So I feel like this is super cliche to say, but I whole heartedly wish I could give this book more than 5 stars because it was just so amazing that I So I feel like this is super cliche to say, but I whole heartedly wish I could give this book more than 5 stars because it was just so amazing that I really feel stopping at 5 is doing it an injustice. This book made me feel all types of ways; it was one of the most emotionally intense, feeling like I'm actually at a poetry slam while reading, literally can hear Laurie Halse Anderson's poetry flow from her mouth, and I can't believe it was conveyed to me in such a powerful way, like it was poetry being read out loud in the same room I sat with the book in hand. This book is everything....more
Very good compilation of short stories and poems from survivors of the the Parkland shooting that killed 17 people last year on Valentine's Day. I wasVery good compilation of short stories and poems from survivors of the the Parkland shooting that killed 17 people last year on Valentine's Day. I was living in Las Vegas then, and I remember hearing about it happening and thinking "Seriously when are these mass shootings ever going to end?" It's sooooo sad and hard to even wrap my head around it fully that it even happens.
You can just hear in the voices of the poems and stories of the students how changed their life is from this tragedy. They lost best friends, teachers, coaches, girlfriends, boyfriends, etc. They had to hide in fear until they were told it was safe to leave the building, and while leaving, they saw their classmates and teachers lying dead on the floor of the hallway. Some teachers even contributed to this compilation and reading the horror they had to endure while trying to protect these kids and stay strong is just heartbreaking. ...more
Xiomara lives in Harlem with her super religious mother, a father who seems to care less about her, and her twin brother who seems to do everything riXiomara lives in Harlem with her super religious mother, a father who seems to care less about her, and her twin brother who seems to do everything right in their parent's eyes. She feels very lost in finding who she is because she has so many pressures to be certain people to different people in her life. She doesn't want to be confirmed in the church because it doesn't feel right to her. She doesn't want to be eye candy only to men who holler at her, but she also sees herself as a sexual being. She loves poetry, and when she she starts her sophomore year in high school, her English teacher gets her started in a Spoken Word Poetry Club, and there she really begins to journey in finding who true self and following her dreams and genius.
This book is honestly pure perfection. Xiomara is one of my favorite characters I've read in a while, and I think this book is so important for the times. I had no clue how in depth this book was going to go with religion, yet not be a religious book; it was just so accepting. I love how Aman smoked weed and it was discussed multiple times, but never once did Xiomara feel pressured to smoke, nor did she feel it was lame to not partake in it. It was like the book was saying it's okay if you want to smoke, but it's also okay if you don't. I love how the book had religious aspects, but the message was also that it's okay if religion works for you, but it's also okay if religion isn't for you and if it takes a bit longer to find yourself. I like how Father Sean also wasn't a character who shoved religion down her throat. He was a perfect example of how someone should be in the church; compassionate and forgiving towards everyone, even those struggling with believing in God and religion. I love how Xio thought God could be anything you want it to be; I love how she used a Bible verse as her favorite quote, but also interpreted the verse in a completely non-religious way to relate to her life.
I loved Aman so much. He was so real and such a good guy. He was exactly what Xiomara needed her life, and we seriously need more people like him in this world. This book was beautiful in every single way possible, and anyone who reads it will be floored, I guarantee it. ...more
To The Women I Once Loved is a book of poems told to the women that Pierre Alex Jeanty dated in his life. It never states their name, and it doesn't sTo The Women I Once Loved is a book of poems told to the women that Pierre Alex Jeanty dated in his life. It never states their name, and it doesn't say whether each poem is for a different girl, or whether there were multiple poems for a handful of girls. The mystery of this is what makes it so moving, because the reader can really find themselves in so many of these poems. It's so interesting to read poems written by a man about women he's dated in the past because he only speaks highly of them. The poems are not "I hate you", they are how much these women have taught him, how thankful he is for their time together, and how they are worthy of so much love - love he was just unable to give, or it was the wrong timing.
I am seriously so in love with Pierre Alex Jeanty! He is so talented. His poems are like literal music to my ears. I want to continue to read everything he puts out. ...more
I seriously hate it when I don't like a book as much as everyone else lol!! Of course, not everybody is going to like the same stuff, and that doesn'tI seriously hate it when I don't like a book as much as everyone else lol!! Of course, not everybody is going to like the same stuff, and that doesn't even make it a bad novel or poorly written. I think just depending on the stage of life you're in when reading something really plays a role in how a book affects us. So maybe if I revisit this, I'll feel more strongly about it. Because I really wanted to like this more than 3 stars!!!
I saw Jason Reynolds at the Books by the Banks festival in Cincinnati. I unfortunately didn't get to meet him because I was volunteering for the activity tables, but I saw him from afar, and I thought he seemed like such an awesome and great guy (just from looking at him from across the room!) I had no clue he was the author of this book and All American Boys (which I know has gotten rave reviews). I had to read something by him to maybe get an insight into his personality and what kind of books he writes.
Long Way Down is the story of Will, whose brother has been shot and killed at the beginning of the book. Because of where Will grew up and who he grew up around, Will knows "The Rules": 1). Do not cry. 2). Do not snitch. 3). Revenge. He's been told these Rules by multiple people, and the rules just get passed on from generation to generation. Even though he's only 16 and not in a gang, Will feels like he needs to be following these rules for the sake of his brother. In the novel, Will is in an elevator on his way to get revenge, when multiple people from his life join the elevator with him. And really, they are there to make sure this is really what he wants to do.
This book is written in verse, and I think this truly did a lot for the book because of this. Jason is FANTASTIC at writing in verse, and the content and moral of the story is amazing. I have honestly zero complaints! But for some reason, it's still a 3 star for me. I very much so recommend this, and I look forward to seeing what else Jason Reynolds has written. (He's such a cutie, might I add!!!!)...more
The past couple of years I've learned I have a huge love for graphic novels, and apparently, now I have a newfound love for poetry! These poem books sThe past couple of years I've learned I have a huge love for graphic novels, and apparently, now I have a newfound love for poetry! These poem books seriously just make me FEEL, and they are so real. A friend recommended this one to me because he knew I loved milk and honey, and he thought I'd appreciate this poem book written by a man about women and love.
Just wow!!!! So moving. So amazing. I wrote down all the page numbers for all of my favorite poems, and there are seriously like 20 pages on that list. I'm going to have to add them to my quotes on goodreads so I won't forget them. It's seriously like Pierre Alex Jeanty was speaking TO ME. This book seriously gives me hope in so many ways: that good guys are out there, I will learn to love myself, and one day a guy will love me with his entire heart and never make me question my worth.
So beautiful. I will be reading anything and everything by this man....more
OMG. I LOVED THIS. I loved it soooooooooo much!!! It was hilarious. But also very serious and thought provoking. I had never even heard of Gabbie HannOMG. I LOVED THIS. I loved it soooooooooo much!!! It was hilarious. But also very serious and thought provoking. I had never even heard of Gabbie Hanna before reading this, but I'm going to have to look more into her now. She seems to have a pretty good understanding of being an adult in today's society. I loved all of her illustrations with the poems, and this was seriously (in my opinion) up there with Rupi Kaur! Highly recommend this....more
Maybe it's just because the first one blew me away so much, or maybe I just wasn't as emotional as I was when I read the first one, but this one just Maybe it's just because the first one blew me away so much, or maybe I just wasn't as emotional as I was when I read the first one, but this one just didn't do it for me. It truly seemed like Amanda was trying SO hard to make up these poems. The first one seemed so natural, like she was really feeling those feelings, and this one just seemed very forced. It seems like she took this new wave of feminism being discussed so much lately and tried to really appeal to those feminists or something. I can't even explain it, lol. I would say read it so you can see yourself, but I can honestly say it felt kind of like a waste of time!! I'm giving it two stars instead of one though, because even though I thought these poems sucked, I *still* wouldn't be able to write them as well as she did....more
Ugh. This woman. Is a genius. I will seriously read anything and everything by her. She genuinley understands pain, heartbreak, depression, being in yUgh. This woman. Is a genius. I will seriously read anything and everything by her. She genuinley understands pain, heartbreak, depression, being in your thoughts, sadness, growth, etc. I have never in my life had anyone explain exactly how I am feeling in such a small amount of words. This book really isn't for everyone unless you really want to just read beautiful poetry. I think to FULLY understand this book, you have to be someone who deals with a never ending amount of emotions and each emotion in the strongest sense. And I do. I spend most days wondering "Has anyone ever loved this hard?" or "Am I the only one in this world who literally just doesn't feel okay?" And Rupi Kaur reminds me that this is life - it's fucking hard. And I'm not the only one dealing with this amount of emotion and feeling. I added my favorite quotes on here, and it somehow managed to be almost every single quote in the book! Haha. But they ALL have to be reminders.
I WILL be okay, and I WILL learn to love myself more each and every day.
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"i do not weep because i'm unhappy i weep because i have everything yet i am unhappy"
This is an exact reflection of my thoughts of sadness/depression.
If you're someone who can't understand how someone depressed can be that way if they have it all/a loving family, etc. - just know that we don't understand it either. And it makes it THAT much harder. Even someone who has all the love in the world can still feel worthless and useless in this world - and it doesn't make it any easier when you know people around you have even less than you and can find happiness and peace - when it's genuinely all you want.
Just bear with us people who feel ALL the feels. But it will pay off in the long run to keep us around because on the other hand, we love with our whole hearts. If we are able to feel one emotion so strongly, it only makes sense that we would feel every emotion with intensity and passion. I don't hate who I am; I just often don't understand it. And this book helps me understand a little bit more.
"i am made of water of course i am emotional"...more
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