Book Review | Out of the Ruins

Title: Out of the Ruins
Author: Tina Tran

The Blurb

An achingly raw narrative about what it is like to feel the full spectrum of human emotions. Out of the Ruins is an honest attempt at breaking down the museum inside ourselves that we dedicate to old lovers. It is a rebirth, a healing process, a reclamation of self. It teaches us about the catharsis that comes with finally letting go.

So, the blurb.. I used to be a sucker for poetry about the love for your other half or whatever you call it. But this time, I am more into empowering self-love. I thought I would not be able to connect with this book as much as I used to with Lang Leav’s poems but I was proven wrong. I love the transition of this! I love that it gave me that Clean vibe of Taylor Swift’s song:

The drought was the very worst
When the flowers that we’d grown together died of thirst
Rain came pouring down when I was drowning
That’s when I could finally breathe

The Style

It is divided into three chapters and I love the character development in each!

I. Momentum – it tells the story of how to love in high intensity and how these emotions can cause explosion. It is too extreme.

I fell for you the way a train
wrecks itself,
the way a wave crashes into the shore.
It looks like fear
and it feels like recklessness.

But, we still jump into it, right? Ugh. Words.

I think of you when the seasons change
because you did too

Reminds me of lines from the song, Spring Day: Was it me who’s changed or was it you?

II. Loss – it is about losing yourself to someone and how you lose that someone, too.

I wanted to be your everything
more than I wanted to be my own
and that is why
I had to leave

Please remember that losing yourself is never an option. Love is about finding yourself in it and not the other way around.

We feel too hard and broke.

6 words. Just 6 words but I felt an earthquake shook my heart. This is strong.

Footsteps echo on the pavement
I try to remember
what it was like
when you were walking towards me
instead of walking away

III. Healing – it is that phase when you are starting to realize your worth and you want nothing but to better yourself. I think that is what the most important thing after our heart breaks – every time, in all kinds of reasons.

Later that night,
I sat on the bathroom floor
and carved into my skin
all the words the angel
has ever told me.
Be soft.
Do not raise your voice.
Cross your legs.
Smile.
Smile.
I once had an angel
who watched over my shoulder
and told me how to act like a lady
so I grabbed a .22
and shot it dead.
I had to kill my angel
before it killed me.

Isn’t this so empowering? All genders must not live up to other people’s norms. Be your own Truth.

Realizing I deserved better changed everything

This is really a game changer. Regardless if it’s about friends or romantic relationships. If someone is no longer letting us grow, know better.

So maybe love is neither the sickness nor the cure. Maybe love is simply the catalyst.

I remember reading somewhere that love does not make us good or bad. Love changes us, that is for sure. But, for the better or for worse, we don’t know.

Inside of you,
there’s a little girl
and every night she cries
because of the way you talk to her
when you look in the mirror
Protect her. Love her. Be kind.
You are the only one
who can keep her safe.

If you can’t relate to this, then lucky you. If you belong to the ones who are guilty, please be gentle with yourself.

The first step to loving yourself
begins with the words,
‘I matter.’
You deserve to occupy space.
You deserve to stand up for yourself
and claim your right to happiness.
You deserve to be here,
just as much as
anyone else.

This is probably my most favorite piece in this book. I remember tweeting, ‘I matter. You matter. We matter. Maybe that’s why the world is heavy.’ How pessimistic, right? But these verses right here flipped me upside down. I love it!

Now, let me end this review with these lines:

When you finally let go, it is like opening your front door and seeing yourself standing there again.

Welcome home, it’s been so long.

Maybe the home we are looking for is the home we can find in ourselves and not somewhere else 😔✊

My Rating

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