Dear Mirror: A Poetic Journey of Self-Reflection and Empowerment

by Madison Gonzalez, Jessica Durrant (Illustrator), Ksana Les (Illustrator)

Do you know the value of a human life? Do you know the value of YOUR human life? Do you desperately try to make yourself disappear - to fit in to the point you no longer recognize yourself?

You’ve endured a lot.

Your struggles do not define you, though they did help create you.

You are confident but unsure, too.

You are bright and full of ideas but sometimes life gets the best of you.

You want to be a better version of yourself.

You want to understand why those things happened.

You long to make sense of it all.

You want to be an uplifting force for your family and friends.

You get overwhelmed sometimes in this noisy, fast-paced society.

You are kind but you are not weak.

You want others to know that you are more than what you've been through.

You just want to feel known - most of all by yourself.

Dear Mirror is dedicated to anyone seeking the courage to rediscover who they are.

Broken into four parts: Convex, Refraction, Concave, and Reflection, this collection of poetry and prose explores some of life's most difficult challenges - mental health issues, relationship struggles, and societal standards.

Dear Mirror is a book of empowerment poetry that will guide the reader to the true power that comes with hope, perseverance, and owning one's true identity by embracing genuine self-acceptance and self-love.

150 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 11, 2019

Reviews

[Kait · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dear Mirror by Madison Gonzalez is a journey most of us are familiar with: facing labels, standards, pain from those we loved and trusted, and other external forces that distort our image of ourselves; breaking – shattering the mirror – and letting the light in; going inward to face our truths – the good we need to see and the harsh we must confront – so that we may grow and see ourselves as who we really are, not who others painted us into; and finally, finding healing, self love, and inner strength.

Though Gonzalez doesn't give us the fine, intricate lace kind of detail we often see in confessional type poetry, the journey she takes us on is clearly personal. We know that she has struggled with her self image since being bullied as a child, that she found herself in a toxic relationship and experienced deep heartache, that she has suffered from postpartum depression and anxiety, that she is raising two children in a way that empowers them to deflect external mirrors and look within. But she also manages to write in a way that allows the reader to feel like they are reading their own journey.

I found myself relating to a lot of the hurt and healing process in Dear Mirror. Reading it for a second time, and during a completely different part of my own healing journey, my experience was much different. During my first read, I felt so seen and understood while reading the first section – "Concave." During my second read, I felt most drawn to the last section – "Reflection." Whereas the poems in "Reflection" were once inspiration, something to aspire to, someone I could be, they are now a reflection of my own healing. I had goosebumps reading this and realizing how far I've come.

This is just to say that no matter where you are on your journey to healing and self love, you will find understanding, hope, and empowerment in this book. And while most of Gonzalez's poems are bite sized, they are rich as truffles and will stick to your insides for days to come. 

[James Pack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Writing can be a form of therapy and healing. Gonzalez admits writing was her way of healing from postpartum depression. In many of the poems, she is the speaker and the addressee. Many of the themes and thoughts are repeated through most of the poems. Only two poems stood out from the rest, “Growth” and “Accept Me Part 1.” These were the poems that resonated with me most. The ones I related to most. One unique aspect of the collection was the titles of the poems were at the bottom after the poem. This was new for me and I don’t believe it worked well in the kindle version. I plan to buy a paperback to see if the formatting is more appealing.

[Janelle Franco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full of emotion

I felt every. single. word. Connected. Madison Gonzalez’s writing about her journey to self-discovery felt like my exact path. Thank you for the risk you took to write this. I write poetry myself and it’s so scary to share these emotions with others. Beautifully done.

[Shelby Leigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

There were quite a few pieces about self-love and resilience that really stood out to me. I felt myself in Gonazalez's words, and I think many of the poems would be really relatable to anyone who has struggled with insecurity.

[BAM · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful

I love this book. It is full of so much hope and promise and beauty. I highly recommend this for anyone. I couldn’t put it down. 5 stars for sure!

[Dearbhla · Rating 3 out of 5]

'I realised how much I loved you when I entered hell to pay for your sins'

[Deb Ash-McKenzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Madison Gonzalez' poems spoke not only to my, but for me. they provide both validation and encouragement.

[Rebecca DeFazio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful book full of raw emotion.

I follow Madison on Instagram and was so excited for this book when she announced it! This poetry collection is full of raw emotion and is truly a great read!

I wrote a long review and did an interview with her on my website morethanaflower dot com if you would like to read more of what I thought!

[Dallin Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic Journey of Transformation Through Poetry

Simple, raw, real, relatable, fills your souls journey of transformation. The good bad and ugly of the caterpillar to butterfly transformation (there is not literal story of a caterpillar) with all the beauty of an emerging butterfly at the end (spoiler).

[Linda Deutmeyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Becoming Strong

My favorite poem tells about wishing to be written into a poem, then finding a pen in hand. I love the way the poems are divided into four sections, starting with sorrows, then becoming Strong. Many lines of strong reflections.

[W.A. Ashes · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Beautiful Tragedy with a Cup of Hope

Dear Mirror is a wonderfully written story about a woman braving her depression and anxiety to find herself. It’s told through poems and has a sprinkle of wisdom in it that I believe everyone can get something from.

[Geanne Bowman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspiring

This is a beautiful look at self=love and acceptance after struggles. The progression from a distorted view to one of empowerment is well done.
Recommend for anyone unsure of their power and trying to see themselves as worthy.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Susan

The depth of soul searching and self exploration and discovery are poignant and chilling at times. A true collection to cherish.

[Fida Islaih · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s okay.

It’s okay. I found a few pieces that became my favorite. I like the imagery the words made. I feel this poetry is not my style.