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georgilvsbooks's review against another edition
4.0
What a beautiful collection of poetry.
So many that I connected with.
I need to discover more from this author.
If you love poetry, defiantly check out this book!
“Some days you unfold;
some days you tuck yourself
back into your cocoon.”
So many that I connected with.
I need to discover more from this author.
If you love poetry, defiantly check out this book!
“Some days you unfold;
some days you tuck yourself
back into your cocoon.”
allieveryday's review against another edition
5.0
I devoured this book and was ready to give it 5 stars early on.
Lanuza's poems are simple but articulate and beautiful and relatable. She doesn't use flowery language, complex grammar or poetic style, big bold words. I think her stories and emotions are able to read clearly is because they don't get lost behind useless adjectives and superfluous words. And there is something about the way she arranges words, simple everyday words, that expresses emotions and pain elegantly and as a reader I felt them and many times thought "She has perfectly expressed everything I could never find the words for". But it didn't cut me to the core like other poetry books (that I had to put down, lovely but painful), Lanuza's words real and relatable as they were, were more the reflecting kind for me. After many poems I found myself staring into space, letting the words sink in, the feelings sink in.
This is absolutely a book I intend to buy, need to own, need to feel, to mark my favorite poems, would buy for friends.
Lanuza's poems are simple but articulate and beautiful and relatable. She doesn't use flowery language, complex grammar or poetic style, big bold words. I think her stories and emotions are able to read clearly is because they don't get lost behind useless adjectives and superfluous words. And there is something about the way she arranges words, simple everyday words, that expresses emotions and pain elegantly and as a reader I felt them and many times thought "She has perfectly expressed everything I could never find the words for". But it didn't cut me to the core like other poetry books (that I had to put down, lovely but painful), Lanuza's words real and relatable as they were, were more the reflecting kind for me. After many poems I found myself staring into space, letting the words sink in, the feelings sink in.
This is absolutely a book I intend to buy, need to own, need to feel, to mark my favorite poems, would buy for friends.
vanessa_issa's review against another edition
5.0
Thanks to Andrews McMeel Publishing for the DRC!
Great collection of prose and poetry! I love Dawn Lanuza's books. I can see myself in so many of these pages. She addresses some very delicate topics, it's not always easy to read about such feelings... But at the same time, somehow she still manages to bring some positivity into it. I feel really good after finishing this book. Totally recommend it.
Great collection of prose and poetry! I love Dawn Lanuza's books. I can see myself in so many of these pages. She addresses some very delicate topics, it's not always easy to read about such feelings... But at the same time, somehow she still manages to bring some positivity into it. I feel really good after finishing this book. Totally recommend it.
alishreads's review against another edition
4.0
I must belong somewhere is an amazing collection of poetries and prose, which talks about love, loss, acceptance, healing, changing and self-love. It is a unique, interesting and heart touching book. The poems are really relatable, some poems were touching, I felt they were talking about me, all the things I felt. Some poetries are truly feminist and empowering. The cover is really beautiful. And the illustrations in between the pages is a bonus for the readers. If I have to describe this book in one word, it would be magical. This book is perfect for the fans of Rupi Kaur and Amanda Lovelace.
incredibella's review against another edition
4.0
In this collection, Lanuza touches on themes of longing, belonging, healing, loneliness, identity, mental health, and more. Modern poetry can often be hit or miss for me, as some of it, unfortunately, feel cliché and surface level. While I did find some of these pieces to be trite, others helped unearthed parts of me that I had pushed down or ignored. The poems within are in turns moving, raw, vulnerable, joyful, and uplifting. Even many of the shorter pieces strike powerful chords that resonate long after you've turned the page. This is the first collection I have read of Lanuza's, but it made me happy to read a fellow Filipino’s poetry and I now fully intend to check out her other collections! I also want to express my thanks to all authors and books that provide trigger/content warnings at the start; this is something that may seem small but is extremely important, and really shows that extra bit of effort and care for the reader.
My thanks to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
trigger/content warnings: death, suicidal ideation, violence, bullying, injury, self-harm, body image, sexism, mental health.
My thanks to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
trigger/content warnings: death, suicidal ideation, violence, bullying, injury, self-harm, body image, sexism, mental health.
hamburgerhelper's review against another edition
4.0
I sold myself on this book, thinking I’d enjoy it, but something lied to me along the way. I didn’t read what I paid for.
I guess I expected to be seen through the lens of the writer, to have my trauma displayed on the page through the life of another. I mostly got shallow short lines, that could have easily been more with the writers skill. I also got very few prose, mostly just a lot of long poems, that were really just prose disguised with needles enjambment.
The writing isn’t bad, in fact, I think it’s wonderful. But I probably would prefer reading a novel by this writer, as opposed to poetry.
3.5 stars: The description of the book lied to me, but I enjoyed myself 70% of the time.
I guess I expected to be seen through the lens of the writer, to have my trauma displayed on the page through the life of another. I mostly got shallow short lines, that could have easily been more with the writers skill. I also got very few prose, mostly just a lot of long poems, that were really just prose disguised with needles enjambment.
The writing isn’t bad, in fact, I think it’s wonderful. But I probably would prefer reading a novel by this writer, as opposed to poetry.
3.5 stars: The description of the book lied to me, but I enjoyed myself 70% of the time.
thepaperreels's review against another edition
5.0
Full review to be posted once I have the physical copy. Dawn Lanuza really just keeps on getting better and better!