‘Words are so incredibly powerful’ is what goes through my head while reading The Octopus Curse by Salma Farook. This collection poems is sharp as knives and will tear you to pieces, through flesh and soul. I love poetry. To me it’s one of the most powerful ways to make you feel everything there is to feel in this universe. I love poetry because it splits me open right through the middle and unravels me until I’m nothing more than a tangle of silken garlands on the ground. Throughout this book, two hands follow you along this journey, guiding you from one memory into the next. They reach out from the pages through your ribcage and clench your chest together until you can barely breathe. They grab hold of your soul and won’t let go until long after you finished the last poem. That’s how powerful each poem is. There are poems about love, loss, hurt, traveling, finding yourself, growing, strength, women, the world, migrants, religion, and so much more. This is a love story in every aspect of the word. You will lose yourself in it, only to find yourself between the next lines. These poems are a lifeline, a photo album of memories, a soul laid bare. Each word is a star, twining together to form the most beautiful constellation that will shine down on you and make you feel less lonely in the dark. This book is a friend to hold on to when there nothing else to grasp as you feel yourself falling. This is a book that the world needs to read. The strength of these words needs to be heard across mountains and seas. So that people, who feel broken and lost, can know they are not alone.