C.J. Henry’s THE COLOR BOOK CADENCE is a short spoken-word poetry collection that's deeply rooted in her spirituality and perseverance. The very first poem, “Affirmative,” sets the tone for the entire collection with themes of resilience and quirky pop-culture references to Stephen King and Stranger Things. “The Valley" escalates by focusing on pain and afflictions in the first few lines before moving on to the author's struggles and finding strength. The shortest poem of the bunch, “Spring Season” is a slight but tender deviation from the core theme of the book—reflecting on the simple joy of sitting down and watching the seasons change.

Throughout THE COLOR BOOK CADENCE, Henry makes some unorthodox stylistic choices. Between each poem, she uses quotes from famous personalities and anonymous people to emphasize the impact. Though it fits thematically, some of these quotes cannot be verified. An example of this is the Mary J. Blige quote before the poem “Chosen Soldiers.” Also, some of the poems have random pop-culture references that don't fit the broader theme. For example, in the following words from her poem “On Purpose,” the author fails to compellingly align a pop culture reference to the X-Men universe: “Change is unique, / Being different is okay. / I’d rather be mystique / Than Xavier Charles, anyway.”

The collection adopts the spoken-word rhythm, but the language used is generic and lacks the textural and sensorial specificity of lived experience. In the second poem of her collection, Henry writes about her resilience in the face of adversity: “I had to gather me […] / Astonishingly, I became a masterpiece.” Relying on broad language and performative declarations prevents the work from anchoring the emotional urgency (a core characteristic of spoken-word poetry).

Craft is best shown through restraint and brevity. This collection lacks both, which is evident through the “crab in the barrel analogy” in “A Dream Deserved.” THE COLOR BOOK CADENCE does not manifest structural or emotional momentum. Every piece proclaims similar themes of self-worth, resolve, and spirituality without showing any narrative progression. Despite its spoken-word cadence, the poems lack the metaphorical richness typically associated with the form. Along with a handful of grammatical and punctuation mistakes in the manuscript, the book comes across as rushed and unpolished to the avid reader.

With God at the center of THE COLOR BOOK CADENCE: Volume 1, C.J. Henry gives us an earnest glimpse into spirituality, resilience, and the influence the people in her life had on her. With its rap-influenced cadence and unorthodox stylistic choices, this book can appeal to only genre-specific readers.

~ Maria Zafar for IndieReader