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Somebody Give This Heart a Pen
From acclaimed performance poet Sophia Thakur comes a powerful new collection of poems exploring issues of identity, difference, perseverance, relationships, fear, loss and joy. The collection is arranged as life from youth to school, to home life, falling in love and falling straight back out again. The poems draw on the author’s experience as a young mixed-race young woman trying to make sense of a lonely and complicated world. With a strong narrative voice and emotional empathy, this is poetry that will resonate with all young people, whatever their background, and whatever their dreams.
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First published September 8, 2020
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About the author
Sophia Thakur
7 books56 followersSophia Thakur has been performing since the age of sixteen and has a wide reach across social media. She has presented two TED Talks and has worked closely with young people, sharing her poems and the creative process. This is her first published collection. She lives in Middlesex, England.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 313 reviews
September 1, 2020
I received an ARC of this book for free from the publisher (Candlewick Press) in exchange for an honest review.
This book of poetry was written by a performance poet and it shows!
I’ve never read a collection by a performance poet before, so it took a little getting used to at first. But once I got the hang of it, I loved it! Just reading the poems on paper doesn’t do it justice. I actually ended up watching some of her performances on YouTube, including a few of the poems from this book. She really is a talent!
I had a lot of favorites, especially from the Break section. My favorites were:
-Excerpt from a Letter to My Little Black Girl (pg 12)
-the leaders won’t (pg 23)
-Fearmongering (pg 25)
-Risky Nostalgia (pg 41)
-How We Got Here, Part 20 (pg 49)
-Whipped on You (pg 54)
-Trust Issues (pg 58)
-Slow Sky, Move On By (pg 63)
-Scary Everyone (pg 64)
-Fidgeting (pg 66)
-Let Hurt (pg 68)
-from God (pg 81)
-When to Write (pg 98)
I loved how authentic her poems felt. I could feel her emotions and experiences very vividly. I liked that some of the poems touched upon being black in the UK. In “the leaders won’t,” she name checks Black British people (Damilola, Stephen Lawrences, and Mark Duggan specifically) who were all killed in racially motivated attacks. #BlackLivesMatter everywhere. Being an American I had not heard of these deaths before so I’m so glad she said their names.
Overall, this was a phenomenal collection and I look forward to seeing what else Sophia Thakur puts out.
This book of poetry was written by a performance poet and it shows!
I’ve never read a collection by a performance poet before, so it took a little getting used to at first. But once I got the hang of it, I loved it! Just reading the poems on paper doesn’t do it justice. I actually ended up watching some of her performances on YouTube, including a few of the poems from this book. She really is a talent!
I had a lot of favorites, especially from the Break section. My favorites were:
-Excerpt from a Letter to My Little Black Girl (pg 12)
-the leaders won’t (pg 23)
-Fearmongering (pg 25)
-Risky Nostalgia (pg 41)
-How We Got Here, Part 20 (pg 49)
-Whipped on You (pg 54)
-Trust Issues (pg 58)
-Slow Sky, Move On By (pg 63)
-Scary Everyone (pg 64)
-Fidgeting (pg 66)
-Let Hurt (pg 68)
-from God (pg 81)
-When to Write (pg 98)
I loved how authentic her poems felt. I could feel her emotions and experiences very vividly. I liked that some of the poems touched upon being black in the UK. In “the leaders won’t,” she name checks Black British people (Damilola, Stephen Lawrences, and Mark Duggan specifically) who were all killed in racially motivated attacks. #BlackLivesMatter everywhere. Being an American I had not heard of these deaths before so I’m so glad she said their names.
Overall, this was a phenomenal collection and I look forward to seeing what else Sophia Thakur puts out.
November 7, 2019
I need to begin this review by saying that I'm not much of a poetry lover. I really do wish poetry moved me in the way I see it moves others but unfortunately it doesn't. I also need to add that before receiving this book I'd never heard of Sophia Thakur either.
What I can say is that those that love poetry collections will adore this book. It is split into five sections - The Process - Grow - Wait - Break - Grow Again. Each section contains a collection of poems that fits that category perfectly. They speak to people and help them on their self-discovery journey.
Some of the poems are just a few lines, others are full pages. The poems are all meaningful and I can see them speaking to people and especially young adults finding that they may help them in some way or another.
Overall it is a lovely book that I can see being treasured by many. I can see this becoming one of those books that people put tags in to remind them where their favourite poems are or the poems that touched them or meant something to them the most.
What I can say is that those that love poetry collections will adore this book. It is split into five sections - The Process - Grow - Wait - Break - Grow Again. Each section contains a collection of poems that fits that category perfectly. They speak to people and help them on their self-discovery journey.
Some of the poems are just a few lines, others are full pages. The poems are all meaningful and I can see them speaking to people and especially young adults finding that they may help them in some way or another.
Overall it is a lovely book that I can see being treasured by many. I can see this becoming one of those books that people put tags in to remind them where their favourite poems are or the poems that touched them or meant something to them the most.
December 22, 2021
Gorgeous cover and collection of poetry. Much of it, like all poetry, should be read aloud. There are many internal rhymes and a great rhythm to this collection. The book is broken into sections: "Grow," "Wait," "Break," and "Grow Again." So despite the heartbreaking poems, it ends on a hopeful note. And even the acknowledgments, which I love to read, give thanks to the people who inspired the work and experienced the poems alongside her. I love that.
Plenty of great lines and poems to love in here.
A few favorites include: From "Secrets":
From "Let Hurt":
~Jess, Youth Services
Find this book and other titles within our catalog.
Plenty of great lines and poems to love in here.
A few favorites include: From "Secrets":
Keeping my first was lonely.
I gave her more to keep warm.
I am surprised that my jaw
has not unhinged itself
with the amount of me I keep under my tongue.
My neck has become so tough.
From "Let Hurt":
Sometimes
to heal once and one time only
first we must properly hurt.
To understand the sadness that stifles us
we must let it stifle us first
let it sink its teeth deep into our eyes
and let whatever leaks out purse
its lips against our cheeks
like a kiss asking us to be patient
~Jess, Youth Services
Find this book and other titles within our catalog.
September 10, 2020
4 STARS
This collection of poetry was written flawlessly and I can certainly feel the message and the various emotions of the author while writing each and every poem. I always love reading works by an ownvoice author and this surely did not disappoint. This collection was able to explore different themes and issues such as race, pain, love, heartbreak and friendship that are also prevalent in our society today. Although there are parts which I was not able to deeply connect with, nevertheless this is something that everyone should give a try as there is certainly something for everyone in this collection.
Huge thanks to Candlewick Press for providing me an ARC in exchange of an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This collection of poetry was written flawlessly and I can certainly feel the message and the various emotions of the author while writing each and every poem. I always love reading works by an ownvoice author and this surely did not disappoint. This collection was able to explore different themes and issues such as race, pain, love, heartbreak and friendship that are also prevalent in our society today. Although there are parts which I was not able to deeply connect with, nevertheless this is something that everyone should give a try as there is certainly something for everyone in this collection.
Huge thanks to Candlewick Press for providing me an ARC in exchange of an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
November 1, 2020
Thanks to NetGalley and Candlewick Press for an egalley in exchange for an honest review
Sophia Thakur treats teen readers to a collection of her performance poetry that addresses love, loss, friendship, and being a young mixed-race woman in our modern world.
I don't know if I have quite gained the knack of reviewing poetry but I will not deny that I did seek out Sophia's performances on Youtube. Highly recommended as another way to truly appreciate the weight of each word written and spoken by the poet.
Goodreads review 01/11/20
Publication Date 08/09/20
#SomebodyGiveThisHeartaPen #NetGalley
Sophia Thakur treats teen readers to a collection of her performance poetry that addresses love, loss, friendship, and being a young mixed-race woman in our modern world.
I don't know if I have quite gained the knack of reviewing poetry but I will not deny that I did seek out Sophia's performances on Youtube. Highly recommended as another way to truly appreciate the weight of each word written and spoken by the poet.
Goodreads review 01/11/20
Publication Date 08/09/20
#SomebodyGiveThisHeartaPen #NetGalley
September 1, 2020
Thank you Netgalley and Candlewick Press for a copy of Somebody Give This Heart a Pen for an honest review.
This was a collection of beautiful poems. Talking about different points in life. I'm not a big poetry reader so it's hard to write a great review about this book. I liked it!
This was a collection of beautiful poems. Talking about different points in life. I'm not a big poetry reader so it's hard to write a great review about this book. I liked it!
July 23, 2019
It has been a while since I read poetry books.
This book talks about heartbreak, love, family, friendship and race.
The writing is good and the choice of words the author used are easy to understand. Some of the poems are relatable but I couldn’t feel the real emotion on some of them. It’s not bad, maybe it’s just me who cannot relate with some of the poems.
If you want to try reading poetry, I recommend this book.
Disclaimer: Thank you Pansing for sending me a copy of Somebody Give This Heart a Pen in return for an honest review. This book will be available on October 2019.
This book talks about heartbreak, love, family, friendship and race.
The writing is good and the choice of words the author used are easy to understand. Some of the poems are relatable but I couldn’t feel the real emotion on some of them. It’s not bad, maybe it’s just me who cannot relate with some of the poems.
If you want to try reading poetry, I recommend this book.
Disclaimer: Thank you Pansing for sending me a copy of Somebody Give This Heart a Pen in return for an honest review. This book will be available on October 2019.
August 16, 2025
I was moved so much, in so little pages.
July 13, 2022
TW: self harm
Loved all the poems about growth, and the writing in general is stellar.
Loved all the poems about growth, and the writing in general is stellar.
February 12, 2021
I think the content of this book was definitely worth five stars, but I rate my books based on enjoyment and I didn't enjoy this that much.
The poems were really thought-provoking and interesting, but a lot of it just flew over my head. Most of them I didn't understand. Also, I just have a tendency not to like poetry that much, so I probably should have known that this wouldn't be a five-star read.
This book covered a lot of concepts:
- racism
- violence
- sexual assault
- heartbreak
- toxicity
- depression
- anorexia
The poems covered how fucked-up the world is, but added a lot of hope to it. I think it's the kind of book that a lot of people need to read. However, I didn't really like the writing style (mostly because I didn't understand it) and the way it swung from one topic to the next really confused me. I was expecting more of a flow between different issues. Instead, the poems went from depression to love to heartbreak to anorexia to racism to sexual assault, with no real correlation. It just didn't work for me.
I loved the messages this book carried and the problems that it covered, and I think the poems were definitely a powerful way to get that across, but it could have been better-executed for my brain cell to understand.
Still, I would definitely recommend this.
The poems were really thought-provoking and interesting, but a lot of it just flew over my head. Most of them I didn't understand. Also, I just have a tendency not to like poetry that much, so I probably should have known that this wouldn't be a five-star read.
This book covered a lot of concepts:
- racism
- violence
- sexual assault
- heartbreak
- toxicity
- depression
- anorexia
The poems covered how fucked-up the world is, but added a lot of hope to it. I think it's the kind of book that a lot of people need to read. However, I didn't really like the writing style (mostly because I didn't understand it) and the way it swung from one topic to the next really confused me. I was expecting more of a flow between different issues. Instead, the poems went from depression to love to heartbreak to anorexia to racism to sexual assault, with no real correlation. It just didn't work for me.
I loved the messages this book carried and the problems that it covered, and I think the poems were definitely a powerful way to get that across, but it could have been better-executed for my brain cell to understand.
Still, I would definitely recommend this.
September 15, 2020
Sophia Thakur is a force to be reckoned with! As a performance poet, her written words are just as powerful and jumps from the pages and into my heart - searing it with emotions and feelings about love and loss, joy, resilience, strength, and what it is like to live in the moment. This collection of poems are an absolute delight to read, and reread. Read it for yourself, read it aloud to share with others. It is completely mesmerizing!
June 21, 2020
I received an eARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Trigger warning: anxiety, self-harm
This is a powerful collection of poems by a biracial author that I think everyone should read!
The poetry is so raw and heartbreaking at times that it made me feel things. In her poems she talks about being biracial, talks about politics and family. She also describes what I think is a toxic relationship and then heartbreak as well. Her growth is shown throughout the book and I was floored by her writing.
The following are some of my favorite excerpts from the book.
To describe her anxiety she writes the following lines from her poem titled "Secrets":
My family have never responded well to imperfection
so the truth of things often comes second.
I swore to my lips
to never send up anything that will compromise
anyone's perception of me.
I have a vision of how I wish to be seen
and I fear that that image will be challenged
if ever they know more of me.
To describe her on-off relationship she writes the following lines from her poem titled "How we got here part 20":
But this war we have between us is familiar
and the comfort in familiarity is easier than either of us
deciding to leave.
About her growth and moving on from all the negativity she describes it in her poem titled "Sprouting":
Maybe one day, by accident, you'll take a sip or dip in the
river that healed me. And in swallowing, taste all of the
things that could have killed me, but instead, helped me
grow into everything that you swore I could never become
without you.
This was an amazing collection of poems for a debut author and I look forward to more by her.
Trigger warning: anxiety, self-harm
This is a powerful collection of poems by a biracial author that I think everyone should read!
The poetry is so raw and heartbreaking at times that it made me feel things. In her poems she talks about being biracial, talks about politics and family. She also describes what I think is a toxic relationship and then heartbreak as well. Her growth is shown throughout the book and I was floored by her writing.
The following are some of my favorite excerpts from the book.
To describe her anxiety she writes the following lines from her poem titled "Secrets":
My family have never responded well to imperfection
so the truth of things often comes second.
I swore to my lips
to never send up anything that will compromise
anyone's perception of me.
I have a vision of how I wish to be seen
and I fear that that image will be challenged
if ever they know more of me.
To describe her on-off relationship she writes the following lines from her poem titled "How we got here part 20":
But this war we have between us is familiar
and the comfort in familiarity is easier than either of us
deciding to leave.
About her growth and moving on from all the negativity she describes it in her poem titled "Sprouting":
Maybe one day, by accident, you'll take a sip or dip in the
river that healed me. And in swallowing, taste all of the
things that could have killed me, but instead, helped me
grow into everything that you swore I could never become
without you.
This was an amazing collection of poems for a debut author and I look forward to more by her.
July 17, 2019
Disclaimer: I receive a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
My body was once better than comparison
but other images of beauty have long stained my eyes
and I can't help but plaster potential over every part of me,
and see much f my anatomy as space to rectify,
forgetting how it felt to look myself up and down
and be at the very least,
satisfied."
I don't read a lot of poetry or poems but after reading this, I definitely will get into poetry.
This book has one of the most beautiful writings ever.
Every poetry, you could feel the emotions and the stories each of them has.
It's a book where you keep by your side and pick it up once a while when you're in a certain mood and you just want to cry or feel something.
It's divided into different section. One of the section contains poems that literally made me eyes brawl.
Its a poetry full of stories and topics on race, body talks, family, relationship, friendship, love, heartbreak and self love.
I feel like there is something for everyone.
I love this and I can't wait for it to be out so I can buy for my friends!
"Do you find peace when you are alone? Or do you claw your laptop open. Chain you eyes to you phone. Trade your thoughts for someone else's? Too busy to impose on yourself for a moment."
My body was once better than comparison
but other images of beauty have long stained my eyes
and I can't help but plaster potential over every part of me,
and see much f my anatomy as space to rectify,
forgetting how it felt to look myself up and down
and be at the very least,
satisfied."
I don't read a lot of poetry or poems but after reading this, I definitely will get into poetry.
This book has one of the most beautiful writings ever.
Every poetry, you could feel the emotions and the stories each of them has.
It's a book where you keep by your side and pick it up once a while when you're in a certain mood and you just want to cry or feel something.
It's divided into different section. One of the section contains poems that literally made me eyes brawl.
Its a poetry full of stories and topics on race, body talks, family, relationship, friendship, love, heartbreak and self love.
I feel like there is something for everyone.
I love this and I can't wait for it to be out so I can buy for my friends!
"Do you find peace when you are alone? Or do you claw your laptop open. Chain you eyes to you phone. Trade your thoughts for someone else's? Too busy to impose on yourself for a moment."
March 20, 2022
If you're from London then this poetry book is the one for you.
I am not, so it fell a bit flat for me.
I'm personally not a fan of poetry that is essentially a self-help book "you can do this, you can do this...", I prefer poetry like Angelou, "And Still I Rise..." where I can follow their story and be inspired, or poetry about externals like that of Ijeoma Umebinyuo. Just a personal preference of poetry styles, but this is more like spoken word so if you like that style then you'll love this book.
I am not, so it fell a bit flat for me.
I'm personally not a fan of poetry that is essentially a self-help book "you can do this, you can do this...", I prefer poetry like Angelou, "And Still I Rise..." where I can follow their story and be inspired, or poetry about externals like that of Ijeoma Umebinyuo. Just a personal preference of poetry styles, but this is more like spoken word so if you like that style then you'll love this book.
July 15, 2020
4.5 Stars
This poetry collection really spoke to me. There were a few poems that I didn't really connect with (mainly those with God in) but the others were beautiful. It was nice to read a good mix of poems that covered a variety of topics. I maybe wouldn't recommend this to older generations but for under 30s I think anyone could find something to relate to.
This poetry collection really spoke to me. There were a few poems that I didn't really connect with (mainly those with God in) but the others were beautiful. It was nice to read a good mix of poems that covered a variety of topics. I maybe wouldn't recommend this to older generations but for under 30s I think anyone could find something to relate to.
January 8, 2022
Honestly, this was really smart and really profound. I'm a bit envious of the way Sophia Thakur picks words so very, very carefully. It's a good envy though.
May 30, 2019
This book talks about race, pain, love, heartbreak, friendship, relationships, hate, positivity, self love and so much more. It is a very short book of 100 pages but the writer has managed to bring out the most out of the pages.
The way the poems were written were raw and deep. I could really feel the emotions of the writer drawn into the words and stanzas. I love that it didn't highlight a lot on love and romance because I couldn't relate to that just yet. In fact, some of them were so good that it has managed to seep through my grasp and I had to reread it all over again.
This is the poetry book that you need to get your hands on once it comes out. It is brimming with honesty and depth, a perfect read for anytime of the day.
The way the poems were written were raw and deep. I could really feel the emotions of the writer drawn into the words and stanzas. I love that it didn't highlight a lot on love and romance because I couldn't relate to that just yet. In fact, some of them were so good that it has managed to seep through my grasp and I had to reread it all over again.
This is the poetry book that you need to get your hands on once it comes out. It is brimming with honesty and depth, a perfect read for anytime of the day.
Read
November 27, 2020This poetry collection from Black British performance poet Sophia Thakur weaves a loosely connected narrative about a young woman coming to terms with skin color, lost loves, family, and a society that seems to disenfranchise her. Thakur includes pieces with the cadence of stage poetry along with other more experimental forms. Less edgy than the popular Rupi Kaur books, Somebody Give This Heart a Pen may appeal to readers who enjoy poetry told in a sincere, impassioned, relatable voice.
Note: Because of my work with the 2020 Cybils Awards in young adult literature, for the next month or so I will review but not rate works of young adult literature in an attempt to keep the judging process as opaque as possible.
Note: Because of my work with the 2020 Cybils Awards in young adult literature, for the next month or so I will review but not rate works of young adult literature in an attempt to keep the judging process as opaque as possible.
June 23, 2020
Raw emotion oozes out of every pore of this poetry collection. This collection of poems covers it all, love, family, coming of age, identity, police brutality and more. It's evocative, painful, brilliant, and powerful. Thakur is a talented spoken word performer and this debut collection of poetry is need now more than ever. Fearmongering, Girl You Better Sing, and Heavy World especially seem needed in these turbulent times. Definitely a voice to pay attention to and I look forward to reading more of her works!
October 3, 2019
I received this book as an ARC from YALC. I’m so so happy to say that it was was an absolute joy from beginning to end. A beautifully put together collection with wonderfully insightful poems that balanced being both deeply personal and deeply universal. Sophia Thakur’s voice is distinctive, effortless and heartfelt and I’m so so excited to shout about this book to anyone who will read it. This is a universal recommendation to anyone who has interest in poetry. So so glad I read it. It is truly gorgeous little book.
“Try to find space to hear what your heart says,
make it your best friend”
“Try to find space to hear what your heart says,
make it your best friend”
August 16, 2020
Somebody Give This Heart a Pen by Sophia Thakur
5 stars
Whimsical Writing Scale: 5
Plotastic Scale: 5
Cover Thoughts: I adore this cover. I love the font, the photography, and the background. Just a great cover.
Thank you, Netgalley and Candlewick Press, for providing me a copy of this collection in exchange for an honest review.
5 stars
Y'ALL! Y'all this collection is amazing. I want everyone to read it and bask in and I recognize that there is a group of people who will not like it because there is a lot of Thakur's relationship with Christianity and God interwoven in here through talks about policies of injustice in Europe as well as being a Black woman, but immediately after finishing this I went into my group chat with four of my best friend's and shouted about this book and hyped it up because this poetry collection is so powerful. It has heart and is interwoven with pain and bravery and boldness and the fierceness that is inside all women, but doesn't come out due to oppression and the world being a horrible place in general. You can feel that this collection was therapeutic for Thaku and the message of using a pen to write is so important and writing unleashes the mind and helps soothe the spirit. I highlighted almost every single poem and I can't wait to purchase my own copy.
Whimsical Writing Scale: 5
Plotastic Scale: 5
Cover Thoughts: I adore this cover. I love the font, the photography, and the background. Just a great cover.
Thank you, Netgalley and Candlewick Press, for providing me a copy of this collection in exchange for an honest review.
June 30, 2020
I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.
This book of poems was beautiful, raw and completely heartfelt and I really enjoyed reading it.
Some of the poems you can feel the complete heartbreak and pain the author is writing about and some are so very happy. Sophie Thakur has a great gift of making her words flow into your soul and stir up raw emotions residing inside you.
Thank you Sophie for sharing such a beautiful book with us all.
This book of poems was beautiful, raw and completely heartfelt and I really enjoyed reading it.
Some of the poems you can feel the complete heartbreak and pain the author is writing about and some are so very happy. Sophie Thakur has a great gift of making her words flow into your soul and stir up raw emotions residing inside you.
Thank you Sophie for sharing such a beautiful book with us all.
August 12, 2020
TW: anxiety and self harm
I just love reading poetry and discovering all the unique styles in which people write. It's equivalent to picking up a new author's book and realizing the way they want to share their story has these monumental differences to other books in the way that they describe their characters or lead into the plot. I enjoyed this collection of poetry a lot and could find myself in a number of them. I think whenever I can personally relate to the words being written, that's when I can understand and empathize with the author the most. There was many things I enjoyed about Thankur's poetry, but the thing I admired the most was the lyrical nature and beat each poem had. It was almost musical to read the words allow because the rhyming was done so offhandedly, the words weren't supposed to fit perfectly, but they still flowed together perfectly. I myself write poetry and find that my writing style is similar to this so I might be bias in saying that I liked it, haha. Another thing I found creatively unique was the separating of sections or chapters by these black pages full of quotes from various people and books. Each one related to the chapters (Grow, Wait, Break, Grow Again). I found myself on a journey as I read each poem and I could find myself growing alongside the author. Unfortunately, as with most poetry, unless you like every single poem, it won't be a five star read. I found that in this collection there were a number of poems that I personally didn't connect to as much, though they were still necessary and important topics. These poems also didn't have that same rhythm that the ones I loved did. Overall though, I appreciated this collection and the messages within the pages.
I just love reading poetry and discovering all the unique styles in which people write. It's equivalent to picking up a new author's book and realizing the way they want to share their story has these monumental differences to other books in the way that they describe their characters or lead into the plot. I enjoyed this collection of poetry a lot and could find myself in a number of them. I think whenever I can personally relate to the words being written, that's when I can understand and empathize with the author the most. There was many things I enjoyed about Thankur's poetry, but the thing I admired the most was the lyrical nature and beat each poem had. It was almost musical to read the words allow because the rhyming was done so offhandedly, the words weren't supposed to fit perfectly, but they still flowed together perfectly. I myself write poetry and find that my writing style is similar to this so I might be bias in saying that I liked it, haha. Another thing I found creatively unique was the separating of sections or chapters by these black pages full of quotes from various people and books. Each one related to the chapters (Grow, Wait, Break, Grow Again). I found myself on a journey as I read each poem and I could find myself growing alongside the author. Unfortunately, as with most poetry, unless you like every single poem, it won't be a five star read. I found that in this collection there were a number of poems that I personally didn't connect to as much, though they were still necessary and important topics. These poems also didn't have that same rhythm that the ones I loved did. Overall though, I appreciated this collection and the messages within the pages.
December 31, 2022
*Thank you to Walker Books for sending me a copy of this!*
I’m not really a poetry collection kind of girl, but I picked this up based on this title and cover alone because it looked so stunning. And aspects of this really were. The pieces in here on identity, growing up, womanhood, politics, culture, current affairs - they were very powerful. Through few words Thakur managed to say so much and her words really did hold weight. There were really moments of beautiful and impactful writing here.
Coupled in with these pieces though were others I found less impressive, and some even felt like page fillers in a way. They didn’t really speak much to me, and I couldn’t really figure out whether there was supposed to be a deeper meaning or if it was open to interpretation and to just take the piece as it was written. I suppose that’s always the case with poetry, but some bits in here I struggled with and didn’t find were on par with others.
It was a nice quick read and overall I did enjoy it, but it didn’t blow me away. I do imagine these pieces are stunning performed though.
I’m not really a poetry collection kind of girl, but I picked this up based on this title and cover alone because it looked so stunning. And aspects of this really were. The pieces in here on identity, growing up, womanhood, politics, culture, current affairs - they were very powerful. Through few words Thakur managed to say so much and her words really did hold weight. There were really moments of beautiful and impactful writing here.
Coupled in with these pieces though were others I found less impressive, and some even felt like page fillers in a way. They didn’t really speak much to me, and I couldn’t really figure out whether there was supposed to be a deeper meaning or if it was open to interpretation and to just take the piece as it was written. I suppose that’s always the case with poetry, but some bits in here I struggled with and didn’t find were on par with others.
It was a nice quick read and overall I did enjoy it, but it didn’t blow me away. I do imagine these pieces are stunning performed though.
July 14, 2020
More like 3.75.
I didn't realize this was a poetry collection, somehow I though it wan a novel in verse, something similar to The Poet X, and while it does give the same feeling and almost talks of a similar experience, it's a poetry collection not a novel.
The author is a spoken word poet and this is my 2nd book in this style, and it's growing on me and I'm loving it. She's talking about love and family and loss and self-confidence and faith and self image and a lot of other relatable subjects. Also talks about belonging, being an immigrant in England, and her image between her heritage and her current home. I found a lot of quotes and lines that really stuck with me, and others I couldn't relate to, as with a lot of personal writings.
It's a decent collection and gives you something to think about, but I couldn't say that I was blown away by it.
I thank Netgalley and Candlewick Press for the digital ARC.
I didn't realize this was a poetry collection, somehow I though it wan a novel in verse, something similar to The Poet X, and while it does give the same feeling and almost talks of a similar experience, it's a poetry collection not a novel.
The author is a spoken word poet and this is my 2nd book in this style, and it's growing on me and I'm loving it. She's talking about love and family and loss and self-confidence and faith and self image and a lot of other relatable subjects. Also talks about belonging, being an immigrant in England, and her image between her heritage and her current home. I found a lot of quotes and lines that really stuck with me, and others I couldn't relate to, as with a lot of personal writings.
It's a decent collection and gives you something to think about, but I couldn't say that I was blown away by it.
I thank Netgalley and Candlewick Press for the digital ARC.
February 7, 2021
I picked this up because after watching Amanda Gorman's reading at the inauguration I wanted to find more Black women poets that might appeal to our teen readers who may have seen the inauguration and could be open to trying some poetry now. While I enjoy poetry, I don't usually read whole collections because I tend to lose interest partway through. That said, I really enjoyed most of this, and I think Thakur's poetry touches on so many things that matter to our teens, from romance to family to friends to body image. While Gorman does have a book coming, I'd hand Thakur to anyone who enjoys Gorman's work and is looking for more heartfelt and beautiful poetry.
July 16, 2020
This poetry collection is by performance artist, Sophia Thakur is brilliant. As the reader, consumes each line of poetry the sounds of the words leap of the page. The collection is classified as YA but the subject matters contained within it, mature adults can identify.
I was given the opportunity to review an advanced copy of this book via NetGalley.
I was given the opportunity to review an advanced copy of this book via NetGalley.
December 22, 2022
Thank you to Walker Books for sending me a copy of Somebody Give This Heart a Pen by Sophia. Thankur. This is a deep and impactful collection of poems about love, loss, faith and self discovery.
My favourite poems were:
The lessons of adolescence are not to be learnt at the border
forever love?
risky nostalgia
when the strong friend cries
whipped on you
scary everyone
TW: (this is by no means a full list but the ones i noticed)
racism
self harm
cancer/losing loved ones
toxic relationships
My favourite poems were:
The lessons of adolescence are not to be learnt at the border
forever love?
risky nostalgia
when the strong friend cries
whipped on you
scary everyone
TW: (this is by no means a full list but the ones i noticed)
racism
self harm
cancer/losing loved ones
toxic relationships
February 28, 2021
"I think that I'm remaking the mistakes of your past and there is more to be learned from the lessons that you lived than from the proverbs you decorate your lectures with."
This raw, emotional, and moving poetry collection vibrates with power in its words. Sophia's poems tackle trauma, heartbreak, love, loss, racism, family, how others make us hate things about ourselves we never would have without the poison they look at us with, and feeling deeply. This book is truly written from the heart.
This raw, emotional, and moving poetry collection vibrates with power in its words. Sophia's poems tackle trauma, heartbreak, love, loss, racism, family, how others make us hate things about ourselves we never would have without the poison they look at us with, and feeling deeply. This book is truly written from the heart.
April 26, 2022
Thank you Candlewick Press for sending me a gifted copy for poetry month!
Liked quite a lot of these. Some were very easy to relate to. Others weren't very relatable (to me personally) but were written beautifully. Devoured most of them in one sitting.
Liked quite a lot of these. Some were very easy to relate to. Others weren't very relatable (to me personally) but were written beautifully. Devoured most of them in one sitting.
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