inamerata's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad

5.0

Absolutely stunning. The imagery, the word choice, the pacing, the emotions, the craft -- I lack the words to describe how good this is. This book deals in quite heavy topics, but if you are able, I definitely recommend it.

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venetiana's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

3.5


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sharonus's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

5.0


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annemaries_shelves's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

4.5

As a whole, it’s a 4.5 star collection with some outstanding 5+ star poems. 

I loved how she tackled the themes of girlhood and womanhood, experiences of being a refugee and immigrant, grief, trauma, celebrations of life, death, family, and more. Each of the four sections offered something unique to the stories she was telling. 

There are some really heavy subjects/topics and references in this collection, so be aware. 
CW: FGM and gender violence, child abuse and death, rape, death, eating disorders, famine, war and racism, and others.

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lotte111's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

4.5


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lindseyhall44's review against another edition

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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.

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jayisreading's review

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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.

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2treads's review against another edition

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challenging hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

4.0

Forgive us, we blamed you
for floods, for the flush of blood,
for men who are also wolves, even
though you could pull the tide in
by her hair, we tell everyone
we walked all over you.

            –excerpt from Bless the Moon
 
Bless The Daughter Raised By A Voice In Her Head was my National Poetry month read and it was so much more than I expected. 
🖋🖋🖋🖋🖋
Shire has a talent for reaching towards her readers with words that are raw and that create riveting poems that have the power to move you or wreck you. Poems that invite you to parallel your own experiences, the beautiful and the traumatic.
🖋🖋🖋🖋🖋
But there is also a movement towards healing and recognition in her poetry, an honesty that chills at times and an awareness of the weight of her family and identity. Centred throughout is girlhood, motherhood, and womanhood, propelling these poems through time and space as she chronicles loss, love, and divinity. 

I mean Shire at this point, for me, can do no wrong with her poetry. There are poems that will gather you, tear you, teach you, grieve you, and yet still holds space for healing. 

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dusktreader's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

5.0

Beautiful and intricate. I listened to the audiobook at the same time as I read the book in print which really added to the experience—the author rewards beautifully. 

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ashlynnoel's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective medium-paced

4.5


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