She Must Be Mad

I didn’t know what to expect when I started reading Charly Cox’s ‘she must be mad’ - while her style of poetry isn’t always my cup of tea, I’d heard good things and was intrigued by the concept and an exploration of, among other themes, body image and mental health, both of which resonate with me. And in all honesty this poetry and prose collection is a really stunning debut - well constructed and yet completely void of artifice, Cox speaks to the reader as though she was right in front of you, conversational and intimate. From her personal perspective, Cox makes herself understood and, in the process, makes the reader feel seen and understood, as though the obvious yet unarticulated thoughts you harbour are being gently shored up. The poem ‘filters’ I think stuck with me the most: “I sit back so often with a chest thudding sigh / Scrolling / Refreshing / Relentless tapping / All down to an art / And think / Since when did I ignore my own heart to hack at my own life? / And since when did I become an image to sell of a millennial with scraps of sanity as its price?”

Charly Cox is an incredible poet. Gone are the days of analysing poetry and writing in the margins in English lessons. This is poetry that is understandable and relatable for anyone who has experienced mental illness, being a young adult or having negative body image thoughts. She brings wit and humour to her writing on some darker topics. Such an easy read and one I'd recommend to anyone.

Bought as a requested Christmas present for my granddaughter, she was so pleased & is looking forward to reading it.

WOW! I loved every single word and sentence in this book. The poems stuck with me, I could relate and they have powerful and important messages, especially for young women. Worth the read!!!

What more can I say? It was a great read. I found much of myself reflected in the pages.