Preston Smith
Poet and blogger Ranata Suzuki is gearing up for the release of her debut poetry collection, The Longest Night. The collection of poetry and quotations is slated for an August 24, 2018, release.
As the title suggests, the collection takes the reader through a single long night, where they experience young love and consequently loss. Ranging from a handful of lines to a few pages, the poems in this collection should be read chronologically as to keep the expressional continuity laid forth by Suzuki.
The Longest Night is an excellent debut overall, but it particularly shines as it is not meant solely for writers and avid readers. Rather, the collection is a testimony of raw emotion erected from heartbreak, passion, and want for human connection. Because of this, any person can pick this up and immediately find it relatable, engrossing, and cathartic.
In a war analogy that simply works, Suzuki compares breaking up to a stalemate, documenting how no one won and somehow both individuals lost. In “The Last Time,” she explores the duality of love and removal of part of oneself upon separation. In a standout moment in “The Depths,” she writes, “You dived into my life and made waves. / Then you left me alone … and I couldn’t swim / I couldn’t swim.”
As she continues through the night and subsequently the grief process, she moves through phases such as no one noticing the hurt she is feeling and the world still revolving. She uncovers hidden truths, even when about herself and not her partner. She shows regression and the realness of moving on. Healing simply isn’t magical.
Overall, The Longest Night by Ranata Suzuki is a stellar debut chaotically ensnarled in emotion – in the best way possible. If you want to relate, cry, and potentially heal through the power of words and shared experiences, this collection is undoubtedly for you.
The Longest Night, upon its August 24, 2018, release, will be available worldwide at Book Depository. Furthermore, the collection will be available for purchase at Barnes and Noble in the United States and at McNally Robinson in Canada. It is currently available for preorder through these providers.
To keep up with Ranata Suzuki, you can find her on the following platforms: her website, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Tumblr.
For more book reviews and book related posts, view our book section of the website here.
Are you excited for Ranata Suzuki’s The Longest Night? Comment below and tweet us @Fuzzable with all of your love for this wonderful Australian poet!
