I have been reading poetry for much of my life and Palmer Smith’s The Butterfly Bruises exceeded my expectations. The Butterfly Bruises is filled with poetry and short stories- all of which are emotive and captivating. The book is divided into sections, with each story or poem having a different length or theme. This made for an easy read. I think any reader would be able to find a short story or poem that they would love in this melodic collection.

These imaginative poems and short stories revolves around relatable, sometimes heart wrenching, topics. This is a great book to start with if you are not familiar with reading poetry or short stories, The Butterfly Bruises flows with ease and is easily comprehensible. While you read the book you will often reflect on the choices you have made in your life or consider how events could have turned out differently. Palmer’s writing allows you to paint a picture in your mind of how the poem or story is occurring. This, in my experience, is a rare talent for an author to achieve.

One thing to note is some of the stories and poems are dark, but these poems were my favorite because they were written tastefully. Palmer did a great job with allowing the reader to reflect and not judge for what their opinion may or may not be. Palmer kept my attention throughout the entire book.

The Butterfly Bruises is definitely a book I would read again for its striking imagery, creative stories, and its thoughtful themes.

Pages: 176 | ASIN: B093Z25LMW