When Sunflowers and Moons Collide by Isabel Scheck is a book of romantic poetry and the follow-up to Scheck's previously released book, When Daisies and Thunderstorms Collide but does read perfectly well as a stand-alone. Written in free verse, this collection of sixty poems follow love and loss, and the intricacies of how a relationship can dance between a beautiful beginning, a conflicting and often painful path, and, ultimately, its demise. The anthology is told almost in the form of a verse novel in that it is a compilation of intertwined stories told through the medium of poetry over prose, with simple rhythmic stanzas that shift between the narrator's relationships.

There a couple of things that stood out to me in Isabel Scheck's When Sunflowers and Moons Collide. The first is that the narrator is pansexual and describes relationships between different genders, including the exclusive use of non-binary pronouns such as 'them' and several of the poems, alongside the traditional 'he' and 'she' in others. I loved this as there simply is not enough literature that brings a reader such diversity. The other stand-out is how the last line of each poem is in bold and almost feels like it's the title. It is also consistently the most poignant line in each poem it finishes with. I think this is an excellent compilation for lovers of poetry who are looking for a quick, meaningful escape—or who can relate, as most of us can, to the volatility of love and relationships.

When Sunflowers and Moons Collide is a collection of 60 poems written by Isabel Scheck. Most pieces are short, being ten lines or less though there are a few that make it past that. The book consists primarily of love poems that shift between points of view, targeting men in some poems and women in others. The book is dedicated to 'the ones I’ve loved before' in the author's own words, suggesting that each verse is about a past love. While the poems are titled by number, each one has a bold-faced name at the bottom. In this collection, Scheck has a consistent use of metaphors to describe each feeling. There is a wide variety of metaphors used though generally they are centered around the galaxy or flowers, as the title suggests. Near the end of the book, the author includes a biography.

The poetry in When Sunflowers and Moons Collide is deeply and potently written by Scheck and it provides the reader with brief glimpses into the way the author views the world. It is always difficult to critique poetry due to its highly subjective spirit and stylistically free nature but the narrative says a lot about the author's standard for excellence. From a stylistic standpoint, my only qualm is a lack of variety in the metaphors used which are directly tied to the theme of the book. The use of language is beautifully written but feels a bit repetitive by the finish. In the end, When Sunflowers and Moons Collide is a poetry collection filled with nice poems that allow the reader to step out of their own body and experience a different type of emotion. For what it is, I certainly enjoyed the difference in perspective.