Novel Frontier
BY Tyler Zoellner
Illustrations by Brandon Barnes
I’m not a fan of poetry but I agreed to review Zoellner’s work because it seemed promising. I should have known from the awesome cover that I would like this piece but I don’t like to judge a book by its cover. Thankfully, though, Zoellner did not disappoint.
The cover is just one of the good points about this book of poetry. It is full of heavy thoughts worded with delicacy and care. I would actually use the word morbid to describe the book but I mean that in a good way.
Zoellner has a way of presenting the darkest situations in a beautiful way but what struck me as most creative and enjoyable was that he seems to be speaking of everyday life and situations. I could be wrong on that though, I really don’t read poetry often so he could have been writing about metaphorical ice cream cones and vomit but at least he worded it nicely.
The illustrations definitely added to the book. They were very beautiful, in that dark depressing sort of way. I think they matched the writing and really helped build an illusion beside the poems. Everything was in a dark, black and white sketch that really gave an extra layer of fantasy and imagination to the poetry. Even if the book had just been a collection of these illustrations, I would have enjoyed it very much.
Sometimes illustrations take away from the material, they can be distracting or jarring when they don’t necessarily ‘match’ with the content of the text but Novel Frontier was a very well put together piece from beginning to end.
There are several allusions to the Bible including passages that mention biblical characters such and King David and his successor, King Solomon. As a Christian, I obviously enjoyed seeing my faith being portrayed so artistically. Even if I were not a Believer, I think I would enjoy Zoellner’s crafty writing. As someone who doesn’t read poetry very often, I can honestly say I’m glad I read this book.
I would highly recommend this collection to fans of poetry and others alike. It is written very well with great illustrations and smooth flow.
*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*