Right from the first poem, 'Let History Teach You Something' T. Renee's poetry established itself as being strong and confident. She tackles the sociopolitical topics with grace but also with a powerful punch: 'By and By' was especially impressive in this regard, directly tackling racism with an opening stanza that says assertively:

I want you to see
Martin’s Dream.
I want you to hear
those four little black girls scream.
I want your flesh to feel
those Dobermans’ teeth.
I want your feet to hit the pavement
’cause I'm not giving up my seat.

I love the way some of the poems were paired with images, 'Superior Sex' was great in this regard, lifting up the image of the woman to an ethereal being to be revered and worshipped. The poem 'Dark Child' also presented a lot of very vivid cultural insights in relation to generational issues in black families, and how one still deserves to be proud of their heritage, no matter how they were raised, or no matter how they present themselves. I relate to this to a certain extent, sometimes never quite knowing where I fit in in the Indonesian / English Anglosphere - too Asian for some, to "white" for others. But I am just me.

Other notable poems: 'Hoodies Up', 'Thou Shalt Not' 'Duty Bound' (I know you are only human / if cut, yes—you will bleed. / So you rally to distribute law and order / but what happened to simply maintaining the peace?) Chills.

The Love poems are very much a distinct section in the book, and Renee writes with a playful tone in some of the poems - 'Match Dot Com' was a fun read; technology is a recurring theme in this book, too. Others, are more traditionally romantic, encompassing heartbreak, devotion and obsession - 'Adièu' was quite special to me. Overall, Renee's words are beautiful, impressive, and I believe she has the potential to spread important messages to a large audience out there. I thoroughly enjoyed this collection. Keep writing!

Reviewed By Kayti Nika Raet for Readers’ Favorite

"Unconditional: Just Me and My Scattered Thoughts, a book of poetry by T. Renee, delves into controversial issues in a frank and unflinching manner, turning pain into beauty, all the while hoping to engage the reader with an open mind and willing heart. Renee invites the reader on a journey through the past, present, and to a hopefully more unified future. There's a certain thread of lyricism throughout Renee's work that demands each page be read aloud as the reader dives into what truly make us human and connects all of us together.

As I was reading Unconditional, I found myself connecting with each poem deeply, and I feel that Renee's passion for each word shows through with each poem. Renee hops between a few different topics in Unconditional, but remembrance and strength seem to be a central theme, as well as honoring all those who came before us and whose sacrifice made us who we are today. It carries a lot of emotional impact. Renee uses a minimalist approach, yet manages to capture the essence of a thought and convey this to the reader without weighing them down in torrents of florid prose. In Unconditional, T. Renee creates a simple collection that is sure to sit with the reader long after the last page is turned. I enjoyed every passage and feel that Unconditional would be a great read for fans of poetry. I expect that T. Renee is a name that will be seen more often in the future."