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Into the Forest and all the Way Through

Cynthia Pelayo (Goodreads Author)

4.56 · Rating details · 217 ratings · 82 reviews

Into the Forest and all the Way Through is a collection of true crime poetry that explores the cases of over one hundred missing and murdered women in the United States.

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Published September 13th 2020 (first published August 26th 2020)

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Jan 22, 2021 Bel Rodrigues rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: e-books, womans-world, poetry, criminologia, 2021-lidos

"so many question, but if the questions are all answered they cannot profit from your murder". ...more

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Nov 10, 2020 Sadie Hartmann rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: poetry

'Before you continue into the forest I leave you with a few more thoughts--
--These women deserve rest and peace, and the people that took them away from us deserve to be punished...Justice sometimes takes time, but it is possible."- Cynthia "Cina" Pelayo
...
After reading this "Dear Reader" letter from the author, I decided I would go on this journey through the forest and go all the way through. No stopping. So I have done that today and I have just finished. These are my thoughts coming out of t ...more

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Jan 12, 2021 Well Read Beard rated it it was amazing

Shelves: my-books

I have been reading for a long time. Never. Never has a 143 page book weighed this much. This isn't just a book. It isn't just poetry. This is a directory of death. It is a graveyard for innocence. This book is that thing we like to over look and call not human, yet it always returns and steps into the light to prove us wrong. What if goodness isn't inherently human? What if evil is just as inherent, or better yet, what if evil, violence, taking and destroying are the human norm and the goodness I have been reading for a long time. Never. Never has a 143 page book weighed this much. This isn't just a book. It isn't just poetry. This is a directory of death. It is a graveyard for innocence. This book is that thing we like to over look and call not human, yet it always returns and steps into the light to prove us wrong. What if goodness isn't inherently human? What if evil is just as inherent, or better yet, what if evil, violence, taking and destroying are the human norm and the goodness is the abnormality.

This is my 2nd Pelayo read. Both books have gone way past what I think of as normal poetry. I am not an expert, but to me poetry is an idea arranged into words. Don't get me wrong I do not want to make the beauty of poetry small, but there is this idea of a simplistic quality to it. This is different. You can feel the heavy work that went into this. I imagine that the effort that it took me to read these painful pieces was amplified 100 times in order for the author to summon the strength to write them.

Missing and murdered women in the United States... More than 100 different poems = 100 cases, 100 lives, 100 missing and murdered wives, mothers, daughters, friends. It is broken familial branches, lost generations, snuffed futures. Silenced laughter and empty Christmas mornings. Families left to hope and pray and wonder and struggle to come to terms with some idea of moving on.

The poems are ordered alphabetically by State. Each poem gives the name, place, race, age at the time of disappearance and the investigating agency. There was something about that. Something about reverently reading these poems and then seeing these facts at the end. These facts were this final gut punch, this final stark reminder that these stories, these people had most likely ended. As I write this I am awed even more at the importance this book. These stories had ended, cases spanning decades, cold cases put away in forgotten filing cabinets. Everyone had forgotten. Everyone had moved on. Everyone but Cina. And now me, and every other person that reads this book. She made the dead live.

So, it wasn't that any single poem just knocked me out. It was the concept of the whole thing. I picked this up at an inopportune time and read a handful of poems. I wasn't prepared, I stopped. Then, when the time was right, I picked it back up. I read every poem with a level of reverence and rememberance. These poems and each victim represented deserved my best. They deserved my attention. I could not simply skim over this one or not pay proper attention to that one. I tried. I read each poem slowly and carefully. There was a feeling of respect, and not to overly romanticize it, but I like to think that after each one I gave a sigh of relief and offered up some kind of silent condolence to the families left behind.

Some of the poems that stood out a bit more to me:
Missing Person Poster
Sour, Patch, Kid
Media Fades With Age, Its Disability
Your Face Is Unrecognizable
Snow Angel
I Am Coming
Riding With Devils
A Trust Of Friends
Unlucky Seven
Doe-Eyed
The Newspaper Bleeds
Mother Of Magic
Rock-A-Bye
Discard The Words ...more

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Sep 04, 2020 Sara Tantlinger rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: dark-poetry

This is not an easy book to read. It will shatter your heart, and anyone who has experienced life as a woman will know all too intimately the fear in these pages, the choking dread of what could happen if I go for a walk too late, go to the grocery store at night, find myself some place at the wrong time...

"If I ask you to take me home, I expect to be taken home / Not dissolved into asphalt"

But these stories are so infinitely important, and so is what Cynthia Pelayo has done here. As someone who This is not an easy book to read. It will shatter your heart, and anyone who has experienced life as a woman will know all too intimately the fear in these pages, the choking dread of what could happen if I go for a walk too late, go to the grocery store at night, find myself some place at the wrong time...

"If I ask you to take me home, I expect to be taken home / Not dissolved into asphalt"

But these stories are so infinitely important, and so is what Cynthia Pelayo has done here. As someone who does a lot of research in my own writing, I can clearly see and feel with every word the extensive efforts Pelayo has taken to research the details of these cases, to see the human being behind the missing poster signs, and add in information about the case and department to contact with any information. Throughout every poem, I heard those distinct voices and my heart broke in sadness and rage with every piece because these stories show how much society and police and cruel people have failed these women.

"so many question, but if the questions are all answered they cannot profit from your murder"

It shows exactly why victims fear coming forward, why women are so angry at the world right now, and why things so desperately need change and reform to better help women, especially women of color whose cases do not get the media attention that missing white women do.

There's a lot to talk about here, and this is a collection you need to experience on your own. My Kindle app didn't carry over the many, many highlighted lines I chose, but Pelayo's writing is beautiful. Her words create not just ghosts of these missing women, but fully-fleshed human beings who have true voices and stories that they're reaching through the page to make sure we hear them. While you may (like me) need a breather between reading these pieces, please do take the time to read this stunning collection. Thank you Cina for creating this, I can only imagine the emotional toll it took, but you have created something so powerful and important. ...more

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Sep 15, 2020 Sonora Taylor rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

4.5 ⭐️ Haunting and beautiful. Hold the women in your life close. Protect our girls.

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Feb 12, 2021 Robin Bonne rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, poetry

I found myself tearing up several times while reading these poems. My heart is heavy as I’m struck with how real each of these missing women was. Each of them had a life before it was stolen from them and these poems gave them a voice. It hit me hard.

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Jan 25, 2021 Wayne Fenlon rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I honestly can't single out any poems in this collection. They all leave a mark.
It was a tough read. I could only manage a few a day.
But, it is an important one. It feels very respectful.
I'm glad I read it.
Glad it was put together.
Thank you, Cynthia. ...more

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Feb 08, 2021 Brad rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

“You live only as long as the last person who remembers you.”

The above quote lingered with me while reading INTO THE FOREST AND ALL THE WAY THROUGH, a collection of true crime poetry, by Cynthia Pelayo. These poems explore the cases of over one hundred missing and murdered women from across the United States. This book was really unlike anything I have read before. Sure, I have read true crime stories but this one felt different, more tangible, more real, like in some way I knew these women, the ...more

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Jan 21, 2021 👑 💀 rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Without interweaving basic facts from each missing woman’s case into the poems themselves, there would be no way for Pelayo to ground her audience in the lives and situations of the victims, so thus she aims to strike the perfect balance between storytelling details and metaphorical musings—and she does it well. This collection is as much a remembrance for the missing women as it is a challenge for those who know anything about these cases to speak up. One poem asserts “there is no mystery when ...more

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Dec 03, 2020 Holly Garcia rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This is unlike anything I've ever read before. True Crime...poetry. After reading a few glowing reviews I had to see what this was about, and man did it screw with my head. There are some beautiful passages here, haunting tales. You'll run the gambit of sadness and anger and frustration. I love how she emphasized the names of the women and NOT those of the assailants. I love that she gave the personal information after each poem, and a number to call in case anyone knows anything. Because sittin ...more

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Jan 27, 2021 Brandi Guarino rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: poetry, true-crime

"There are thousands of missing women in America. There are thousands of women who have been murdered, yet their case has gone ignored, forgotten, cold."

Into the Forest and all the Way Through is a slim volume of true crime poetry that focuses on 100 of the thousands of missing women and young girls who are missing or murdered in America. At 156 pages, I thought that I would be able to read this book in one sitting, but I was very wrong. I could only read a few poems a night because of the heavi ...more

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Sep 04, 2020 Glen Krisch rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Amazing and heartbreaking. Contender for my book of the year.

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Jan 31, 2021 Chelsea Moreen rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-to-buy, 2020-release, crime, author-of-colour, poetry

This was such a hard book to read, it was difficult in subject and hard to deal with at times, despite only being 150ish pages. This book is a collection of poems inspired and to raise attention to the thousands of women and children that go missing and are killed every year in America (and of course all over the world too). As a big fan of true crime on YouTube I wanted to give reading this a go, to learn more about some of the cases that are overlooked, simply for not having much information. ...more

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Nov 12, 2020 Cassie Daley rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: horror-adjacent, ladies-of-horror-fiction, read-2020, 2020-top-25, best-of-2020, poetry

"Into the forest and all the way through, I ask you to follow my voice."

This is a hard book for me to write about, as probably made evident by the fact that it took me nearly 2 months to read, and then almost 4 more to write a review on it. I want to be very clear here and stress that those things aren't due to it being a bad book, but speak instead to Cynthia Pelayo's writing ability - she genuinely broke me with this one, folks, and I don't blame her one bit: this book is so important. It will "Into the forest and all the way through, I ask you to follow my voice."

This is a hard book for me to write about, as probably made evident by the fact that it took me nearly 2 months to read, and then almost 4 more to write a review on it. I want to be very clear here and stress that those things aren't due to it being a bad book, but speak instead to Cynthia Pelayo's writing ability - she genuinely broke me with this one, folks, and I don't blame her one bit: this book is so important. It will be a difficult one for people to read, and I don't blame anyone who isn't able to stomach it - the stuff on these pages is heavy, and that's my warning to anyone thinking about going into it.

This is a collection of true crime poetry inspired by the hundreds - if not thousands - of cases of missing, murdered, or hurt women in the United States. A majority of these poems are about a specific case, but there are also a few that encompass the general danger and fear that women everyday face when going about our lives. The ability to relate to these situations and women isn't necessary to appreciate and empathize with the perspectives and stories being told here, but it does make it pack an enormous punch for those who know all too well how quickly things like walking back to a car late at night can take a terrifying turn.

The strength that it must have taken Pelayo to do the research necessary to share bits of these stories is astounding, and I wanted to give her - and them - the necessary respect when reading Into the Forest. This is partially why it took me so long to get through it - I found myself Googling each name at the end of the poems, immersing myself in their tragic disappearances and awful endings. I won't lie - I shed more than a few tears, and the time spent reading would leave me emotionally exhausted and hurting, feeling so strongly for these women that I'd never get to know, but could understand all too well.

In a time where things like the recent #MeToo movement are taking over social media and bringing light to the dark places that women have been told to stay silent on for way too long, Pelayo shines a beacon on real-world examples of women who haven't been given the justice they deserve, urging readers to share any information they may have on the off chance that someone, somewhere might be able to bring closure and resolution to a case that has long since gone cold. These poems provide a beautifully written tribute for these lost women and their loved ones that is both heartfelt and heartbreaking, and it's not one that I'll be able to ever forget. ...more

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Jan 19, 2021 Shane Hawk rated it it was amazing

Shelves: own-the-paperback, poetry, true-crime

Cina broke my heart and scattered it around like the title in the cover design. Ouch!

Am I a diehard true crime fan? No.
Do I watch Netflix's true crime offerings? No.
Did I find this poetry collection to be top notch? Yes.

I struggled with the content within these pages, for they hold lots of grief, pain, sorrow, and unforgettable loss. Horror is my favorite genre. Love monsters, love blood, love creepiness. But true crime is another monster. It's real. These things have happened to real people. I ...more

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Feb 10, 2021 Regina rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Cynthia Pelayo highlights the ongoing problem of missing and exploited women and girls whose stories are alternately sensationalized and forgotten. Pelayo honors these girls and women by acknowledging that they were real, they existed with hopes and dreams, and that they were valuable in and of themselves. This book of poetry pulled me in deep and left me struggling to come up to the surface for air. I appreciated that each entry contained information about the person who inspired the poem. Some ...more

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Jan 27, 2021 Joshua Marsella rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Heartbreaking and Infuriating

This collection of poems will weigh heavy on your soul. The writing is beautiful but the subject matter is absolutely heartbreaking. Pelayo uses her gift of poetry to tell the tragic stories of women, young girls, and even infants that had their lives robbed from them by perpetrators that were never caught. The way she’s able to tell so much of their stories while giving details on their murder/disappearance/discovery is not only a testament to her skill as a writer ...more

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Mar 22, 2021 Heather Horror Hellion rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I got this book today and I finished it hours later.

I feel so much my heart aches. I took a break from reading to hug my son and tell him not to go missing (I don't think it helps but I said it)

I wouldn't say I'm an emotional person, it takes a bit for me to cry. This book hit that spot, it wedged in there, and I cried. I sat, and thought and felt for all these missing beauties. The fear they felt and the anger and confusion the families still have.

This book took a piece of my heart and I'm fin ...more

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Nov 22, 2020 Jenette rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: currently-own

What a sad and heartbreaking collection of poems about the missing and unsolved murders of so many women in the U.S. I hope that people read this and can come forward to help close some of these cases.

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Sep 10, 2020 Stephanie Wytovich rated it really liked it · review of another edition

With everything that’s been happening in 2020, I’ve had a bit of an atypical reading year so far. That’s not to say that I haven’t been reading horror like usual, but I have found myself learning more toward nonfiction and memoir a bit more than usual, especially when it comes to preparing for classes, building courses, educating myself about the world and other people’s experiences, etc. However, one aspect of my reading habits that hasn’t changed has been my connection to and appetite for poet With everything that’s been happening in 2020, I’ve had a bit of an atypical reading year so far. That’s not to say that I haven’t been reading horror like usual, but I have found myself learning more toward nonfiction and memoir a bit more than usual, especially when it comes to preparing for classes, building courses, educating myself about the world and other people’s experiences, etc. However, one aspect of my reading habits that hasn’t changed has been my connection to and appetite for poetry.

Now I’ve read some truly stellar poetry so far this year, and I’m happy to add Cynthia Pelayo’s collection Into the Forest and All the Way Through to my list.

For readers of mystery and true crime, this is a heartbreaking but important read as it gives voice to the missing and the murdered, the lost and the afraid. By no means is this collection an easy read, but Pelayo approaches the subject matter with compassion, honesty, and an urgency that begs people to wake up, to speak out, and to continue to have hard conversations with their children and loved ones. Something else that I really appreciated about the time and research and care that went into this collection was the profile that she included at the end of each poem that detailed the person’s appearance, said their name, and provided the contact information for the investigating agency on their case.

I also think, on a conceptual level, if we look at this collection and its intent that it can also be read as a political cry that calls out to people to demand more from their criminal justice system because it’s no secret that it needs to do better and be more aware about the systemic issues and deaths surrounding people of color, domestic abuse, and sex trafficking in our country. As these issues continue to rise, so should our focus on them, and this needs to move beyond performative acts of social justice and instead take the shape of true partnership and allyship if we want to see real, honest change happen in order to save lives and honor those who have passed.

For that, I thank Pelayo for writing this.

Overall, this is my second experience with Pelayo’s poetry, my first being her book Poems of My Night, and once again I found myself consumed by her words and their vulnerability. She’s not someone who shies away from truth or darkness, but she’s also someone who can find moments of beauty and tenderness when it seems like all there is…is pain.

For that, she will always have a reader in me.

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. ...more

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Sep 20, 2020 Zen Ghost Bookworm rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Clearly a 5-star read, Pelayo deals you a death blow with each page as she refuses to let these women go unseen and unheard. We learn about women who have been murdered or have gone missing, from infants to the elderly, and every age in between. She shares the stories of victim's last moments, killer's dark motivations, and loved one's pain as they are left behind to wonder.

I read to relieve stress and escape for a bit. This book did NOT work for that purpose. I grieved for the pain and loss of ...more

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Jan 12, 2021 Weekend Reader_ rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: poetry

Wow this is a powerful poetry collection. It's a grim reality of how unprotected women and girls from violence. Pelayo poems documents the violence of these souls ranging in ages from 3-days to 70's over the span of multiple decades (1970s-to present). Each poem reads like a series of what if's or an indictment of the lack of police urgency to respond to the report. In many cases Pelayo alleges the killer is known male figure or a serial killer who was not identified by the police. Y'all this wa ...more

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Feb 16, 2021 Fred Shrum rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Cynthia Pelayo profiles the cases of over 100 missing and murdered women. These women are from all 50 states in the USA. Pelayo brings light to these cold cases in a most refreshing and accessible way – a true crime poetry collection. Her facts are journalistic, and her anguish is palatable.

I wept when I read “Sing Us a Lullaby”. I had to put the book down when I read “The Demons You Live With.” The heartbreak sets in once you remember that each of these babies, children and women are real; the ...more

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Feb 03, 2021 Dave Williams rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This book is like the “Unsolved Mysteries” TV series meets poetry — but without paranormal subjects. The true crime poetry is about cases of more than 100 women who are missing, or their bodies haven’t been identified.

After each poem, a list includes the name of the missing woman, where she went missing, her race, age at disappearance, the year she went missing, and the phone number of the investigating agency.

Those lists hit home, again and again, that every poem is about a real person. Their ...more

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Sep 25, 2020 Laurel rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: crime, authors-to-follow, poetry, reviewer-rec

I love this collection. Cina Pelayo combines her poet's skill and heart with the unflinching, but empathetic eye of a journalist. Compelling, impossible to put down, Into the Forest brings a deep sadness at so many missing, but also manages to place a loving hand on the heart of all that pain. She sees the lost, and makes certain we do, too. ...more

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Oct 15, 2020 Ashley (bookishmommy) rated it it was amazing

MURDERINOS, CRIME JUNKIES AND ALL TRUE CRIME ADDICTS: You must stop everything and read this. A collection of true crime poetry based on actual cases of missing and murdered women in the US., Pelayo has created something truly brilliant. Powerful. Important. Its a must read. You will be inspired to take action and find justice for each woman in these poems.

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Dec 20, 2020 Sara Kjeldsen rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

A poetically written book honoring the memory of missing and murdered women

This was a poetically written book honoring the memory and respect to murdered and missing women and girls. Some were taken as young as four days old while others were in their forties. All taken too soon and robbed of their wonderful potential. While sad to read, it's such an honourable thing to give a voice to those who can't speak any longer. ...more

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Feb 04, 2021 Melissa Nowark rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Into the Forest and All the Way Through is a poetry collection highlighting missing and murdered women in America. It’s dark, it’s beautiful, it’s terrifying. This is my first book by Cynthia Pelayo, and I can’t wait to read everything else she’s ever written.

Besides being beautiful, Pelayo also adds in a contact number for every case, because someone out there has to know something about these women. This is important reading, if only to get the conversation started.

Get your tissues ready.

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Sep 27, 2020 Casey rated it it was amazing

Haunting. I finished it in one sitting. These stories need to be told.

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Sep 28, 2020 Shannon Kirk rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Astonishing. Gorgeous and meaningful verse. Inspires great emotion and empathy. I’m floored by how much time, talent, and magic it took to put together this necessary set of poems. Brava.

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About Cynthia Pelayo

Cynthia Pelayo

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Cynthia “Cina” Pelayo is two-time Bram Stoker Awards® nominated poet and author. She is the author of LOTERIA, SANTA MUERTE, THE MISSING, and POEMS OF MY NIGHT, all of which have been nominated for International Latino Book Awards. POEMS OF MY NIGHT was also nominated for an Elgin Award. Her recent collection of poetry, INTO THE FOREST AND ALL THE WAY THROUGH explores true crime, that of the epide ...more