Bestial Mouths; Poetry by Brenda S. Tolian review

Hey there readers, I'm back again with another quick book review, this time for a delightful and morbid collection of dark poetry by Brenda S. Tolian by the name of Bestial Mouths. Check it out if you like the way those descriptions sound!

BESTIAL MOUTHS is published by Raw Dog Screaming Press and releases on November 14, 2024. 

Score: 3.5 Stars! 🌕🌕🌕🌗

Bestial Mouths by Brenda S. Tolian is a macabre poetry collection that focuses around scenarios and descriptions that are dark, often violent in nature. These poems are quite clearly personal and drawn from some deep and harrowing feelings that Tolian experiences.

That said, many of these poems do not necessarily meld with me as a reader. I do not think that is something that takes away from their content or purpose, but often I felt like the double meaning behind the multitude of these poems was hard to pinpoint. The rhythm of the poetry felt oddly paced in many of these works, and often the poems read a touch juvenile.

That said, the content of the poems themselves is rich and dark, and there is a clear passion in each piece that is included in this collection that makes Tolian stand out as a writer. Each piece is vibrant on its own, and there is a quality to each that feels fleeting, like walking in on something should be left unseen. Tolian quite obviously excels in descriptions that create an air of dread and disgust.

Standout poems I loved were Apple, A Work in Progress, and Child.

Thank you to Raw Dog Screaming Press, Brenda S. Tolian, and NetGalley for this advanced copy! 

Thanks everyone for reading!
B.