“Reader’s Favorite” - 5 out of 5

Edith Wairimu

"Osamase Ekhator's emotive poetry collection, Situationship, presents love in an undefined and free-flowing form. From attraction to deeper aspects of love, the poems present the raw and sometimes tempestuous emotions that grow from just a single glance. Some phrases are grandiose. Others reveal the affection of a person lost in the stormy world of love as felt in the poem titled, "Boston Night Love Song" where the poet states, "I could take the Boston Night and make it ours our whole life." In many ways, the collection contains an invitation into a thrilling ride through the twists and turns of romance. The character in the poem showcases a sense of loyalty, attachment, and beguilement. 

Osamase Ekhator combines sweet and romantic words with striking and engulfing scenes. This way, the collection maintains its allure and effectively presents the ups and downs of a powerful attraction. The poems are short, such as "Ria's Loose Ends" and "Stubborn Flowers in the Rain Forest," but their words are equally powerful. The phrases are also heartfelt and paint images contained in the poems. Situationship only features a few characters which helps in clarifying the message and maintaining the flow of the collection. The heartbreak that appears in later poems is jarring and painful. I liked the contrast between the beauty of love presented in the beginning and the hurt and realism that appear as the collection comes to a close. The scenes, imagery, words, and format of Situationship by Osamase Ekhator will resonate with love/romance poetry fans."

K.C. Finn

"Situationship is a collection of poetry on the subject of love and relationships, and was penned by author Osamase Ekhator. Taking inspiration from the ambiguous meaning of the collection's title, the 'situationships' of which the author speaks are romances and personal relationships which have no official title, whether willingly or unwillingly by their participants. In examining these unusual and unofficial relationships without status, we can explore the human heart and its various conditions of euphoria, fulfillment, pain, sadness, jealousy, insecurity and heartbreak. The collection is divided into three sections which encompass the journey: The Chase, I Told You What This Was, and The Let Out.

Heartbreaking for its modern sensibilities and the no-nonsense approach some people have to human emotion, I really felt for the narrator on several occasions during this journey of love and loss. Whilst there are moments where you can get swept up in the romance, spontaneity and apparent freedom of the situationship, author Osamase Ekhator brings his readers back to the reality of people trying to find what they need in life in order to feel loved, safe and comfortable. The commonality of these feelings, combined with the often brutal sensibilities of non-relationships, throws stark contrasts onto the concept of love whilst at the same time digging down to its heart. The verses are also lyrically balanced, almost musical in the way they ring in your head and beat in your heart. Overall, I'd recommend Situationship to any poetry fan due to the poet's immense heart and lyrical skill."

Gisela Dixon

"Situationship by Osamase Ekhator is a moving collection and is a bit unlike other poetry collections in the sense that this book tells a story. So although this is a poetry book, at times it felt like a cohesive narrative or a story unfolding, which I appreciated. Osamase writes in a strong, vivid style that brings to life the emotions and feelings that love typically entails in all of its forms. Some of my favorite poems in this book were This Love Has a Cover, Issa Rae Finds Santa Monica Beach, I Had High Expectations of You, Crazy in Loving Color, Boston Night Love Song, etc. I appreciated the ones that talked about mistakes or heartbreak even more than the romantic ones because they suit Osamase's writing style perfectly, and he can really bring out the rawness and pain that comes with these emotions. Overall, this is a good book for poetry fans."