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Please Don't Go Before I Get Better
Discover this exquisite poetry and prose collection about the pains of growing up from the popular millennial Instagram poet, perfect for fans of Amanda Lovelace and Rupi Kaur.
Following her breakout debut Eighteen Years , poet Madisen Kuhn is thrilled to share this intimate portrait of a young woman navigating early adulthood and leaving her teenage years behind.
Chronicling the complexities, joys, and challenges of this transitional phase of life, Please Don’t Go Before I Get Better is a powerful, deeply affecting work that pierces your heart with its refreshing candor and vulnerability. A poignant exploration of self-image, self-discovery, and self-reflection, this anthology brilliantly captures the universal experience of growing up, and you are bound to find yourself reflected in these glimmering pages.
Following her breakout debut Eighteen Years , poet Madisen Kuhn is thrilled to share this intimate portrait of a young woman navigating early adulthood and leaving her teenage years behind.
Chronicling the complexities, joys, and challenges of this transitional phase of life, Please Don’t Go Before I Get Better is a powerful, deeply affecting work that pierces your heart with its refreshing candor and vulnerability. A poignant exploration of self-image, self-discovery, and self-reflection, this anthology brilliantly captures the universal experience of growing up, and you are bound to find yourself reflected in these glimmering pages.
208 pages, Paperback
Published May 1, 2018
209 people are currently reading
6837 people want to read
About the author
Madisen Kuhn
5 books773 followersMadisen Kuhn is a poet from Charlottesville, Virginia. She likes to explore topics of identity, belonging, sexuality, and mental illness in her work.
At 19, Madisen self-published her first poetry collection, Eighteen Years, after gaining a following on Tumblr and Instagram. She went on to publish Please Don't Go Before I Get Better in 2018 with Gallery Books. Her third book, Almost Home, was a semi-finalist in the Goodreads Choice Awards — Best Poetry Books of 2019.
Her fourth collection of poetry, Bad At Existing, explores the complexities of identity, self-expression, longing, and hope—capturing the duality of wanting to be seen by the world while wanting to hide from it. It is set to be released on October 4, 2022.
At 19, Madisen self-published her first poetry collection, Eighteen Years, after gaining a following on Tumblr and Instagram. She went on to publish Please Don't Go Before I Get Better in 2018 with Gallery Books. Her third book, Almost Home, was a semi-finalist in the Goodreads Choice Awards — Best Poetry Books of 2019.
Her fourth collection of poetry, Bad At Existing, explores the complexities of identity, self-expression, longing, and hope—capturing the duality of wanting to be seen by the world while wanting to hide from it. It is set to be released on October 4, 2022.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 503 reviews
July 10, 2023
Was it quick? Yes
Was it good? It was quick
Was it good? It was quick
April 30, 2018
**I received a free copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**
The expected publication date for Please Don't Go Before I Get Better by Madisen Kuhn is May 1, 2018
2.5 stars
I was really looking forward to reading this, and I was really excited when I got accepted on Netgalley to read this [even though it was only a day before the release date I saw I had gotten accepted, but that's beside the point]. Now, I wouldn't say I was let down, however, I was disappointed in this, nonetheless, and it did not meet the expectations I had set for it or that it had blatantly set for itself.
I didn't get much Amanda Lovelace or Rupi Kaur out of this, as the synopsis says this was perfect for fans of. I got a lot more Instagram poet-esque. Not to mention, about 3/4 of the poems read more like journal entries than actual poems.
This didn't really speak to me as I really was hoping it would and really wanted it to. [How many times can I use the word 'really' in a single sentence - A GAME!] There were a few that stood out to me, but there weren't any that spoke to me.
Even though I enjoy poetry a lot, this really wasn't for me. There is definitely an audience for this, but I was, unfortunately, not apart of that audience. Honestly, I thought [and hoped] that I would be apart of the audience that rated this five-stars and added it to their 'favorites' shelf, but, nope.
I thought the formatting of this was nice, and I liked the little illustrations on some of the pages that coordinate with a poem. They were simple, and, as much as I hate this word, very Tumblr aesthetic-y [ew]
Kuhn being so young, I can tell that she has an immense amount of potential to be up there with poets like Amanda Lovelace and Rupi Kaur, but, for right now, she is not up there with me.
I would like to, at some point, get Kuhn's first poetry collection titled eighteen years as, from the poems I have read from it, seems a lot more up my alley than Please Don't Go Before I Get Better ended up being.
The expected publication date for Please Don't Go Before I Get Better by Madisen Kuhn is May 1, 2018
2.5 stars
I was really looking forward to reading this, and I was really excited when I got accepted on Netgalley to read this [even though it was only a day before the release date I saw I had gotten accepted, but that's beside the point]. Now, I wouldn't say I was let down, however, I was disappointed in this, nonetheless, and it did not meet the expectations I had set for it or that it had blatantly set for itself.
I didn't get much Amanda Lovelace or Rupi Kaur out of this, as the synopsis says this was perfect for fans of. I got a lot more Instagram poet-esque. Not to mention, about 3/4 of the poems read more like journal entries than actual poems.
This didn't really speak to me as I really was hoping it would and really wanted it to. [How many times can I use the word 'really' in a single sentence - A GAME!] There were a few that stood out to me, but there weren't any that spoke to me.
Even though I enjoy poetry a lot, this really wasn't for me. There is definitely an audience for this, but I was, unfortunately, not apart of that audience. Honestly, I thought [and hoped] that I would be apart of the audience that rated this five-stars and added it to their 'favorites' shelf, but, nope.
I thought the formatting of this was nice, and I liked the little illustrations on some of the pages that coordinate with a poem. They were simple, and, as much as I hate this word, very Tumblr aesthetic-y [ew]
Kuhn being so young, I can tell that she has an immense amount of potential to be up there with poets like Amanda Lovelace and Rupi Kaur, but, for right now, she is not up there with me.
I would like to, at some point, get Kuhn's first poetry collection titled eighteen years as, from the poems I have read from it, seems a lot more up my alley than Please Don't Go Before I Get Better ended up being.
January 24, 2019
by far one of my favorite collections of poetry to date.
July 28, 2019
So we calling THIS poetry now, huh? Yikes.
Fake deep, if I've ever seen it.
Fake deep, if I've ever seen it.
May 1, 2018
"the possibility of it all
of connection
of becoming
of leaving a speck
in the eye of a world
that didn't see me,
not yet
i could be anything."
"how lovely it is,
to fall asleep
knowing that you lived today"
"'you are home,
you are home,
you are home.'
these bones, this heart; i am my own home.
i could sail across the ocean, or get stuck in the middle of it, but i'll never be lost.
i am home."
this was beautiful. i cried a bunch of times because words make me weak. madisen truly has a talent for writing, and the audiobook with her reading made the experience that much more special. the way she writes about love is so personal, and yet it is easy to connect with her poems. after following her through social media for several years, her openness on the internet allows for such a deeper level of understanding when reading her books. absolutely loved this.
of connection
of becoming
of leaving a speck
in the eye of a world
that didn't see me,
not yet
i could be anything."
"how lovely it is,
to fall asleep
knowing that you lived today"
"'you are home,
you are home,
you are home.'
these bones, this heart; i am my own home.
i could sail across the ocean, or get stuck in the middle of it, but i'll never be lost.
i am home."
this was beautiful. i cried a bunch of times because words make me weak. madisen truly has a talent for writing, and the audiobook with her reading made the experience that much more special. the way she writes about love is so personal, and yet it is easy to connect with her poems. after following her through social media for several years, her openness on the internet allows for such a deeper level of understanding when reading her books. absolutely loved this.
June 30, 2022
Borrowed this from the library, read it in one sitting, and definitely going to buy it for my all time favorites shelf. I cried several times throughout this reading experience. I have never felt more seen by a poetry collection, and it's hard for me to any of my thoughts into words. Just...to the author of this poetry collection, thank you 🥲🖤
February 25, 2021
pense que iba a ser mi favorito, porque el titulo es justamente lo que estoy sintiendo ahora pero fue terrible
June 11, 2018
*I received a Netgalley arc of this book*
I thought the collection was well written(even if the poems were more like journal entries). However, I feel like Please Don't Go Before I Get Better definitely has a target audience that I am not apart of. I could easily see how it would be easy for lots of people to love. The style is very "aesthetic-y" and "tumblr-y". I gave it a 3/5 stars because although it wasn't my cup of tea, I was able to appreciate it.
I thought the collection was well written(even if the poems were more like journal entries). However, I feel like Please Don't Go Before I Get Better definitely has a target audience that I am not apart of. I could easily see how it would be easy for lots of people to love. The style is very "aesthetic-y" and "tumblr-y". I gave it a 3/5 stars because although it wasn't my cup of tea, I was able to appreciate it.
April 7, 2022
“it's easy to look back and romanticize the bits of time when you were first getting to know someone. both of you were looking at each other the same way you have to look at the sun when it's in the middle of the sky; squinting because it's so bright.”
Beautiful collection by Madisen Kuhn. It took me a minute to get into it and fully appreciate the style, but it usually does when it comes to me reading poetry, and once I did it was a great experience all around. The poems after the 50% mark were my favourite, so definitely suggest you stick it out if you start reading this and don't fully connect with the first few poems.
Will be looking for more work by Madisen in the future!
Beautiful collection by Madisen Kuhn. It took me a minute to get into it and fully appreciate the style, but it usually does when it comes to me reading poetry, and once I did it was a great experience all around. The poems after the 50% mark were my favourite, so definitely suggest you stick it out if you start reading this and don't fully connect with the first few poems.
Will be looking for more work by Madisen in the future!
April 27, 2018
When I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway, I was really excited. It sounded so good but upon reading it, I was disappointed. There was nothing truly memorable about this book. It read like a journal of a teenager and it was not relate-able, at least to me.
May 23, 2020
I promise you, that you will find something you can relate to here.
p.s.
i am overwhelmingly in love and it is the most peaceful yet exhilarating feeling in the entire world. i feel like rain, a tornado, and the sun peeking out from behind the clouds after a violent storm, all at the same time. i am a mess of contentment and wonder. he is all i've ever wanted.
p.s.
i am overwhelmingly in love and it is the most peaceful yet exhilarating feeling in the entire world. i feel like rain, a tornado, and the sun peeking out from behind the clouds after a violent storm, all at the same time. i am a mess of contentment and wonder. he is all i've ever wanted.
April 8, 2018
Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book!
*1.5*
"...we can't choose a lot of thing, but we can choose to be good people..."
Please Don't Go Before I Get Better is an honest, raw perspective of the life of a young person. But it is also a wrong advertised book, because this is not poetry.
Starting with the poems, I believe that in this whole book, that has around 120 'poems', only two are worth the read, these being sunday, april 23rs and people over places . Both of these have heart, meaning that they, in their core, are more than just words put in a sentence. I loved those two thanks to the fact that I was able to se myself in both of them. Both were beautifully written and made an impact on me.
Something I really need to emphasize is that I really appreciated the talk about loneliness in the book, because the author doesn't see it as a negative thing, but as an opportunity to discover yourself through it and how it is important in one's life. The topic made me think about a lot of stuff and it sparked a lot of interest in me. Also, there was a thing Madisen referred as 'addicted to hurting' and that was a point of view I hadn't see before and enjoyed greatly. And that's pretty much all the positive things I have to say about this book.
First off, like I said at the beginning, this book is not poetry. At least not for me. A huge amount of the collection, about a 80 %, is more like a journal. The poems feel more like reflections or entries of a diary. That specially made my reading experience dwindle, because it wasn't what I was expecting. At all. And, as if it wasn't enough, all of them were boring. Big time boring.
Another thing that bothered me was that the names the poems had had nothing to do with the content. For real. This might seem like an insignificant detail, but it was a little bit frustrating to see no direct connection between the title and the poem itself .
I know the synopsis said that this was 'Instagram poetry', which I didn't know was a thing, but this wasn't what I expected. I definitely see why people could enjoy this collection and why it is so appealing to young people, specifically those that are familiar with Tumblr and other similar social media platforms, but this is not my cup of tea. I liked Madisen's journey through self discovery and appreciated the way she talked about some stuff, but I can't say I liked this. Maybe this is just not for me.
*1.5*
"...we can't choose a lot of thing, but we can choose to be good people..."
Please Don't Go Before I Get Better is an honest, raw perspective of the life of a young person. But it is also a wrong advertised book, because this is not poetry.
Starting with the poems, I believe that in this whole book, that has around 120 'poems', only two are worth the read, these being sunday, april 23rs and people over places . Both of these have heart, meaning that they, in their core, are more than just words put in a sentence. I loved those two thanks to the fact that I was able to se myself in both of them. Both were beautifully written and made an impact on me.
Something I really need to emphasize is that I really appreciated the talk about loneliness in the book, because the author doesn't see it as a negative thing, but as an opportunity to discover yourself through it and how it is important in one's life. The topic made me think about a lot of stuff and it sparked a lot of interest in me. Also, there was a thing Madisen referred as 'addicted to hurting' and that was a point of view I hadn't see before and enjoyed greatly. And that's pretty much all the positive things I have to say about this book.
First off, like I said at the beginning, this book is not poetry. At least not for me. A huge amount of the collection, about a 80 %, is more like a journal. The poems feel more like reflections or entries of a diary. That specially made my reading experience dwindle, because it wasn't what I was expecting. At all. And, as if it wasn't enough, all of them were boring. Big time boring.
Another thing that bothered me was that the names the poems had had nothing to do with the content. For real. This might seem like an insignificant detail, but it was a little bit frustrating to see no direct connection between the title and the poem itself .
I know the synopsis said that this was 'Instagram poetry', which I didn't know was a thing, but this wasn't what I expected. I definitely see why people could enjoy this collection and why it is so appealing to young people, specifically those that are familiar with Tumblr and other similar social media platforms, but this is not my cup of tea. I liked Madisen's journey through self discovery and appreciated the way she talked about some stuff, but I can't say I liked this. Maybe this is just not for me.
August 5, 2018
2.5 out of 5 stars
While having an absolutely stunning cover, the poems in this book feel more like tumblr "poems" that should actually be called journal entries. While I applaud the author for talking about her mental struggles and her journey to get help- her age shown through in the lack of years lived and just the general "i need someone to love me to be whole/without someone loving me as much as i love him i am not worthy" (literally how most of it was written too). Just not really for me as much as I hoped
While having an absolutely stunning cover, the poems in this book feel more like tumblr "poems" that should actually be called journal entries. While I applaud the author for talking about her mental struggles and her journey to get help- her age shown through in the lack of years lived and just the general "i need someone to love me to be whole/without someone loving me as much as i love him i am not worthy" (literally how most of it was written too). Just not really for me as much as I hoped
April 30, 2019
another amazing collection by madisen. i can’t believe it took me so long to pick it up! so glad i finally did.
March 2, 2021
I can see this has an audience, but that audience ain't me.
Saw the pretty cover and few tumblerish illustrations and I had to pick it up. The beginning was promising, but after like 20 % of the book it was disappointing and boring, the maturity of the author is too fresh for this old soul. From one-hundred and something 'poems' only two were decent to me, the rest felt like little scrambles taken out randomly from the author's journal.
Also, the description says something about this being similar to Rupi, I'm not a big fan of Rupi myself, but this was nothing like her.
Instagram poems indeed.
Saw the pretty cover and few tumblerish illustrations and I had to pick it up. The beginning was promising, but after like 20 % of the book it was disappointing and boring, the maturity of the author is too fresh for this old soul. From one-hundred and something 'poems' only two were decent to me, the rest felt like little scrambles taken out randomly from the author's journal.
Also, the description says something about this being similar to Rupi, I'm not a big fan of Rupi myself, but this was nothing like her.
Instagram poems indeed.
August 29, 2018
I can’t put into words how much I loved this; you manage to encapsulate all my feelings especially my anxious thoughts into your poems. It’s nice to know that someone gets it.
September 13, 2020
not me taking a million years to finish this......what is it like to not be plagued with adhd
October 3, 2021
I have read books by Rupi Kaur and Hana Malik where I took pictures of my favorite poems on my phone before having to return them to the library. I never knew what I would do with those pictures, although I did start a Pinterest board with some of my favorites. Well, I thought I took too many pictures then, but you should see the pages of my copy of Please Don't Go Before I Get Better. I haven't taken any pictures because I own the book, but nearly every page is dog-eared on the bottom for my favorites, and many on the top as well, when the bottom was already folded from the previous page.
Yes, that is the extent to which Madisen Kuhn spoke to me through her poetry. Although I didn't have the experiences to match many of Kuhn's, I could relate to almost every poem. Some, I saw myself in, and others, I saw my previous boyfriend in, even though our situations were entirely different. He died of a brain tumor two years ago, and I was left as a survivor of mine. He was fourteen. The poems in Please Don't Go Before I Get Better somehow remind me of this, even though Kuhn's situation is about finding herself and gaining the courage to leave her boyfriend.
Disclaimer:
Yes, that is the extent to which Madisen Kuhn spoke to me through her poetry. Although I didn't have the experiences to match many of Kuhn's, I could relate to almost every poem. Some, I saw myself in, and others, I saw my previous boyfriend in, even though our situations were entirely different. He died of a brain tumor two years ago, and I was left as a survivor of mine. He was fourteen. The poems in Please Don't Go Before I Get Better somehow remind me of this, even though Kuhn's situation is about finding herself and gaining the courage to leave her boyfriend.
Disclaimer:
September 27, 2022
This is the best poetry book I've ever read, so far.
There, I said it.
I'm so glad I came across this book at the most suitable time possible. It was relatable and soothing. I needed this. I tabbed a lot and yes, this is my most tabbed poetry book, also. And I can't even pick a favorite line out of the tabbed ones to include in this review. Definitely gonna try more of her work.
There, I said it.
I'm so glad I came across this book at the most suitable time possible. It was relatable and soothing. I needed this. I tabbed a lot and yes, this is my most tabbed poetry book, also. And I can't even pick a favorite line out of the tabbed ones to include in this review. Definitely gonna try more of her work.
May 1, 2019
I really loved this book for the fact that once again just like every other book I like to read, I could relate to a lot of the book. I don't know what it is with me and poetry but I like to read some that I relate to and it inspires me.
December 29, 2018
I took a class in college that made me hate poetry. This book made me love it again.
November 21, 2020
giving miss milk & honey a run for her money with the fake deep tumblr poetry!
August 16, 2021
I have a bit of mixed reviews with this one. There are some good poems and then there is some where you kinda feel like its a journal entry?
July 6, 2018
This is the first poetry book I truly loved. It was so raw, relatable and at some points so unbearably real. I really hope Madisen Kuhn writes another book soon. It will be a definite purchase.
October 18, 2019
Real rating: 2.5
January 11, 2020
Poetry is just not my thing though were definitely some pieces regarding mental health that I identified with.
June 22, 2022
tumblr poetry in the worst way possible
February 28, 2019
I purchased this book at B&N around Christmastime with a gift card I had gotten. The author has potential, but you can tell it is written by an 18 year old. I don’t think it was terrible, I just didn’t “feel” the emotion. To me, it was more of a journal than a poetry book. I think a lot of younger girls (under 25) might enjoy it.
November 24, 2023
Poemario que gira en torno a una ruptura amorosa y el proceso de sanación.
Hay muchas cosas con las que me he sentido identificada, no necesariamente por una antigua relación de pareja.
Por momentos se me ha hecho denso. Quizá tenga algo que ver con mi bloqueo lector...
Me gustan mucho las ilustraciones.
Hay muchas cosas con las que me he sentido identificada, no necesariamente por una antigua relación de pareja.
Por momentos se me ha hecho denso. Quizá tenga algo que ver con mi bloqueo lector...
Me gustan mucho las ilustraciones.
May 15, 2018
Worth the read, but not overwhelmingly moved by it. There were a few poems and writings that I did really enjoy. Impressive to put yourself out here like this!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 503 reviews