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CONTROL.: a collection of poetry
"i fear
i am beginning to lose
what little sanity
i previously held claim to"
CONTROL is quite possibly Kara's darkest collection yet.
Written during their various stays in the psychiatric ward at the hospital, it is an unflinchingly honest depiction of a life marked by trauma. As the name implies, it studies their relationship (re: obsession) with control. The various ways in which they attempt, perhaps sometimes unhealthily, to regain the driver’s seat in their life.
Most days, they aren’t even a passenger.
Their life is a constant struggle of attempting to escape from being kidnapped and locked in the trunk. This collection is, in a way, Petrovic pleading with the kidnapper.
It is every attempt and every bargain.
It is not for the faint of heart.
i am beginning to lose
what little sanity
i previously held claim to"
CONTROL is quite possibly Kara's darkest collection yet.
Written during their various stays in the psychiatric ward at the hospital, it is an unflinchingly honest depiction of a life marked by trauma. As the name implies, it studies their relationship (re: obsession) with control. The various ways in which they attempt, perhaps sometimes unhealthily, to regain the driver’s seat in their life.
Most days, they aren’t even a passenger.
Their life is a constant struggle of attempting to escape from being kidnapped and locked in the trunk. This collection is, in a way, Petrovic pleading with the kidnapper.
It is every attempt and every bargain.
It is not for the faint of heart.
- GenresPoetry
70 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 30, 2020
1451 people want to read
About the author
Kara Petrovic
4 books62 followers"Kara Petrovic" is currently publishing under Milo E. Gorgevska. Their latest collection, "Destructive Heresies" is published by Cathexis Northwest Press, for release Oct 1 2022.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 14, 2020
Thank you to Kara Petrovic and their team for gifting me with a free copy of this book via Goodreads Giveaways.
see, i am Borderline
i wear a sign
that reads AVOID
since all I am
is A VOID (14)
Control. is, above all else, a lovely, well-crafted rumination on abuse, mental illness, self-worth, trauma, and more. Petrovic utilizes a wide variety of poetic fixtures to tell their story, with different forms of poetry, allusions ranging from the goddess Hestia to the #MeToo movement, and images of rotting, burning, freezing, and cutting reoccurring throughout the work to illustrate the severity of the issues touched on, and how oppressive they are for those who suffer through them.
Despite the heaviness of the subject matter, I was relieved to finally read a work of poetry that wasn't about the end of a relationship, which seems to be what most contemporary poetry collections are about right now. Relationships of all kinds appear in Control., but they take a back seat to the individual, and the deeply personal experiences of mental health.
Petrovic has clear talent, and for most of the book, I was sure that this was going to be a five-star review. What scaled the rating down to four stars was the Afterward, which, while I'm sure was cathartic for Petrovic to write, was too unfocused and over the top for this reader.
All in all, I came away from Control. very impressed, and I look forward to reading more of their work in the future.
a ghost can feel nothing, taste nothing, exist as nothing but exist
anyway. (60)
see, i am Borderline
i wear a sign
that reads AVOID
since all I am
is A VOID (14)
Control. is, above all else, a lovely, well-crafted rumination on abuse, mental illness, self-worth, trauma, and more. Petrovic utilizes a wide variety of poetic fixtures to tell their story, with different forms of poetry, allusions ranging from the goddess Hestia to the #MeToo movement, and images of rotting, burning, freezing, and cutting reoccurring throughout the work to illustrate the severity of the issues touched on, and how oppressive they are for those who suffer through them.
Despite the heaviness of the subject matter, I was relieved to finally read a work of poetry that wasn't about the end of a relationship, which seems to be what most contemporary poetry collections are about right now. Relationships of all kinds appear in Control., but they take a back seat to the individual, and the deeply personal experiences of mental health.
Petrovic has clear talent, and for most of the book, I was sure that this was going to be a five-star review. What scaled the rating down to four stars was the Afterward, which, while I'm sure was cathartic for Petrovic to write, was too unfocused and over the top for this reader.
All in all, I came away from Control. very impressed, and I look forward to reading more of their work in the future.
a ghost can feel nothing, taste nothing, exist as nothing but exist
anyway. (60)
January 13, 2020
Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite.
Control is a collection of poetry with explicit and shocking themes, and was penned by author Kara Petrovic. Part of a strong movement of provocative artwork and dark themes, the author tackles issues such as suicidal thoughts and actions, practices of self harm, sexual assault and the outlying trauma that patients suffer psychologically after these terrible events have taken place. Written during their stays in a hospital’s psychiatric ward, these verses take a raw perspective on pain, and are linked by the common theme of the collection’s title, as the author explores the relationship between a need for control and the sense of feeling constantly trapped.
Darkly graphic and provocative in every sense of the word, author Kara Petrovic has created a collection of verses which will touch the mind of soul of the readership, but not everyone will be able to handle the raw and blunt emotional quality of the work. For those who can access and relate to these dark thoughts and psychological explorations, there is much reward to be found in Petrovic’s poetic honesty and immensely clever use of imagery. The exploration of the process of coping with trauma really interested me, and captivated me in the graphic imagery that was used to convey the pain of trying to process over and over again. There is, I feel, a beacon of hope amid such darkness too, and the organisation and accomplishment of layout amongst the works conveys art coming from the most unconventional of places. Overall, Control is highly recommended for poetry fans who are ready to explore some very real and raw themes.
Control is a collection of poetry with explicit and shocking themes, and was penned by author Kara Petrovic. Part of a strong movement of provocative artwork and dark themes, the author tackles issues such as suicidal thoughts and actions, practices of self harm, sexual assault and the outlying trauma that patients suffer psychologically after these terrible events have taken place. Written during their stays in a hospital’s psychiatric ward, these verses take a raw perspective on pain, and are linked by the common theme of the collection’s title, as the author explores the relationship between a need for control and the sense of feeling constantly trapped.
Darkly graphic and provocative in every sense of the word, author Kara Petrovic has created a collection of verses which will touch the mind of soul of the readership, but not everyone will be able to handle the raw and blunt emotional quality of the work. For those who can access and relate to these dark thoughts and psychological explorations, there is much reward to be found in Petrovic’s poetic honesty and immensely clever use of imagery. The exploration of the process of coping with trauma really interested me, and captivated me in the graphic imagery that was used to convey the pain of trying to process over and over again. There is, I feel, a beacon of hope amid such darkness too, and the organisation and accomplishment of layout amongst the works conveys art coming from the most unconventional of places. Overall, Control is highly recommended for poetry fans who are ready to explore some very real and raw themes.
January 15, 2020
CONTROL. is the third collection of poems written by prolific poetess Kara Petrovic, preceded by Beyond Rock Bottom and Forget-me-not. In another deeply personal, soul baring compilation, Petrovic delivers over two dozen free verse poems divided into three distinct sections, each titled Methods of Coping and numbered as I, II, and III, with a poetic preface and afterword as well. Touching on a range of painful topics that range from mental health issues and drug abuse, to self harm, physical and sexual abuse, and suicide, Petrovic pours out the struggles of so many into stanzas as unrestricted as the subjects themselves, freeing the prose with punches of enjambment that lend to the strength and power of the words, even when the sorrow behind them is shattering.
CONTROL. does an excellent job of shining light on the darkest moments of a person's experiences, breaching the threshold of traditional taboos and allowing a reader to wrap themselves in a writer's understanding. Kara Petrovic is bold and unapologetic in the verses she puts forward. The stand-out to me is the poem #MeThree, which chronicles a series of sexual assaults and abuses, the effects of which spill over from one “relationship” to the next, numbing the body and soul. I don't think I'll ever again look at a cornfield without remembering this poem. Like the others, it is haunting and wholly unforgettable. There is beauty in the way the pain is conveyed throughout this entire anthology, and I would give this book an entire bucket of stars if I could.
Review written for Readers' Favorite.
CONTROL. does an excellent job of shining light on the darkest moments of a person's experiences, breaching the threshold of traditional taboos and allowing a reader to wrap themselves in a writer's understanding. Kara Petrovic is bold and unapologetic in the verses she puts forward. The stand-out to me is the poem #MeThree, which chronicles a series of sexual assaults and abuses, the effects of which spill over from one “relationship” to the next, numbing the body and soul. I don't think I'll ever again look at a cornfield without remembering this poem. Like the others, it is haunting and wholly unforgettable. There is beauty in the way the pain is conveyed throughout this entire anthology, and I would give this book an entire bucket of stars if I could.
Review written for Readers' Favorite.
May 1, 2020
By the reading of this poetry, it feels like we access a part of her brain. I felt like I was listening to her thinking.
It’s raw. Rude words. Most of the time I couldn’t understand what was written.
We can understand that the author is in a dark place. At least, she knows it.
I’m not used to reading poetry, nor reading dark books.
Still, I liked it because it felt true.
It’s raw. Rude words. Most of the time I couldn’t understand what was written.
We can understand that the author is in a dark place. At least, she knows it.
I’m not used to reading poetry, nor reading dark books.
Still, I liked it because it felt true.
February 6, 2020
Excellent book!!!
June 7, 2020
Amazing, amazing, amazing. It moved me to tears several times. Highly recommended if you want to understand what it feels like to drown in one's own mind.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews