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2,871 Public Reviews Given
3,544 Total Reviews Given
Review Style
Read my reviews. Look at any other review. I see the good, with an eye toward potential. Will never be/play authority of someone else’s words, leave to the master of the work. I just reflect/react/review, a fuller perspective. Responses of my reviews are affirming. Do not credit me. Pay it forward.
I'm good at...
Poetry, shorter stuff. I'm mostly blind. I react and encourage with my reviews, suggest direction to make something better. I can be a friend. Trust went out the window. I break the conventional fourth wall. Not sure what it means? Ask.
Favorite Genres
nature, love, psychological, spiritual, inspirational, epiphany, emotional, drama, human interest, science, conspiracy, dystopian, fatalistic, speculative. Not cookie cutter fantasy realms or choose your adventure. Action/adventure. Unique, surprise.
Least Favorite Genres
Horror, fan fiction, some fantasy and sci-fi, or anything Lord of the Rings/Game of Thrones-ish.
Favorite Item Types
poetry, short story, essay/opinion/blog
Least Favorite Item Types
fantasy, horror
Public Reviews
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1201
1201
Review of Betrayed  
Review by Brian K Compton
Rated: E | (4.5)
An intense piece of writing and good use of a metaphor for the essence/soul/heart of one's being.

Liked this as the rant it was intended to be. It seethes by repeating the remarks that you think you know someone only to find out you actually didn't because of the betrayal.

I can imagine a very intense young woman like Avril Lavigne the way this condemns the boy. It has that edgy acerbic feel to it. I thought this was expressed well.

Write On!

Brian

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1202
1202
Review by Brian K Compton
Rated: E | (5.0)
Wow! I just read you bio block and then this poem. For someone your age, "The Numbers Never Mattered"  is some pretty impression prose. This seems so introspective, philosophical even.

The title line seems to call my attention the most. Trying to equate life with those numbers to make sense of it all, perhaps? But numbers bore the mind, the daydreamer who doesn't want to live in that hemisphere of the brain.

These lines eluded me a bit...

Disappointment ravaging souls,
Equations left unanswered...

I could take it to mean that others who put their faith or beliefs in the logical still wind up getting nowhere. So the numbers don't matter, because they don't necessarily determine the end result?

You've given me plenty to chew on! Keep writing, those numbers will still be there. *Smile*

Brian

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1203
1203
Review of Unrehearsed  
Review by Brian K Compton
Rated: E | (4.0)
There is a lot at work in that moment when one is contemplating how to address this confession.

It took me several reads to put this together, but I take to mean this confession was about one's love for the other. You liken the experience to being on stage, exposed to an audience without the certainty of knowing the response to the words that want to be spoken.

Good use of surroundings to give a visual representation of the scene, the moment. The more this plays out the more that tension seems to increase before the nerve to speak is lost. And I liked that moment when the appearence of snow settling on the hair and lashes served as the obstacle to getting those words out.

I also wonder if that person would know why they were called under that tree, but was unable to speak, also.

Brian

** Image ID #1189515 Unavailable **
1204
1204
Review of Too Many Rules  
Review by Brian K Compton
Rated: 18+ | (5.0)
Powerful!

"Too Many Rules"  was thought provoking in it's contemplation of morality with its laws.

Again, a character who is calm, but something dark seethes beneath. The tables are turned with the decision of what to do with that knife. The reasoning behind the action summed up the progression of events in her mind.

One has to question what the punishment should be for one who has confined another by their set of rules. And then to be ousted from the relationship and the home they share and told there is another? Makes the reader wonder if this is a sick sense of justice. I would claim an insanity defense. He really messed with her head.

The wonderment about flowers and rules was the most thought provoking and enlightening. This is a masterful piece of writing.

I caught this and think you meant...'Walking back up the steps...'

Walking up the back up the steps

I can't wait to share this with others. I think you have hit on all cylinders with this one! My thanks for sharing this.

Brian
1205
1205
Review of Locked Doors  
Review by Brian K Compton
Rated: 13+ | (4.5)
The daring duo in a haunted house made for a nice flash fiction read. You developed the characters immediately with Stacey taking the lead and Kate hesitant and regretful.

Wondered if this was supposed to be "Watch me..."

"What's me? I'm going upstairs."

I understand that moment when the door slammed in Kate's face suggests a paranormal incident and not Stacey flinging it shut.

That creepy moment with the steps and being unable to lock the door quickly built the suspense. Unfortunately, it was drained too quickly by the briefly worded escape, constraints of the form.

That elderly woman speaking came out of nowhere, a nice surprise and ending to tie up this scene.

This could now be expanded into something longer, giving readers goosebumps. Detailed descriptions of scenes and characters could turn this into a very enjoyable short story, targeted for a pre-teen audience. Kind of stuff that made R.L. Stein popular.

You show a lot of range with your writing.

Brian
1206
1206
Review of Cookie Cat Witch  
Review by Brian K Compton
Rated: 13+ | (4.5)
Looks like Alice fell asleep again!

I liked the directness of this story. Unabashed with this unusual moment between a house sitter and a witch?

A bit like stream of consciousness writing but tightly written. The dialogue is sharp, precise and logical despite the illogical.

Worthy of a chuckle and a smile as I read. I wanted more, actually. Too many questions unanswered. Of course, it this were an allegory....? No?

I liked it nonetheless!

Brian
1207
1207
Review of Newly Fallen Snow  
Review by Brian K Compton
Rated: E | (4.5)
I liked the way this opened in those first two lines...you have something luminous whispering...teasing the mind with a bit of sensory. The next two lines go on to explain that it is snow.

If the snow were described rather than revealed by name, it could lend to that mystery of these magical and unique flakes, giving a little more personification as the poem builds.

The lines seem well metered and a clean and understandable read. Rhyme scheme a little inconsistent, but did not detract. I thought the ending worked well, too.

Christmas poems are hard to create, at least for me. I applaud your effort.

Brian
1208
1208
Review of The Poets' Dance  
Review by Brian K Compton
Rated: E | (4.5)
This poem has a sweeping motion just like that dance. A rhyme scheme helps to drive the read.

This visually speaks to me as an invitation to romance...but it can also suggest a parallel to the writer and muse, working with the pen.

Either way, it conjures up these strong allures, hopes and desires to take this moment and take it to the next level, destiny.

Good use of imagery to help me envision the vixen, the muse. It does stir and kept me in the moment.

Brian
1209
1209
Review of Mother-Wings  
Review by Brian K Compton
Rated: E | (4.0)
Nicely percepted notion about the powers of Motherhood to give them wings from heaven. The analogy does well to show how these miracle woman manage to care for their loved ones.

I did see some technical errors, if you don't mind my pointing out. This stanza has a problem with the tense...

When mothers seem to be all places at once,
their wings carried(carry) them. I had this hunch...

...Unless you want to reword to show past tense for how they got there...

...when(after) I thought I saw Momma in three different ways,
being (in) nine different places on three sep(a)rate days...

Would suggest removing 'but' from start of this line...

...but Motherwings come from Heaven above...

That particular stanza was imaginative and gave a visual feel to this notion of how Moms get their wings and for what. I liked that bit about get whomped by one of those wings, too. A nice lighthearted moment.

Also liked the narrative, giving more of a child voice to the piece, but in a way a parent could understand or relive in a child's imagination.

Brian
1210
1210
Review of Icebound  
Review by Brian K Compton
Rated: 13+ | (4.5)
Very intensely written moment etching with fingers on a frosty window pane.

Evocative the way you pull emotions from the touch of the hot fingertips. It's something I never considered or imagined when tracing my digits along the icy glass.

Very descriptive and original and there is connection, a realization of something deeper than just the surface that has been scratched. The mention of 'frosty dreams' might suggest a memory carved out in that moment...of what I'm not certain. But I think the poem goes more to the expression of that discovery, maybe like serendipity, or nostalgic reflection...but has a numbing effect in the end.

Some great metaphors, too. The ice as 'chilly sugar' and the scrawlings as 'winter hieroglyphics,' suggesting a coded message.

I don't know if I can decipher the rest and you may have to fill me in, or set me straight if I have veered off course with this illuminating piece of prose.

Brian KC

PS - I don't believe I've reviewed you before and I see you joined around the same time as me. Hope to visit your port to take in more of your work.
1211
1211
Review of The Weathervane  
Review by Brian K Compton
Rated: E | (5.0)
Nice bit of personification and wonder if someone has been reading Keats. In the 9th grade no less.

You're new to Writing.com I see and had to give you a review with a welcome. Are you from England then?

This is the type of poetry I can appreciate and for one so young when written, it impresses me. Nicely meted out to read smooth with rhyme scheme that nicely punctuates the lines.

You aptly cover the seasons in the open. You have the metal bird battling elements in next stanza and finish with the revelation of that rooster's value.

You create a connection with the weathervane on a deeper level. Just as Keats would. I think this deserves much merit and hope others take time to appreciate the structure and content because it sings true.

Nice work! Can only imagine what else you may have to offer since this poem's construction.

Best,

Brian
1212
1212
Review of The Prospector  
Review by Brian K Compton
Rated: E | (4.5)
An original metaphor for searching for love like gold in someone's heart.

That whole first stanza stood out and captured my interest, especially with the ending line waiting for the appearence of that twinkling smile.

What also brought flavor was 'grubstake romance.'

At the ending, I wonder if it really is a metaphor. It almost reads like this person went off in the hills to actually pan for gold, followed by the comparison of the gold they find to the one who spurned their advances.

The hardships of seeking true love may be greater than the trouble to discover that glimmer of gold in the hills?

A descriptive and visual piece of writing.

Brian KC
1213
1213
Review of Silence  
Review by Brian K Compton
Rated: ASR | (4.5)
Hi Sara!

I'm checking out your port for the first time.

This poem is laden with subtle images that if I wanted to pry deep might work as an allegory or maybe a parable.

I get the sense of loyalty from these animals with their relation to each of the characters. Each person seems to die alone, silently, with no help but the faithful beasts that lay down and die too. For lack of purpose, without those leaders, these servitile subjects lay to waste as well.

The poem seems to have a drive, but it catches from time to time with maybe a few missing syllables to help a line here and there.

Content is excellent, and with a hammered out meter to help the flow of the read, this would be superb.

Nicely drawn story!

Brian KC
1214
1214
Review by Brian K Compton
Rated: E | (5.0)
But you know, as a parent, I'm singing to my children all the time. Nursery songs and lullabys mostly. But we are a musical bunch, so we pretty much sing wherever we go. We even gather around Mom while she plays the piano in our frontroom.

Some people might sing in church or a choir. How about with those headphones strapped on in your room or private space? Some people can sing at work, depending on the atomosphere. I worked in a music store, and we pretty much sang when we felt like it. But mostly, out of the way, and not in front of customers.

A grade question. Had fun thinking about this!

Brian
1215
1215
Review of Reminiscence  
Review by Brian K Compton
Rated: 13+ | (4.0)
Such a forlorn, deep and honest expression of feeling with this poem.

One thing can bring back so much memory, like the music box. I lot of emotions were poured into this one. And yet it left me wanting more, to sense the physical presence.

The feelings are easy to connect to. I would like to envision the feelings as the relate to the one who haunts.

Very well written.

Brian
1216
1216
Review by Brian K Compton
Rated: E | (4.5)
Great use of imagery with this poem, Gabriella! I enjoyed how you set this up visually. I could get the feel of looking a great distance down to view those cars as ants.

I had never heard of 'macadam' and had to look it up on line. I like finding new words this way and find that it added a great deal of flavor to this piece.

I loved how you ended that first stanza with the pages of a book, signifying the passing of the days similar to a fairy tale, I thought.

I also liked the bit of irony in the end, that one has to labor to get out of paradise by shoveling this snow. The only thing that snagged for me was describing the wind as 'scorching.' I tried to imagine the sun radiating this much heat after a snowstorm, but the only thing I can imagine in winter is intense, blinding light amid this blanketed landscape.

There is much at work here and a great bit of story telling through showing the reader the scene.

Me like.

Brian
1217
1217
Review of Harry's Storm  
Review by Brian K Compton
Rated: ASR | (4.0)
Very descriptive and imaginative piece that was a nice bit of storytelling to relate how the son murders mom in cold blood.

I don't know if you drew from a real story to paint this picture, but it was very effective and yet a bit raw and in need of refining like the repetitive use of clouds in lines three and four.

You should add a label for the young readers:
Kids, don't try this at home.

I could envision him streaking across that room in rage, this bearded psychopath. Nicely ended with that creepy scene where he is finally calm as Mom's blood pools on the floor.

I think this is more than comparison, the son becomes the storm. Nice work!

Brian
1218
1218
Review of Laid to rest  
Review by Brian K Compton
Rated: E | (4.5)
This reads like a lyrical monologue with a strong rhyme scheme making for a pleasing read.

Cautionary tale that reminds me of something like Yeats. My memory of his work may be foggy, though.

It has that ominous feel, the warning almost like a threat. Someone will pay you back for what you did when you least expect it. Trying to get inside of the head of this person, I suppose.

The way it's written, it came across like lyrics and had that sing-songy feel and reminds me of the stuff my Mom would recite when I was a kid. Perhaps, something akin to the Irish poets.

I'm not that well versed. I'm just guessing.

Nice work!

Brian
1219
1219
Review of Poem V  
Review by Brian K Compton
Rated: E | (4.0)
Well worded dialogue and something that gave me pause to wonder about to whom this would be directed.

The telling is clear but the lack of showing kept me from visualizing what is being talked about. It is strong prose, but would like to see this explored further with some tangible details to bring all this to light for the reader.

Good work,

Brian
1220
1220
Review by Brian K Compton
Rated: ASR | (4.5)
Very dark and eerie tale and made me think about this voice and who it is intended to be. Great use of imagery too to desribe that lake at night.

To me it sounded like someone was trying to get away with murder and drop this body in a lake in an effort to cover up the crime.

I also imagined them drowning a cat. I like the narrative. It pulls the reader in, keeps them wondering about the person being spoken to.

I think this is akin to Poe. Would that be the style you go for here? It works for me. Good job.

Brian
1221
1221
Review by Brian K Compton
Rated: E | (3.5)
This definitely makes an accurate statement about people following the trails blazed by others, rather than looking up to see where it is taking them.

The poem was a bit uneven and would have like to have seen some things thrown in there to show your point as well as you tell it.

But it is a lesson learned for some that have not heeded His warning.

Brian
1222
1222
Review of Damned World  
Review by Brian K Compton
Rated: ASR | (4.0)
This poem, despite its depressing theme, has a lyrical feel that reads well.

The title 'Damned...' made me think this would take the subject matter over the edge. But it is very clean, calm and somber. Like something muttered under one's breath.

The emotions are delivered well and some metaphors add to the sensory effect. It does tell more than it shows and the metaphors only wrap around words, and thought this could be explored deeper.

The narrator is no doubt affected by life, by something that is untangible to the reader, who might be able to relate to the emotion, but not the plight of the person.

All in all, this E-rated offering does not offend in making some clear objectives known.

Brian
1223
1223
Review by Brian K Compton
Rated: 13+ | (4.5)
*Star* Ah, let Clement Moore spin in his grave. This is fun stuff! *Star*

Came to check you out since Nancy pointed me toward your port.

I love that you threw Hitler and Nixon on that sleigh team. That part about killing all the children struck me, too! And within an E-rated poem at that. I get a kick in the shins if I dare mention beer or cigarettes, let alone killing someone figuratively!

This flowed as well as the Moore classic. Very nice work!

Brian
*Cool*
1224
1224
Review of Quake  
Review by Brian K Compton
Rated: E | (4.5)
This is chock full of visual imagery. I imagine a child alone during a play of some kind, fearful of public exposure and the audience's response.

There is a lot at work that is far above childlike, an adult recollection of a time that is seared in one's memory. Something unshakeable because of its lasting, unnerving affect upon the child.

The most stunning line to me was 'My fear is a mirror.' That is an excellent way of showing those emotions and the introspection when reflecting the mounting anxiety.

The last stanza I had difficulty interpreting, but if I were to take a stab at it...I would say that this moment on stage becomes awkward, but somehow the heart provides the lyrics, maybe the words to urge oneself on. The percussion perhaps helps the performer, the drowning out, masking just enough of the effort so the fear of being alone, and not the only voice, eases the unsettled young actor.

Wasn't quite sure what to make of 'shattered room,' and thought this might suggest the audience and how they react...and then waiting for that curtain like relief. I hope I didn't overanalyze it. I'm prone to do that. *Smile*

Congratulations on being recognized as a Rising Star at Writing.Com! A very compelling piece of writing!

Brian
1225
1225
Review of Tell Me Something  
Review by Brian K Compton
Rated: E | (4.0)
Before I got to the ending, I began wondering myself why so many questions? Some of these were tying up thematically before it continued on. There is so much to consume and wonder about in this world. This poem could go on forever with the many unanswered questions of life.

But as some of the questions speak to beliefs, the moral majority, it seem logic is flawed. One that I thought of and would add to the list is why is nudity banned from television when violence is so much worse, and gets promoted without any ethical remorse? From shows about murder and exploitation to advertisements for video games where the objective is to kill ruthlessly or be killed, it all doesn't belong in our living rooms when children are watching, yet there it is.

Good notion with this poem.

Brian
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