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lotte111's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
4.5
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Child abuse, Death, Misogyny, Rape, Violence, and War
lindseyhall44's review against another edition
emotional
5.0
Bless the Daughter Raised by a Voice in her Head is one of my favorite poetry collections of this year ( maybe ever).
“Backwards” and “Bless this House” are two stand out poems for me, but there are plenty of incredible ones which will pull on your heart strings and never cease to amaze you.
“Backwards” and “Bless this House” are two stand out poems for me, but there are plenty of incredible ones which will pull on your heart strings and never cease to amaze you.
Graphic: Abandonment, Cancer, Violence, Sexual assault, War, Rape, Child abuse, and Racism
Moderate: Xenophobia
jayisreading's review
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
3.5
I was excited when I heard that Warsan Shire was publishing a new collection of poems. I enjoyed Teaching My Mother How to Give Birth and the themes that she covered. Not surprisingly, the themes that came up in her new collection were just as thought-provoking and haunting, exploring girlhood/womanhood, borders (both personal and political), faith, among others.
That said, something about these poems didn’t quite land the same way that her earlier poems did. The poems didn’t read as cohesive as a whole and, even within their sections, seemed a little scattered.
What I do love about Shire’s writing is how multisensorial her poems are, making for a unique experience any time you read anything by her. This was certainly the case in this collection, even if the poems didn’t have the same impact as her previous works did.
Graphic: Child abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Violence
Moderate: Death, Racism, and Xenophobia
Minor: Eating disorder, Suicide, and War
madeline_the_terrible's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
5.0
Incredibly dark and necessary
Moderate: Rape
bookedandbusy's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
5.0
I really enjoyed this one.
Graphic: Child abuse, Rape, and Sexual violence
deedireads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
5.0
All my reviews live at https://deedispeaking.com/reads/.
TL;DR REVIEW:
Bless the Daughter Raised by a Voice in Her Head is a masterful collection of poems by a master poet on womanhood, trauma, and the refugee experience. They’re heavy, but hard-hitting and moving.
For you if: You want to read poetry that adds to your view of the world and humanity.
FULL REVIEW:
Thank you, Random House, for the advanced electronic copy of this book! It’s the first full-length poetry collection from Warsan Shire, the award-winning Somali British poet who worked with Beyonce on Lemonade and Black is King. So yes, it’s as good as you’re expecting.
The poems draw from her own experiences, loved ones’ experiences, headlines, etc. to shape a journey through womanhood, motherhood, daughterhood, being a refugee and immigrant, abuse, trauma, and defiant hope.
I feel like I need to reread this to get the full effect, but I was especially impressed with how Shire merges pop culture and poetry to make the collection feel not only modern but current and timely. She has something to say here, and you’re certainly going to hear it. And, of course, there are lines and couplets and stanzas that come out of nowhere punch you in the gut.
It’s a quick read, but worth it if you are a fan of poetry (and maybe even if you’re not).
TL;DR REVIEW:
Bless the Daughter Raised by a Voice in Her Head is a masterful collection of poems by a master poet on womanhood, trauma, and the refugee experience. They’re heavy, but hard-hitting and moving.
For you if: You want to read poetry that adds to your view of the world and humanity.
FULL REVIEW:
Thank you, Random House, for the advanced electronic copy of this book! It’s the first full-length poetry collection from Warsan Shire, the award-winning Somali British poet who worked with Beyonce on Lemonade and Black is King. So yes, it’s as good as you’re expecting.
The poems draw from her own experiences, loved ones’ experiences, headlines, etc. to shape a journey through womanhood, motherhood, daughterhood, being a refugee and immigrant, abuse, trauma, and defiant hope.
I feel like I need to reread this to get the full effect, but I was especially impressed with how Shire merges pop culture and poetry to make the collection feel not only modern but current and timely. She has something to say here, and you’re certainly going to hear it. And, of course, there are lines and couplets and stanzas that come out of nowhere punch you in the gut.
It’s a quick read, but worth it if you are a fan of poetry (and maybe even if you’re not).
Graphic: Rape, Child abuse, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Xenophobia, Grief, and Misogyny
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