Parenthetical Bodies by Alex Gallagher holds you close and says "it's okay, things are weird". These poems are about what it takes to be in and amongst bodies, to be loving and empathetic in the internet age, or to survive in a city being slowly crushed under the weight of its own housing bubble. Parenthetical Bodies explores queerness and transgressive bodies. Hope glimmers and shakes as Gallagher entwines tenderness and heartache, surfing dogs and estrogen pills. Gallagher's debut collection is packed with writing that is instantly loveable and as eviscerating as it is gentle.