BOOK REVIEW: The Surrender Theory by Caitlin Conlon

THE SURRENDER THEORY is a stunning debut and beautiful exploration of grief, of love, of loss, of growth and of everything in between. Caitlin Conlon is a true gift.

This collection is intimate and vulnerable, blending poignant pop culture references and personal anecdotes to peel back the layers of growing in- and alongside loss and seeking kindness and softness in the face of seemingly-insurmountable grief. It weaves between familial love, self-love, and romantic love, blurs the lines between past and present, and reminisces on the changes we go through in that strange and confusing transition between adolescence and adulthood.

This book is largely self-biographical, reading almost like a memoir in parts, but its major take-aways apply broadly, echoing loudly for anyone who has ever fought to protect their softness, their hopefulness in the face of a hollowing hurt.

I’m just…in awe. I devoured this in one sitting and I already want to take a second pass with a pencil in hand to really dig between the lines. There’s so much here. Maybe I’m biased, but this is definitely a must-read for poetry fans.

TW for discussions and depictions of death and grief and hospital imagery.

★★★★★