This was a great poetry book. I always absolutely enjoy her work and I can't wait to read more in the near future. I highly recommend it.

Upile Chisala just has the best writing in my mind. I'm not much of a poetry reader, but what started me was her previous book Magik, and nectar is just as good!

Eh. not the best poetry I've ever read, but sure sprinkled in there were a couple that kept me entertained enough to keep reading.

***Advance Review Copy provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I read this a few months ago and I don't remember much about it except that I thought it was ok and kind of just fine.

This is an absolutely beautiful book of poetry and prose form the Malawian Upile Chisala. It centres around finding beauty in things all around of us and how we can use the past and our current circumstances to enable love to bloom in others and in ourselves. This book is empowering and cannot help but to lift us up and take pride in the good aspects of our lives. The language is simple and easy to comprehend so would appeal to all. It's a very enjoyable piece of work, and her second collection, one that I would highly recommend.

I gave this a two and half stars out of five stars. This poetry collection nectar by Upile Chisala was okay but i just found it pretty normal and basic. I didn't feel connected to any of the poems which I need with the poetry I read.

I think this is an important poetry collection that would speak to many women out there. It definitely spoke to me.

I have been wanting to get into more poetry books lately and I’m so happy I found this one. It is such an incredible collection of poems! Most are uplifting and full of self-love. I was truly moved by this book. I will definitely look for more from this author!


Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

I've heard a lot about this book, I usually love poems, but these ones weren't for me.
Most of them, I didn't really feel it. :(

I just think Upile Chisala is magical, and I'm so happy she wrote another collection after how incredible soft magic. was! I can't wait to recommend this to other poetry lovers.

"There is danger in letting people misname you.
If you are a fire,
do not answer when they call you a spark."

This book has a lot of self-love and self-worth even if some of the poems are one liners. Regardless, I loved it a lot! I honestly recommend for people to read and check this out even if you're not a fan of these modern poem format since some of these are really good advice. Some of the poems are about black lives matter as well.

Here are some of my favorites:

"I see you. You're not in this perpetual mission
to destroy yourself anymore. I'm glad you finally
think you're worth saving."

"I feel my ancestors in my blood. I am a body of
people who are asking not to be forgotten."

"I am sorry you watched your mother crawl out of
her pride for a man who only half lover her."

"Don't ignore the decay. Don't keep people around
because you're afraid of throwing things out.
You're not wasting, you're outgrowing."

"That day, over seven hundred
slept at the bottom of the sea.

Too black to remember.
Too black to make the news."

"Stop teaching girls that their voices aren't worth
listening to."

"Although I am happy that you've asked me to
be the warm thing you care for, please note that
there's nothing you can do that could ever make
me abandon myself.
I have fought too hard for this. I am finally
someone I love. I am someone I won't betray."

Overall, there are many poems I didn't include since I'd be typing 90% of the book here. So many are just so good but they're too long for me to type and I've already included a lot in this review. Please take your time reading through it since it's worth it.

"People who only wish to stifle your bloom do not
belong in your garden."

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with the digital copy for an honest review.

Such an incredible collection of poems! I was truly moved by this book. I will definitely be selling this title at work, and looking for more form this author in the future.

*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for the free poetry collection.*

I quite liked the majority of Upile Chisala's poetry. Chisala is a storyteller from Malawi, currently living in South Africa. Her poems cover a range of topics, progressing from self-love to leading a better life. There are feminist touches to her poem, which I really liked. The different chapters are called "House of Honey", "Soil & Roots", "All That Grew", "Our Garden", and "Fruit".

Here are some poems that I particularly enjoyed:

"There are things that I am that I am trying not to be.
There are things that I was that have no claim on me." (8)

"BLACK LIVES ARE LOVELY AND THEY MATTER." (43)

Some poems could've been longer. I think that the author could go even deeper, but the brevity but beautiful in itself. The poems are very vivid and imaginative. I liked most of them.

4 Stars

I do forget to leave a review until the publisher archieved it already. I read it a long time ago and I really liked it. The story was just there for me to comprehend. Highly recommended!!

Upile has created a collection of poetry which is strong, delicate, empowering and clearly written with POC in mind. As a South African author, Upile has created eloquent prose that speaks of the experiences living as a marginalized woman, and the way in which one can grow from that experience.

While I am not an #ownvoices reader of this collection, I can fully appreciate the emotion and heart that has been inserted throughout Upile's words. I strongly recommend that you visit some ownvoice reviews for this collection - I believe that it the right hands this would be an incredibly powerful collection of words.

Nectar is such a beautiful and perfect title for this book.

This book was refreshing and emotional. This book made me cry, reminded me why I love poetry so much, and why it is so important. Upile Chisala does a fantastic job making me feel how personal this collection is to her, as well as making it feel personal and pulled from my own heart. It was a collection of what felt like affirmations and reminders to myself, things you hope your best friend will say to you when you need it the most.

I think that Nectar is easily my favorite poetry book I have read this year.

'Love yourself tremendously
and
the second you meet someone who makes you question that love,
run fast, darling.

Run far.'

I liked reading this collection. I know I must not compare with the first collection but as this collection too talks about the same themes, I feel the first collection was definitely more hard hitting and direct.

What I love more about this collection was the simple language and the shorter lines. But once again, I feel like this collection has changed abruptly in its writing style and it feels like it's from a different author.

I liked it anyway. It's empowering. It focuses more on young girls and black women and acts as a way for encouraging them to live their lives to the fullest.

I hope the next collection comes up better and stronger.

Thanks #NetGalley for the book #Nectar.

Poetry is a form of self-help and healing. It’s self-care. it dredges up things inside of you and makes you realise that you’re not alone. Upile Chisala’s second poetry collection is a honey-filled gold mine of thoughts and words that seem to come from me.

Although this is the first poetry collection by Upile Chisala that I've read I can't help but become a fan of her stunning words. In nectar, Chisala touches on important topics such as self-love, healing and toxic relationships. These are handled with such care and honesty.

As a black woman, I found her words relatable, comforting and inspirational. I loved the way she expresses her black womanhood in relation to the world. This is a poetry book that will stay with me long after I've closed the last page.

Reviewing this is difficult, as I love the overall message that is conveyed throughout but I don't think I consider them poems. I read them more like quotes than as poems. There were a few that I really enjoyed/connected with and I applaud the author for that as I often struggle with poetry that is largely influenced by platforms like Instagram and Tumblr! The cover is adorable though, so a big thumbs up there.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

The poems in 'Nectar' hit right in the heart. They are empowering, kind, strong and loving - all at the same time.

Like she wrote herself in one of her poems: "I am ever grateful for those who patch wounds with words". This is exactly what she does herself, and I am ever grateful.