Under Her Eye: A Women in Horror Poetry Showcase, Vol. II (2) by Lindy Ryan

Under Her Eye: A Women in Horror Poetry Showcase, Vol. II (2) Reviews

• 
  Stay Fetters

  "I am but human, enticed and seduced by the devil himself."
  
  This is something that I say a lot but here I am. I’m not that big of a poetry fan. I read some and enjoy it but it’s really not something that I seek out. The ones that I have picked up recently are starting to change my mind.
  
  These poems all circle around domestic violence, so this one made me stop in my tracks. It dug deep down into my soul and gave me the chills. They weren’t easy ones to digest but they were brave and eye opening. This is a collection that every person should read and experience.
  
  Just remember that you are not alone in this world. Reach out if you need help or even a shoulder to cry on. There is something better out there in this life and live it to the fullest.
• 
  Becky Spratford

  STAR review in a future issue of Booklist
  
  Three Words That Describe This Book: visceral, poignant, brutally honest
  
  The individual poems are brutally honest and poignant. Ranging in length, style and topic, each gives readers more than they expect, over and over again. Three standouts are by Ali Jiang, EF Schrader, and Emily Ruth Verona, whose “Prime Real Estate Opportunity,” uses footnotes to chilling perfection.
  
  Also this book could literally save someone's life. Pixel Project has resources in the back. In my review I tell people to consider shelving a copy in the 300s as well as with Horror collections.
  
  Readalikes: Into the Forest and All the Way Through by Pelayo and other anthologies edited by Lindy Ryan and Lee Murray.
  
  I have an article about them as anthologists here:
  https://the-line-up.com/best-horror-a...
• 
  Laura-Diana

  I received an e-ARC from NetGalley.
  
  This is a horror poetry collection focused on the abuse too often faced by women in their own homes.
  
  Some of the poems were very vivid and raw, while the majority didn't manage to foster enough emotion or get a point across. Unfortunately, I felt very detached reading this.
  
  It feels wrong to rate it considering the topic at hand.
• 
  Kade Gulluscio

  Under Her Eye is an unique poetry book. Unique in that the poems are horror themed.
  
  As with any poetry book, there were some great poems, some mediocre poems, and some.... meh ones.
  
  I found myself a little bored with a good portion of them unfortunately. I wanted to love it, but the mediocre poems won out over the great.
  
  The coverart IS beautiful though, and that upped my rating a tad.
• 
  Joshua Gage

  In her introduction, Regina Yau writes “The Pixel Project is a global virtual volunteer-run 501c3 anti-violence against women non-profit whose mission is to raise awareness, funds, and volunteer power for the cause to end violence against women (VAW) through activism and advocacy at the intersection of social media, new technologies, and popular culture/the Arts. In 2022, Black Spot Books proposed putting together a poetry collection in benefit of The Pixel Project’s anti-VAW work. Co-editors Lindy Ryan and Lee Murray rallied 112 female and non-binary poets from across the world to contribute poems to the collection that would become Under Her Eye.” This book is, unfortunately, a necessary collection on the shelf of every horror reader, not just because of its cause, but also because of its message.
  The poems in this collection tackle violence against women head on through a lens of horror, myth, and fantasy. Some of the poems are rooted in historical truths, such as Jacqueline West’s “Gossip in Salem,” which begins:
  It starts small, like everything else.
  Two heads bowed, bonnets touching
  like two heavy daisies in a field.
  Murmurs travelling with the hum of bees…
  and ends with a violent lesson in misogyny and rumor. Poems like this, grounded in reality, remind readers that the horrors in this collection are very much real and are to be taken seriously.
  Elsewhere, poets use horror imagery and tropes as metaphorical vehicles for the tenor of abuse. For example, “Augury” by Belicia Rhea begins:
  Your vampiric gaze spells the herd
  enamored by that sagging charade;
  tar-black saccharine eyes,
  those fists and talons scrape bloody…
  Here, the horror tropes are used to heighten the experience for the reader, driving home the extreme seriousness of topic. Reading poems like this, readers are reminded that people who perpetuate violence are monsters and should be seen as such; art is reflecting and hyperbolizing reality in an attempt to raise awareness and affect positive social change. This is exactly how horror poetry is supposed to work.
  Elsewhere, the poems are triumphant. While it is important to give voice to the victims, it is also important that they receive justice and victory. There are poems that encapsulate those themes as well, such as “A Map of the Backyard” by Jessica McHugh, which begins “Feminine as the grave,/you are brushing dirt over a bad dream,” and ends “He burned so many holes in you./There are plenty of places to bury him.” Part of horror is that monsters and evil can be, must be, fought against and vanquished. So, too, must the real monsters in this world, and poems like this inspire readers to work towards that reality and gives them strength and hope to believe it possible.
  As a reviewer, I wish this collection didn’t need to exist. I wish we lived in a world where violence was not perpetrated, and where all human beings could live in safety. That world does not exist, so books like this are necessary. The Pixel Project is an incredible organization with an incredible mission. Too often, genre work is relegated to “fluff” or “entertainment,” especially genre poetry. This collection shows that not only does genre poetry have strength and power, but also has purpose and meaning. Any collection like this that gives voice to the voiceless and unheard should be championed. Any collection that raises money to fight the real monsters in the world should be purchased. The fact that the work in this collection is incredibly well-written by a vast array of talented authors and approaches the topic from so many creative and brutally terrifying angles should be the only temptation necessary for every horror reader to purchase this book immediately for themselves and all their friends and relatives.
• 
  Missy (myweereads)

  “Everyone is amused by a heinous bitch, but a girl who cries is just uncomfortable to deal with.” - Love Letters For Kirsty Cotton After ‘Hellraiser’ 1987 by Mim Murrells
  
  Edited by Lindy Ryan and Lee Miller, this collection of poetry is a jarring insight into domestic violence against women. Told through varying narratives these poems address many factors that affect victims of such cruelty.
  
  All of these address the horrors one goes through, wether they are the one experiencing it or how they imagine they would have confronted their abuser had they been able to.
  
  This collection is very raw and explicit in addressing these important issues. With contributions from several horror authors this makes this collection a must read for fans of horror poetry.
  
  Many thanks to Blackcrowpr for the arc.
• 
  A.N.

  This collection gives the reader a view into the dark world of domestic abuse and how women have been attempting to both take back their lives and continue to fall victim to it with the end of their lives every day. Each poem is packed with a punch of poetic justice that leaves the reader breathless and wanting more. Some of my favorite poems included a look into the narrator's mind as they turn the tables on their abusers or imagine hurting their abusers like they've been hurt themselves with endings spanning from killing to walking away. As a collection with a darker theme, be warned if you have a weaker stomach or struggle with these topics, as it can become hard to read the farther in you get as each poet takes on this theme in strikingly similar, as well as different, ways.
• 
  Jessica Burchett

  Thanks to NetGalley and Black Spot Books for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
  
  I read the first volume, Under Her Skin, which was some intense, scary, body horror poetry. Body horror is not my cup of tea, but I was impressed with the poems.
  
  I enjoyed Under Her Eye more than Under Her Skin. There are a lot of poems to pore over regarding domestic abuse, a lot of heartbreaking pieces, but my hands down favorite is Tarantella. I kept going back to that one and have read it close to a dozen times. The imagery in it was very vivid, at least for me.
• 
  Erica Baxter

  This compilation of poetry addresses the torments and tortures of being a woman. There is no sugar-coating or romanticizing here. Everything is raw, brutal and real.
  
  This book addresses many hard topics, but it is an important tool for raising awareness about all forms of abuse that women experience in their home lives.
  
  Powerful, moving, and so frustratingly real that it makes me want to scream.
• 
  Orsayor

  Under Her Eye is a compelling follow-up to the award-winning poetry showcase "Under Her Skin." This collection of dark verse and lyrical prose by Women in Horror delves into the chilling theme of domestic horror and the unsettling terror that women too often encounter within their homes. The powerful voices featured in this anthology shed light on the haunting realities women face, making it a thought-provoking and impactful read. (3.5 Stars)
• 
  Wayne

  This was a great book of poetry. Lots of great ones. It is always a change of pace to read poetry, and this book had many, many, great ones. My favorite was "Love Letters for Kirstry Cotton after 'Hellraiser (1987)' by Mim Murrells. Great introduction to many great poets. #UnderHerEye #NetGalley