I don't read a lot of poetry but this collection intrigued me and I was not disappointed. It was absolutely gorgeous. I haven't previously read any of Andrea Gibson's poems but will 100% have to check them out because this book hit me hard.

This collection of poems is beautifully written, lyrical, hard-hitting, and most of all emotional. Every single poem (and letter) is dripping in emotion, it's visceral. A lot of these poems cover difficult and traumatic topics but in the most empathetic and whimsical way. A lot of the writing and subject matter is relatively simple but it just works. It makes the pieces all the more impactful.

I didn't love all the poems, some of them I didn't connect with at all but the ones that I loved more than made up for the ones I didn't favor, some of them just weren't for me.

I absolutely adored this collection of poems. It is very queer and very feminist, very loud and incredibly unapologetic and I loved it.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Usually when I'm reading an ARC to review, I take a lot of notes while I read, so that no matter what I think of the book I'll have something to say after. While reading You Better Be Lightning, I took three notes during the first couple poems, and then absolutely forgot to take any more for the entire rest of the book. I was just so sucked into the poems that all I could do was read them. There were a couple footnotes I found hilarious that I took screenshots of, but just because I loved them so much, not for the review.

So many of the poems in this book took my breath away, and it was so hard not to share them with any of my friends. I can't wait for this book to come out so that I can tell them to read it.

I didn't love every poem, but I loved most of them, and I loved some of them a *lot*. I'm so glad I got the opportunity to read this book; thank you to Netgalley and Button Poetry for the chance to read and review this ARC.

I was so excited to read this book and I was not disappointed. This was a beautiful collection of poetry by Andrea. The cover is amazing and caught my attention. I enjoyed reading the poems. Some of the poems were a bit long and went on for pages. However, I kind of think it helped the book. You can really tell that these poems are incredibly personal.

Some of the poems broke my heart while some left me thinking about what I read for a while. If you decide to read this book, please note that there are some content that can be difficult to read such as sexual assault, self-harm, domestic violence, suicide, and homophobia.

I’m delighted to be discovering Andrea Gibson’s poetry for the first time (whilst simultaneously annoyed that I didn’t know about it sooner). Love, love, love— I’m in love!

This collection is overwhelming, it’s gorgeous, it’s heartbreaking, it’s joyful, and, most of all, it’s human. Oh, it reeks of humanity, of perfect imperfections, of lightness and darkness. It’s rare for me to find a collection that hooks me in so thoroughly. I felt so much excitement reading “...Goosebumps”. I thought, oh wow, this is for me. That sentiment remained throughout.

I’ve marked so many different sections to revisit. Pages and pages of lines I thought were so gorgeous or so impactful, I couldn’t bear to think I wouldn’t look at them again. I won’t quote any here, as I feel the pleasure of discovering them fresh is too precious to play with.

Finally, can I just say, queer representation and identity exploration means a hell of a lot to me. It’s steeped so deeply in these pages, it’s like a (pleasant) slap to the face. A love tap? A big rainbow shooting directly into your eyeballs. Lightning in your veins. Again, I loved it. There’s no doubt I’ll read it again.

A friend of mine read an early copy of this one and their review just made me want to immediately get it, except it wasn't out yet. So, my thanks go to Button Books and NetGalley early in this review because I am so so SO grateful to have been able to get my hands on an ecopy to read.

This collection is an arrow straight to my heart - it hurt, and I saw myself in it, and I felt things that I hadn't experienced first-hand, and sometimes I just damn revelled in the writing. Andrea is an incredibly talented poet, and I found myself reading quite a few of the poems in this collection out loud to my wife, just so I could love them all over again (I may have to preorder a physical copy, too, so I can do this all the time). Favourites of mine included: Instead of Depression, My Gender is the Undoing of Gender, Love Letter to the Tick that Got Me Sick, and See This Through. Though, honestly, this collection is just so fantastic that I don't know that I even need to mention specific poems.

I find that I can't really describe how this collection made me feel - within the space of one poem, I could be in awe at their writing, close to (or actually in) tears, laughing, and then thinking about my past and my future. I know I sound a little gushy, but I honestly loved this collection so much that I think I NEED to be a bit gushy - a few of these poems need to be dog-eared, and scribbled on, and then tucked close away in my heart so I can get them out and look at them sometimes, and just remember myself a bit more.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this collection in exchange for an honest review.

Wow. I cried at the very first poem—very unexpected emotional response to… relatively simple things?—and after that I was just gone. I’m still a little in shock to be honest, at how they’ve managed to illicit such an emotional response out of me multiple times throughout this collection—tears <I>and</I> laughter. More often than not in the same bloody poem.

Queer and political and feminist, Profound as fuck, and beautiful and visceral and real in a way that hurts but also heals. I’m definitely going to search out their spoken word albums.

Would recommend this collection wholeheartedly—a champion of the unkillable <I>YES</I>

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this collection in exchange for an honest review.

Wow. I cried at the very first poem—very unexpected emotional response to… relatively simple things?—and after that I was just gone. I’m still a little in shock to be honest, at how they’ve managed to illicit such an emotional response out of me multiple times throughout this collection—tears <I>and</I> laughter. More often than not in the same bloody poem.

Queer and political and feminist, Profound as fuck, and beautiful and visceral and real in a way that hurts but also heals. I’m definitely going to search out their spoken word albums.

Would recommend this collection wholeheartedly—a champion of the unkillable <I>YES</I>

I have used Andrea Gibson's poetry (or excerpts of it) as writing prompts for people of all ages, from 13 to 75, and it always opens the writers to honesty and catharsis. This collection "You Better Be Lightning" may be one of my favorite Gibson collection as it shows their ability to mix heartbreaking topics--including suicide, mental illness, and homophobia--with humor *without* dismissing the pain. I can't wait to share some of the newer poems with my students.

Magical?! Blindingly profound “queer, political, and feminist” book I am so happy I decided to read even though the cover put me off because I LOVED loved this! I am certain that this could even be life-saving for someone out there and I hope so much that they come across this. Almost feel bad for rating this (but I will for my personal record) because of just how sincere this book is, and how wonderful that I want to re-read this already. Even if it got too cheesy (eeeek) for me sometimes, it retained its authenticity, which is what matters! This took me on a beautiful journey and I am so thankful. Subscribed to their newsletter, followed them on instagram and cannot wait to read more of their work! I love to love.

“I know there is medicine in knowing / how much we don’t know. I know / there are answers in being awestruck.”

I must honestly admit that what first drew my attention towards this poetry collection were the cover and the title of the book. How gorgeous, right? And I could not be more grateful to have discovered Andrea Gibson’s work. Their style and way with words is incredible.

Obviously not every single one of the poems spoke to me (and that is the beautiful thing about poetry, in my opinion, that everyone can find verses that speak to them, and often in different ways), but they were all so personal and raw and emotional. I found myself laughing at some lines, and crying at others - and that’s something very special in my opinion.

The topics that the author chose to write about are all of such imminent importance as well, and I would recommend everyone to read this collection of powerful and empowering poetry.

My only point of criticism stems from a personal preference, and that is the length of the poems. Most of them easily spanned 3 pages, which is a bit long for my taste - but like I said, that’s a completely personal thing.

4.5/5 stars.

I hadn't read poetry in a long time, so I'm happy to get the opportunity to do it again.
These poems are very powerful. For one of them, I knew I would be crying just by reading the title.

Thank you netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for a review.

A big thank you to Net Galley for providing me with a review copy of this book in exchange of an honest review! I have never read anything else by Andrea Gibson and I just found this to be one of my greatest mistakes. "You Better Be Lightning" by Andrea Gibson is a very personal poetry collection, which focuses on the rawness of our experiences and emotions as well as the labyrinth of love and life. From the very first poem, I just knew that this is a 5-stars read. This book is immaculate in the way it feels like a warm and very much needed hug from an old hug and at the same time it is incredibly candid, powerful and realistic. The dynamic and the structure of the poetry collection are astonishing, I felt like I am traveling through the author's thought/writing process just by reading. While the poems were very deep and personal, they were not overbearing and did not mess with the reader's brain, which makes Gibson's poetry so easy to connect with. Trigger warnings include mental illness, depression, grief, chronic illness, climate apocalypse, self-harm, sexual assault, homophobia, domestic violence, etc. After reading this short review, you most probably understand that "You Better Be Lightning" is not simply a literary work, it is an experience, but I would also like to mention that it makes the reader feel whole, An absolute must-read for any poetry lover out there!

Was a good short read I really enjoyed. I usually don’t like poems that long but I think she did a great job keeping you interested.

dnf @ 17%. i am officially done reading poetry. it's so forgettable and half the time i don't even understand what the author is trying to say or what's the meaning behind this and that. i tried, but now i am giving up on poetry altogether 😂

This was an incredible collection of poems. Gibson's verse is evocative and expansive, covering a wide variety of subjects and emotions while always managing to feel immediate and emotional. They're also incredibly clever. I loved how often a poem would twist away from my expectations halfway through a line, and the way multiple meanings for a word could be captured in a single phrase. Definitely recommend checking this one out.

I don't care for poetry. But the cover caught my eye, and I've been looking for more trans/non-binary authors, so I read their bio. They grew up in my tiny home state and we share a birthday. Goosebumps.

Turns out, I love poetry if it's this. This was heartfelt, raw, and lyrically beautiful Poignant and unique, yet so identifiable. I want to buy the book and give to friends. Absolutely lovely.

"We both showed up to kindness tryouts with notes from the school nurse that said we were too hurt to participate."

"Being born took courage, sir."

Poetry used to be a huge part of my life. As a child I was convinced I was going to be a writer: a song writer, a novelist, a poet. I had composition notebooks filled to overflowing with my own words, and, eventually, found myself diligently copying down the words of others. I read voraciously - I would go down library shelves book by book, checking each one out without even reading the synopsis. Words were important to me. At some point, however, the reading stopped. Books felt too big, too difficult. I isolated myself in the world of music, a way to drown out the goings on in the world around me without having to open my eyes.
It was in this context that I was first acquainted with Andrea Gibson. Someone somewhere posted a video of them reciting their poem "Say Yes", and it absolutely astounded my 13 year old brain. I had never considered listening to poetry before. I stayed up late doing more research and decided I was interested in slam poetry. I can remember listening to the entirety of Flower Boy repeatedly in high school while riding the bus: I probably could have recited "Jellyfish" from memory at one point. I had also by this point branched out into listening to other poets, like Denice Frohman.
As a result, reading You Better Be Lightning felt almost nostalgic to me. It reminded me of being young and figuring myself out. It made me think about change, transitioning, growing. It's been a few years since I've been on a school bus, and while I still rely on music at times, I can read again. And it's enjoyable.
This was the first time I've ever actually read one of Gibson's poetry collections. It was such a different experience but, somehow, I could still hear their voice in my head carrying me through every poem. "To Whom It Definitely Concerns", "Love Letter to the Tick That Got Me Sick", "What Sucks About the Afterlife", "How the Worst Day of My Life Became the Best", and "Not Alone" were among my favorites. There were a lot of strong lines in this collection, some that are sure to echo in my head for years to come. I appreciate Gibson's honesty, and the way they openly share their feelings about depression, climate apocalypse, chronic illness, and the messiness that is queer life. This is sure to be a hit among fans.

3 stars

Stories of resilience told in poems that confront the harshness of reality yet still find softness & love. The content is quite good, but my rating isn’t higher because the poems aren’t entirely to my tastes stylistically.

[What I liked:]

•These poems have something to say, & are personal. They’re not just regurgitated platitudes repackaged in sparkly words. The crystallized moments of meaning sometimes get lost in rambling paragraphs, but I still genuinely appreciate what is there.

•The threads of family, love, hope, & resilience run through the sorrow & rage confronted in these poems. There is darkness, but also the light ahead you might not be able to see right now.


[What I didn’t like as much:]

•I prefer poetry that’s spare, where every word is carefully chosen. (Most of) these poems are stylistically different from that. They go on & on for pages. They ramble & aren’t tightly focused. They use filler words & run on sentences. They’re more like stream of consciousness journal entries. Just not my thing.

CW: suicide, mental illness, homophobia, self-harm, sexual assault/CSA, chronic illness, domestic violence

[I received an ARC ebook copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Thank you for the book!]

I have been reading Andrea Gibson's poetry for almost ten years, and I know that because when I was a newly out transgender teen in high school, Gibson's collections were the only books on my shelves by a trans/gnc author at the time. I found comfort and belonging in their words both on the page and in their spoken words in their slam poetry on YouTube, and continue to follow their work to this day. I say all of this mainly to preface that I do not say it lightly when I say that I believe that this may be Gibson's best poetry collection yet.

The poems in this collection span multiple topics, from Gibson's experience with both chronic and mental illness, suicide rates in queer youth, explorations/discussion of gender identity, queerness, break-ups, suicidality, grief in the time of coronavirus, and more. Gibson discusses these topics with their usual attention to detail, with some pages-long poems flowing effortlessly, easily devoured, as well as short, gut wrenching poems with words that will stay with you long after they're read.

This book was like a warm hug & a therapy session after this long year and a half. Gibson's trademark optimism mixed with their deadpan humor and unflinching honesty makes for a memorable collection that I will highlight, annotate, and return to over and over.

It wasn't until I read 'Queer Youth are Five Times More Likely to Die By Suicide' with tears in my eyes (I was a queer youth, after all) followed by 'No Such Thing as the Innocent Bystander' that I realised this poetry wasn't just magical, it was also extremely powerful. Before I hit these poems in particular, I wondered if Gibson was prone to letting their poems sometimes disintegrate towards the end in a way that made me wish they were tightened up a little more, and it took me a few poems to realise this is intentional, and they start off coherent and then spill into raw emotion in a way that's like a gift. (Some are extremely tight as well, don't get me wrong, this isn't an 'every poem' thing, just a 'some of them' thing).

So grateful to Button Books for the review copy, because this is a new author to me, in Western Australia, and I've needed poetry like this. I think any queer person, any nonbinary person, any gender-diverse person would, but so would any person who cares about justice, and time, and love, and heartbreak, and chronic illness. There's a lot of stand out moments here, a lot of them, from the declaration in that intent title, to the dreamlike cover, to the poems which start out as a story and end up bleeding the truth in sentence fragments and emotional raw wounds laced with so much hope.

I'm the kind of reader that automatically starts unconsciously assigning stars when I first start reading. I hovered on four stars, and then shot right past five and am now annoyed I can't actually force Goodreads to assign more, lol. Love this treasure trove, and will be rereading it going into the future.