The collection is described as a sensory autobiography, examining tragic material with a friendly scrutiny. Prikryl's adeptness at weaving together personal and historical narratives is evident in poems like 'A Package Tour,' where she engages in a temporal loop-de-loop, offering a unique and evocative reading experience. ( )

Nothing mind-blowing, Prikryl does use language well but worth the hype? Me not think so. ( )

Prikryl has some beautiful poems in this collection and some that leave the reader feeling a little "meh" about them. The first half of the collection contains those poems that are well-worded, thoughtful, and allow the reader to revel in Prikryl's imagery and phrasing. I have high hopes for this poet after reading those poems. The second half of the book, a stream of consciousness that is supposed to be connected, feels disjointed and underwhelming. ( )

Prikryl's collection of poems has a lot of potential. There were certain phrases that, in their perfection, I could only stop and ponder the lines before moving on. I wish that the entirety of the individual poems and in turn the collection of poems could continue with this genius. I look forward to a day in the future when I can pick up another one of Prikryl's books and be astounded by her growth.

However, when I first approached this work, I was slightly confused. Although there were those moments when I was refreshed by her wording - her phrases - but there were other times when her poems were completely beyond my reach. I hope this was not a flaw on my part. Perhaps the abrupt transitions factored into the quick mental shift that was needed to follow the progression of poems. Overall, I enjoyed individual pieces from this collection but was left with the want for something more.

http://hebrideshermit.blogspot.com/2016/09/the-after-party-by-jana-prikryl_75.ht... ( )

The earlier poems in this collection are really good. I particularly liked "Ontario Gothic, "Argus, or Fear of Flying," and "To Tell of Bodies Changed" among others. The second half of the book reads almost like a disjointed stream of consciousness, and it didn't work as well for me. ( )