Phases: Poems – A Vulnerable Debut in the Tradition of Rita Dove, Exploring Healing, Heartbreak, and Change

by Tramaine Suubi

In this electrifying debut poetry collection—written with the ferocity of Rita Dove’s groundbreaking Thomas and Beulah—a critically acclaimed award-winning talent explores a wide range of emotions, from anxiety to ecstasy reflecting the moon's phases, from Waning Gibbous to Full.

Both intimate and intricately structured Tramaine Suubi’s remarkable work is inspired by the moon—its phases’ effects on water, the Earth, and our bodies. Phases relishes in the beauty of change, even that caused by heartbreak. Suubi’s refreshing, vulnerable verse begs to be underlined, memorized, and shared; each of her poems operate as love letters to the cyclical healing that occurs in nature, in our bodies, and in the bodies that have come before us. 

Genres: Poetry

160 pages, Paperback

Published January 28, 2025

Reviews

[WellReadAndRatchet · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve been wanting to read more poetry and I enjoyed this one. Of course, I loved the idea of the sections aligning with each phase of the moon. Brink, asphyxiation, anti-beatitudes, and juju were standouts for me. I’ll definitely revisit this collection.

[Daffodils_and_books · Rating 3 out of 5]

Phases is a beautiful debut poetry collection. The poems are approachable and easy to read, especially for readers new to poetry, while being lyrical and thought provoking. I really enjoyed the artful way the poems were categorized by the phases of the moon- giving the collection its name. It felt like the natural progression of a story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Amistad for supplying me with an advanced reader copy of Phases by Tramaine Suubi.

[Ivoree Malcom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Despite this being her debut title, I’m admittedly late to the game—I read Tramaine Suubi’s second book, Stages, first. Still, Phases stands confidently on its own as a beautifully fluid & emotionally honest collection.

This book is filled with poems that cycle through familiar emotional periods, much like an internal soundtrack of an emotional rollercoaster. The themes echo the longing & emotional fixation found in songs like Emotional Rollercoaster by Vivian Green, In My Mind by Heather Headley, & It Kills Me by Melanie Fiona—where loving someone else, particularly a man, feels consuming & inescapable. Yet what makes Phases resonate so deeply is how those emotions gradually shift. The collection blossoms into self-love, self-awareness, & empowerment, giving strong Gotta Be by Des’ree energy, layered with affirmations & quiet confidence.

The transition from external validation to internal grounding is handled with grace. Suubi captures vulnerability without weakness, growth without pretense. The fluidity & flow of the poems make the collection feel intentional, as though each piece is guiding the reader through a necessary emotional evolution rather than isolated moments.

There’s honestly no negative sentiment I can express about this title. Phases is reflective, relatable, & empowering—an impressive debut that makes it clear Suubi has always known her voice, even from the very beginning.

[Casey O'Brien · Rating 2 out of 5]

One of my goals for the year is to read more poetry so thx Netgalley for this ARC to start me off this year.

The concept of this collection had me very intrigued. Phases is a very approachable poetry collection, perfect for people who don’t read much poetry but want something modern with more depth than the short-form styles that have been trendy in recent years. There’s clear intention in the writing, and I really enjoyed the concept of paired poems, like here you are and here you are again.

That said, this collection didn’t personally resonate with me. I think it just wasn’t for me, but I know women who would connect deeply with these poems and find meaning in them.

A few standout pieces for me were Love languages, Instincts, Crumbling, Who Invented the Blues, Tongues, and Long Live the Queen—most of which play with form, where I think the author really shines.

All in all, there’s nothing wrong with this collection; it just didn’t land for me the way I hoped it would.

[Hillary Gonzalez · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an exquisite collection of poems! Suubi jumps out of the gate with a collection that you won't want to put down (I certainly didn't). There are several poems in this collection that I will treasure for the rest of my life. I've purchased additional copies to give them away as gifts.

I knew I was going to love this collection as soon as I opened the book and saw the quote from Audre Lorde, "The white feathers told us: I think, therefore I am. The Black mother within each of us-the poet-whispers in our dreams: I feel, therefore I can be free."

I love the structure of Phases: correlating each poem to phases of the moon. My favorite poems were, "Hands," "Love Languages," "Legacy," "My Grief, Observed," and having lost my own grandmother, "Swan Song" absolutely shattered my heart, but also gently knit it back together again.

If you've never picked up a poetry book before, let it be this one.

[WhimsyRead · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love poetry collections that make you think, and I love reading poetry written by people of color and minorities. I feel like there is wisdom to be learned from the words of those who face the most ugly, the most hatred, the most pain, in this world we live in.

This collection of poetry was powerful and moving, the kind of poems you read over thrice or more, absorbing the layers within the verses. I appreciated the poem “anti-beatitudes” as I saw my own struggle against society and the US medical system. It both saddens me to know it is not uncommon experience and empowers me to continue being my own fierce advocate. Any woman should read this collection—it gave me goosebumps many times during my reading.

An honor to read your words and feel your soul—thank you, Tramaine!

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous. Through the phases of the moon, Suubi takes us from a youthful vision of love to a more mature understanding of love in romance, the planet, friendship, and one's own body.

"what if death is not the opposite of life
but simply a shift in time"

Repetition bleeds throughout the book, bringing understanding through sound. Suubi is multilingual and her attention to language shines in this collection.

"i am a woman of many tongues
delicate with my words
use a pair of tongs to take them
out of my mouth
lay them gently in the world"

At the Baltimore launch party, Dawson asked what Suubi wanted people to ask about the book. I remember the powerful reaction, but not the answer. Maybe we will get more of what Suubi wants us to see in book two.

[Books Amongst Friends · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a great debut collection that will have me on the lookout for more from this poet. There were plenty of standout selections that resonated with me personally, though some felt they were capturing a general feeling. I would recommend this book for anyone looking to read more poetry or just starting to explore the genre. There’s so many pieces here that I’m sure plenty of readers will enjoy this collection fully.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thought-provoking. Soul-quenching. I love how poetry resonates in different ways for different people, which makes it that much more difficult to truly review. Will you find something you resonate with in here, something that evokes many feelings - I absolutely think you will. I resonated with many, but one that I keep going back to is titled “in no particular order.” For me, it’s a reminder to love myself, get to know myself, to continue to discover things about myself and enjoy myself. If you like poetry, I’d definitely recommend giving this a read.

Disclaimer: this ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Karlen HK · Rating 3 out of 5]

*An ARC of this book was provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.*

This is a not-bad debut collection. Some of the poems felt like filler and could have been left out. Some were pretty trite. However, when the author gets it right, they really get it. I think their next collection will be one to watch for.

[Miranda Beaupre · Rating 3 out of 5]

this book was a lot. it was moving, it was deep, it was dark, and it was unapologetic. i gave it 3 stars, because i felt as if i liked about 70% of the content, but didn’t fully connect with the rest of it.
thank you net galley for the opportunity to read this as an arc!

[Melissa Martinez · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a poetry book I received through NetGalley. I went in blind, but chose it because of the cover. It was a great read. Lovely poetry book.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I used to love reading and writing poetry, but somehow drifted away from it over the years. I am hoping to reignite this interest this year and Phases seemed like just the collection to dive in with. I liked the idea of a collection inspired by the moon and the way it impacts everything, but this fell a little short for me. Certain pieces were powerful and moving, while others missed the mark entirely. I suppose that is how poetry works though; not every piece speaks to everyone. I hope in their next collection, the author challenges themselves to dig deeper, as some of their work feels like it just grazes the surface.

[Cynthia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this poetry collection, but unfortunately, for me, it fell a bit flat. Instead of being spare and accessible (which I would consider good qualities), I found the poems lacking in lyricism and complexity. They aimed at profound but too often landed at cliche.

There were absolutely some gems in here, including the pieces about ancestors and memory (e.g., “willows”, “lineage”, “legacy”, and “swan songs“), so I look forward to seeing this writer continue to hone their craft. I would give future books from them a chance, but this one was not for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.