TW: Rape and trauma mentions.

A brave collection of poetry inspired after rape and the trauma following it showing the fragility of life years on after the traumatic event occurs.

The collection also looks at the cycle of life and loss, family and expectations and reality of your own situation.

It was deeply moving emotive poetry and you could really immerse yourself in feeling everything as you read through the collection, especially if you know anyone who has faced trauma, it was so honest and open it really was a courageous collection to write and share and I know it will help so many survivors feel so less alone reading this, realising others do, sadly, understand the same depth of pain and trauma.

I read Kristen Hornung’s work from the perspective of a fellow survivor. ‘Too Jagged to Hold’ deserves infinite praise and recognition for the power it conducts through its pages. Though this collection is short, the poignant imagery and emotion Hornung crafts feels infinite. It is not often I feel empowered by the writing of a stranger but, after reading this book, I am reminded of the strength and fortitude in sharing our stories and the power of poetry as a form of processing.

To the author: thank you. I read this book on a whim, not expecting to be so genuinely moved and inspired by your writing, so I feel immensely grateful to have come across your work. Though I do not know you, I am proud of you and look forward to reading more of your poetry in the future.