Reviewed by Robin Goodfellow for Readers' Favorite

Hush by Nicole Lyons is a collection of poetry that illuminates the pain of losing someone, as the world forces you to move on without them. From the decaying light of an old tree, to the loss of a dearly beloved, Lyons drapes these poems in a Gothic, almost wintry feel, one that she masterfully weaves into the stanzas. Her words demonstrate the crushing devastation of loss, alongside the harsh realization that love isn’t anything at all how we may expect it to be. This book of poetry will make you comprehend the fine line between love and madness, as Lyons shows the dark reality that perhaps the human heart isn’t all it is thought to be, and that some of love’s secrets should be left alone.

There was a particularly sorrowful poem that caught my attention in the collection. It was about two lovers, both of whom must swallow pain and burdens, both their own and each other's, in order to maintain the hollow fragment they call a relationship. The words reminded me of the brief, chaotic romances many adolescents face; even grownups have trouble letting go from time to time. It demonstrates that we cling to our failed relationships, though we may try to convince ourselves otherwise, and that in order to heal we must first let each other go.

There was also another heartbreaking image for me, one of a tree I couldn’t help but see when I first read one of the poems, Dropping Leaves of Dreams. That tree was fully grown, beautiful in all its majesty. However, as time passes, with its own dreams lost, missing loves turning up here and there, that tree begins to die. I can almost imagine its loveliness fading, very much like an adult who had forgotten the happiness of their youth. This collection was as sad as it was touching. Though it was a bit too depressing at times, it was wonderful, nonetheless. Thus, I would recommend it to those who enjoy magical realism and tragic romances.