“Strange Brew” by Andrea Dean van Scoyo & Julie Thielen

A Collection of Poetry, Prose, and Strange Thoughts…

This book comes with a warning on it’s first page that it’s filled with the thoughts and opinions which might not be agreeable to all readers. It’s true enough that it’s filled with opinions in the form of clever musings and poetry of an above average quality. Well, above average. It is also a fact that nothing ever written has been agreeable to all readers. However, in my opinion, to suggest this book is controversial would be a grand overstatement. Sure, some of the things written might be a little troubling or mildly disagreeable to the norm and some of it will make you think, but I just can’t see anyone slamming this book shut in anger. It just doesn’t quite go as far as it could.

Perhaps I feel this way because most of the “political” stuff I found quite agreeable to my personal views. I take next to no issue with anything stated in this area and thought the musings were well formed and entertaining. This is a book to quote.

The only downside, to me, was there was a lot stated about how life and society aren’t fair. The undeserving often get the prize while the hard workers get the shaft. This is certainly the case much too often, but holding the mindset that this is a constant of our society is not in a person’s best interest. I don’t believe and can’t imagine either of the authoresses are the sort to wallow in self-piety, far from it, but I can see those who do taking some of these passages as a reinforcement of the beliefs that keep them held down.

Many of the more personal and poetic passages left me wondering if anti-depressants shouldn’t be in order, but that’s what you get sometimes with “dark” poetry. But the verses were very well formed and beautiful. Ms. Thielen is one of the best poets I’ve read of late and this book is worth the read for the poems alone.