The Book Hook Online site founder, reviews Lyra Wilder’s debut novel In Verse after purchasing this on Amazon and reading it in September 2025.
A real gem by a new self-published author that is deserving of an award!
I normally read crime novels and maybe the occasional biography so, this book was a departure from my norm. To say I am impressed by it would be an understatement. Lyra reveals her stresses & hopes through poetry, much of it written as 16- to 19-year-old during the COVID years (2020 to 2022), which for her were extended as she has a mother with terminal cancer. As a top-grade student, she expresses being burdened by the expectation of others, which on some level I can relate to. Lyra expresses struggling with migraines and her own insecurities, but she finds peace in her faith. Her hope is for a peaceful life full of family and joy.
This book is deeply personal to Lyra, and it advocates a way of life that may not be in tune with today’s modern society. As I read, I found myself thinking that we all sometimes need to go back to the basics.
Apart from it being an insight into how Lyra thinks, I found this book to be innovative. I have never read a memoir told through poetry before and I don’t recall ever having seen one before. Sometimes Lyra spaces the words and letters out across the page in an unconventional fashion which serves to emphasise the emotions that she is trying to convey.
It is brilliantly executed piece of literature and if I could nominate it for some prize or other I would. It’s personal, it’s innovative and uniquely compelling.
