Review of Hold Your Breath

Shem Murundu · Post by **Shem Murundu** » 09 Jun 2023, 07:09

[Following is a volunteer review of "Hold Your Breath" by Rana Bitar.]

4 out of 5 stars

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Hold Your Breath is a collection of poems by Rana Bitar. Written at a time when Covid-19 had shaken the world and brought with it a new scare for mankind, the title of the book is a play on the phrase "hold your breath” to signify the tough precautions that were associated with preventing the spread of the deadly, contagious Coronavirus. In this fifteen-poem anthology, Rana speaks on topics, issues, and challenges related to Covid-19.

My absolute favorite thing about this anthology is the authenticity of the content. Rana is original with her work as she shares her raw thoughts on the pandemic and the new norms brought about as a result of the efforts of combatting the deadly virus. The majority of her poems had a great sense of flow as she transitioned from one issue to the next one. I found the book cover appealing and got a kick out of the author’s creativity in the poems titled Viral Dream and Self-Quarantine. In addition to the two, the pieces titled Quarantined and Silent Language were my favorite works from the book.

I enjoyed much of the book. However, I observed two distinct poems where there was a sense of discontinuity in the given poems’ stanzas. In these two poems, one titled Gravity’s Pull and the other one titled Corona and Cancer, I noticed a break in the flow of each poem. It felt like Rana strayed a bit off-topic, thus ruining the flow of poems.

The editing of this book was almost flawless because I noticed only a single typographical error. The book was professionally edited. I hereby rate this book 4 out of 5 stars. The one star I deducted is due to the drawback explained above. I would recommend this piece to all lovers of poetry and to anyone wishing to reminisce about the disconcerting days of the Covid-19 pandemic. The book is free of heavy language and suitable for people of all ages and faiths.

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Hold Your Breath
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Hazel Mae Bagarinao · Post by **Hazel Mae Bagarinao** » 24 Jun 2023, 16:31

I love indulging the thoughts and feelings of Rana in this book because it sounds pure and authentic. The ravaging time of Covid-19 brought us panic and worries. These poems show some of those feelings. It's so relatable. I admire your excellent review of this book, Blackstenius!

Post by **Sarah Zain** » 24 Jun 2023, 16:50

Reading poems about that period is something that I must think about, as this was a painful period, and it is still in a way. What a wonderful and expressive review of the book Blackstenius!

Shem Murundu · Post by **Shem Murundu** » 25 Jun 2023, 13:57

Hazel Mae Bagarinao wrote: ↑24 Jun 2023, 16:31 I love indulging the thoughts and feelings of Rana in this book because it sounds pure and authentic. The ravaging time of Covid-19 brought us panic and worries. These poems show some of those feelings. It's so relatable. I admire your excellent review of this book, Blackstenius!

Yes, Hazel, I liked the relatability aspect of the book too! Thanks so much and for always.

Shem Murundu · Post by **Shem Murundu** » 25 Jun 2023, 14:02

Sarah Zain wrote: ↑24 Jun 2023, 16:50 Reading poems about that period is something that I must think about, as this was a painful period, and it is still in a way. What a wonderful and expressive review of the book Blackstenius!

That virus caused so many to worry and panic; what we detested were those swab equipment being shoved down our nostrils and throats. I very much appreciated your comment, Sarah!