In the Darkness of Shards – Poems from a Broken Place by Catherine Anne Castillo


In the Darkness of Shards – Poems from a Broken Place by Catherine Anne Castillo
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Non-Fiction, Contemporary
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

In the Darkness of Shards is a raw, unflinching collection of poetry that explores trauma, love, and the journey of self-reclamation. With piercing honesty, Catherine Castillo reflects on a relationship where love and pain intertwined, exposing the toxic cycles and emotional chaos that shaped it. Through vivid, evocative verses, she invites readers to examine their own relationships, confront their own hidden wounds and begin their own healing journey.

More than just poetry, this book offers a lifeline for anyone navigating toxic relationships, loss, and transformation. Each verse provides a mirror to the heart and a guide to reclaiming strength through vulnerability. In the Darkness of Shards is a testament to resilience, showing that even in the darkest moments, self-understanding and empowerment are within reach.

Not everything that starts out well ends on the same note.

Anyone can fall into an abusive relationship, especially considering how charming someone with abusive tendencies can be as they’re making a first impression or trying to woo their victim back. I appreciated the author’s use of poetry to give examples of red flags to look out for in the beginning, middle, and end of this sort of relationship. Some of them can be quite subtle the first time they appear, but the little hints that something is terribly wrong will only grow worse over time.

This collection also did a great job of showing how deeply traumatizing abuse can be. As the narrator descended even further into their relationship, they began doubting everything from their own memory to their ability to do simple things that they’d previously done easily and without assistance. Keep an eye on these moments as they linked all of the poems together beautifully as well as continued to build on the author’s messages about surviving such experiences.

Obviously, this is a sober, dark topic, but I enjoyed the moments of hope that shone through even the worst chapters of the narrator’s life. There is always the possibility of life suddenly improving for the better even if one doesn’t currently know how or when that might happen. Many different types of people need this message, of course, but folks who are either currently being abused or are recovering from such an experience need an even larger helping of it than someone who isn’t struggling with this sort of adversity. If it’s possible to hope for a better day, taking small steps to disengage from a toxic relationship and rebuild one’s life becomes so much easier. For that reason, I’m glad those passages were included and allowed to flourish.

In the Darkness of Shards – Poems from a Broken Place was thought provoking and encouraging.

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