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Soft in the Middle
"there are so many words I've left unsaid so instead of going another year or five or ten in brutal, crushing silence don't waste this opportunity don't be scared when the full weight of my heart tests the strength of your hands I'm trusting you with something I barely trust myself with this knowing this telling this momentous uprooting I'm here I am I am right here in these words" A debut poetry collection about love, heartbreak, body image, how absolutely breathtaking girls are, flower blooms and starlight.
154 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 30, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 150 reviews
March 26, 2020
*4.5/5
This gave me a hearty queer-feels cry wow
This gave me a hearty queer-feels cry wow
May 20, 2018
I identify with so much of what Shelby has put down on paper. I think that recognizing yourself in someone else's words is a beautiful thing.
August 22, 2020
August 2020 update I loved it even more upon a reread. These poems hit different when you're in a completely different place in life.
Actual rating: 4.5 stars
Original review posted on my blog :
Soft in the Middle owns my heart and soul and and I owe it (and Shelby by extension) SO MUCH. I read this collection at a time in my life where I was heartbroken, miserable, and had hit my lowest of lows. I picked it off my shelf on a whim because I needed something soft and the title promises that and I just wanted poetry I could see myself in and I hoped this would be it. And to be completely honest, it made me cry my eyes out, plane and simple.
This collection speaks of sapphic feels, fat girls with soft hearts and bodies, heartbreak and healing. It’s made me feel seen, and loved, and wrapped in a huge cloud of softness, so it deserves its title. It made me feel seen in my feelings, positive and negative, in my heartbreak, in my trying and failing at healing but never stopping. It also made me feel less alone in my sadness, the one that creeps up on me sometimes when I least expect it, it made me feel less abnormal for sometimes feelings so utterly broken. And for that i’m forever grateful.
Soft in the Middle left me with so many feelings. And I think that’s the point of poetry, it’s to make you feel. So really, this did its job and beautifully so. I randomly go back from time to time, open it to one of my MANY tabbed poems and reread it, because this collection is an experience all on its own, one that never gets old no matter how many times I keep going back to it. For me, this was definitely a case of right book at the right time, but I genuinely think I would’ve loved it no matter when I read it, because the ways in which I could relate to it are things I will probably carry with me throughout my whole life.
This review turned out to be A LOT more personal that I expected to be and I think this is why I ended up enjoying Soft in the Middle more than Goddess of the Hunt, it felt more personal, pushed at my buttons and left me raw and emotional. But I think that both are definitely worth the read.
Actual rating: 4.5 stars
Original review posted on my blog :
Soft in the Middle owns my heart and soul and and I owe it (and Shelby by extension) SO MUCH. I read this collection at a time in my life where I was heartbroken, miserable, and had hit my lowest of lows. I picked it off my shelf on a whim because I needed something soft and the title promises that and I just wanted poetry I could see myself in and I hoped this would be it. And to be completely honest, it made me cry my eyes out, plane and simple.
This collection speaks of sapphic feels, fat girls with soft hearts and bodies, heartbreak and healing. It’s made me feel seen, and loved, and wrapped in a huge cloud of softness, so it deserves its title. It made me feel seen in my feelings, positive and negative, in my heartbreak, in my trying and failing at healing but never stopping. It also made me feel less alone in my sadness, the one that creeps up on me sometimes when I least expect it, it made me feel less abnormal for sometimes feelings so utterly broken. And for that i’m forever grateful.
Soft in the Middle left me with so many feelings. And I think that’s the point of poetry, it’s to make you feel. So really, this did its job and beautifully so. I randomly go back from time to time, open it to one of my MANY tabbed poems and reread it, because this collection is an experience all on its own, one that never gets old no matter how many times I keep going back to it. For me, this was definitely a case of right book at the right time, but I genuinely think I would’ve loved it no matter when I read it, because the ways in which I could relate to it are things I will probably carry with me throughout my whole life.
This review turned out to be A LOT more personal that I expected to be and I think this is why I ended up enjoying Soft in the Middle more than Goddess of the Hunt, it felt more personal, pushed at my buttons and left me raw and emotional. But I think that both are definitely worth the read.
July 1, 2018
this is my first 2-star in months and I’m... really sad about it? I know that everyone’s experiences and stories are different, but I just kept feeling like I had read most of the poems before
I think this has some great messages about being fat and being queer, and there are some really beautiful lines, but it just didn’t resonate with me as a whole
some poems were super short, which I personally don’t like, some poems confused me, and overall the poems were just all over the place for me
maybe I’m outgrowing “tumblr-esque� poetry or maybe I’m just not the person this author wrote this book for but ¯\_(�)_/¯
I think this has some great messages about being fat and being queer, and there are some really beautiful lines, but it just didn’t resonate with me as a whole
some poems were super short, which I personally don’t like, some poems confused me, and overall the poems were just all over the place for me
maybe I’m outgrowing “tumblr-esque� poetry or maybe I’m just not the person this author wrote this book for but ¯\_(�)_/¯
the world stacks the cons of being soft but that doesn’t stop me from reaching for the clouds while embodying them too
June 3, 2018
I'm worthy of being a witness to beauty
the stars shine for me too
This collection got me so soft. Damn.
I read it in one sitting, with a blanket around me, feeling comfortable and ready to dive into something deep and meaningful. That's exactly what I got. I don't know exactly how to describe how I felt, but I was hooked from the first page, the first line.
It's a pretty poetry collection about loving your body, your wounds, your own heart and feelings. It's about queer love, self love, all kind of loves.
Please, more?
4.5
the stars shine for me too
This collection got me so soft. Damn.
I read it in one sitting, with a blanket around me, feeling comfortable and ready to dive into something deep and meaningful. That's exactly what I got. I don't know exactly how to describe how I felt, but I was hooked from the first page, the first line.
It's a pretty poetry collection about loving your body, your wounds, your own heart and feelings. It's about queer love, self love, all kind of loves.
Please, more?
4.5
April 24, 2019
I've always loved poetry, especially poetry that has these so called "Trigger warnings" Soft in the middle, is a collection of poetry about women, love and heartbreak and the bigger woman. This is where I must mention that beautiful cover. It is gorgeous, and I suppose it is something you wouldn't expect on the cover of a book. We need to change that.
Although I enjoyed some of these poems, many of them I just couldn't relate to. This collection reminded me of Milk and Honey, by Rupi Kaur, which I loved, but this book, not so much. I'll be honest here, I love words that punch me in the gut and leave me hanging, but this was too simple for my liking. Yes, the writing is very accessible to all, but maybe it is TOO accessible, where there the words kind of sit there with naivety and with a distinct lack of the feels.
The other issue I had here was how utterly short many of these poems were. Some consisted of just a single sentence, and did not feel like poetry at all. While this can sometimes work, the words were not powerful enough to have any kind of effect on me.
On a more positive note, I love how Shelby talked about the bigger woman. We're in 2019, but still, the bigger woman is still frowned upon, whereas the more slim figured individual, isn't. Sadly, some people need to get a grip on what is important and what isn't.
Overall, this collection was a quick and light read, but not all of it satisfied me. I definitely think that Shelby has great potential, though!
Although I enjoyed some of these poems, many of them I just couldn't relate to. This collection reminded me of Milk and Honey, by Rupi Kaur, which I loved, but this book, not so much. I'll be honest here, I love words that punch me in the gut and leave me hanging, but this was too simple for my liking. Yes, the writing is very accessible to all, but maybe it is TOO accessible, where there the words kind of sit there with naivety and with a distinct lack of the feels.
The other issue I had here was how utterly short many of these poems were. Some consisted of just a single sentence, and did not feel like poetry at all. While this can sometimes work, the words were not powerful enough to have any kind of effect on me.
On a more positive note, I love how Shelby talked about the bigger woman. We're in 2019, but still, the bigger woman is still frowned upon, whereas the more slim figured individual, isn't. Sadly, some people need to get a grip on what is important and what isn't.
Overall, this collection was a quick and light read, but not all of it satisfied me. I definitely think that Shelby has great potential, though!
June 6, 2018
Full review now posted on My Blog
Trigger warnings- emotional abuse, fatphobia, internalized fatphobia.
WHOEVER made me think that love and sex were inevitable
did more damage than
whoever made me feel that being fat would stand in the way of being beautiful
did more damage than
whoever made me feel like loving myself was selfish and becoming
did more damage than
whoever made me think that as a girl I could only have feelings for boys
- Soft in the middle by Shelby Eileen
Honestly I’ve no words to describe how much this poetry collection meant to me. That verse alone describes everything.
Trigger warnings- emotional abuse, fatphobia, internalized fatphobia.
WHOEVER made me think that love and sex were inevitable
did more damage than
whoever made me feel that being fat would stand in the way of being beautiful
did more damage than
whoever made me feel like loving myself was selfish and becoming
did more damage than
whoever made me think that as a girl I could only have feelings for boys
- Soft in the middle by Shelby Eileen
Honestly I’ve no words to describe how much this poetry collection meant to me. That verse alone describes everything.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 8, 2020
2.5/5 Stars
I'm just trying to figure out how to remain soft in a world that only knows how to be hard
I was expecting more from this poetry collection and I must admit I'm a little disappointed. Not a lot resonated with me. This wasn't my first Shelby Eileen's poetry collection, but here I didn't find anything particularly nice in the writing style, for the most part it felt quite dull to me.
I'm just trying to figure out how to remain soft in a world that only knows how to be hard
I was expecting more from this poetry collection and I must admit I'm a little disappointed. Not a lot resonated with me. This wasn't my first Shelby Eileen's poetry collection, but here I didn't find anything particularly nice in the writing style, for the most part it felt quite dull to me.
March 25, 2018
This absolutely broke me. I'm.. I don't know what to do except go in and read it all over again. Maybe take notes, maybe make art. Let it wash all over me. I won't be able to say any coherent things about this (yet?) except that an incredible thing that happened was that even if I had the feeling that a poem was maybe not for me or about me, there were almost always a couple of lines that did resonate with me. Like I could see myself everywhere, even if I didn't have to? I don't know.
Available as ebook for $1 () and it's probably the best money I spent this month
Available as ebook for $1 () and it's probably the best money I spent this month
July 16, 2019
"it really doesn’t matter if I lose a few pounds
or 10 or 20 or 30
what is 30 pounds of ice off a glacier?
when my mother says, “I think you’ve lost weight�
I don’t let it feel like a compliment anymore
because no matter what I lose
I’ll never lose enough
and if I lose enough
I’ll have lost everything"
Yep.
It was at this point I sobbed.
or 10 or 20 or 30
what is 30 pounds of ice off a glacier?
when my mother says, “I think you’ve lost weight�
I don’t let it feel like a compliment anymore
because no matter what I lose
I’ll never lose enough
and if I lose enough
I’ll have lost everything"
Yep.
It was at this point I sobbed.
May 3, 2018
WHOEVER made me think that love and sex were inevitable
did more damage than
whoever made me think that being fat would always stand in the way of being beautiful
did more damage than
whoever made me think that loving myself was selfish and unbecoming
did more damage than
whoever made me think thats as a girl i could only have feelings for boys
did more damage than
whoever made me think that my gender was as simple as this. or that.
did more damage than
whoever made me think that it was more important for others to be happy with who i pretended to be rather than me being happy with who i really am
did more damage than
whoever made me think that being fat would always stand in the way of being beautiful
did more damage than
whoever made me think that loving myself was selfish and unbecoming
did more damage than
whoever made me think thats as a girl i could only have feelings for boys
did more damage than
whoever made me think that my gender was as simple as this. or that.
did more damage than
whoever made me think that it was more important for others to be happy with who i pretended to be rather than me being happy with who i really am
January 7, 2018
What a beautiful collection of poems about self-love & self-hate, emotional abuse, heartbreak, body image, and loving girls 💕
May 9, 2020
I liked some poems, but I didn't resonate with most of them or the writing.
May 9, 2020
4.3/5 stars
words are the best version of me
words love me
words build me
words wreck me
words work wonderfully when I can't find my voice
words are all we have
This is such a soft, heartfelt poetry and prose collection about soft girls, fat girls, queer girls, girls who like to play with words, who open their heart to the sky and let their feelings all pour out of their soul like rain. This is words carved out of emotions, out of thoughts and experiences. I really, really liked many of the poems in these, they were the softest things I had read, and they made me smile and tear up because Shelby Eileen managed to bring so much understanding into this collection.
Please read these pieces. They will open up doors in your mind, they will put stitches in the most tender wounds of your heart. You will feel heard. You will feel understood. You will feel capable and beautiful and powerfully soft, the sort that radiates kindness but also strength. You will feel loved, like you should �
I really, really enjoyed this, and am even more excited to pick up more collections by Eileen. Until the next review, please be safe and strong � You are all wonderful �
~Mary �
words are the best version of me
words love me
words build me
words wreck me
words work wonderfully when I can't find my voice
words are all we have
This is such a soft, heartfelt poetry and prose collection about soft girls, fat girls, queer girls, girls who like to play with words, who open their heart to the sky and let their feelings all pour out of their soul like rain. This is words carved out of emotions, out of thoughts and experiences. I really, really liked many of the poems in these, they were the softest things I had read, and they made me smile and tear up because Shelby Eileen managed to bring so much understanding into this collection.
Please read these pieces. They will open up doors in your mind, they will put stitches in the most tender wounds of your heart. You will feel heard. You will feel understood. You will feel capable and beautiful and powerfully soft, the sort that radiates kindness but also strength. You will feel loved, like you should �
I really, really enjoyed this, and am even more excited to pick up more collections by Eileen. Until the next review, please be safe and strong � You are all wonderful �
~Mary �
July 21, 2018
Bring me my scalpel,
I have no need of sutures.
My words are so sharp.
seriously, word
association does not
make free verse, does it?
nor does one sentence
feeling lonesome. white space - good
for graphic design.
but tell me more
about those paragraphs
that shit me so.
and i've heard of this
new thing called punctuation.
it's really helpful;
especially when
your poem changes from she to
I, in the (soft) middle
And confuses the Hell outta me.
also, if you shun
capitals except for "I"
and "God," i ask why?
Well, sometimes I lie.
One poem got me well enough:
two hundred and ten
That's the location.
Without titles or pages -
bloody kindle books.
I have no need of sutures.
My words are so sharp.
seriously, word
association does not
make free verse, does it?
nor does one sentence
feeling lonesome. white space - good
for graphic design.
but tell me more
about those paragraphs
that shit me so.
and i've heard of this
new thing called punctuation.
it's really helpful;
especially when
your poem changes from she to
I, in the (soft) middle
And confuses the Hell outta me.
also, if you shun
capitals except for "I"
and "God," i ask why?
Well, sometimes I lie.
One poem got me well enough:
two hundred and ten
That's the location.
Without titles or pages -
bloody kindle books.
December 31, 2019
Okay, I no longer need to write a poetry collection of my own, because if I was to write one, these would have been the exact words I would have used.
I love love loved this collection from beginning to end. My fingers got sore from highlighting every line, from thoughts on body size, to gender, to love of women, to loneliness and self rejection. It was difficult not to quote the entire thing.
Like much of the modern poetry I enjoy reading, this had a lot of free verse, interspersed occasionally by passages of prose. Given the name and the cover, I had thought this would be more about body image exclusively, but what was really cool about this collection was the way that all the parts of self were woven in together and shown to have an influence on each other.
It's a different kind of love and despair story than a lot of the ones I've read in poetry by women as well. I've been trying to put my finger on what made it read differently to me, and I think it comes down to the fact that we get more of a sad-vibe rather than a trauma-vibe.
These are the poems of a girl just living her life and sharing the thoughts and feelings that she's put into words.
I love love loved this collection from beginning to end. My fingers got sore from highlighting every line, from thoughts on body size, to gender, to love of women, to loneliness and self rejection. It was difficult not to quote the entire thing.
Like much of the modern poetry I enjoy reading, this had a lot of free verse, interspersed occasionally by passages of prose. Given the name and the cover, I had thought this would be more about body image exclusively, but what was really cool about this collection was the way that all the parts of self were woven in together and shown to have an influence on each other.
It's a different kind of love and despair story than a lot of the ones I've read in poetry by women as well. I've been trying to put my finger on what made it read differently to me, and I think it comes down to the fact that we get more of a sad-vibe rather than a trauma-vibe.
These are the poems of a girl just living her life and sharing the thoughts and feelings that she's put into words.
Read
June 6, 2018No rating.
I couldn't connect and I didn't care. While I appreciate this poetry collection for talking about all of those important things, I didn't feel anything.
Poetry might not be my thing or I'm not in a mood to read poetry. I might revisit this collection later.
I couldn't connect and I didn't care. While I appreciate this poetry collection for talking about all of those important things, I didn't feel anything.
Poetry might not be my thing or I'm not in a mood to read poetry. I might revisit this collection later.
October 23, 2019
Sometimes you put a book down and then years later you come back to it at just the right time. magic.
June 23, 2018
2.5
I think that this collection, for the most part wasn't for me; I can't really relate to the romantic & sexual relationships discussed in this collection, as I haven't really ever had these experiences, or desired to have them. I think this collection could be really good for others, but just not for me.
I did like some of the poems relating to identity and mental health though.
I think that this collection, for the most part wasn't for me; I can't really relate to the romantic & sexual relationships discussed in this collection, as I haven't really ever had these experiences, or desired to have them. I think this collection could be really good for others, but just not for me.
I did like some of the poems relating to identity and mental health though.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 28, 2019
TW: Negative body image, sex, emotional abuse, blood
Such a brilliant hidden gem of a poetry collection!
Deals with themes of; love, relationships, LGBTQ+, body image, heartbreak.
#ownvoices (ace and fat rep)
"You don't stare too long into a window when there's only darkness there."
"I have all but become my words
even the ones I don't speak
even the ones that aren't true
that's what happens when you think too much."
"Someone else forgot that words are sharp
and they cut
and it stings."
Such a brilliant hidden gem of a poetry collection!
Deals with themes of; love, relationships, LGBTQ+, body image, heartbreak.
#ownvoices (ace and fat rep)
"You don't stare too long into a window when there's only darkness there."
"I have all but become my words
even the ones I don't speak
even the ones that aren't true
that's what happens when you think too much."
"Someone else forgot that words are sharp
and they cut
and it stings."
August 1, 2021
This book! You ever have one of those moments where everything is a bit overwhelming and exhausting and then you see something you never knew you needed but it was right at that moment? That's this book! I highlighted so many passages in this book, this has become one of my favorites overnight. Omg, I can't wait to read more of Shelby Eileen's work, it's magnificent.
June 16, 2020
It's safe to say I loved this. Some of these poems were so incredibly relatable!
I picked it up intending to read a few poems but I ended up reading everything in one sitting. I marked my favourite phrases as well, which I don't usually do but seemed like a nice way to personalize my copy.
I picked it up intending to read a few poems but I ended up reading everything in one sitting. I marked my favourite phrases as well, which I don't usually do but seemed like a nice way to personalize my copy.
June 4, 2018
reading this poetry collection and seeing so many integral parts of my identity put into gorgeous poems was an emotional experience, and i can’t thank shelby enough for her sheer honesty within this collection. it truly contained some of the most soothing poems i’ve read, from those addressing self-love, to those that talked about asexuality, and i can’t wait to read more of their work. i have no doubt that shelby will only continue to amaze and soothe many people as time goes by.
*4.5 out of 5 stars*
*4.5 out of 5 stars*
December 29, 2017
This is the first collection of poetry that I've ever been able to relate to. Shelby has such a way with words and is able to bring them together beautifully.
April 1, 2018
This little book of poetry was a blossom, round and soft and sweet in my hands. I bought it on my Kindle, but I may need to order a paperback just so I can put it on my shelves and thumb through it from time to time.
Soft in the Middle is a story of love in all its forms. Self love, platonic love, romantic love, etc. The funny thing about love is that we can read about it over and over and never tire of hearing about it. I think this is because we all experience love in different ways. Anyway, Shelby did a wonderful job of illustrating her unique brand of love. Her words are delicate, sweet, and brave. Many of the poems resonated deeply with me. Beyond love, Shelby also discussed her experiences with heartbreak, longing, emotional abuse, body image, and sexuality. Her voice was achingly honest, which is part of what makes them so impactful.
I would highly recommend this book of poetry for anyone who liked The Witch Doesn't Burn in This One or The Chaos of Longing.
Soft in the Middle is a story of love in all its forms. Self love, platonic love, romantic love, etc. The funny thing about love is that we can read about it over and over and never tire of hearing about it. I think this is because we all experience love in different ways. Anyway, Shelby did a wonderful job of illustrating her unique brand of love. Her words are delicate, sweet, and brave. Many of the poems resonated deeply with me. Beyond love, Shelby also discussed her experiences with heartbreak, longing, emotional abuse, body image, and sexuality. Her voice was achingly honest, which is part of what makes them so impactful.
I would highly recommend this book of poetry for anyone who liked The Witch Doesn't Burn in This One or The Chaos of Longing.
August 17, 2020
I rated this book 4 stars mainly because of the 3 different ways I was able to relate to this book and the author. My body, my asexuality, and my relationship with a woman that was always difficult to explain. Although after reading this book I feel like empowered and like I have a better view of what our relationship was. I had 15 favorite poems.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 8, 2020
4.5 stars. I really enjoyed this poetry collection. There was a lot on love: missed and lost, but also the internal struggle around self-love. One big emotion that I held onto through this was the melancholy (the yearning), and definitely found myself relating to it.
July 2, 2018
Actual rating: 3.5 stars. I liked the collection, especially when it had universe references, but it did not impress me as much as I thought it would.
April 11, 2018
This poetry collection really speaks to my heart. I cried so many times, I felt like I could relate to almost every single poem. I’m still not really sure how to review poems, but these were so incredible and amazing.
August 9, 2018
I really enjoyed this collection of poems. She wrote about sex too in a manner that was tasteful, not overly flowery. Which I really appreciated as a sex repulsed asexual. I really enjoyed it all and I think I will re-read it eventually! And keep an eye on Shelby's upcoming books!
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