Book Review: Poemsia by Lang Leav

LANG LEAV PROVES HER VENTURE OUT OF THE REALMS OF POETRY can take flight with yet another novel.

There are two distinct areas in which I'd like to take my review of Poemsia. First, criticism of overnight fame. Leav gave us a bird's eye view of her shot to fame through pop poetry. It is easy to correlate Verity Wolf's story to Leav's, who saw herself being a household name after posting some of her works on social media. Hats off to Leav because not only did her work took flight, but her career as a writer as well. To take it further, the book gave us a critical view of what it takes to achieve such a feat - talent, content, and a pocket full of luck.

Second is the industrial criticism of publishing one's work. In the book, Verity Wolf and her best friend Jess are seen swoon by the works of Mena Rhodes, the latest star on the poetry sky. After Wolf got discovered by a publisher and took her to New York to formally launch her book, she caught up with Rhodes who took her to a tour of New York. During the sojourn trip, Rhodes gave us a look at the industry - its good and bad.

There is something to be said about the thrill of having a publishing deal and how, for a writer, it is a real dream come true. But for those on the outside, there's much to be learned about the things happening inside the circle. Rhodes provided insight on writers always caught in the dilemma of having to leave their old life behind and start a new in a place where the industry is booming and alive. She presented a conflict wherein writers have to question themselves on whether they are ready to embrace a world full of superficiality and deception in the bid to stay relevant. Moreover, Rhodes made me have a re-think of the definitions of integrity, values, and reception to criticisms.

The book is entirely different from Leav's previous title, Sad Girls, where she touched on the subject of mental health. Poemsia is a light read which touches on the classic theme of having a dream come true but set on a contemporary world and presented real-world conflicts and criticisms. On that note, many young readers would find the book entertaining and make them grab their own pens and write poems themselves.

All in all, the book is an okay read for me. I have to say I did not find the book enthralling - it does not have a complicated plot, which makes it an easy read during a boring afternoon. It was a book good for teenagers, really.