Saven “Con-A” Watts's 7even is a short collection of seven poems written between July 2020 and August 2020. It is written in a voice and style that will captivate fans of pop music and rap. It features the poet’s stream of consciousness, capturing important moments, thoughts, and feelings in his life. Readers get glimpses from the poet’s life and understand the meaning of 7even. One feels a writer exploring his space in the world, like a child feeling the ground and choosing his lane, experimenting with words and allowing them to open worlds before him. Keeping a distance, friendship and solidarity, dilettantism, being a gangster, and more are themes that are recurrent in this collection, and as one reads from poem to poem, one feels like coming into contact with a poet who becomes delightfully aware of himself, his journey, and his gift.

These poems break the rules of grammar and establish the voice of a writer who is opinionated and who wants to dance in his own way. It is creative in nature and it reads like rap music, with one-word lines that have a unique significance in the collection. While the poems are introspective and intimate, they do have social and political undertones. At times the poet castigates some issues like carelessly posting guns on social media: “posting pictures of guns / inappropriately / over the internet / is something that we don’t do over this way / yo.” Saven “Con-A” Watts's 7even features poems that are about the poet’s unique life experiences, each of them ending with a saying or a quote from the poet himself.

Saven "Con-A" Watts has truly emerged as one of the most talented poets of his generation with 7even. Since he began his literary journey at the age of seventeen, his poetry has retained its honesty and authenticity. In this collection, Saven explores the brutal truth of gang culture, the harsh realities of gun crime, violence, and drug abuse. Through the eyes of Saven, we are given an unprecedented look inside the world in which he was raised. What are the unspoken laws within the communities, how do you exist surrounded by criminals, organized gangs, and violence? Is it possible to escape from an impoverished neighborhood and upbringing and thrive? Saven's poetry highlights how he not only managed to thrive but how his work now inspires the next generation. This collection is another insight into Saven's personal spiritual journey towards true salvation and his determination to inspire the next generation to find the courage to discover their authentic selves too.

Saven "Con-A" Watts's 7even is another compelling collection. His poetry regarding human behavior and emotions is wonderfully touching and thought-provoking. This collection is more poignant for me than his other compilations because he shares some chilling personal experiences. The first poem concerning gang culture touched on the subject of trying to survive when you are not a member of a gang. I found this absolutely horrifying. I thought the poem on role reversal of races completely riveting because he covers scenarios that I have never experienced. I thought his opinions on virtue signaling, false friendships, outcries, and sadness absolute perfection. I am grateful he has shared his lived experience so honestly without the need to become a victim. His poetry not only lifts your confidence and self-belief but is a constant reassurance that you can achieve anything you focus on. His final poem, 7even, around the origin of his name was so beautiful. Saven is an extraordinarily talented poet and I would love to see his work displayed in every school and community center to inspire the next generation to reach for their dreams and never settle for anything less.

The collection titled 7even is the seventh book of poems written by author Saven "Con-A" Watts, encompassing his seven years as a poet and covering his career from the age of seventeen as a newbie to the age of twenty-four as a mature adult. The poems cover a wide spectrum of issues such as gang violence, racism in America, and Watts's personal growth both as a writer and a person. The collection is a nuanced and thoughtful study of relevant issues of our age that Saven "Con-A" Watts seamlessly brings forth in his poems, written in a post-modern style influenced by musical genres such as rap and hip hop. Every poem is separated through relative handling of different topics but tied together by common themes and writing style.

Uber-stylish, relevant, and surprisingly poignant, 7even is a laudable achievement and another gem to add to the collection of Watts's books. The meta-narrative prevalent in each poem ties together the themes and topics Saven "Con-A" Watts explores in a seamless fashion, and the commentary feels spot on. I found "If The Roles Were Reversed" deeply powerful and moving and felt "Come To Confess" resonating with me on a personal level. I think the poems have considerable re-reading value as I've found that the more I read them, the more layers I'm able to decipher. As a result, I appreciate them on a different level through each read. The poems in 7even have depth and offer a unique perspective of the author on his immediate environment. I enjoyed them immensely and highly recommend them.

Saven "Con-A" Watts's 7even is a very significant achievement for a young poet. This collection of seven poems is not only his seventh published work, but it also marks his seventh year of activity as a writer and the progress he has made in the literary genre of his choice. This collection gives Watts the chance to focus on topics such as the reversal of roles between blacks and whites and spiritual healing. Moreover, one of the poems (and perhaps the most original of all those published in the collection) reveals the origin of the author's name, Saven.

This is not the first collection by Watts I have read and, as in my previous experience, I am favorably impressed by this poet's work. I hope this is not the last time I come across one of his works. The collection is impressive for the maturity and originality with which Watts develops the themes. This result is even more remarkable considering that he was only 24 when he wrote 7even. I like that he strongly expresses his opinions and that he then stands up for them. I also commend his style, which is very personal and allows him to develop his literary ideas coherently and persuasively. I think in particular of the beautiful poem about the reversal of roles between blacks and whites, which can be a good starting point for a debate about a delicate matter. On the whole, I recommend 7even to all those who are looking for original and inspiring reading.