I absolutely adored this one. Button Poetry really hasn't missed a step yet, as far as I'm concerned, and this is another phenomenal collection. Kantor was previously unfamiliar to me but I'd love to check out more of their work after reading this.

The majority of poems here discuss gender through the lens of performance, and although that might sound trite, it isn't. Kantor's genuine love for the theatre shines through, not just as a metaphor for the performativity of gender and relationships, but for the love of the theatre itself. There's a real respect and adoration for their subject here. I will say that I found the poems which were more directly responding to plays less resonant than some of the ones which used theatre as a more distant metaphor, but that's just because I don't have the frame of reference that Kantor does; I'm not a theatre geek.

For me personally, my favourite poems here were the ones that spoke about their family and in particular the death of their brother. I shed a very small and silent tear at my desk in work a few times reading those. I just love Kantor's use of language and imagery and will absolutely be picking up a physical copy of this one.

This is a fascinating and varied collection of poems that draws a truly interesting line between theatre (the author's passion) and the daily 'performance' of gender and sexuality, families, relationships, (mental) health and sex. Images of the stage and being on show appear regularly, and contrast and interplay beautifully with ideas of identity and societal expectation.

In an especially powerful poem, 'I Am Sure', Kantor recounts their harrowing experience of sexual assault, and the fallout from it, from both the shame and discomfort felt when reporting it, but also in friends and family not knowing how to respond.

These lines in particular, about their assault, stopped me in my tracks:

it felt like every room of my home
being broken into at the same time

remember how busy you were
trying to figure out how they got in

that you forgot
about the person living there

-

Alongside more harrowing poems in this collection are some gentler, more playful ones, and the collection overall has a nice balance. Kantor's non-binary identity is explored from many angles, from a mother wondering if she can still call Kantor their "son", to trying to understand how bodies and sexual identity intersect, and even to Kantor sat at a funeral in a man's suit, angry at the idea that they cannot wear what they would want to for fear of being attacked, whilst also knowing that they would most likely be buried in a suit as it is the 'acceptable' thing to do.

This collection was a pleasant surprise, and I think it is one that deserves to be treasured and re-read.

Thank you to Net Galley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I cried reading this book, seriously. Kevin Kantor makes poetry in a such a beautiful and delicated way. While you find confort in their words, it feels like a punch in the throat. Mixing dramaturgy with poetry, they make an incredible fruit salad of poems and feelings. Even thought i'm a cis woman, the poems about being lgbtq+ resonate in me, as a lesbian.

I want to read more from them! And more poem from non-binary writers too.

Please Come Off-Book is a fantastic collection of poetry filled with delicious metaphor, non-binary rage, and beautifully honest emotion. The use of stage cues, scripts, dramaturgy, and scene directions is innovative and will draw any theatre lover in.

It's refreshing to see more non-binary actors write and stand up for the queer misrepresentation in the theatre and arts.

My personal favorite poem was "Essential."

I received an e-ARC from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.


The author navigates their life experience as member of the LBGTQIA community masterfully and shines light on many of the struggles that non-binary adults and teens face in our society.

This work is heavy—- it speaks directly to self harm and suicidal ideation, but important.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

I was genuinely surprised by how much I liked this; I have very low expectations of modern poetry these days. I found this really honest and personal and well-written.

I received an Earc in exchange for an honest review.

Firstly, I loved the authors commentary on gender. Slipping it on and off and not know how it ‘fits’ them yet. Gender diversity is an important part of the LGBTQIA community that’s only now starting to be discussed and explored more.

That being said, I don’t think this book was for me. I’m not a theatre kid, nor do I know the nuances of theatre culture. This poetry collection was more theatre heavy than I expected. As such, I don’t feel like I connected as deeply with the poetry as I would have liked.

So for that reason I’m giving this book a two stars. This wasn’t the book for me, but don’t let my review stop you from picking it up. This poetry collection focuses on some important issues and in the right hands, it could be a five star book.

i am always wary of modern poetry and i think we all know why, but when i saw the cover and read the description i just. couldn't NOT read it.

the play-like structure worked incredibly well and even though i am not the biggest fan of theatre, i really loved it. as for the poems, long story short i teared up a few times. being non-binary myself, some lines really hit way too close to home.

the twists and reinterpretations of stories like peter pan, hamlet, romeo and juliet, ah, it's one of my favorite things ever. i am a sucker of queer retellings of famous books and even though they were merely mentioned here in a few lines, i adored them all. also, all the criticism towards hollywood and and how it treats lgbt+ actors and characters, yes SAY IT LOUDER.

i won't lie, at some points i felt like i was reading a diary or some tweets and it took me out of the mood a bit, but for the most part, this was very good, especially the first 30% or so.