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Unfollowing You
An anthem for the modern woman, Unfollowing You serves as a true companion for those who seek a voice that explores the complexities and absurdity of contemporary romance. Komal Kapoor uses her personal experience and astute social awareness as mechanisms to empower self-acceptance and promote cultural transparency.
After prolific growth on social media, Komal Kapoor is utilizing her perceptive understanding of romance in the digital age to present her first collection of poems. Unfollowing You tells a chronological tale of a modern love through a series of poems, prose, texts, screen grabs, and unsent letters. Exploring digital phenomena like swipe culture and technological realities, Kapoor’s words affirm experiences and sentiment echoed across many media platforms.
Unfollowing You is separated into two parts: “Following You” details how the two protagonists fall in love and “Unfollowing You” shares their heartbreak. The realism of this collection will encourage readers to normalize growth and indulge in their feelings, even finding strength in them.
After prolific growth on social media, Komal Kapoor is utilizing her perceptive understanding of romance in the digital age to present her first collection of poems. Unfollowing You tells a chronological tale of a modern love through a series of poems, prose, texts, screen grabs, and unsent letters. Exploring digital phenomena like swipe culture and technological realities, Kapoor’s words affirm experiences and sentiment echoed across many media platforms.
Unfollowing You is separated into two parts: “Following You” details how the two protagonists fall in love and “Unfollowing You” shares their heartbreak. The realism of this collection will encourage readers to normalize growth and indulge in their feelings, even finding strength in them.
176 pages, Paperback
First published February 5, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 111 reviews
January 19, 2019
For all the badasses reluctant to show their soft side—you are not alone.
Unfollowing You is a story of a "situationship" (because, let's be honest, judging from the text, it never really reached full "relationship" status) going wrong. It starts off cheesy, but with promise, but sadly, goes downhill very quickly in quality and the poetry becomes off-putting, childish, repetitive, and unrefined.
Time with you now feels
like a trip to Taco Bell;
great in the moment
regretful the next day.
Yup... that's a direct quote.
I was still going to give this 2.5 stars until I reached the end and there was an advertisement for Bumble thrown in the mix. (Bumble is a dating/meet-up site.) I don't mean it was casually mentioned, I mean that it was literally spouted off like an advertisement—"You should leave Tinder and move to Bumble!"—complete with an incredibly corny tagline, one of those "Give love a try!" sort of motivational moments. It's a mess. I honestly can't help but suspect that the entire collection was written for the sole purpose of promoting this dating site now.
Thank you so much to Andrews McMeel Publishing for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
October 15, 2019
Damn, that hit me.
October 25, 2019
Next book in my series: Reading and annotating with my partner pt. 2💛
February 27, 2019
I wish I loved this book like the world love Beyoncé.
But I didn’t.
It was awful.
But I didn’t.
It was awful.
December 30, 2018
I found this book of poetry relatable, yet I also found myself not really liking it. It may partly be because of the description: it states it's about 'modern love' and 'relationship', but I think love is completely different from what happens in the story, and the couple it deals with does not reach the relationship status before their supposed tragic end occurs. I get what it is about, though. The digital era can make dating and finding our significant other something quick, shallow and not quite honest. We've all been there. So maybe I should've regarded this story that way. What made me cringe was the dramatic attitude the 'narrator' seemed to have about it all. It was either childish or desperate for my taste. Everybody makes the mistake of taking something very casual for something way deeper, but I think that's a mistake mostly very young people do. If this book was aimed at young adults, my rating would probably be one star higher. I don't think a healthy adult would think so much of this 'relationship' that's mostly lived through the internet and texts. Maybe I'm old fashioned, I don't know. But I am a millennial, just in the middle of my twenties, and even I know a relationship is more than that. From the start.
As for the poetry, I wasn't that much impressed either. I liked the idea of writing in messages, notes and texts, it fit the story and worked well, but I would've liked more original wording if we call these poems. Something that makes it unique and beautiful. These were nicely worded messages, but ones that people with a sense of language/composition write all the time in their private lives. It didn't give the experience of reading poetry, but one of reading someones random thoughts regarding her situation with an almost-boyfriend. The story was more interesting than the poetry.
As for the poetry, I wasn't that much impressed either. I liked the idea of writing in messages, notes and texts, it fit the story and worked well, but I would've liked more original wording if we call these poems. Something that makes it unique and beautiful. These were nicely worded messages, but ones that people with a sense of language/composition write all the time in their private lives. It didn't give the experience of reading poetry, but one of reading someones random thoughts regarding her situation with an almost-boyfriend. The story was more interesting than the poetry.
March 16, 2019
This era of tumblr poetry popularized by Lang Leav and Rupi Kaur needs to end! Also, I don't like the font used in this book (petty, I know).
January 25, 2019
"Unfollowing You" by Komal Kapoor is a collection of short poems and quotes. It is composed of two parts, the first part is following you and the second is unfollowing you.
I don't read poetry, but the cover and the blurb of the book atracted me in.There was some humour which went over my head but mostly it was understandable. It was filled with emotion. This book is so much like a story. Going through the character's life from the start to the end. How the man she loved goes from being her favorite to least favorite notification. It was such a relief when she was mentally able to unfollow him. This book is perfect for everyone going through hardships in life (which is everyone, I think!).
I don't read poetry, but the cover and the blurb of the book atracted me in.There was some humour which went over my head but mostly it was understandable. It was filled with emotion. This book is so much like a story. Going through the character's life from the start to the end. How the man she loved goes from being her favorite to least favorite notification. It was such a relief when she was mentally able to unfollow him. This book is perfect for everyone going through hardships in life (which is everyone, I think!).
December 21, 2018
Unfollowing You was a delightfully fun romp that explored what it feels like to fall in love in today's society. Kapoor uses text messages, social media posts, and micro poems to vividly bring to life what it feels like to fall in love through a phone screen. In our world heavily laden with social media, the image we project is much more alluring than reality of who a person is in real life.
Kapoor tells a universal story that is updated for a modern audience: What happens when a deeply introspective woman falls in love with a playboy? The feelings are ageless but the telling of the tale is distinctly modern.
Anyone who has fallen in love within the last five years will know what it means to create a joint a Netflix account with one's beloved. Modern readers can all identify with the heartbreak of an unanswered text message with a "read" receipt.
This book captures the hilarious and at times heartbreaking moments we all experience in today's world of dating. I can personally attest to the unique anguish of how it feels when he won't return your return texts but you see him active on Instagram. Kapoor captures that feeling perfectly.
Kapoor also captures what it actually feels like to move on after experiencing such an ill fated love. Her poetry collection shows a deep understanding of the myriad of minefields that plague modern relationships; nevertheless, she remains hopeful.
I heartily recommend Unfollowing You to anyone who enjoys unique forms of poetry and diverse books. If you've ever creeped on a crush's Instagram feed, Kapoor's work will resonate with you.
Thank You, Andrews McMeel Publishing!
I would like to take a moment to commend Andrews McMeel publishing for the wonderful work that they have been doing by bringing diverse poets to the forefront of the reading public's awareness.
I started blogging about three months ago in order to develop my platform as an author and to connect with other book lovers. One of the delights of blogging has been the fact that publishers now allow me access to free advanced reader copies of books in exchange for my honest reviews. In the past, I have spent a great deal of money on books (especially poetry) and I'm only too delighted to participate in this exchange.
I was immediately drawn to the books released by McMeel because I absolutely love poetry; furthermore, as a female of minority descent with a disability, I am particularly hungry to read the work of poets from the Own Voices movement.
The Western literary canon is heavily dominated by people who are white. For years I have asked myself, "What would the art of poetry become if we allowed people from the margins to have a voice/"
McMeel is exploring the answer to that very question. Along with Unfollowing You, McMeel has has published many diverse books including, Love Looks Pretty on You by Lang Leav and You are Here by Dawn Lanuza (click the links to see my reviews).
Although I realize that taste is entirely subjective, I have yet to pick up a book of poetry from McMeel that I haven't enjoyed. Thank you, McMeel, for sponsoring the unique and beautiful brand of poetry that comes to us only when we listen to the margins.
*Please note: I received a free digital advanced reader copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest review.
Kapoor tells a universal story that is updated for a modern audience: What happens when a deeply introspective woman falls in love with a playboy? The feelings are ageless but the telling of the tale is distinctly modern.
Anyone who has fallen in love within the last five years will know what it means to create a joint a Netflix account with one's beloved. Modern readers can all identify with the heartbreak of an unanswered text message with a "read" receipt.
This book captures the hilarious and at times heartbreaking moments we all experience in today's world of dating. I can personally attest to the unique anguish of how it feels when he won't return your return texts but you see him active on Instagram. Kapoor captures that feeling perfectly.
Kapoor also captures what it actually feels like to move on after experiencing such an ill fated love. Her poetry collection shows a deep understanding of the myriad of minefields that plague modern relationships; nevertheless, she remains hopeful.
I heartily recommend Unfollowing You to anyone who enjoys unique forms of poetry and diverse books. If you've ever creeped on a crush's Instagram feed, Kapoor's work will resonate with you.
Thank You, Andrews McMeel Publishing!
I would like to take a moment to commend Andrews McMeel publishing for the wonderful work that they have been doing by bringing diverse poets to the forefront of the reading public's awareness.
I started blogging about three months ago in order to develop my platform as an author and to connect with other book lovers. One of the delights of blogging has been the fact that publishers now allow me access to free advanced reader copies of books in exchange for my honest reviews. In the past, I have spent a great deal of money on books (especially poetry) and I'm only too delighted to participate in this exchange.
I was immediately drawn to the books released by McMeel because I absolutely love poetry; furthermore, as a female of minority descent with a disability, I am particularly hungry to read the work of poets from the Own Voices movement.
The Western literary canon is heavily dominated by people who are white. For years I have asked myself, "What would the art of poetry become if we allowed people from the margins to have a voice/"
McMeel is exploring the answer to that very question. Along with Unfollowing You, McMeel has has published many diverse books including, Love Looks Pretty on You by Lang Leav and You are Here by Dawn Lanuza (click the links to see my reviews).
Although I realize that taste is entirely subjective, I have yet to pick up a book of poetry from McMeel that I haven't enjoyed. Thank you, McMeel, for sponsoring the unique and beautiful brand of poetry that comes to us only when we listen to the margins.
*Please note: I received a free digital advanced reader copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest review.
February 25, 2019
I'd give this book 0 stars if I could. I read this book at a bookstore and I found the poetry in it to be underwhelming. She literally compares how she feels about a guy to Taco Bell. Like really? And she also writes these one liners about relationships, as if they are poems. They aren't, and she shouldn't marketing it as such.
She had a great concept but the poetry ruined it for me.
She should've not marketed this book as a poetry book if it's about short text messages between a guy and girl.
She had a great concept but the poetry ruined it for me.
She should've not marketed this book as a poetry book if it's about short text messages between a guy and girl.
December 24, 2020
Not sorry to say I am not into Facebook clichès anymore.
I don't feel it will ever work with me again.
Yes, I did get hooked to FB. But that was a decade ago.
I thought this would be something entertaining and relatable.
But heck. No. No. No.
The writing style is just juvenile and unrelatable.
It's trying too hard but it really comes out as something really bland and boring.
DNFed it on page 54.
(Seriously why do I take such extra number of pages to DNF a book that I do not enjoy?!
Maybe I am a slow learner.
But seriously why?!)
I don't feel it will ever work with me again.
Yes, I did get hooked to FB. But that was a decade ago.
I thought this would be something entertaining and relatable.
But heck. No. No. No.
The writing style is just juvenile and unrelatable.
It's trying too hard but it really comes out as something really bland and boring.
DNFed it on page 54.
(Seriously why do I take such extra number of pages to DNF a book that I do not enjoy?!
Maybe I am a slow learner.
But seriously why?!)
December 20, 2018
Release date: February 5th, 2019.
This book of poems is a beautifully written collection of the thoughts and feelings about (young) love in the digital age.
Dating, and practically every aspect in relationships has changed completely in not even a decade, and Komal Kapoor reflects perfectly what falling in and out on love in our decade has become. I think it reflects both on the positive and negative things of having your bae at arm's reach on the Internet, and it also beautifully describes the moments spent together in real life.
Kapoor also makes a fantastic statement all through the second part of the book, where she focuses on the importance of moving on, focusing on ourselves, on our well-being and our own happiness.
''Unfollowing you'' is both an artistic and warning tale about the beauties and dangers of dating in the Instagram era. I look forward to reading more from her.
ARC received by NetGalley in exchange of an honest review.
This book of poems is a beautifully written collection of the thoughts and feelings about (young) love in the digital age.
Dating, and practically every aspect in relationships has changed completely in not even a decade, and Komal Kapoor reflects perfectly what falling in and out on love in our decade has become. I think it reflects both on the positive and negative things of having your bae at arm's reach on the Internet, and it also beautifully describes the moments spent together in real life.
Kapoor also makes a fantastic statement all through the second part of the book, where she focuses on the importance of moving on, focusing on ourselves, on our well-being and our own happiness.
''Unfollowing you'' is both an artistic and warning tale about the beauties and dangers of dating in the Instagram era. I look forward to reading more from her.
ARC received by NetGalley in exchange of an honest review.
October 15, 2019
sometimes we are so blind
September 1, 2020
Not the greatest poetry book. I couldn't really connect with most of the pages. It looked appealing at first glance but I was not a fan.
January 8, 2021
"In a world
that no longer pauses
to listen to the whispers of a soul
you found songs
I didn't know I held within me."
I'm all up for promoting poet-artists, but Komal Kapoor's Unfollowing You was a bit of a disappointment for me. It has always been exciting for me to read a book that includes text messages in it. Multimedia books always fascinate me (which is Wattpad, as a site, is adoring despite what people may assume). But those texts must also mean something for them to hold importance to the book, even if the book is poetry. This short novel-in-verse, sadly, does not have that.
In fact, I think I also saw what could have only been an advertisement for "Bumble" in this book. (At least, it appeared that way.) And this may just be me, but I don't like such advertisements.
As far as the "story" is concerned, there didn't seem to be one. The first part of the book was when the speaker follows the other person, but they never reach that relationship-phase before the couple break apart because the other person seemed to be taking advantage of her. The description of the book says that it's about modern love but I hardly found any of that. There is one point in which the speaker says that it may be too soon to say I love you but that's really how she feels. Turns out, it was too soon, because that was just an infatuation.
At the same time, I understand. I really understand where the motivation may have come from. People in today's digital era often hide behind online personas. You think the other person likes you but he/she may just be passing time or worse, it may be someone else writing his/her texts. So I get that. It happened with me too. Yet, the speaker is nothing but mature about it. Her words are cringe-y and desperate, her reactions overtly dramatic. It was suggested at more points than one that they are all adults. I doubt mature adults would react this way, even the ones in their early 20s.
So really, I guess what I am saying is that the book was a huge disappointment. The writing was very juvenile, and worse, even unrelatable; and the story? Well, there was none. (Or maybe I'm just a mature 22-year-old. Who knows?)
that no longer pauses
to listen to the whispers of a soul
you found songs
I didn't know I held within me."
I'm all up for promoting poet-artists, but Komal Kapoor's Unfollowing You was a bit of a disappointment for me. It has always been exciting for me to read a book that includes text messages in it. Multimedia books always fascinate me (which is Wattpad, as a site, is adoring despite what people may assume). But those texts must also mean something for them to hold importance to the book, even if the book is poetry. This short novel-in-verse, sadly, does not have that.
In fact, I think I also saw what could have only been an advertisement for "Bumble" in this book. (At least, it appeared that way.) And this may just be me, but I don't like such advertisements.
As far as the "story" is concerned, there didn't seem to be one. The first part of the book was when the speaker follows the other person, but they never reach that relationship-phase before the couple break apart because the other person seemed to be taking advantage of her. The description of the book says that it's about modern love but I hardly found any of that. There is one point in which the speaker says that it may be too soon to say I love you but that's really how she feels. Turns out, it was too soon, because that was just an infatuation.
At the same time, I understand. I really understand where the motivation may have come from. People in today's digital era often hide behind online personas. You think the other person likes you but he/she may just be passing time or worse, it may be someone else writing his/her texts. So I get that. It happened with me too. Yet, the speaker is nothing but mature about it. Her words are cringe-y and desperate, her reactions overtly dramatic. It was suggested at more points than one that they are all adults. I doubt mature adults would react this way, even the ones in their early 20s.
So really, I guess what I am saying is that the book was a huge disappointment. The writing was very juvenile, and worse, even unrelatable; and the story? Well, there was none. (Or maybe I'm just a mature 22-year-old. Who knows?)
April 13, 2019
Saturday night dates
are easy to find
but I want only you
on Sunday mornings
are easy to find
but I want only you
on Sunday mornings
January 11, 2019
ARC received from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
So I originally requested an ARC for this book because it promised it was "an anthem for the modern woman" and would "explore the complexities and absurdity of contemporary romance". I've been out of the dating pool for a long time, so I thought I'd take a look as it seemed like the book had to potential to be funny and poignant. Instead I ended up rolling my eyes for days.
Now usually I would say that it was just not for me but my biggest issue with this book is that it appears that the galley was actually missing sections. The blurb mentions screen shots and text posts that tell part of the story, but all but one were blank. I don't mean completely blank pages, I mean pictures of a phone with time stamps showing, but no text visible. In the end, it might not have changed my mind, but it was still irritating.
Next, there wasn't very much in regards to an actual romance. The writer was very much so into the person this entire collection was about (to the point where she insults people everywhere by saying everyone else is made up of other people and their favorite characters EXCEPT him), but there was no actual relationship. In fact, she repeatedly wrote that he told her that he wasn't looking for anything serious, he didn't want commitment, and he didn't want a relationship and how her response would be "I lied and told him it was fine". Which is just so freaking infuriating.
Yeah, it fucking sucks when someone you are really into doesn't like you back, but this was all a mess of her own making by not being honest about her feelings. She then goes on to talk about how he "destroyed" her, that he's no longer her favorite notification, how she's jealous of how monogamous eagles are. I couldn't feel her pain, I just felt annoyed.
It felt superficial and didn't bring any insight that was promised in the blurb to the table. Again, maybe it's just me. Maybe I'm just out of touch with dating in this day and age, but this was very much so not for me.
So I originally requested an ARC for this book because it promised it was "an anthem for the modern woman" and would "explore the complexities and absurdity of contemporary romance". I've been out of the dating pool for a long time, so I thought I'd take a look as it seemed like the book had to potential to be funny and poignant. Instead I ended up rolling my eyes for days.
Now usually I would say that it was just not for me but my biggest issue with this book is that it appears that the galley was actually missing sections. The blurb mentions screen shots and text posts that tell part of the story, but all but one were blank. I don't mean completely blank pages, I mean pictures of a phone with time stamps showing, but no text visible. In the end, it might not have changed my mind, but it was still irritating.
Next, there wasn't very much in regards to an actual romance. The writer was very much so into the person this entire collection was about (to the point where she insults people everywhere by saying everyone else is made up of other people and their favorite characters EXCEPT him), but there was no actual relationship. In fact, she repeatedly wrote that he told her that he wasn't looking for anything serious, he didn't want commitment, and he didn't want a relationship and how her response would be "I lied and told him it was fine". Which is just so freaking infuriating.
Yeah, it fucking sucks when someone you are really into doesn't like you back, but this was all a mess of her own making by not being honest about her feelings. She then goes on to talk about how he "destroyed" her, that he's no longer her favorite notification, how she's jealous of how monogamous eagles are. I couldn't feel her pain, I just felt annoyed.
It felt superficial and didn't bring any insight that was promised in the blurb to the table. Again, maybe it's just me. Maybe I'm just out of touch with dating in this day and age, but this was very much so not for me.
January 14, 2019
*I got this book from netgally in exchange of an honest review.
I don't know what happened.. but I really did not enjoy reading these poems. They neither felt poetic not emotional enough to stay with me... Thats all.
I don't know what happened.. but I really did not enjoy reading these poems. They neither felt poetic not emotional enough to stay with me... Thats all.
December 31, 2018
*I received this from netgalley, this does not affect my review.*
[2.5 stars]
This is exactly the poetry I would have wanted to read in my early twenties after dealing with the loss of my first love. But now as a jaded 35 year old, self-proclaimed spinster, it kind of made me wanna barf. Objectively I can say the poetry was decent, the social media aspect was interesting, though I think the digital ARC was missing some of the formatting so it was a bit lost on me. I would recommend this to people going through their first break up. Sadly(well, not THAT sad. I don't care to deal with those feelings again), that wasn't me.
[2.5 stars]
This is exactly the poetry I would have wanted to read in my early twenties after dealing with the loss of my first love. But now as a jaded 35 year old, self-proclaimed spinster, it kind of made me wanna barf. Objectively I can say the poetry was decent, the social media aspect was interesting, though I think the digital ARC was missing some of the formatting so it was a bit lost on me. I would recommend this to people going through their first break up. Sadly(well, not THAT sad. I don't care to deal with those feelings again), that wasn't me.
July 27, 2019
Finding and losing “love” in the digital age through texts, Facebook, Snapchats, tweets, Netflix profile, tagging, update relationship, notes, refreshing pages, etc. Recognizing that there is strength in vulnerability and encountering faith in love, she quickly falls in love. At her height she proclaims “... how can we not change with every encounter every relationship every love? We take a bit of someone gave a bit of us away. I have changed since your love and I like who I have become.” “In the clouds and tea leaves, the inkblots and tarot cards all I ever see is you and me.” Then in the aftermath, she realized, “The more I learn of you the less I love you.” Back to tinder and bumble.
March 17, 2019
Best read in a single sitting. For someone going through the “situationship” Kapoor describes, this could be cathartic. The poems themselves feel very high school.
April 1, 2020
Whew. I'm sorry. I didn't like this. In form, it reminded me a bit of Rupi Kaur's work but without the nuance/delicacy. To be fair, I'm not wild about her work either. This just doesn't work for me. While detailing a relatable experience (insert comment about being a single 20-something woman in the age of online dating here), I couldn't get past how cheesy and amateur this felt to me.
October 30, 2019
Powerful, but it felt like something I have come across before.
March 2, 2019
In the age of text messaging and social media - it is difficult to see and connect on a deeper level with people especially when there is not much of a premium on direct verbal communication and not much more than instant (physical) gratification.
I love her perspective- from that of someone who wants to find a “real” connection. She is clever with her words and I think they will resonate with like minded people. There is also a courageous spirit as she realizes that what she is getting does not align with her needs and desires and she chooses take herself out of the one sided mini drama to search for the epic love story that can only be fulfilled by the remaining 4 other senses which have been dulled by social media.
I love her perspective- from that of someone who wants to find a “real” connection. She is clever with her words and I think they will resonate with like minded people. There is also a courageous spirit as she realizes that what she is getting does not align with her needs and desires and she chooses take herself out of the one sided mini drama to search for the epic love story that can only be fulfilled by the remaining 4 other senses which have been dulled by social media.
January 30, 2019
A collection of "poems," more like ruminations and text message compilations, following the arc of a failed doomed relationship of young people. While I'm sure some people probably relate (particularly young people in their first relationships), the "characters" here aren't fully formed and while there is some nice writing, there's no subtext or nuance here.
[I received an advanced e-galley of this book through Netgalley.]
[I received an advanced e-galley of this book through Netgalley.]
January 16, 2019
"You said sorry without
understanding why,
that is when I should've known,
I needed to let you go."
This has nothing to do with modern relationships. Yes, the narrator tried Tinder. They text, hang out, bla. Her "squad" even suggest to try out Bumble instead. Kapoor's understanding of romance seems like she's seen one too many chick flicks or hung around Instagram for too long. The situation told here is one many people have experienced in this digital era, so this book feels like another meme.
By the end, she repeatedly tried to excuse her juvenile behavior as to why he didn't want to commit. Although he said many times that he doesn't feel to label whatever they have, she takes it personally instead of saying how she actually feels! Then she goes on about letting go of past hurt, moving on, bla. All the things I've read multiple times on the Internet. The thoughts aren't new and at some point were even ridiculous. Are modern women really like this? I find that hard to believe and couldn't sympathy with the narrator. The book reads like it was written by someone who didn't reflect the whole "relationship" but instead just jotted out her anger and pain when she felt the moments of rejection.
The poetry doesn't read like poetry. It is neither beautifully worded nor touching in any way. I had my laugh out loud moment when the narrator compared her spent time with her almost-boyfriend with a trip to Taco Bell. The poems rhymed here and there, it was easy to comprehend the story but it was in no way original or somewhat unique. I liked the concept for the book though. With the text posts and screenshots.
*I received an advance digital copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
understanding why,
that is when I should've known,
I needed to let you go."
This has nothing to do with modern relationships. Yes, the narrator tried Tinder. They text, hang out, bla. Her "squad" even suggest to try out Bumble instead. Kapoor's understanding of romance seems like she's seen one too many chick flicks or hung around Instagram for too long. The situation told here is one many people have experienced in this digital era, so this book feels like another meme.
By the end, she repeatedly tried to excuse her juvenile behavior as to why he didn't want to commit. Although he said many times that he doesn't feel to label whatever they have, she takes it personally instead of saying how she actually feels! Then she goes on about letting go of past hurt, moving on, bla. All the things I've read multiple times on the Internet. The thoughts aren't new and at some point were even ridiculous. Are modern women really like this? I find that hard to believe and couldn't sympathy with the narrator. The book reads like it was written by someone who didn't reflect the whole "relationship" but instead just jotted out her anger and pain when she felt the moments of rejection.
The poetry doesn't read like poetry. It is neither beautifully worded nor touching in any way. I had my laugh out loud moment when the narrator compared her spent time with her almost-boyfriend with a trip to Taco Bell. The poems rhymed here and there, it was easy to comprehend the story but it was in no way original or somewhat unique. I liked the concept for the book though. With the text posts and screenshots.
*I received an advance digital copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
February 9, 2019
There were profound moments (especially after the relationship starts to unravel; the in-love part is so saccharine that I could vomit) but the similes in this prose are atrocious. Is the author really in her 30s? Hard to believe. I attended the book launch for this and I follow the author on Instagram. She’s better at sticky one-liners than an entire book. Maybe now I’ll be unfollowing her?
January 21, 2019
I really enjoyed this book of poetry. I tend to like it when a collection follows a single narrative thread from beginning to end. This narrative thread, though not original (it's the story of getting together and then breaking up) is very relatable and is explored in a way that is modern, with the use of technology and cultural references (that are very Gen Y/Millenial) as both a point of reference and in the way the poetry is presented. This could easily be hokey, but I really enjoyed it here. An example that I absolutely loved was comparing the time with the lover to "a trip to Taco Bell/great in the moment/regretful the next day." I laughed out loud when I read it because it was extremely clever yet relatable. The references don't feel forced or awkward, they naturally fit the modern age, especially considering how often things like Netflix and the like now fit into modern relationships.
My only critique of the book is relative to the pages that show the layout of a phone screen. Some of these were used to great effect, such as showing an unsent text asking a question about whether the lover is seeing other people, but many of the pages were just the layout of a phone texting screen without any material. I'm hoping that this is just something unfinished in the ARC I read and that the official release will add to those, but if not many of them felt out-of-place and like they were a missed opportunity for more clever writing.
My only critique of the book is relative to the pages that show the layout of a phone screen. Some of these were used to great effect, such as showing an unsent text asking a question about whether the lover is seeing other people, but many of the pages were just the layout of a phone texting screen without any material. I'm hoping that this is just something unfinished in the ARC I read and that the official release will add to those, but if not many of them felt out-of-place and like they were a missed opportunity for more clever writing.
June 4, 2019
"...to anyone who struggles to talk about love and heartbreak, I hope you find the power in your vulnerability. It is okay to feel something; there is even strength in it."
"Watching 'our shows' without you, / that is moving on."
"Growing up, / love felt like a superstition / a fantasy I should not / indulge in. / Then you came along / providing me faith in something / I had given up on. / If they ask me, What is love?, / all I can say is, you. / For when we met, / it finally made sense / what others meant / when they spoke of love."
"As you trace figures on my back / I close my eyes and / forget the stresses that gnaw at me / our silence is lavish / glimmering with understanding / you know every etch on my soul. / For the first time, maybe ever, / the storm in my chest softens to a hum / words racing through my brain / turn into wisps of air / as our heartbeats slowly sync, / you settle my turmoil."
"I gather up my limbs / and organs and bones / and hope and dignity and love / and drag them out the door."
"People say, Don't let someone change you, / but how can we not change / with every encounter / every relationship / every love? / We take a bit of someone / give a bit of us away. / I have changed since your love / and I like / who I have become."
"I feel the salt at the back of my throat / threatening to pour out, / then pity pricks my eyes as I realize / you are missing the point of it all, this life / the bliss in calling one person your own."
"Watching 'our shows' without you, / that is moving on."
"Growing up, / love felt like a superstition / a fantasy I should not / indulge in. / Then you came along / providing me faith in something / I had given up on. / If they ask me, What is love?, / all I can say is, you. / For when we met, / it finally made sense / what others meant / when they spoke of love."
"As you trace figures on my back / I close my eyes and / forget the stresses that gnaw at me / our silence is lavish / glimmering with understanding / you know every etch on my soul. / For the first time, maybe ever, / the storm in my chest softens to a hum / words racing through my brain / turn into wisps of air / as our heartbeats slowly sync, / you settle my turmoil."
"I gather up my limbs / and organs and bones / and hope and dignity and love / and drag them out the door."
"People say, Don't let someone change you, / but how can we not change / with every encounter / every relationship / every love? / We take a bit of someone / give a bit of us away. / I have changed since your love / and I like / who I have become."
"I feel the salt at the back of my throat / threatening to pour out, / then pity pricks my eyes as I realize / you are missing the point of it all, this life / the bliss in calling one person your own."
February 6, 2019
Unfollowing You by Komal Kapoor is the love story we will all experience at some point in our lives. Her words capture the magnetism of new love and draw the reader into her personal feelings of excitement and the possibility of love. Each page addresses the stages of a new relationship in a relatable way that anyone young or old could understand. Komal gently places the reader into the honeymoon phase of a new relationship. Comfortably, the reader, like the speaker, looks the other way for a while. “Denial isn’t just a river...” The struggle of breaking your own heart, the vicious cycle of getting your own hopes up again and again, and finally admitting to oneself that what is imagined is not real — these moments all lie within the pages of Komal’s poetry. She makes the reader sympathize; she makes the reader want to fight and be strong for her. This is a modern tale of unrequited love; it teaches young lovers not to doubt themselves, to trust their gut instincts, and to allow oneself to feel every emotion that comes with love. Eventually, we come to accept life and love for the way it is — it’s not always pretty or fair, but Komal reminds us that time heals all wounds. By the end of the collection, the speaker has grown, is reborn, and the reader is shouting, “You go, girl!”
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 13, 2019
2.8 Stars
The first part of the story is great! The poetry is exactly what my past preteen heart would read/write. And a handful of poems from the first part really hit home for me. Also the way the text messages were incorporated into the book was pretty cool and I’ve never read anything like that before.
But the characters are definitely VERY underdeveloped. We don’t get to know anyone’s name except the girl once in the whole book. Which I can’t even recall. When she messages her “Squad” she doesn’t act like close friends with them and constantly lies to them about her potential relationship.
As with the relationship, it never even developed into something meaningful. I feel like the poems would have definitely meant more if it was based on an actual relationship not a quick lived maybe.
I didn’t like the second part of the book at all. It went from the first part being lovey, emotional, and serious. To the second part being sorry and childish. Ithe poems turn from a little more mature to preteen and silly. Talking about dating apps and comparing stuff to things like Doritos.
If you’re looking for a super quick read in romantic teen poetry that you don’t really have to think about and aren’t going to analyze then this is the book.
The first part of the story is great! The poetry is exactly what my past preteen heart would read/write. And a handful of poems from the first part really hit home for me. Also the way the text messages were incorporated into the book was pretty cool and I’ve never read anything like that before.
But the characters are definitely VERY underdeveloped. We don’t get to know anyone’s name except the girl once in the whole book. Which I can’t even recall. When she messages her “Squad” she doesn’t act like close friends with them and constantly lies to them about her potential relationship.
As with the relationship, it never even developed into something meaningful. I feel like the poems would have definitely meant more if it was based on an actual relationship not a quick lived maybe.
I didn’t like the second part of the book at all. It went from the first part being lovey, emotional, and serious. To the second part being sorry and childish. Ithe poems turn from a little more mature to preteen and silly. Talking about dating apps and comparing stuff to things like Doritos.
If you’re looking for a super quick read in romantic teen poetry that you don’t really have to think about and aren’t going to analyze then this is the book.
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