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4.37 AVERAGE
4.37 AVERAGE
ARC review; thanks to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Random House, and The Dial Press for sending me this ebook. Pub date: Apr 01, 2025.
I always hate when a poetry collection doesn't work for me. Poetry seems very personal, so I feel like people who write it pour more of themselves into it. This just wasn't for me.
Maybe I just don't have whatever knowledge it takes to appreciate poetry beyond feeling. Cause when I don't connect to it or can't relate to it, I can't sit with it.
Overall, these poems seem well-written to me, I just wasn't getting anything out of them, but I don't doubt there's people who will, and I hope this book finds its audience.
I always hate when a poetry collection doesn't work for me. Poetry seems very personal, so I feel like people who write it pour more of themselves into it. This just wasn't for me.
Maybe I just don't have whatever knowledge it takes to appreciate poetry beyond feeling. Cause when I don't connect to it or can't relate to it, I can't sit with it.
Overall, these poems seem well-written to me, I just wasn't getting anything out of them, but I don't doubt there's people who will, and I hope this book finds its audience.
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
What is a girl if not a pulsing thing learning what the world will take from her?
Omg Sarah Kay is a wizard of words. I was so transfixed by her swiftly evolving storytelling through her poems. We see her discover the meaning of animals and emotions at a very young age and even notice her uptick in awareness as she ages and overcomes battles and trials that arise.
I could have gotten completely lost in her writing. Bravo
What a stunning collection!
I flew thru this in 1 sitting. Most of the poetry I relate to is lalmlst exclusively relational in hindsight. Thank you, Sarah, for writing poetry that has that same sense of urgency but addresses the phase of life I'm currently in.
I highly recommend this one. It lives up to its cover, which says a lot bc look how gorgeous that is.
{Thank you bunches to Sarah Kay, RH Publishing Group, The Dial Press and NetGalley for the DRC in exchange for my honest review!}
I flew thru this in 1 sitting. Most of the poetry I relate to is lalmlst exclusively relational in hindsight. Thank you, Sarah, for writing poetry that has that same sense of urgency but addresses the phase of life I'm currently in.
I highly recommend this one. It lives up to its cover, which says a lot bc look how gorgeous that is.
{Thank you bunches to Sarah Kay, RH Publishing Group, The Dial Press and NetGalley for the DRC in exchange for my honest review!}
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
emotional
funny
reflective
fast-paced
What can I say about Sarah Kay? Well I can tell you this collection of poems was worth the decade wait. I can tell you that "A Little Daylight Left" is full of metaphors and emotions and everything readers ( listeners) have come to expect from this wonderful spoken-word artist. This collection was so beautifully personal that each poem felt like an intimate conversation with Kay about her life and its transitions.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC!
Sarah Kay’s wonderful A Little Daylight Left covers a lot of ground for such a tiny book—it’s a group of poems culled from the decade following the poet’s previous collection, and the intervening years offer a rich selection of themes, precise language, and memorable imagery.
It’s unfortunate that these pre-release reviews aren’t supposed to include quotes because Kay’s writing is defined by the kind of off-the-cuff depth that punctuates a great conversation with friends. You know the ones—where you’re all rambling about nothing in particular until someone absentmindedly stumbles into a bit of wisdom that will stick with you forever.
A Little Daylight Left is filled to the brim with that kind of emotionally focused insight.
There’s a humility at play here, both personally and poetically. Kay opens with “A Bird Made of Birds,” a piece that celebrates her own limitations and argues that poems can’t compare to real life. These poems are designed to be approachable, and they speak to the poet’s background in spoken word—if a poem doesn’t bring people together, then what’s the point?
As much as I love the book, it certainly has a few of the quirks one might associate with spoken word poetry, and readers will likely have mixed feelings. For example, a recurrent device is to open lines with ampersands, and while that yes, and energy lends momentum and a welcome cadence to performed poetry, it does the opposite in print here—disrupting and deflating Kay’s rich language and imagery. Similarly, the spoken word influence also means that most of the poems have a very similar build to a mic drop-style turn, which distracts a little bit from the strength of the language itself. Finally, while the time between collections guarantees that each individual poem is carefully crafted and memorable, it makes the book as a whole feel a little unfocused. Think of it more like a playlist than an album.
Despite these minor critiques, A Little Daylight Left is so winsome in its earnestness that they feel almost irrelevant. In “Worth Celebrating,” we read about the way snow has broken otherwise fatal falls, with the speaker noting that nature’s destructive power can also be generative. “Table Games” is another remarkable piece—a pun-laden recollection of a breakup at Whole Foods. It’s sweet-spirited and achingly specific, and like every other poem in the book, it will either invite readers in with its simplicity or frustrate them with its bluntness.
A Little Daylight Left might resonate most with Sarah Kay's spoken word audience, but I think most people will find something to appreciate here, so I recommend checking it out, even if you don't consider yourself "a poetry person."
Sarah Kay’s wonderful A Little Daylight Left covers a lot of ground for such a tiny book—it’s a group of poems culled from the decade following the poet’s previous collection, and the intervening years offer a rich selection of themes, precise language, and memorable imagery.
It’s unfortunate that these pre-release reviews aren’t supposed to include quotes because Kay’s writing is defined by the kind of off-the-cuff depth that punctuates a great conversation with friends. You know the ones—where you’re all rambling about nothing in particular until someone absentmindedly stumbles into a bit of wisdom that will stick with you forever.
A Little Daylight Left is filled to the brim with that kind of emotionally focused insight.
There’s a humility at play here, both personally and poetically. Kay opens with “A Bird Made of Birds,” a piece that celebrates her own limitations and argues that poems can’t compare to real life. These poems are designed to be approachable, and they speak to the poet’s background in spoken word—if a poem doesn’t bring people together, then what’s the point?
As much as I love the book, it certainly has a few of the quirks one might associate with spoken word poetry, and readers will likely have mixed feelings. For example, a recurrent device is to open lines with ampersands, and while that yes, and energy lends momentum and a welcome cadence to performed poetry, it does the opposite in print here—disrupting and deflating Kay’s rich language and imagery. Similarly, the spoken word influence also means that most of the poems have a very similar build to a mic drop-style turn, which distracts a little bit from the strength of the language itself. Finally, while the time between collections guarantees that each individual poem is carefully crafted and memorable, it makes the book as a whole feel a little unfocused. Think of it more like a playlist than an album.
Despite these minor critiques, A Little Daylight Left is so winsome in its earnestness that they feel almost irrelevant. In “Worth Celebrating,” we read about the way snow has broken otherwise fatal falls, with the speaker noting that nature’s destructive power can also be generative. “Table Games” is another remarkable piece—a pun-laden recollection of a breakup at Whole Foods. It’s sweet-spirited and achingly specific, and like every other poem in the book, it will either invite readers in with its simplicity or frustrate them with its bluntness.
A Little Daylight Left might resonate most with Sarah Kay's spoken word audience, but I think most people will find something to appreciate here, so I recommend checking it out, even if you don't consider yourself "a poetry person."
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
reflective
medium-paced
I've been watching Sarah Kay's spoken word for years, I think there's an element of her performance that is just so excellent that you can't quite reach on the page. But, she's been a favourite poet of mine since the first time I heard her poem B.
Her new book of poetry A Little Daylight Left, feels like a slight departure for me. The poems feel longer and wordier than what I remember of her work and more observational. I really enjoyed these but did feel myself missing the way her best poems will end with such a good kicker that makes you see everything that came before in a new light. I like the way she can fold a metaphor or a line over and over, changing it every time.
There were definitely some poems in here that spoke to me, the ones about family and friends, especially. Even if this isn't my favourite of her books, I remain a huge fan!
Thanks to Netgalley and Random House for the ebook in exchange for my honest review.
Her new book of poetry A Little Daylight Left, feels like a slight departure for me. The poems feel longer and wordier than what I remember of her work and more observational. I really enjoyed these but did feel myself missing the way her best poems will end with such a good kicker that makes you see everything that came before in a new light. I like the way she can fold a metaphor or a line over and over, changing it every time.
There were definitely some poems in here that spoke to me, the ones about family and friends, especially. Even if this isn't my favourite of her books, I remain a huge fan!
Thanks to Netgalley and Random House for the ebook in exchange for my honest review.
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for this Advanced Reader's Copy!
Available April 2025
When I think of Sarah Kay, I am inevitably brought back to my high school days where I sat mesmerized by her and Phil Kay's spoken word duets which started to crystallize my own love of poetry and journey deep into other artists who would make my world - Angel Nafis & Jamila Wood & Safia Ehlillo & Fatimah Ashgar & more & more. I say this to say that Kay's poetry is invitational and warm, looking tenderly to the bright side. It is highly energizing and bursting with puns, hidden alleys, and warm cozy days. This is a poetry collection to read on the days that didn't quite turn out right, when the blunt edges of life leave a blister on your thumb, when you just want a warm cup of tea & a gentle scarf. It is soothing and healing in all the measures, vulnerable with the audience yet measured and precise in its cartographies.
Available April 2025
When I think of Sarah Kay, I am inevitably brought back to my high school days where I sat mesmerized by her and Phil Kay's spoken word duets which started to crystallize my own love of poetry and journey deep into other artists who would make my world - Angel Nafis & Jamila Wood & Safia Ehlillo & Fatimah Ashgar & more & more. I say this to say that Kay's poetry is invitational and warm, looking tenderly to the bright side. It is highly energizing and bursting with puns, hidden alleys, and warm cozy days. This is a poetry collection to read on the days that didn't quite turn out right, when the blunt edges of life leave a blister on your thumb, when you just want a warm cup of tea & a gentle scarf. It is soothing and healing in all the measures, vulnerable with the audience yet measured and precise in its cartographies.