I’ve always been a writer and reader of poetry. It stared in middle school for me, and the hey day of my poetry passion came while working in an online forum for teen poets. Out of that came this collection of poetry by many of the people I was spending time with every day. If you can get your hands on a copy of it, I highly recommend it. The writers in it will blow your mind, and many of them are still writing and publishing.

When I saw Time You Let Me In highlighted in a recent review journal, I knew I would find some real gold in here (especially given the respect that editor Naomi Shihab Nye commands). And let me say, this collection does not disappoint.

Nye brings together 26 poets, all under the age of 25, in a collection of moving, insightful, and beautiful poems that cover the spectrum of topics, styles, and voices. Each poet and each poem is unique, with the sort of artistic eye only people who are under 25 can bring. I say that as a 25 year old, which makes it legitimate, right?

A review I read of this title criticized the voices in Time You Let Me In as “young.” I would hope so. The insights one gets in poetry from the youth perspective is just as important as the “established” poet (i.e., your old white men to whom you are comparing these poems to). I’ll be honest in saying I never once felt I was reading teen angst poems.

Highlights for me included Chase Berggrum’s short and pointed pieces, Gray Emerson’s disregard for traditional stylings and zesty word play, Margaret Bashaar’s treatment of humor and romance (perhaps one in the same), and — perhaps my favorite — Kayla Sargenson’s grandfather memories. Sargenson has a very powerful poem equating rape with New Orleans that will haunt me for a while, and thanks to the masterful editing job by Nye, I was able to read the next selection of Sargenson’s “The Happiest Moment of My Life was When I Realized I was Happy” a little bit differently.

Anyone who has a background in poetry knows one of the biggest challenges in collecting works is exactly how they will progress within a volume. It is a struggle, as your reading of one poem will inform, enhance, or detract meaning from poems following. Nye deserves the highest praises for balancing the order with meaning.

If you haven’t gotten your poetry reading in for the month, pick this one up. While it’s a quick read, you will find yourself lingering over passages, words, images, and sheer use of language and space. Here, you’ll find both the humorous and lighthearted and pieces crying out for understanding and explication.

Read this one for yourself, then pass it on to your biggest teen poetry fanatics. This is one you’ll be eager to share and discuss.

Tricks is Ellen Hopkins’s new book that delves into the under ground world of teenage prostitution. Like her other books, this one is gritty, unflinching, and utterly remarkable for how it portrays a topic that isn’t well documented in mainstream media but one that may truly resonate with many (* more on that in a second).

Hopkins’s books are all written in verse and she makes many patterns within the verse layout that add layers and depth at the page level, as opposed to the textual level. Her writing is flawless and her development of five unique characters — all of whom grow up in very different circumstances but all come together in the world of teenage prostitution in Las Vegas — is so well done. I’m not a huge fan of epistolary novels or novels in verse because of what a huge task it is to accurately develop multiple voices and characters well. Fortunately, Hopkins is a master at this.

I’m not a grit lit appreciater. I’ll be honest in writing that this wasn’t one of my favorite books. However, I really loved the writing style and found myself compelled to finish the story. I wanted to see how well the characters were weaved and how the verse really draws you to the conclusions of five characters for whom you have sympathy because of crummy circumstances. This is a book I would undoubtedly recommend to those who love gritty books or appreciate interesting writing approaches. It’s not for the weak of heart or people who aren’t comfortable reading about drugs, drinking, dysfunction, sex, or any other similar topic. There are no good parents and there are few happily ever afters, but Hopkins wrote Tricks with other goals in mind.

As I alluded to, there is a greater reason for Hopkins writing this book. She includes a short author’s note at the end about how teenage prostitution is a largely unseen but significant problems in America (yes, America and not just the “third world”). Tricks is meant to give voice to those who don’t have one and it’s meant to explore what could lead teenagers into this dangerous world. I’m really glad this note came at the end of the book, rather than as a preface, because it made me reflect on the story and “get it.” There’s a story here and there’s a greater purpose; this is something that I appreciate and could see being a really important book for teens to read. Hopkins is not only talented, but she is committed to making an impact on the lives of teenagers, and I think she’s going to hit a home run with this one.

It’s tough to find a book that takes on a challenging issue relevant to teens and manages to twist it from what could be a trite retelling to a new, imaginative, and fresh take. Thalia Chaltas in Because I Am Furniture is successful, though, in her story about an abusive father.

Because I Am Furniture is told in verse and follows Anke as she witnesses the physical, mental, verbal, and sexual abuse of her brother, mother, sister, and friend. Anke is spared nearly all of this abuse because she is space taker in the family, and that is all — she is, as the title states, furniture in the family. Her father is an abuser and because of the fear that her family has in furthering his anger, they do not report him nor speak about the terror he causes. That is, until Anke witnesses a girl with whom she is friendly come under the power of her father’s abuse. When Anke is told that nothing will stop her father, she knows that because of her role as the family furniture, she can use that as her power to change the family’s situation for the better.

Imaginatively and creatively told through verse, Because I Am Furniture broaches many difficult teen topics from the perspective of an outsider. The verse enhances this perspective, as it is just descriptive enough and sparse enough to leave the reader wanting something to happen but ultimately understanding the feeling of helplessness. Chaltas is spot on in her storytelling, and she paces the story perfect. The book is a quick read, but it is not a fast enough read at the expense of the story and the emotion. This is the type of story that a reader will sit down with and go cover to cover with in one sitting.

Because I Am Furniture would be a fantastic companion novel for any of the novels about abuse or rape available, including Halse Anderson’s Speak. What makes this book stand out from the crowd is not only its imaginative and thoughtful use of verse rather than traditional narrative style, but also the important lessons that can be learned from Anke, including the lessons she learns about the importance of all people in a family. This is the sort of book that will resonate with readers and could inspire them to better themselves by not being afraid of being who they are. Anke goes from furniture and accepting her lot as such to learning how important she is as an individual in all of the varied roles she plays in her life within and outside her family.