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1,747 Public Reviews Given
1,900 Total Reviews Given
Review Style
I would characterise my reviews as honest and polite. I try to approach each item as a writer and a reader. I keep writingML to a minimum as it is distracting to me. I am starting to experiment with templates, having never really used one before now -- please bear with me while I try to find one that suits my review style! I always try to be constructive, positive and encouraging in my reviews.
I'm good at...
Reviewing poetry, focusing on emotion, flow and imagery. I have a particular passion for short poetry.
Favorite Genres
Dark, Emotional, Experience, Nature, Personal, Psychology
Least Favorite Genres
Erotica (unless it's tasteful and non-clichéd!), Fanfiction, Religious, Sci-fi, Supernatural, Young Adult
Favorite Item Types
I prefer, and am most confident, reviewing poetry. But I do sometimes review short stories, essays and articles etc.
I will not review...
Erotica (unless it's tasteful and non-clichéd!), Fanfiction, Young Adult fiction, novels or novel chapters (unless I know you very well!), horror items rated above 18+ (though I am happy to review other genres with higher ratings), anything featuring vampires, anything written in "text speak" or any non-static or non-book items (except in special circumstances).
Public Reviews
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Review of Relief  Open in new Window.
Review by Ghostranch Author IconMail Icon
Rated: E | (5.0)
I think this is an excellent poem. It contains just twenty-five words in seven short lines but you have made every single word count to convey a range of emotion to the reader. I love it when a poem can stir my feelings! That's what makes a powerful poem in my opinion. I think this piece is very effective and really has an impact.

Thank you for sharing it.

-Ghostranch.
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477
Review by Ghostranch Author IconMail Icon
Rated: E | (4.5)
I think this poem has an excellent rhyme scheme and a wonderful flow. The language is very subtle yet striking. I particularly liked this:

‘Down in Dreamworld’s soft, empty land’

It’s a very intriguing line! Some of the meanings in this poem have eluded me but I enjoyed the rather melancholy atmosphere you have created. I like the first stanza best. I think it is beautifully expressed and it really grabbed my attention.

Thank you for sharing this.

-Ghostranch (a fellow member of The League of Salient Troubadours!)
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Review of Battered Love  Open in new Window.
Review by Ghostranch Author IconMail Icon
Rated: 13+ | (4.0)
This was hard to read, not because of how it is written but because of the content. It’s quite a frightening poem because people really do have to endure this. I found it quite emotional. I think you get your message across really well.

Technically this could be a little sharper in places in my opinion. Sometimes the flow becomes a bit disrupted, for instance, the fifth stanza. It’s nothing major and I understand that line length and rhythm aren’t really important when writing such an emotional piece!

This part was my favourite:

‘how could you, my love be my enemy?’

I think it’s a beautifully written and poignant line.

Thank you for sharing this. I think it is a very powerful poem.

-Ghostranch.
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Review of INSECT CROSSING  Open in new Window.
Review by Ghostranch Author IconMail Icon
Rated: E | (5.0)
A short yet effective poem that is bound to stir emotion in people! I like the contrast of the words ‘jarred’ and ‘tickling’ in the first stanza. One connotes a jerking movement and the other a more gentle one; the impression is quite comical in a way. Sorry, it probably wasn’t comical when it happened to you! Your strong language choices make it very easy for me to imagine this happening to myself and therefore I can sympathise!

I really enjoyed this; thank you for sharing it.

-Ghostranch.
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Review by Ghostranch Author IconMail Icon
Rated: 18+ | (4.0)
This is a very hard-hitting and emotional poem. The first line is shocking and really demands attention. I think the first stanza of this poem is the strongest. I like your description of tears as ‘burning rivers’ and grief as a flood; I think your language choices are very perceptive. I also like how you have placed a full-stop after each line, making them short and sharp, this gives more impact in my opinion.

I found the second stanza a little bit odd, I think because of the simile you use. Maybe it’s just I don’t know what you mean by a ‘china hutch’.

Again, the third stanza is very emotional. There is a real sense of disbelief and confusion as you try to understand what has happened and why it has happened. I really like this part:

‘Looking for the missing pieces,
each memory restored
and yet I still see nothing out of place?
Not even a trace on his face.’

I think it is beautifully expressed and I like the rhyme, it gives it a great flow.

I like how the last stanza ties in with the first, where you mention ‘rivers’ again. Should there be a comma after the second line of this stanza and should the ‘R’ of ‘Reflecting’ be lowercase? This would keep the grammar consistent with the rest of the piece.

Overall I think this is a very poignant and tragic poem; I think you convey your emotions really well.

Thank you for sharing it.

-Ghostranch.
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Review of Relief  Open in new Window.
Review by Ghostranch Author IconMail Icon
Rated: E | (4.5)
You have really captured the feeling of relief in this short poem. I would never have thought to describe it in such a way but your poem has made me think! Relief really is a ‘breathy’ emotion isn’t it, as we ‘sigh with relief’!? I hope you get what I mean! I like this part:

‘my brain fills with air
and causes all my thoughts
to just flit through
the pores of my skin’

It is a very unusual and creative description in my opinion. I like your use of alliteration in this piece; it gives it a nice flow. I also like how the structure becomes narrower at the end, drifting off, visually showing what you have said in your words.

I really enjoyed this poem. Thank you for sharing it.

-Ghostranch.
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Review of winter  Open in new Window.
Review by Ghostranch Author IconMail Icon
Rated: E | (4.0)
This is really sweet! I particularly love the image of the of the snow globe. I noticed one spelling error/typo: ‘biterness’ should be ‘bitterness’. Also in this line:

‘all of these symbols equal up to’

I’m not sure that the words ‘up to’ are necessary. The sentence still makes sense without them and I think it flows better. But ‘equal’ is quite a jarring word anyway in my opinion. Maybe the word ‘means’ would sound better? Of course this is just my opinion!

I really enjoyed this poem but I was also left wanting more!

Thank you.

-Ghostranch.
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483
Review of Perceptions  Open in new Window.
Review by Ghostranch Author IconMail Icon
Rated: E | (4.5)
I really enjoyed this poem. I like the scattered structure. It’s almost as if the poet is wandering aimlessly with these thoughts just drifting. It’s a sad piece and I imagine something a lot of people can relate to. I really like the ending; it is very wistful. Mostly I liked your creative approach to a common subject.

Thank you for sharing it.

-Ghostranch.
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Review of In remembrance  Open in new Window.
Review by Ghostranch Author IconMail Icon
Rated: E | (4.0)
This is a very sad piece. I recently lost someone too so I can really relate to some of what you have expressed here.

I have one very small suggestion. The word ‘converting’ in the fourth line doesn’t read very well in my opinion. I think it makes the sentence awkward. Maybe ‘Turning’ would be more suitable?

But overall I think this is a really strong piece. Your description says this is a work in progress, do you plan on adding more to it? Please let me know if you make any changes, as I’d like to read the final result!

Thank you.

-Ghostranch.
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Review of Kirby  Open in new Window.
Review by Ghostranch Author IconMail Icon
Rated: E | (5.0)
This is a very poignant piece. Pets really do become part of the family don’t they? It is so hard to lose them. Both of my cats died at Christmas and the pain was unbearable. I also have two dogs and they are my best friends.

I think your poem is very moving; the emotions are expressed beautifully. I love the ending of this poem best. I like that it ends with some hope rather than sadness. I also think the picture is adorable! This poem is a wonderful tribute to your Kirby.

Thank you for sharing it.

-Ghostranch.
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486
Review of He Chose Me  Open in new Window.
Review by Ghostranch Author IconMail Icon
Rated: 13+ | (5.0)
I think this is a lovely poem. It’s short but very sweet. I like these parts:

‘He could have anyone he wanted—
Any cookie-cutter blonde or dark-eyed vixen’

and

‘But he chose me.
Strange little me with my flaws and imperfections’

I learnt a new meaning for a word from your poem too-‘cookie-cutter’. My scientist brain was confused at first, because this is a species of shark! But then I looked it up and found a new meaning. So thanks for that!

I really enjoyed this; it was nice to read such a happy poem.

Thank you for sharing it.

-Ghostranch.
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Review of CALM CHAOS  Open in new Window.
Review by Ghostranch Author IconMail Icon
Rated: 13+ | (5.0)
Wow this poem is intense. Although it is a short piece, it really packs a punch! I like the way you have approached this. It is very matter-of-fact and really has an impact for this reason because the horror of this act speaks for itself. What a terrible thing to have happened.

Thank you for sharing this.

-Ghostranch.
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Review of CURSED  Open in new Window.
Review by Ghostranch Author IconMail Icon
Rated: E | (4.5)
As you know, I’m no expert on this form but I think you have done a great job. The rhythm is fantastic; I was swept through this piece and such a pace! The only thing I have to question is rhyming ‘naught’ with ‘caught’. It seems a bit of stretch to me, or perhaps this is just a difference in pronunciation?

I really enjoyed this and I think your first and last lines are particularly striking.

Thank you

-Ghostranch.
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Review of Lost  Open in new Window.
Review by Ghostranch Author IconMail Icon
Rated: E | (3.5)
I think you have made a good start with this chapter but there are several errors and places that are a bit confusing. In my opinion, if you spent some time editing, you could greatly improve this.

I noticed several spelling errors/typos in this piece:

i = I

It's they're fault this started anyway. = their

Pasted = passed

mummbled = mumbled

sreechy = screechy

Also, the tenses are a bit confusing and make this hard to follow in places. I found this piece quite rushed too. I personally would have liked to have known more of what was going through the main character’s mind when she found out that her Dad had died. Of course this is just my opinion, feel free to totally disregard it!

However, I like the first paragraph; it is quite intriguing and leaves the reader asking why hasn’t this person seen their parents in months? This gets answered in the next part, but that also poses more interesting questions! I think the ending of this chapter is good as well, although I think you are missing a word in this sentence:

‘I had no idea how felt.’ Should the word ‘she’ be in there?

This last part left me with a real sense that something exciting is going to happen next!

Thanks for sharing this and good luck with the rest of your story.

-Ghostranch.
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Review of Sad Reminders  Open in new Window.
Review by Ghostranch Author IconMail Icon
Rated: 13+ | (4.5)
I found this piece quite sad. I love the first line; it is very emotional and really drew me in.

The only problem I found with this poem is the flow. This sometimes gets disrupted because the lines are quite uneven.

But overall I really liked this; the emotion is beautifully expressed. The second and third stanzas in particular stand out to me. I also like this line:

‘Sad reminders fill her memory box,’

It is very striking.

Thank you for sharing this and again, congratulations on coming third in the contest!

-Ghostranch.
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Review of Notice My Love  Open in new Window.
Review by Ghostranch Author IconMail Icon
Rated: E | (4.0)
I really enjoyed this poem. The rhyme scheme is brilliant. I like the first stanza too; I’m not exactly sure how one can ‘watch’ a voice but it sounds good!

The rhythm is a bit awkward in places but I understand that when writing an emotional piece, the rhythm isn’t always the most important thing! Perhaps making the lines more even, a bit like in the third stanza (which flows really well in my opinion) will help with this.

I like the third stanza; it’s interesting because the language choice is harsh here compared to the rest of the poem. The last stanza too is very effective. This is a poignant piece and probably something that most people can relate to.

Thank you for sharing it

-Ghostranch.
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Review by Ghostranch Author IconMail Icon
Rated: E | (4.0)
This is an unusual poem that throws up some questions!

I really like the first line but I think in this context ‘brake’ should be ‘break’. The next part is quite confusing:

‘Ten unforgettable days
Changed my life...To my dismay ?’

It leaves the reader questioning why you would ask ‘To my dismay?’ But that’s a good thing in my opinion! A poem should make the reader think!

I love the last stanza of this poem. It is beautifully written.

Thank you for sharing it

-Ghostanch.
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Review of Forgiveness  Open in new Window.
Review by Ghostranch Author IconMail Icon
Rated: E | (5.0)
Wow! I think this is incredible. The opening is beautiful and really drew me in. This piece has a strong, clear message and I think the way you have conveyed it is very original. I think this poem is perfect-the language choice, the flow, the atmosphere, everything! It stirred my feelings.

Thank you

-Ghostranch.
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Review of PERCEPTIONS  Open in new Window.
Review by Ghostranch Author IconMail Icon
Rated: E | (4.5)
I was drawn to this poem because of your description. As my name says, I’m grieving at the moment so anything that says it will bring comfort to those who are grieving is quite alluring!

I think your poem is beautiful and I can definitely relate to a lot of it, as I’m sure a lot of people can. I think you describe the mood swings particularly well; it’s strange how one minute somebody may feel numb with shock but the next they are crying uncontrollably. It keeps happening to me and it’s scary!

This part is particularly poignant:

‘I can't remember what you look like.
I can't remember your voice.
I don't see your face in my dreams.
What's the matter with me ?
Didn't I love you ?’

I had tears in my eyes when I read that.

Thank you for sharing this.

-Ghostranch.
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Review of The Impostor  Open in new Window.
Review by Ghostranch Author IconMail Icon
Rated: E | (4.5)
I found this poem really sad. Although it is short, you get your point across really well. I’m sure a lot of people can probably relate to this too, I know I can.

I only have one suggestion, perhaps use a word other than 'glistening' in the ninth line because you have already used it in the first and it sticks out in such a short piece.

But overall I think this poem is great. This is my favourite part (I think! It was hard to decide!):

‘My shoulders, shaking?
But that was simply laughter - I was never sobbing.’

It’s absolutely heartbreaking. The whole poem is actually!

Thank you for sharing it.

-Ghostranch.
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Review of COMPOSING  Open in new Window.
Review by Ghostranch Author IconMail Icon
Rated: E | (4.5)
I love this poem because I love music! Mostly I love listening to it, sometimes playing it. But I have never been able to compose it, so I’m in awe of those that can. I love the simplicity in this piece and the effect of the repeated line. The descriptions are great. I especially enjoyed this part:

‘Musical mind
Haunted by melody and harmony’

It’s beautiful.

Thank you

-Ghostranch.
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497
Review by Ghostranch Author IconMail Icon
Rated: E | (4.5)
Just beautiful! This isn’t something that I can really relate to because I don’t have children but the emotion in your words makes me believe what you say in the last stanza. Again, I love the rhyme scheme and the form; I like how the last stanza is a modified version of the first, to get your point across. It’s a lovely poem in my opinion and I really enjoyed reading it.

Thank you

-Ghostranch.
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Review by Ghostranch Author IconMail Icon
Rated: E | (5.0)
This is a very powerful poem in my opinion. I love the form; good job on keeping the rhyme throughout! I love this part:

‘An aging man can die with grace,
A newborn babe could take his place.’

I think it’s beautiful and perceptive-it made me think anyway!

The message in this poem is a very important one and I love the way you have conveyed it simply yet effectively.

Thank you

-Ghostranch.
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Review of Haiku 0002  Open in new Window.
Review by Ghostranch Author IconMail Icon
Rated: E | (5.0)
This is beautiful. I like that you have included an element of nature, as I believe a haiku should! (I don’t always keep to the tradition myself!) It flows beautifully and I love the word choice. I like that the last line ties in with the other lines; too often I see haikus written with the last line just tagged on, often bearing little or no relation to the rest of the piece. (I’m probably guilty of that myself sometimes!) I love the message in this haiku; it is very sweet.

I'm rating five stars because I think this is perfect; It seems that you have chosen your words very carefully to make each one count. I love it!

Thank you

-Ghostranch.
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Review by Ghostranch Author IconMail Icon
Rated: E | (5.0)
This is so lovely, beautifully written and original. No wonder it has that nice ribbon attached to it! I’m such an animal lover and I used to horse ride when I was younger. But for me, the pleasure was never in riding, it was taking care of the horses and spending time with them. I feel privileged to have known some real characters! Therefore I can completely understand that this horse was your best friend! He sounds amazing-so spirited and dignified. I’m glad he has a chance (had a chance?) to experience a more simple and free life.

Thank you. I really enjoyed reading this piece.

-Ghostranch.
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