In whichever genre she is writing, to me her work stands out for its compassionate attention to the psyche of the imperfect humans struggling through their lives"[5] Her free verse poems explore themes of desire, domesticity, and myth.

[6] And in an interview with the Los Angeles Review of Books she defines her poetics as having to do with ordinary experiences and everyday living.

It received universal praise including a four star People review[13] and was deemed one of the top ten books of the year by Entertainment Weekly.

"[24] Jill Bialosky is a vice president and executive editor at W. W. Norton[25] and lives in New York City.

On October 4, 2017, the online literary magazine Tourniquet Review published William Logan's review of Poetry Will Save Your Life, in which he accused Bialosky of plagiarism, citing passages in the book that bore similarities to uncredited sources, including Wikipedia articles.

[27] Seventy-two authors signed a Letter to the Editor in The New York Times stating: "We, as writers and friends of literature, wish to register our concern in regard to 'Author Fights Plagiarism Charges by Critic' […] It would be a terrible disservice to Ms. Bialosky and to your readers if the article kept people from appreciating her substantial contributions to American letters."