Bone

Daley-Ward's words are exquisite. It's like having your favorite chocolate bar melt in your mouth. I couldn't put it down until it was done. She is a masterful storyteller with great imagery, who knows how to make words dance on the page. At the same time, everything she writes is so breathtakingly honest, and feels so relatable. So human. As if the person who wrote this could be my best friend, or the woman sitting next to me on the train. Her work is nothing short of genius and deserves more stars than I can give. My only complaint is that I want more!

Also, she is a dazzling and humble human, in person. And can command a room while on stage, performing her work. If you get a chance to see her live, please do. It'll be a treat!

yrsa daley-ward's bone is such an amazing collection. the way she speaks of being a woman, a woman of color, a woman with experiences in 'third world countries' a woman who knows how it is to always be used by men and who knows that being a woman means constantly fighting back and being ready. she writes delicately and with such clarity how it feels to be in that position and to constantly be fighting for the chance to exist. the possibility to be heard, to know that your own personal strength and power are enough to get you out.
this book is amazing and should be widely read, i personally cannot wait for her next collection.

Bone...this book in its entirety brought an honest reality to my feet. The authors expressions are so real, vivid, heart and thought arousing. Real enough to pull me into each word as if they are my reality (indeed quite a bit of the writings had a familiar ring...that took me on reality ride). I love how warm each word and placement of words are...they ran up and down my being. I recommend this work to those who respect and are enthralled by realistic word play. I gave this work f5ve stars because the author's words pulled me right in. Fulljoy.

Yrsa Daley-Ward words touched me in ways I cannot describe. Once I started reading I could not stop and I have reread it many times. She goes into the human heart, helping me uncover emotions I had suppressed for too long.

"one day I will tell you what I've been.
It will scare you."

--
'revelation', yrsa daley-ward | from 'bone'

yrsa daley-ward's 'bone' assails the senses and swallows you whole.

daley-ward's writing is refreshing, a study in direct, "to-the-gut" storytelling. she assumes many guises becoming many narrators, each voice with equal suppleness. bone is an exploration offering cerebral moments amid light and ladened experiences. sharp. familiar. a captivating legato of life strung together. i met many women within the pages, each as familiar as my own face. and many men within their shadows. i heard my own family in it's verses. tasted my own thoughts in every syllable. i give thanks for the voices. for daley-ward's voice. keeping us tethered. a joy to read. a gift to give.

"I keep getting the feeling that if you
look at me for long enough you may
see that I have a thousand fears"

It was difficult choosing a selection from bone to open this review because this collection is that good.

Yrsa Daley-Ward has to be one of the most gifted free-verse poets I've read in a long time. Through a frequent use of the word "you", her poems appear to be in constant communication with not only the reader, but herself, her past, and her loves. And it is wrenching. One moment her words are sharp, almost violent; the next, quiet and consoling.

I came away from this poetry collection with the feeling that not only does Daley-Ward fully embrace her own humanity with all its flaws, but I understand my own a little better now, too.

Highly recommended.

There is something quite heartbreaking and healing about 'Bone', that makes it work. It doesn't aim to please in shape, it just aims to be truthful and poetically graze the fractures that torture race, sexuality, love and our mental state. It takes you on a journey that is unexpected but when it's over you will walk away more reflective, with more understanding and most of all braver. These are stories that hurt, some more than others; these are stories that will make you laugh, some more than others, and these are stories of love that we have all experienced but were unable to say out loud.

Above all, Bone is intimate, Yrsa allows us into her world to truly, feel and experience and within that we find ourselves in the most unexpected places.

At times I am so amazed at the words this author puts together, although I wish there was some cohesive structure when it came to the subject of the stories. That would prevent me from reeling, wondering what we were talking about in the next poem.

Bone

"....and the butterfly, remember, used to crawl on it's belly and tiny legs through the dirt."

An excerpt from 'you don't know the half of it." Just one of many pieces in Bone that stirred me.

Bone is a compelling read, I read it in just one sitting as I was completely absorbed in it and found myself rereading the pages.

I was deeply moved by some of the events that Yrsa Daley-Ward describes so vividly, not least because they resonated with me. I found it comforting however, and it made me appreciate how writing can be a form of release and healing.

I eagerly await the next release.

Valerie Mambu

bone is charming. bone's pages are full of insight and honesty. it is an organic and beautiful read that will have you coming back to read it over and over - girls. bone. emergency warning. artichokes. on hearing he hit his girlfriend. when they ask. You don't know the half of it. this was the story are some of my favourites that had me smiling and blushing at their beauty and sharpness. it is a collection that is full of wisdom effortlessly shared through Yrsa Daley-Ward's impeccable writing. bone as a whole is a delight and a book that will remain in my library forever.

Bone cracked me wide open.
Unexpectedly.
The writing dismantled me. Let me bleed and then healed me all in one unique sitting. Once I had started the book, I could not put it down. I didn’t want to.
Page one and I am in it! The book held my heart with every single page. At first comfortably and later on not so comfortably and then explicit extreme discomfort. Such a wide spectrum of topics that are touched upon. At times I felt Daley-Ward had dived right into my soul and spilled it on the page. Some poems resonated right to the core of my being.
Each page made my heart heavier. Some squeezed at it. Others drained it.
Yrsa Daley-Ward’s poetry was an unexpected find. Poetry I stumbled upon. And I am blessed that I did. The writing serves it’s reader a raw and riotous truth we don’t acknowledge in everyday life. It exploits that deep dark place within all of us that many suppress, keep hidden or fear to talk about; perhaps even acknowledge! Bone served and stirred up a darkness that made me question my own. It was a revelation. Cathartic. To be completely exposed whilst someone illustrates and exploits their own story with so much fine disturbing detail that you are living these stories in your head. Drawing up images. Living the damage. Feeling those feelings - and then being completely and utterly restored. The most beautiful experience of all; Restoration! Healing.
-Done with so much literary grace.

Poetry and poetic story that get straight to the heart of some intangible truths about strength, love, desire, and relationships alongside the broken realities of sexual abuse, prostitution, addiction, and violence. Beautiful and powerful.

this book is so open and honest. makes you confront problems that you may have tucked away or gives you insight on someone else's struggles. because we all struggle. we all fall. the beauty is in getting up and this is how Yrsa got up. glad she shared it.

Another low review stated that this book wasn't for them because it was a little too deep.
Depth coupled with honesty is a difficult thing to make tangible. This book is uncompromisingly honest and reaches to the root or should I say the deep tissue and bone of every individual emotion that it is trying to convey. I applaud the author for this.

"If you
were married to yourself
could you stay with yourself?

My house
would be frightening and wild."
~ q

This beautiful collection of poetry and poem that is bone really moved me. I can relate to many of the stories in the book, as i read some of the texts, the words were really heavy on me. Definitely a book to read.

Yrsa Daley-Ward; weaves wonder into every page. This collection is an extraordinary sophomore offering from one of the premier names in what promises to be a fresh-voiced and authentically brilliant literary movement.

Stunning! A really wonderful read and so difficult to put down. This book was moving, deep and hugely insightful, and I was unable to put it down! I loved the mix of stories and the sharp, delicious shorter poems.
I love Girls, This Was The Story, Not The End Of The World but Almost, Mental Health and 14. It shocking, moving, soothing, soft and hard.

Yrsa's words are so beautiful, touching and moving.

I get lost in this book, especially whilst reading in the bath.

Her words speak truth and often make you think and question yourself.

"Your solution is rarely someone else"

So inspiring to me. Thank you Yrsa for writing this amazing book.

'Bone' is a deeply personal book of prose and poetry. Yrsa Daley-Ward shares her experiences with beauty and ease which, at times, proves hard to read. Exploring the silver lining in all experiences, Yrsa declares, "You will come away bruised but this will give you poetry."

'Bone' covers a wide range of topics: depression/mental health, self-image, sexuality and abuse. I highly recommend this book - therapeutic and insightful in a variety of ways.

I have never been more connected to any body of work in my life. I think I held my breath the entire time I read it and am truly sad I'm finished reading it for the first time. Her story about her brother, relationships with men, and her mother made me look at these connections in my own life very differently. What a master piece. Thank you, Yrsa.