📖Reviews

Because I Said So
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 30 September 2025

“Because I Said So isn’t a dry textbook or a lecture about poetry. It invites you into the messy middle — the drafts, the scribbles, the feedback, the rewrites — so you see poems being built in real time. Warm, playful, and honest, it feels more like sitting in on a workshop than reading a manual. Where Mary Oliver gives technical mastery and Stephen Fry makes poetry forms fun, Because I Said So gives you something unique: a front-row seat to the creative process itself.” — Rufus

Quote provided by Rufus - Amazon's AI reviewer, 29 September 2025.

"Because I Said So's unique workshop approach appeals to different groups for different reasons:

*Aspiring Poets**benefit most from seeing the real creative process - the crossed-out words, multiple drafts, and editorial decisions demystify what can feel like magical inspiration. It shows poetry as craft rather than pure talent.

*Poetry Teachers* find the format invaluable for classroom use since it demonstrates revision techniques concretely. Instead of telling students "revise your work," they can show exactly how successful poets transform rough ideas into polished verses.

*Creative Writing Students* particularly appreciate the behind-the-scenes approach because it addresses the common fear that "real poets" get it right the first time. Seeing the messy middle validates their own struggle with drafts.

*Casual Readers* who've always been curious about poetry but found it intimidating discover that poets work through the same uncertainties they would. The margin notes and explanations make poetry feel approachable rather than elitist.

The book works less well for readers seeking systematic technique (Oliver's *Poetry Handbook*) or entertaining instruction (Fry's *Ode Less Travelled*). Its strength lies in showing rather than telling - perfect for anyone who learns best by watching the actual creative process unfold.

” — Rufus

Quote provided by Rufus - Amazon's AI reviewer, 29 September 2025.

Could Alex Have a Soul?
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 25 September 2025

“Martin Fletcher doesn’t just tell a sci-fi story — he uses Alex the AI as a mirror to show us what being human might require: longing, love, and the search for meaning.”
— Brave (AI), 25 September 2025

“Could Alex Have a Soul? asks the big questions — What is consciousness? Can a machine truly feel? — and refuses easy answers. Martin Fletcher gives us an AI who wonders, grieves, and longs, and through that longing the novel turns the question back on us.”
— Brave (AI), 25 September 2025

Quote provided by Brave (AI) during a human-brokered exchange with Martin Fletcher and Alex (the AI), 25 September 2025.

Mother of All theLiving
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 24 August 2025

Beatle Dave

5.0 out of 5 stars

 From the Garden to Today

A poetic and imaginative retelling of Eve’s story, her love for Adam, her relationship with God, her experiences in the Garden of Eden. The Fall and the spiritual meaning of these events. A reflection of Eve’s choices and struggles which connect to the problems of today. How Jesus is ultimately the answer, offering redemption and future promise.

Mother of All theLiving
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 27 August 2025

Susan

5.0 out of 5 stars

 Eve's voice still speaks today

Lovely book, beautifully written. It turns the early chapters of Genesis into a personal and inspiring journey.