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4.27 AVERAGE
4.27 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
reflective
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This collection took me years to get through—not because it was bad, but because it just didn’t pull me in the way I hoped. There were definitely a few great poems that hit me hard, the kind that made me pause and think, “What would my poem in this style sound like?”—and I appreciated those moments. But overall, it felt like a mixed bag.
At times, I felt like I was being pandered. It leaned a little too heavily into identity as the whole point, without always giving me the depth or duality I crave from brown authors. I wanted more exploration of who we are outside of our brownness—more contradiction, more complexity, more of the quiet stuff we don’t always talk about.
Some poems also had that Instagram poet or high school English assignment feel. Like they’d land perfectly for someone just stepping into poetry, someone still figuring out how to name their heartbreak and identity. And honestly, maybe that’s what it’s meant for. Maybe if I had read this as a teenager, still trying to define myself, it would’ve hit harder.
What stayed with me the most:
The few poems that did land made me think about my own voice—and what I’d write if I let myself be that soft and direct on the page. There’s value in that. But as a whole, this collection wasn’t for me, at least not at this stage in my life.
It’s a book I’ve held onto—not because I plan to revisit it, but because I’ve been waiting to re-gift it to someone who might find it more impactful. Maybe in the right hands, it’ll land exactly where it needs to.
At times, I felt like I was being pandered. It leaned a little too heavily into identity as the whole point, without always giving me the depth or duality I crave from brown authors. I wanted more exploration of who we are outside of our brownness—more contradiction, more complexity, more of the quiet stuff we don’t always talk about.
Some poems also had that Instagram poet or high school English assignment feel. Like they’d land perfectly for someone just stepping into poetry, someone still figuring out how to name their heartbreak and identity. And honestly, maybe that’s what it’s meant for. Maybe if I had read this as a teenager, still trying to define myself, it would’ve hit harder.
What stayed with me the most:
The few poems that did land made me think about my own voice—and what I’d write if I let myself be that soft and direct on the page. There’s value in that. But as a whole, this collection wasn’t for me, at least not at this stage in my life.
It’s a book I’ve held onto—not because I plan to revisit it, but because I’ve been waiting to re-gift it to someone who might find it more impactful. Maybe in the right hands, it’ll land exactly where it needs to.
Best poetry I have ever read. I’ve never felt more seen in my life.
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
fast-paced
I love poetry, I think it’s so underrated and they tell the most amazing and powerful stories.
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
emotional
inspiring
reflective
