy in exchange for an honest review!
August 7, 2019
"Every ugly thing needs a home, and the space inside your / head works nicely."
Choking Back the Devil is the second collection I've read from Donna Lynch, and I loved it so much! These poems were gorgeous and haunting, and I really enjoyed my time reading them. I found this collection to be honest and easy to connect with.
My top 5 poems were All the Things They Never Tell You, Doll, Honey, Borderlines: A Horror Story in 7 Small Parts, and You, Alone. It was hard to narrow these down because I loved so many.
Choking Back the Devil was exactly what I needed, and I can't wait to see what Donna Lynch does next!
Choking Back the Devil is the second collection I've read from Donna Lynch, and I loved it so much! These poems were gorgeous and haunting, and I really enjoyed my time reading them. I found this collection to be honest and easy to connect with.
My top 5 poems were All the Things They Never Tell You, Doll, Honey, Borderlines: A Horror Story in 7 Small Parts, and You, Alone. It was hard to narrow these down because I loved so many.
Choking Back the Devil was exactly what I needed, and I can't wait to see what Donna Lynch does next!
February 21, 2020
“There are so many things that I don’t have a place for on paper / so they float in my bloodstream.” – pg 78, Excerpt From Skinned (1999)
In the last year, I’ve read a lot of horror themed poetry, all of which has blown me away. I never realized such a thing existed until recently, and finding other people that share my love of morbid eloquence has been a great experience for me. Not only have I discovered a new way to appreciate and absorb my favorite genre, but I’m also constantly finding new voices in horror that I hadn’t yet discovered. My personal library is growing, and I’m loving it!
One of my most recent acquisitions in the horror poetry category has been Choking Back the Devil by Donna Lynch. Although I hadn’t read anything by Lynch until this point, the blurb on the back and the cool cover art really sold me on wanting to get this one. I’m very glad I did, and I’ll be checking out more from her in the future for sure! I loved her writing voice; forceful and potent, her words seemed to leap from the pages, pulling me in whether I wanted to or not (I totally did!).
“Name yourself / Let them call you from the mirror / in the dark / Let them set you free / Then rip them apart” – pg 13, Legend
I loved this collection, and enjoyed the ways it stood out from some of the others I’d read recently. Horror can be found in so many different places, and I really liked that the focal point through a lot of these stories seemed to be personal demons, and mental health struggles. Murder and ghosts and things are definitely terrifying, and I love reading about them, but I also enjoy a good be of introspection when its done well; I’m happy to say that Lynch has definitely done it well here! The inside of our minds can be a very unsafe, unsettling place to be – and what better atmosphere for a horror writer can there be than that?
“… And there’s nothing quite like the feeling of being held from / the inside” – pg 24, The Horse, The Home
I related to a lot of the different themes throughout the book, and Lynch’s writing is engaging and fluid. Some of the themes that I didn’t really relate to currently, I could easily think of situations or times in my life when they could have or would have been more applicable. Although I don’t know Lynch personally, it feels like she’s someone I knew or know – maybe someone I’ve been. Relatability and the skill it takes to convey specific emotions through a few short lines are a couple of common factors I’ve found between some of the great poetry I’ve loved, and I’m adding Lynch to the ever growing list of authors that I feel good about recommending for those interested in maybe broadening their reading a little bit.
“Don’t breathe her to life / And make her feel real / Just to blink her away / In your sleep” – pg 37, She’s A Dream
There were a couple of pieces that weren’t as strong to me as some others, or that I felt maybe could have been a bit more fleshed out or built up. But the favorites I had vastly outweighed any that I lacked a personal connection with. I used my favorite rainbow sticky tabs when reading this, and out of just 90-something pages, ended up marking over 20 of them, or lines that really stood out to me. I love the visual representation sticking out of my books with how often I was touched by something, or given specific “feels” from a passage or quote. For a writer to be able to do that in a format that can be limiting in terms of space/size is really impressive.
I loved how Lynch’s bold writing tone contrasted with the almost ethereal, fairy tale-like feeling of some of the poetry. Her specific kind of horror is evocative and powerful, and the collection as a whole was compelling and emotional. This was a solid book that I’d recommend and will likely revisit a few more times in the future. My copy is already a little worn from how many times I’ve flipped through it, searching to reread something or other, which is how you can tell I really enjoyed it! I’m very excited for more from the author, and can’t wait to continue on my journey of horror poetry!
In the last year, I’ve read a lot of horror themed poetry, all of which has blown me away. I never realized such a thing existed until recently, and finding other people that share my love of morbid eloquence has been a great experience for me. Not only have I discovered a new way to appreciate and absorb my favorite genre, but I’m also constantly finding new voices in horror that I hadn’t yet discovered. My personal library is growing, and I’m loving it!
One of my most recent acquisitions in the horror poetry category has been Choking Back the Devil by Donna Lynch. Although I hadn’t read anything by Lynch until this point, the blurb on the back and the cool cover art really sold me on wanting to get this one. I’m very glad I did, and I’ll be checking out more from her in the future for sure! I loved her writing voice; forceful and potent, her words seemed to leap from the pages, pulling me in whether I wanted to or not (I totally did!).
“Name yourself / Let them call you from the mirror / in the dark / Let them set you free / Then rip them apart” – pg 13, Legend
I loved this collection, and enjoyed the ways it stood out from some of the others I’d read recently. Horror can be found in so many different places, and I really liked that the focal point through a lot of these stories seemed to be personal demons, and mental health struggles. Murder and ghosts and things are definitely terrifying, and I love reading about them, but I also enjoy a good be of introspection when its done well; I’m happy to say that Lynch has definitely done it well here! The inside of our minds can be a very unsafe, unsettling place to be – and what better atmosphere for a horror writer can there be than that?
“… And there’s nothing quite like the feeling of being held from / the inside” – pg 24, The Horse, The Home
I related to a lot of the different themes throughout the book, and Lynch’s writing is engaging and fluid. Some of the themes that I didn’t really relate to currently, I could easily think of situations or times in my life when they could have or would have been more applicable. Although I don’t know Lynch personally, it feels like she’s someone I knew or know – maybe someone I’ve been. Relatability and the skill it takes to convey specific emotions through a few short lines are a couple of common factors I’ve found between some of the great poetry I’ve loved, and I’m adding Lynch to the ever growing list of authors that I feel good about recommending for those interested in maybe broadening their reading a little bit.
“Don’t breathe her to life / And make her feel real / Just to blink her away / In your sleep” – pg 37, She’s A Dream
There were a couple of pieces that weren’t as strong to me as some others, or that I felt maybe could have been a bit more fleshed out or built up. But the favorites I had vastly outweighed any that I lacked a personal connection with. I used my favorite rainbow sticky tabs when reading this, and out of just 90-something pages, ended up marking over 20 of them, or lines that really stood out to me. I love the visual representation sticking out of my books with how often I was touched by something, or given specific “feels” from a passage or quote. For a writer to be able to do that in a format that can be limiting in terms of space/size is really impressive.
I loved how Lynch’s bold writing tone contrasted with the almost ethereal, fairy tale-like feeling of some of the poetry. Her specific kind of horror is evocative and powerful, and the collection as a whole was compelling and emotional. This was a solid book that I’d recommend and will likely revisit a few more times in the future. My copy is already a little worn from how many times I’ve flipped through it, searching to reread something or other, which is how you can tell I really enjoyed it! I’m very excited for more from the author, and can’t wait to continue on my journey of horror poetry!
August 5, 2019
“The horror novel may be hundreds of needles inserted into the flesh over the course of days or weeks, but the poem - if done right - can be an ax to the torso” (94).
This exactly. I loved this brutal, beautiful horror poetry from Donna Lynch. Almost all of these pieces were 4-5 stars for me. The longer ones are stunning; however, it was the brief ones that damaged me. The selections of just a few lines, or even a single page, boast an unparalleled stark brutality.
Lynch was nominated for a Stoker for her collection WITCHES last year; and if my reaction to CHOKING BACK THE DEVIL is any indication, she’ll be there again in 2020 as well. My favorites
include:
Terror Management Theory
Race
You, Alone
My Incomplete Children
Succubi
Treat
Visitors
Woman
Hunger
You Knew
Cry
You Are Not You
Doll
Want a short read with all the impact or more of a longer horror novel? Read this one. The monsters are real, both internal and external ones. Trust me.
This exactly. I loved this brutal, beautiful horror poetry from Donna Lynch. Almost all of these pieces were 4-5 stars for me. The longer ones are stunning; however, it was the brief ones that damaged me. The selections of just a few lines, or even a single page, boast an unparalleled stark brutality.
Lynch was nominated for a Stoker for her collection WITCHES last year; and if my reaction to CHOKING BACK THE DEVIL is any indication, she’ll be there again in 2020 as well. My favorites
include:
Terror Management Theory
Race
You, Alone
My Incomplete Children
Succubi
Treat
Visitors
Woman
Hunger
You Knew
Cry
You Are Not You
Doll
Want a short read with all the impact or more of a longer horror novel? Read this one. The monsters are real, both internal and external ones. Trust me.
November 26, 2020
Review to follow...
October 10, 2019
I've read a lot of Lynch's poetry over the years, and in my mind this is her best book yet! There's something quite earnest about the messages here which avoid the trite trappings of horror in order to dig her poetic fingers a little more deeply into the gristle (just like on the cover art) and get at the truth beneath what they often mask. Her lyrical voice is omnipresent, while keeping the lines simple and ordinary enough to keep the messages clear. The supernatural appeal of her Witches collection is still here in traces, but this book feels more emotionally raw (and therefore more rich). Lynch does not obfuscate by stirring around words you'd only find in a thesaurus: she keeps it real, and the language is honest, and these poems usually end with a zinger that makes you want to re-read them again and sit awhile with the ideas she's exposed. My kind of book.
August 18, 2019
If you've been on the fence at all about trying horror poetry, Choking Back the Devil is a great place to start.
This was my first time to read Donna Lynch, and it definitely won't be my last. I loved the poems in this collection, and I highly recommend Choking Back the Devil as a collection to try.
This was my first time to read Donna Lynch, and it definitely won't be my last. I loved the poems in this collection, and I highly recommend Choking Back the Devil as a collection to try.
September 3, 2019
"She stood tall upon the shores of hell / And set her pretty self on fire." -Donna Lynch's poetry collection is a beautiful exploration into the hauntings that can dwell both in the world around us and within our own bodies and minds. Each piece shares a new story of what it's like living with an incubating kind of darkness or fear that takes root in your mind and refuses to relinquish its hold on you. Lynch plays with language in a powerful way, showcasing her strengths as a poet who is particularly strong with rhythm and sharp emotions. My favorite pieces included: "Race", "She's a Dream", "The Cult of Immolaine", "Choking Back the Devil", "Honey", and "Cry." This moving collection of darkness is not one to be missed.
July 18, 2019
So good! 5 stars and full review to come!
October 6, 2019
*I was given a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for my fair and honest review.*
Choking Back the Devil is my second journey down the lyrical prose rabbit hole with Donna Lynch and she did not disappoint! With just as much fervor and raw visceral imagery as 'Witches', Ms. Lynch solidifies her stake in the growing sub genre of horror poetry, describing the darkness that can dwell even in the most purest of souls, in a chillingly alluring and bloody soul bearing way.
Choking Back the Devil by Donna Lynch is an invocation, an ancient invitation that summons the darkness within and channels those lonely spirits looking for a host. It's a collection that lives in the realm of ghosts and family curses, witchcraft and urban legends, and if you're brave enough to peek behind the veil, the hauntings that permeate these pages will break seals and open doorways, cut throats and shatter mirrors.
Lynch shows her readers that sometimes our shadow-selves -our secrets- are our sharpest weapons, the knives that rip through flesh, suture pacts with demons, cut deals with entities looking for more than a homecoming, something better, more intimate than family.
I read 'The Witches' a while back and immediately fell in love with Donna Lynch's dark and raw poetic style. She is definitely a master at her craft and it once again glistens in the blood that Choking Back the Devil spilt. Ms. Lynch is skilled at taking words that can gut you, and yet keep you begging for more. In this collection, she covers subjects such as love, loss, and depression in the most raw and purest ways. She is able to turn horrific themes and portrays them in such a beautiful way with her words, you almost forget that the subject is terrifying or grotesque, or both! Then, like flipping a switch, Lynch cuts right to the bone with her unsettling prose covering body horror, ghost stories, possessions and plenty of gore- each one perfectly executed in a pretty bow of her lovely words.
Ms. Lynch addresses depression in this collection and proves that she definitely understands the mental illness and expresses it on page perfectly. I wish there were more writers with such an acute understanding of this disease that plagues so many people, including myself. I was a bit thrown at how well acquainted she was with the demons in my head, hinting that she may know some up close and personal herself.
This collection of poems is meant to show us the dark side of ourselves. The sides we all have, but don't want to admit. And that knowledge almost makes you feel more alive in a disturbing sort of way.
The imagery the author uses will waltz you through the shadows of your nightmares, showing you the visceral reality of the ghosts that lurk in the corners of your everyday life. You will be uplifted by her lush words in terrifying detail, and then she'll break your heart. She drains you until you are left with nothing but despair, yet thirsting for more.
Choking Back the Devil by Donna Lynch is only just under 100 pages long, but is jam packed with gut punches that seem to come out of nowhere, like the specters she writes about in this collection. Her sharp words cut right to the bone and yet we revel in the painful truth and continue to read in an almost masochistic way. Ms. Lynch wields her pen like a razor more than once in these words that feast on your blood and fears. A recommended read if your not scared of a mirror being held to your face and see multiply faces staring back, if you don't mind being gutted, then begging for more, if you don't mind the sound of a blade grinding on your own twitching bare, bloody bone, then be my guest. Let me introduce you the blade wielder herself, Donna Lynch.
Choking Back the Devil is my second journey down the lyrical prose rabbit hole with Donna Lynch and she did not disappoint! With just as much fervor and raw visceral imagery as 'Witches', Ms. Lynch solidifies her stake in the growing sub genre of horror poetry, describing the darkness that can dwell even in the most purest of souls, in a chillingly alluring and bloody soul bearing way.
Choking Back the Devil by Donna Lynch is an invocation, an ancient invitation that summons the darkness within and channels those lonely spirits looking for a host. It's a collection that lives in the realm of ghosts and family curses, witchcraft and urban legends, and if you're brave enough to peek behind the veil, the hauntings that permeate these pages will break seals and open doorways, cut throats and shatter mirrors.
Lynch shows her readers that sometimes our shadow-selves -our secrets- are our sharpest weapons, the knives that rip through flesh, suture pacts with demons, cut deals with entities looking for more than a homecoming, something better, more intimate than family.
I read 'The Witches' a while back and immediately fell in love with Donna Lynch's dark and raw poetic style. She is definitely a master at her craft and it once again glistens in the blood that Choking Back the Devil spilt. Ms. Lynch is skilled at taking words that can gut you, and yet keep you begging for more. In this collection, she covers subjects such as love, loss, and depression in the most raw and purest ways. She is able to turn horrific themes and portrays them in such a beautiful way with her words, you almost forget that the subject is terrifying or grotesque, or both! Then, like flipping a switch, Lynch cuts right to the bone with her unsettling prose covering body horror, ghost stories, possessions and plenty of gore- each one perfectly executed in a pretty bow of her lovely words.
Ms. Lynch addresses depression in this collection and proves that she definitely understands the mental illness and expresses it on page perfectly. I wish there were more writers with such an acute understanding of this disease that plagues so many people, including myself. I was a bit thrown at how well acquainted she was with the demons in my head, hinting that she may know some up close and personal herself.
This collection of poems is meant to show us the dark side of ourselves. The sides we all have, but don't want to admit. And that knowledge almost makes you feel more alive in a disturbing sort of way.
The imagery the author uses will waltz you through the shadows of your nightmares, showing you the visceral reality of the ghosts that lurk in the corners of your everyday life. You will be uplifted by her lush words in terrifying detail, and then she'll break your heart. She drains you until you are left with nothing but despair, yet thirsting for more.
Choking Back the Devil by Donna Lynch is only just under 100 pages long, but is jam packed with gut punches that seem to come out of nowhere, like the specters she writes about in this collection. Her sharp words cut right to the bone and yet we revel in the painful truth and continue to read in an almost masochistic way. Ms. Lynch wields her pen like a razor more than once in these words that feast on your blood and fears. A recommended read if your not scared of a mirror being held to your face and see multiply faces staring back, if you don't mind being gutted, then begging for more, if you don't mind the sound of a blade grinding on your own twitching bare, bloody bone, then be my guest. Let me introduce you the blade wielder herself, Donna Lynch.
April 25, 2022
This was my first take on horror poetry and dear God did I love it...
I guess I'm addicted now!
I guess I'm addicted now!
August 17, 2022
Collection of dark poetry, where the monsters (ghosts, demons, witches) are metaphors for the evil things inside us (and others)... except, of course, when they're not. Very well done. I especially liked "The Call of Immolaine," "Legend, "My Incomplete Children," "Queens," "Race," "The Horse, The Home," and "The Most Haunted Girl I Ever Knew." Often beautiful and horrifying. Sometimes her shortest poems are the most powerful.
December 15, 2019
"There is a fear, deeper than fear/ A terror we all encounter/ But there's no lovely mask on mine."
I don't think I've read anything that has been quite so beautiful, raw, and dark all at the same time. Donna Lynch truly has a talent like no other, and I'm here for whatever else this author puts out, even if it's just a line scribbled onto a diner napkin.
I first discovered horror poetry a few months ago, and I've been hooked since then. The cover first drew me to this collection, and then I read some reviews. WOWWWWW! I immediately KNEW that I just HAD to get my hands on this and devour these poems, and devour is exactly what I did.
From the first line, Lynch grabbed me by the heart and didn't let go. I just couldn't close the book until I was finished with the very last word. This collection reminded me that the scariest demons of all are the ones living right inside of each one of us, the ones clawing to get out if we'd just let them.
I would recommend this to literally EVERYONE!!! This collection has a strong female voice, but honestly, everyone should read this. And if you don't feel something deep within your soul after you’ve ingested each word within these pages, what are you even doing?
**Special thank you to the Raw Dog Screaming Press and Erin Al-Mehairi for providing me with this review copy.**
I don't think I've read anything that has been quite so beautiful, raw, and dark all at the same time. Donna Lynch truly has a talent like no other, and I'm here for whatever else this author puts out, even if it's just a line scribbled onto a diner napkin.
I first discovered horror poetry a few months ago, and I've been hooked since then. The cover first drew me to this collection, and then I read some reviews. WOWWWWW! I immediately KNEW that I just HAD to get my hands on this and devour these poems, and devour is exactly what I did.
From the first line, Lynch grabbed me by the heart and didn't let go. I just couldn't close the book until I was finished with the very last word. This collection reminded me that the scariest demons of all are the ones living right inside of each one of us, the ones clawing to get out if we'd just let them.
I would recommend this to literally EVERYONE!!! This collection has a strong female voice, but honestly, everyone should read this. And if you don't feel something deep within your soul after you’ve ingested each word within these pages, what are you even doing?
**Special thank you to the Raw Dog Screaming Press and Erin Al-Mehairi for providing me with this review copy.**
November 25, 2019
Thanks to Donna Lynch and Raw Dog Screaming Press for providing me with an ARC of Choking Back the Devil and to the publicist, Erin Sweet Al-Mehairi, for adding me to the reviewers’ list for this book.
Horror poetry? Yes, horror poetry. It’s one of my favorite things.
Coming in at just under one hundred pages, this book packs quite a punch. It’s filled with ghosts and curses, witches and legends, panic and fear, demons and monsters. And pain.
I sat and devoured this book, likely in record time. I couldn’t help myself. It pulled me in, dug in its claws, showed me its razor-sharp fangs, and we feasted together.
Donna Lynch has beautifully crafted these dark poems. They are horrifying yet beautiful. They ring true. They make me feel…they make me feel alive, spark a fire deep down inside me that sometimes is nearly extinguished. As dark and wicked as they are, they calm me, let me know I’m not alone, and bring me back to life.
Two lines from the poem, “Legend” specifically spoke to me.
“Because those painful things aren’t pieces of you they’ve taken
They are gifts given.”
Sometimes we need that small reminder.
I will cherish this book forever. When I feel anxious or sad, I’m going to pull this book off the shelf and read it again.
June 27, 2021
I planned to read this slowly over the next week, but definitely read it in one sitting. This book is fabulously creepy. Loved this one!
June 10, 2022
In the afterward Donna Lynch one-ups Kafka's statement that literature "must be the ax for the frozen sea within us" by explaining that a good poem "can be an ax right to the torso."
I only wish I had more torsos to be axed.
I only wish I had more torsos to be axed.
March 27, 2023
Admito que no tenía ni idea de que algo como esto podía existir, pero me alegra haberme topado con ello. Se me ocurrió buscar recomendaciones de poesía gótica, y este estaba entre los recomendados. Me enganchó desde la primera página, fue algo así como amor a primera vista. Si ya la poesía se lee rápido, este libro se me fue en un suspiro.
Reseña completa (31 de marzo): https://tintanocturna.blogspot.com/20...
I admit I had no idea something like this could exist, but I'm glad I stumbled upon it. It occurred to me to look for gothic poetry recommendations, and this was among the recommended ones. I was hooked from the first page, it was like love at first sight. If poetry is already read quickly, this book left me in a breath.
Full review (March 31): https://tintanocturna.blogspot.com/20...
Reseña completa (31 de marzo): https://tintanocturna.blogspot.com/20...
I admit I had no idea something like this could exist, but I'm glad I stumbled upon it. It occurred to me to look for gothic poetry recommendations, and this was among the recommended ones. I was hooked from the first page, it was like love at first sight. If poetry is already read quickly, this book left me in a breath.
Full review (March 31): https://tintanocturna.blogspot.com/20...
July 19, 2019
This collection of poems seemed to speak directly to me. Some of Donna's poems put into words feelings which I’ve felt, but never could express so eloquently. So even though all of the poems were darker in nature, they had an uplifting quality to them because it was like I was reading words from a friend which mirrored my own sentiments.
I like the structure of her poems. In general her poems are very natural for me to read. A good blend of what manifest themselves as concrete details and more esoteric or lyrical language. She writes more like how I think than some poets do, and that makes me happy.
My favorites include “You, Alone” for its uncanny likeness to thoughts I’ve told myself before; “The Most Haunted Girl I Ever Knew” for its chilling reminder to be empathetic towards people you really know nothing about; and “Woman” because it’s like a haunting nightmare. A couple more I enjoyed are “Guest” and “Doll.”
I think this collection is perfect for poetry-lovers and for people new to poetry in general. And a must-have addition to someone who collects dark or horror poetry!
I like the structure of her poems. In general her poems are very natural for me to read. A good blend of what manifest themselves as concrete details and more esoteric or lyrical language. She writes more like how I think than some poets do, and that makes me happy.
My favorites include “You, Alone” for its uncanny likeness to thoughts I’ve told myself before; “The Most Haunted Girl I Ever Knew” for its chilling reminder to be empathetic towards people you really know nothing about; and “Woman” because it’s like a haunting nightmare. A couple more I enjoyed are “Guest” and “Doll.”
I think this collection is perfect for poetry-lovers and for people new to poetry in general. And a must-have addition to someone who collects dark or horror poetry!
January 10, 2020
This is a powerful collection! I enjoyed taking my time, savoring each poem and letting it sink in for a few days. Review to come!!
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April 10, 2020This review originally appears as part of a Horror in Poetry Series at http://brennanlafaro.wordpress.com
Choking Back the Devil is very accessible to a person like me, lightly dipping their toes in to test the waters. Some of the poems have the rhyming elements I expected, most don't. Many entries read like flash fiction which I did not expect, but allowed some aspect of familiarity to guide me along. Sacrifice and Borderlines: A Horror Story in 7 Small Parts are prime examples of this. Cutting to the chase, I really enjoyed this collection. Weighing in at 94 pages, I could have knocked it out in an afternoon, but I spent the better part of a week taking the entries in one at a time, sometimes rereading them, thinking about what Lynch was putting in front of me, and also my own personal interpretation. There was not a single piece in here that confused me and made me want to put it down and re-give up on poetry all over again. I thought that maybe I'd become smarter or more open-minded since high school english, but not necessarily so. Lynch wrote a pretty incredible Afterword (originally published by Ladies of Horror Fiction) to let me know what it was I enjoyed about this collection, and dammit, she was right. I would love to just copy and paste the whole thing here, but I'll consolidate. Lynch talks about how horror poetry is a "brief, unsettling moment of pictures and feelings" and goes on to compare it to being the most frightening part of a horror novel captured in short. Yes, this is it, and that's exactly what is accomplished here. To paraphrase Donna Lynch just once more (I promise), traumatic experiences and unsettling thoughts condensed to the length of a shopping list. I think I'm going to like this going forward. Choking Back the Devil consists of 35 works, and although I don't have the room to share every one that made me think, gave me chills, or just made me appreciate the author's way with words, I will leave you with a few favorites. All The Things They Never Tell You was my personal favorite. I kept finding myself going back to reread it and it made me squirm a bit. Race is an excellent examination of horror rules and how they pertain to why people write it. If You Love Me is another great example of the author creating short, unsettling thoughts and moments. Rounding out, I also found myself thinking a lot about The Most Haunted Girl I Ever Knew, Choking Back the Devil, and It Just Wasn't Your Night. Thank you goes out to Raw Dog Screaming Press and Erin Al-Mehairi for getting this in my hands. This book was an excellent gateway drug and I can't wait to see what's next. I was given a copy by the publisher for review consideration.
Choking Back the Devil is very accessible to a person like me, lightly dipping their toes in to test the waters. Some of the poems have the rhyming elements I expected, most don't. Many entries read like flash fiction which I did not expect, but allowed some aspect of familiarity to guide me along. Sacrifice and Borderlines: A Horror Story in 7 Small Parts are prime examples of this. Cutting to the chase, I really enjoyed this collection. Weighing in at 94 pages, I could have knocked it out in an afternoon, but I spent the better part of a week taking the entries in one at a time, sometimes rereading them, thinking about what Lynch was putting in front of me, and also my own personal interpretation. There was not a single piece in here that confused me and made me want to put it down and re-give up on poetry all over again. I thought that maybe I'd become smarter or more open-minded since high school english, but not necessarily so. Lynch wrote a pretty incredible Afterword (originally published by Ladies of Horror Fiction) to let me know what it was I enjoyed about this collection, and dammit, she was right. I would love to just copy and paste the whole thing here, but I'll consolidate. Lynch talks about how horror poetry is a "brief, unsettling moment of pictures and feelings" and goes on to compare it to being the most frightening part of a horror novel captured in short. Yes, this is it, and that's exactly what is accomplished here. To paraphrase Donna Lynch just once more (I promise), traumatic experiences and unsettling thoughts condensed to the length of a shopping list. I think I'm going to like this going forward. Choking Back the Devil consists of 35 works, and although I don't have the room to share every one that made me think, gave me chills, or just made me appreciate the author's way with words, I will leave you with a few favorites. All The Things They Never Tell You was my personal favorite. I kept finding myself going back to reread it and it made me squirm a bit. Race is an excellent examination of horror rules and how they pertain to why people write it. If You Love Me is another great example of the author creating short, unsettling thoughts and moments. Rounding out, I also found myself thinking a lot about The Most Haunted Girl I Ever Knew, Choking Back the Devil, and It Just Wasn't Your Night. Thank you goes out to Raw Dog Screaming Press and Erin Al-Mehairi for getting this in my hands. This book was an excellent gateway drug and I can't wait to see what's next. I was given a copy by the publisher for review consideration.
May 14, 2025
"Spend a lifetime hiding from monsters and you blind / yourself to the ones inside of you.
Every ugly thing needs a home, and the space inside your / head works nicely."
Witches and demons. Wolves and wraiths. Entities external and within. These are the horrors Donna Lynch explores with her poems. They are not "jump-scare" scenes -- it's the prickling of the skin behind your neck, what leaves you frozen in place, the hollowing out of a barren (yet protected) space. They are unsettling and disquieting, but that is their purpose. They accomplish all they set out to do, and as shaken as we are, we are glad for the journey. A wonderfully crafted world of horror.
Every ugly thing needs a home, and the space inside your / head works nicely."
Witches and demons. Wolves and wraiths. Entities external and within. These are the horrors Donna Lynch explores with her poems. They are not "jump-scare" scenes -- it's the prickling of the skin behind your neck, what leaves you frozen in place, the hollowing out of a barren (yet protected) space. They are unsettling and disquieting, but that is their purpose. They accomplish all they set out to do, and as shaken as we are, we are glad for the journey. A wonderfully crafted world of horror.
June 10, 2020
Choking Back the Devil is worth every last breath. Horror Poetry is still here and Donna Lynch is choking it to death.
Favorites:
-Legend
-Terror Management Theory
-The Horse, the Home
-The Loss of Gods
-Excerpt From Skinned (1999)
Favorites:
-Legend
-Terror Management Theory
-The Horse, the Home
-The Loss of Gods
-Excerpt From Skinned (1999)
July 4, 2023
Very cool volume! Feels like Jeffrey Dahmer reincarnated as a girl and now channels his violent impulses into angry poetry rather than eating hot dudes. Fun poems to read out loud while smoking weed with buddies and receive awkward stares.
April 7, 2021
Astounding, powerful, very difficult to read in parts because of the emotions it triggers -- a must-read for horror poetry fans by a queen of the genre.
November 3, 2021
Maybe the bleakest thing I've ever read. I love the idea of horror with existential dread as the main monster.
July 3, 2024
This some heartbreaking sh!t. Force feed me the words so I can consume them!
September 26, 2024
Probably my first experience with horror poetry and damn. I’m sold. Sign me up for more. Haunting, bittersweet, bleak, beautiful. Beloved. Yes please.
May 7, 2020
You can read my full review (and others) at https://mediadrome.wordpress.com/
Honestly, every single entry in this book is my favorite. It’s about possession, and terror, murder, mental illness, and creeping dread – the kind of stuff that takes root inside you and then continues to grow and fester. These poems are so good. They skirt the line between external and internal horrors – what’s “real” versus “just in your head.”
You should definitely read this.
Honestly, every single entry in this book is my favorite. It’s about possession, and terror, murder, mental illness, and creeping dread – the kind of stuff that takes root inside you and then continues to grow and fester. These poems are so good. They skirt the line between external and internal horrors – what’s “real” versus “just in your head.”
You should definitely read this.
November 24, 2023
WHY AM I JUST NOW LEARNING THAT MY TWO FAVOURITE GENRES CAN BE COMBINED? Horror AND poetry?! Yes, please. I absolutely adore this style of writing.
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