Faces to the Sun

by S.J. Blasko, Becky B., Sarah Birch

Faces to the Sun is an anthology project devised and spearheaded by SJ Blasko. It aims to chip away at the stigma surrounding the subjects of mental health and mental illness by bringing together 45 independent creators from around the world to share their experiences through writing and art.

The book itself is 236 gorgeous, full-color pages filled with artwork, photography, poetry and prose.

Following in the footsteps of our first anthology (There is Us), all proceeds from the sales of Faces to the Sun will be donated monthly to organizations and groups providing mental health services, such as:

BEAM (Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective)
The Trevor Project
ASAN (Autistic Self Advocacy Network)

Genres: Poetry

236 pages, Paperback

Published November 18, 2020

About the author

SJ Blasko is a poet and fantasy writer from Massachusetts, USA. As an LGBTQ Christian, much of their work revolves around the intersection of faith, love, and identity. They have a deep appreciation for "weird" fiction, and love getting lost in worlds that are not our own.

Reviews

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a collection of poetry and short stories all written by people who struggle with mental health and mental illness. The point of the anthology is to help other strugglers to see they're not alone, and to help people who don't deal with mental health troubles to understand what that can be like. It succeeds admirably at the latter, for me.

All proceeds from sales of this book go to organizations that provide mental health services, which I think is neat.

I liked so many pieces in this book, so I'm just going to list my favorites, in the order in which they occur:

"From Suns to Moons" by Karen Nelson
"The Sunflower Cycle" by Adrien Farinas
"While Gardening" by Theo Oliver
"Bouquet" by Beka Gremikova
"Dichotomy of Queen Anne's Lace" by Maggie D Brace
"Walls" by Lucinda Cylights
"Wormwood: A plant that smells so sweet and looks so nice but will kill you if you take a bite" by Erik Olson
"Dandelions" by Katie Hanna
"the noose" by Cassandra Hamm
"CICADAS AND COFFEE AND ROSES" by Suzanne Lea

[Nathaniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so excited to have finally read this book. Because it's the second There is Us book, the formatting and overall experience is more tuned to the audience. It was so fun to read. The poems and short stories were gorgeous, and the art was such a nice touch. I think that a lot of people will enjoy this book. My pieces in here are things that I am proud of.

[Kasi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. This read left me feeling breathless. It's so achingly accurate. I needed several minutes after some of these entries before I was able to keep going. These poems are deeply powerful and I resonated with several of them. You know how it feels when you are reading something and you suddenly realize you're reading yourself on a page? This book is that.

The poems and a couple of short stories are all centred around adversity and resilience, and everything in between. They are about identity, acceptance, mental health, anxiety and depression, grief, loss, and individuality.

I will be buying a copy of this book to put in my classroom for my students. We will be reading some of these poems this year. I know they will relate to them. I'm also going to check out the first anthology, There Is Us. I liked this so much, I may even buy a copy of this book so I can enjoy it on paper.

I will be posting my full review of this collection on my blog soon, as well as a post on my Bookstagram. I am so happy I read this.

Huge thanks to the author and Voracious Readers Only for gifting me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book especially for people with mental health issues who can relate to this book and not feel so alone and isolated by it

[Meghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Voracious Readers Only (my first!) and I'm so happy I did. I loved being able to hear from multiple perspectives and to read relatable mental health content! I will say it took me a little bit to fall into the rhythm, but once I did I couldn't put it down!

[Erelah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love this collection! Im a bit biased since I’m in it, but I’m this book contains so many other poets and artists from all different walks of life, and I love it so much. Everyone has a unique style, has different things they want to say, and they get the chance to in this collection. I enjoyed being part of this anthology, and sometimes when I feel alone I like to look through the pages and read the poems my fellow poets have created alongside mine. I feel less alone in those moments.

[Sudip Mitra · Rating 5 out of 5]

S rupsha and her writing s awesome