Despite the three star review, this was one of the best works of poetry I've read in a long time. It might have resonated with me more if I had been actively grieving over something while reading it. But I enjoyed Porter's style, specifically his use of onomatopoeia and his mixture of verses and small paragraphs. 
 (view spoiler)[From my understanding, I thought Crow was the embodiment of grief; he came uninvited, reminded the father and the children of the fact that their mother was gone, etc. But what I found a little disconcerting was the way that Crow (read: grief) became the protector of the family. He fought the demons at the front door, he felt sorry for the children, and towards the end became the father's companion. Sometimes, I felt as if I got the whole point wrong and maybe Crow was supposed to be symbolic of the father's work, considering that Crow left when the father's book was fully written. 
 It is a beautiful thought--that even when you feel so alone, grief is always there with you. But I've always thought of grief as a dull, pulsating headache that you can't get rid of instead of a hand on the shoulder. And I think that's where Porter missed the mark. Then again, grief is different for everyone, and perhaps this is just one of its many manifestations. 
 What I did glean from this book was that grief is something that comes uninvited, but you have to give it permission to leave. And if the point of a work of fiction is to make you think introspectively as well as abstractly, then this one has definitely fulfilled that purpose. I think it'll stay with me for a long time. (hide spoiler)]