Review of Younger and Wiser
Authors and publishers are not able to post replies in the review topics.
- Youngreader720-OluwabukunmiWilliamsOso
- In It Together VIP
- Posts: 420
- Joined: 21 Sep 2022, 02:28
- Currently Reading:
- Bookshelf Size: 56
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-youngreader720-oluwabukunmiwilliamsoso.html
- Latest Review: Swoosh! Shooting the Perfect Shot by Wajeedah Bilal
Review of Younger and Wiser
In a nutshell, Younger and Wiser by Gene S. Jones is a book of sixty-six poems and their backstories. In this book that encompasses up to 40 years of experience, Gene S. Jones takes us through his views on life, from the poem Cry Like a Man, which channels his own suffering while exploring human compassion, to the poem Final Gift, which represents his last gift to humanity. In between these poems, topics ranging from love, disappointment, patience, and betrayal to forgiveness, loss, and the meaning of life are explored. Enlightenment, inspiration, and growth are just a few of the things readers stand to benefit from picking up a copy of this book.
The first thing I liked about the book was the author's honesty while he reached into the depths of his life to offer guidance to readers, hoping to steer humanity in the right direction in his own way. A good example of this honesty is fully displayed in "the saddest poem he ever wrote:" Final Child Orphans Club, which highlights his challenges of failing to keep his parents alive and not having children of his own. I could sense the disappointment in his tone here and appreciated his strength to channel these negative experiences into helping young people find their direction.
Each poem in the book voices a captivating story, and the author proceeds to provide the backstory or inspiration for penning these poems. I must admit that the backstory poetry genre is new to me, but I quickly found that narrating the backstories provided a better perspective on the emotions behind the poems and helped me to fully immerse myself in the author's personality and messages throughout the book.
Also, I loved how Gene S. Jones constantly found creative ways to explain things that we can all relate to by leveraging his personal experiences in his poems, whether he was observing the wonders of nature, imagining the story of an old man petting his cat, or struggling with losing a loved one. An example was in the poem Green Thumbs in which he expertly applied the analogy of giving his cactus enough water and seeing it die and then rationing water supply to his succulent ferns after that and still seeing them die as well. This was applied in explaining the significance of balance and paying attention to the needs of others in relationships. I could recall a couple of times when I did not pay attention to what my significant others needed in relationships and how it affected those relationships negatively. The author also explored the dangers of being judgemental in relationships in a similar vein.
Overall, Younger and Wiser is a journey as well as an eye-opener that blends the upsides of aging and youth in wisdom and passion, respectively. It is also a reminder of the significance of taking moments to stop and explore what happens around us. There is a lot that we take for granted, and I thank the author for this deep exercise in introspection and self-development. The book made me think, laugh, cry, and express gratitude. I did not notice any errors in the text; therefore, it was exceptionally edited. I also cannot point to any aspect of the book I do not like.
On that note, I award this piece the maximum rating of five out of five stars. Readers who enjoy poetry, self-development books, and introspective books will enjoy and learn from this offering.
******
Younger and Wiser
View: on Bookshelves
-
- Posts: 1011
- Joined: 10 Oct 2022, 08:57
- Currently Reading:
- Bookshelf Size: 75
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-temi-book.html
- Latest Review: Black Wing Sky by Kaylin McFarren