Reviewed by Rich Follett for Readers' Favorite

In the same way that a teddy bear or a hug makes one feel warm and loved, RyAnn Adams Hall’s tender verses in A Book of Poetry for Young Adults (Volume II) will cause any reader to wax nostalgic for a mother’s love. Neither the themes nor the poems are complex; rather, these are heartfelt offerings that readers can settle into with the same pleasure as might be derived from a favorite overstuffed chair and a cup of tea or serving of ice cream. To read them is to leave one’s troubles behind. From “Eight Years Together,” wherein a mother speaks of her intense love for her child: “I do believe in love at first sight/The minute I saw you/I knew you would be mine/I have held you close over the years/I will never, ever let you go/There is nothing I would ever try/To change about you/You are perfect just the way God made you/You have always loved me/Just the way I am/I will always love you/Just the way you are.”

Messages of acceptance, love, parental concerns for safety and the future, devotion, companionship, and prayer dance through these earnest poems like butterflies through a summer garden, the overall effect being bright, breezy and serenely beautiful. RyAnn Adams Hall’s A Book of Poetry for Young Adults (Volume II) is the perfect vehicle for parents and children to spend time reading together. The poems are timely, relevant, and ripe for starting meaningful parent-child or adult-child dialogues with appropriate ideas and context.

For as long as there have been poets, those who take true pleasure in writing – those who write with joy and a true desire to contribute something beautiful, lasting, and meaningful to the world – have never failed to inspire. For this reason (among others), RyAnn Adams Hall’s verses are evergreen and beguiling. A Book of Poetry for Young Adults (Volume II) is a sure bet for lovers of poetry, both young and old, seeking comfort, warmth, and the companionship that only a lovingly crafted poem can give.