Angst! Teen Verses from the Edge edited by Karen Tom and Kiki
Workman Publishing, New York, 2001
ISBN: 0-7611-2383-0

Plot Summary:
This is a compiled book of poetry written by teen aged girls. The poems were submitted to the website PlanetKiki.com, a website devoted to girl empowerment. The poems are divided into chapters entitled "Society's Ills," "Argh! I Hate You!," "Love and Deep Thoughts," "Crushed," "Why Me?!," and the instructional "Poetry 101" where the authors give tips and encouragement for writing poetry, as well as some definitions of literary devices and techniques.

Critical Evaluation:
As much as the poetry made me groan, it would have been right up my alley as a teenager. In fact, it was probably so difficult to read, because it sounded just like some of the terrible poetry I use to write, which I thought was brilliant at the time. "All by Myself" by Apes could have been written by me when I was 14. Here's the first stanza:
"My friend is gone, she says I'm not what she needs
I am confused and lost, like one floating leaf
Why must I change the person I am inside?
I am a body, in which a lost soul sadly presides..."

The poems are mostly melodramatic, sad, or angry--talking about bad days, fights with friends, and break-ups. In "Erase" by Ashley Burkett for example "I wasted precious moments/spending them with you/You told me so many lies/and nothing you said was true." Or "My Worst Enemy" by Lauren Danek: "I have the urge to hit you/to throw you down the stairs/to punch your teeth down your throat/and pull our all your hairs."

There are a few clever poems that made me smile though, like "Chem 101" by Jessika Dragon, where the speaker tries to get the attention of her chemistry lab partner who only has eyes for his work: "And when he states the formula for density/I want him with a passionate intensity/I've never met a boy who is as smart/but he's got at TI-90 for a heart."

The Poetry 101 chapter at the end is a nice feature that I think teen poets will appreciate and get a lot of use out of.

Reader’s Annotation:
Feeling sad, hurt, angry or in love? You're not alone--check out how teen girls put their feelings down on paper, and how you can as well.

Information about the Author:
The editors are the founders of the website PlanetKiki.com. The poets are teen aged girls from around the United States, Canada, and even one poet from England. Each contributor has a little blurb at the end of the book.

Genre: poetry

Curriculum Ties:
I would have used this book for my eighth grade creative writing elective that I taught. I think the Poetry 101 chapter at the end has some good ideas on how to get started.

Booktalking Ideas:
I would choose a two or three representative poems from the collection to read to pique the audience's interest, such as "Rumors" by Erica Sutherland, "Friend or Foe" by Danielle Marie Vacca, or "Who are you?" by Tatiana "Sunshine" Farrow. Then talk about the Poetry 101 chapter at the end for those interested in writing their own poems.

Reading Level/Interest Age:
This book would be good for teen girls ages 13 and up.

Challenge Issues:
There are some tough topics that these poets take on, such as suicide and drunk driving that might unsettle some people. I would explain the library's selection policy and give the challenger a complaint form to fill out.

Why I chose this book:
This book was featured in one of the Genre Presentations for this class, I believe it was the non-fiction one, and I was excited to read some teen poetry. I think it would be a great resource for some teens I've seen in the library.