I have this as a rating of 3, but Virgin by Analicia Sotelo is more of a 3.5 rating. And not because this is a bad read, it is actually good. I enjoyed the straightforward text and imagery. However, sometimes she gets a bit “poetic” and too fanciful for my tastes. And while I like poetry, and “flowery” poetry has its place, I was not looking for it here. The mix of both straightforward and the flowery was not a hundred percent for me.
Sotelo is dealing with sex, life, gender, and everything else. Maybe she is writing these poems only for herself and lets you share them, or maybe she is writing for someone else and hopes they are going to find themselves in the words. Or maybe both. Or maybe they are just writing them to write and whomever finds them, finds them. Just sit back and enjoy the language. Do not try to take too much away from things at first. Just take your time and just relax. Go with the flow and see what pops up.
I highlighted several lines and passages because even out of context, they had a lot of power, meaning and beauty. The language is strong, interesting and tells a story. This was a gift from my holiday exchange, and I am so glad that it was. I would never have picked this author up. Yes, the cover is intriguing, but I do not think I would have found it, let alone want to read it via the cover. Maybe I did not love it as much as I could have, but I know that this book is a keeper, and I will be looking at it again.
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