The average baby weighs 8 pounds.
I weighed 5.
The average baby is 20 inches long.
I was 14.
And it was on my first day on Earth
that I realized I didn’t measure up,
and I never would.
- Title: I Would Leave Me If I Could: A Collection of Poetry
- Author: Halsey
- Genre: Poetry
- Pages: 144 pages
- Publication date: November 10, 2020
I’ve read work from celebrities before, and I usually find them missing something. Like they needed a better editor or the intent was there but eh? So, I was a bit hesitant on getting this book, but I do appreciate Halsey’s way of words.
I Would Leave Me If I Could is a mixture of poems about Halsey’s life, not far from her songs. A lot of them are about bad relationships. Sometimes the book leaned on the relationships a lot, but it wasn’t too much that it bothered me. A few are about her time before her fame, which I found the most interesting. One random one felt like a call to action. And the rest are about her mental health. It’s a good mixture of all things Halsey.
She has a handful of lines that stuck out to me. Stellar ones. She also has some good messages throughout. I can definitely tell that we’re not similar in a lot of ways.
A part that bugged me a bit though was when I’d find her song lyrics in the poems. Cause then my mind would switch, and I’d read it like the song, only to go back to how I was reading the poem before. I also felt a tad cheated cause I already know those lyrics from her. The words around them did bring some new light to the lyrics, but it also felt weird to me.
I also didn’t like the poetic style sometimes. Some lines didn’t feel right. There would only be one word per line for a while when I didn’t think it was necessary. So, for those, the poem’s flow felt off.
Overall, I enjoyed reading her life’s journey. If you enjoy her music, you’ll enjoy her poems since you get to see a bit more Ashely in the Halsey. I’d recommend this quick read.
Score: 7.5/10
Average rating on Goodreads: 4.19/5
Robin LeeAnn 
it sounds like an interesting read – thanks for sharing
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I love the title of this piece and the summary is interesting but . . . celebrities can often get away with publishing anything so I often end up feeling disjointed too, unless the writer really does have something to share.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts; I love an honest review!
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I’ve noticed that celebrities can get away with it easier cause of their name. I heard a literary agent once say that you’re no one unless you have about 200,000 followers. I wish the writing world isn’t like a popularity contest sometimes.
And thanks! Glad you liked it.
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I hear you! As a writer with wishes to be published, I connect with navigating the treacherous waters of the literary world. It helps to have a map. 🙂
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Having a map helps a lot!
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