Self-Love for Small-Town Girls

by Lang Leav

Self-Love for Small Town Girls is an exciting offering from beloved bestselling author Lang Leav. A collection of stunning poetry and prose that seeks to define the loaded question of what it means to be a woman in the modern world.
As women, we create lives with our bodies but often do not have autonomy over our own. We create worlds with our words yet struggle to be heard. Collectively, we yearn for the right to be treated with compassion and equity in our public and private spaces.
 
The path to self-love is seldom a smooth one, especially for those who have further to travel. Self-Love for Small Town Girls is a book for anyone seeking the best and brightest version of themselves. Spanning decades of growth through self-analysis and introspection, Self-Love for Small Town Girls is Lang’s most personal and stunning collection to date.

Genres: Poetry, Fiction

111 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 26, 2025

About the author

Novelist and poet Lang Leav was born in a refugee camp when her family were fleeing the Khmer Rouge Regime. She spent her formative years in Sydney, Australia, in the predominantly migrant town of Cabramatta. Among her many achievements, Lang is the winner of a Qantas Spirit of Youth Award, Churchill Fellowship and Goodreads Reader’s Choice Award.

Lang has been featured on CNN, SBS Australia, Intelligence Squared UK, Radio New Zealand and in various publications, including Vogue, Newsweek, the Straits Times, the Guardian, and the New York Times. She currently lives in New Zealand with her partner and fellow author, Michael Faudet.

Reviews

[Heather Mclarry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely stunning poetry

[Elvina Zafril · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the latest poetry book by Lang Leav. I didn't put any expectations on this book. When I read it, I just thought that the collection of poems is more about lost lover rather than self-love. But this poetry book still has a few poems related to self-love.

I did enjoy the poems but this wasn't the best poetry collections she wrote. Although some of her words did reach my heart. My favorite poems are
1. Self-Worth
2. At Peace
3. What You Deserve
4. Midnight
5. Where Everything Is

Thank you Times Reads for sending me a copy of Self-Love for Small-Town Girls in return for an honest review.

[Kayla Randolph · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish the subject matter of this collection had more to do with the title. I wanted more poems about how self-love looks different when you come from or are stuck in a small town. Instead, these were mostly poems offering reassurance about romantic routes not taken. There’s naturally a place for that, but it wasn’t what I was hoping for.

That aside, here are my favorites:

- “Fiction”

- “Only Good Things”

- “Into Love”

- “I Am Leaving”

- “Your Place”

- “Self-Explanatory”

- “Attachments”

- “A Book in His Hand”

- “Time for Me”

[Nicole · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ya’ll cannot convince me that this poetry book is better than any of my emo tweets I put out when I was in high school.

[hans · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short trip to English prose and poetry for a quick light read. Self-Love For Small Town Girls was a collection of soul searching and self-love vignettes caught in paragraphs and stanzas; of love, admiration, life struggles and heartbreak with moments of reflection and the hummings of life in general. Nothing fancy and quite straightforwardly written to me yet still resonating an expressive perspective that can be both relatable and uplifting much.

I always fancy poetry with rhythmic verses and I can see few from this collection with its easy to grasp allegory and lyrical pace. The prose was more to my liking as I find reading something in paragraphs with a storytelling alike as more arresting also I love how most prose having its strong proposition in presenting the author’s vivid and suggestive nuance in exploring her intended themes.

From the author’s note, Lang Leav considered that this was her most intimate collection for how the writings represent her enlightenment towards the slow ongoing process she took to understand and appreciate self-love. I still enjoyed the simplicity and few that enthralled me. Not quite an exceptional collection overall to me but maybe to few this could be a comfort read or a treat if you crave for a light reading.

“If my life were a page
you would be the place I mark
the highlight—
the line I would underline—
then circle twice…”

“My hunger for you was abstract.”

“My days are mine now; I get a say in how I spend them. My life is beautiful because I say it is.”

Thank you Times Reads for sending me a copy to review!

[Nas · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I read the first few pages, I felt so out of touch with this book. It seemed like Lang and I were not in the same page anymore, just like we did in her previous books.

But the more I read, the more I discovered that “hey, we’re still on the same page!”

Lang was and still, has a way with words.

I found bits and pieces of myself here and there, in between the pages, sitting side by side between the words and syllables.

As I soaked up all of her words, I couldn’t help but let my mind wandered around, replaying the memories I shared with that one person like a broken record.

I couldn’t help but only thought of that one person.

Here’s my favourite part from the book:

“I thought of how every living thing dies alone. And I wondered if it was better to grasp the meaning of loss while I still had everything to lose. Or if I would prefer loss remain incomprehensible up until the aftermath.”

——

“You believed your understanding of me to be absolute when you had barely scratched the surface. There were times I peeled back the layers of skin, but I caught a glimpse of your disgust at each interval, felt reduced by your summation of me in those moments, felt myself retreating from you like a wounded animal.”

——

“You haven’t said a word to me in such a long while —
Why?

I am waiting for things to pass
Such as?

Such as my hurt
Such as your memory of me
Such as time”

[♡ rey · Rating 5 out of 5]

➥ ❪ 𝟬𝟰/𝟭𝟬/𝟮𝟯 ─ 𝟱★ ❫
 ▸ read on storytel
  ▸ ebook

❝𝕴 𝖙𝖍𝖔𝖚𝖌𝖍𝖙 𝖔𝖋 𝖍𝖔𝖜 𝖊𝖛𝖊𝖗𝖞 𝖑𝖎𝖛𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖙𝖍𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖉𝖎𝖊𝖘 𝖆𝖑𝖔𝖓𝖊. 𝕬𝖓𝖉 𝕴 𝖜𝖔𝖓𝖉𝖊𝖗𝖊𝖉 𝖎𝖋 𝖎𝖙 𝖜𝖆𝖘 𝖇𝖊𝖙𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝖙𝖔 𝖌𝖗𝖆𝖘𝖕 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖒𝖊𝖆𝖓𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖔𝖋 𝖑𝖔𝖘𝖘 𝖜𝖍𝖎𝖑𝖊 𝕴 𝖘𝖙𝖎𝖑𝖑 𝖍𝖆𝖉 𝖊𝖛𝖊𝖗𝖞𝖙𝖍𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖙𝖔 𝖑𝖔𝖘𝖊. 𝕺𝖗 𝖎𝖋 𝕴 𝖜𝖔𝖚𝖑𝖉 𝖕𝖗𝖊𝖋𝖊𝖗 𝖑𝖔𝖘𝖘 𝖗𝖊𝖒𝖆𝖎𝖓 𝖎𝖓𝖈𝖔𝖒𝖕𝖗𝖊𝖍𝖊𝖓𝖘𝖎𝖇𝖑𝖊 𝖚𝖕 𝖚𝖓𝖙𝖎𝖑 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖆𝖋𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖒𝖆𝖙𝖍.❞

❝𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝖙𝖎𝖒𝖊 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝖈𝖆𝖗𝖊 𝖞𝖔𝖚 𝖕𝖚𝖙 𝖎𝖓𝖙𝖔 𝖙𝖍𝖎𝖓𝖌𝖘 𝖜𝖎𝖑𝖑 𝖓𝖊𝖛𝖊𝖗 𝖌𝖔 𝖚𝖓𝖓𝖔𝖙𝖎𝖈𝖊𝖉.❞

❝𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝖋𝖚𝖗𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖗 𝖞𝖔𝖚 𝖌𝖊𝖙 𝖎𝖓 𝖑𝖎𝖋𝖊, 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖋𝖆𝖘𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝖊𝖛𝖊𝖗𝖞𝖙𝖍𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖒𝖔𝖛𝖊𝖘. 𝖄𝖔𝖚 𝖔𝖓𝖑𝖞 𝖌𝖊𝖙 𝖘𝖔 𝖒𝖚𝖈𝖍 𝖙𝖎𝖒𝖊 𝖙𝖔 𝖙𝖆𝖐𝖊 𝖊𝖛𝖊𝖗𝖞𝖙𝖍𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖎𝖓, 𝖙𝖔 𝖉𝖊𝖈𝖎𝖉𝖊 𝖜𝖍𝖆𝖙 𝖙𝖔 𝖌𝖗𝖆𝖘𝖕, 𝖜𝖍𝖆𝖙 𝖙𝖔 𝖍𝖔𝖑𝖉 𝖔𝖓 𝖙𝖔. [...] 𝖄𝖔𝖚 𝖒𝖆𝖞 𝖔𝖓𝖑𝖞 𝖍𝖆𝖛𝖊 𝖆 𝖋𝖗𝖆𝖈𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓 𝖔𝖋 𝖆 𝖘𝖊𝖈𝖔𝖓𝖉 𝖙𝖔 𝖒𝖆𝖐𝖊 𝖚𝖕 𝖞𝖔𝖚𝖗 𝖒𝖎𝖓𝖉. 𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝖒𝖔𝖘𝖙 𝖎𝖒𝖕𝖔𝖗𝖙𝖆𝖓𝖙 𝖙𝖍𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖎𝖘 𝖙𝖍𝖆𝖙 𝖞𝖔𝖚 𝖉𝖔.❞

[Bryanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

The title was deceiving for what the poems were actually about. I still enjoyed reading it but would have liked more poems about living in or leaving a small town.

[Viki · Rating 3 out of 5]

eh

[alya adlina · Rating 4 out of 5]

solid 4 stars.

what a beautiful and brilliant poems. lang leav is one of the best poets ever. never disappoints me at all. there’s a few poems that i could relate to myself, it was just so relatable in many ways and it just filled with things that i really needed to hear and be reminded of every seconds. self-love is one of the topics that i really focused on in my real life. i got insecure and hurt so many times so that’s why all these poems in this book just hit close to me. the way everything in this book and the poems are about yearning, loving and knowing that you deserves everything in this world is just so perfect. it gives me more confidence to love and protect myself even more.

pls read this book that’s all i need to say.

[Selina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thought I would try reading some poetry for the first time! I saw this pretty cover in the library and flipped to a random page and it was really deep. My favorite page would have to be the one titled "Rooms" because it felt very philosophical and made me ponder life :)

[Sunidhi Panchal · Rating 2 out of 5]

Repetitive! I would love for Lang Leav to write something positive like re-discovering self. From the title I thought this book was going to be a breath of fresh air. But again, it's about heartbreaks, lost love, etc. Reading this is like reading fragments from a teenage girl's daily journal.

[Kaelyn H · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5 stars
A very much needed read. My favorite poem has to be Attachment to a Time.

“I think we attach meaning to specific periods in our lives; the memories rendered during those times are often deeply imbued with portents and miracles, which can only uncover in hindsight. Yet these are the moments that go on to shape our lives in new and unexpected ways. It seems the further away we get from those memories, the greater they grow in significance. Strange how things feel more vibrant and alive with the passing of time, when there is less of it.”

[Taryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice, simple collection, the poems towards the end resonated with me a bit more. Although the title suggests it's all about self-love, it actually feels like the loss of love, or the love not taken, which I found to have a vibe similar to Taylor Swift's "tis the damn season." (one of my fave tswift songs so that was okay with me). It's a collection I can maybe see myself coming back to every now and then.

[Audrey MacRae · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I think we attach meaning to specific periods in our lives; the memories rendered during those times are often deeply imbued with portents and miracles, which we can only uncover in hindsight. Yet these are the moments that go on to shape our lives in new and unexpected ways. It seems the further away we get from those memories, the greater they grow in significance. Strange how things feel more vibrant ind alive with the passing of time, when there is less of it.”

[Mariana Rufino · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know I’ll get back to this at some point. Sure, some poems and excerpts are better than others, but the majority resonated with me and it had been a while since I’d read pieces of myself in other people’s words.

[Sammie Pechkurow · Rating 5 out of 5]

honestly forgot how much I love a good poetry book.

this one was so relatable at times in the best way possible and was filled with things I just felt I needed to hear and be reminded of.

[Rehan Abd Jamil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Its like facing a mirror😢. It all make sense..

[Katrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Soft and reflective

[Quyen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A friend recommended this book. Reading every poem page to page was lovely. It’s a reflection of love and gratitude to one’s self. I highly recommend.

[Jem · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5

[Book'd Hitu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the poetry.
Some of the poetries reminds me of Rupi Kaur's.

[qist · Rating 4 out of 5]

breezed through in a sitting, some poems do hit the spot rent free ╰(*´︶`*)╯

[Chelsee BreAnn BreAnn · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️
After reading the title of Lang’s newest poetry collection, I thought it would be about self-care and self-worth. There are actually only a handful of poems on the subject. Most of them are about a lost lover. “Sad Small-Town Girls” would have been a more fitting title.

I absolutely adore Lang’s poetry! I own and have read all of her other books. This one just didn’t hit the mark for me. Her other books are well above 5 ⭐️s! This book barely hit 3.5.

[Kiki · Rating 4 out of 5]

There were some really good poems in this! But I gotta admit that it wasn’t really about self love most of the time, this was more about breakups. That left me kinda disappointed.

[Gala :) · Rating 3 out of 5]

My favorite part was reading this on holiday with my friends every day before bed. This was lovely and painful and gut wrenching and sad but also comforting and kind and peaceful.
I have this thing where I turn to poetry when things feel over and so I hated turning to this one originally but now ... Yeah this one's good I like this one.
Idk how to rate poetry, any way.

[Nick Garcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven’t read a Lang Leav book since 2017. To be honest, I enjoyed her poetry more than her novels. This was the first poetry book in such a long while I got into AND I purposely took my time reading it because I wanted to dissect it thoroughly. It was relatable and encouraging. It felt like my younger poet self was inspired again. I wasn’t disappointed!

[Katy-Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Been thinking a lot about past lives lately, and that we say we have many “versions” of ourselves or that we’re not the same people anymore or we’ve changed, we’re different. This collection really delved into that a lot and learning and accepting and loving that we have and always will be who we are. Us. You. Me. I feel like I read this when I was meant to.

“My life is beautiful because I say it is.”

[M]

Leav’s poetry is a simple look for connection, almost something you’d write in a message to a friend or an ex-lover. Most of her poems are short-form, some in verse, many in prose, and many deal with - as the title says it - self-love, learning to be well with oneself, learning to live without the loved one, heartbreaks and writing. In their simplicity, many poems strike me as too general, as if painting over life in broad strokes, refusing to go deeper into one’s actual, specific source of suffering or joy. I wish some of them had been longer, opening up more of the writer’s world, but many seem to be conclusions, thoughts already passed, digested, given to us in their oven-baked form.

“Poetry is the recognition of the disparate. The arrangement of words that should not otherwise belong together, yet once put side by side leads us to question how they could have ever been apart.” (p. 17)

I enjoyed some of the exercise-poems, which encourage you towards an action, such as: “Ask your inner child, What do you want me to do for you today? / Give them all the time in the world to answer. / And then do what they ask.” (p. 137)

And what I really enjoyed was how beautiful this white-blue paperback version is, so delicate with its embedded title and few lines drawn, barely a silhouette.

[maisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Happy Pub Day to the newest Lang Leav! I pre-ordered this and devoured it once it arrived in the mail.

Self-Love for Small Town Girls may be one of my favorite poetry collections by Lang Leav yet. Her writing is always warm and inviting, a form of perpetual comfort. In this collection, Lang Leav gets candid about her struggles with self-love and self-worth, how the outside world has played too much of a role for so long. She shares poems about writing and how it is her destined craft and lifeline in a way. Those were the poems I resonated with most — they were so beautifully written. She speaks on love and relationships as well, which were great too. I loved it and can’t wait to revisit the poetry over and over.

Some of my favorites from the collection are:
- Poetry Is
- Uncertainty
- To Be a Writer
- Where Everything Is
- Every Scrap of It
- The Craft
- Self-Explanatory
- Attachments
- With Writing
- Self-Worth