This is such a relatable and fascinating poetry collection. The author shows us how to be strong and tells us that we shouldn't be ashamed of our past or the thing we cannot control. She writes about self-love and positive thinking and some of her poems changed me completely. I rated this book 4 out of 5 stars and I totally recommend it to anyone who has an interest in poetry. This poetry collection made me want to read more of Upile Chisala's books.

This was a very interesting poetry collection. I am still in that weird in-between of how I feel about modern day poetry and this collection confirms this. I enjoyed it, however, there were a severe amount of poems that were five lines or less. There were also moments I felt I wasn't getting the entire story, however, the collection itself was enjoyable.

I very much enjoyed this book of poetry. The poems were something that most people could relate to. I liked the clear, succinct language and style. I look forward to reading her other collections of poetry.

a fire like you is one of the most eloquent, well-written collections i’ve had the privilege of reading so far in 2020. upile tells her story again with strength, beauty and relatability. i found myself wishing i could read these poems to my mother and my sisters. a beautiful collection tied together with simple yet intriguing illustrations. a must-read for any poetry lover.

Like many poetry collections nowaday, the book is split into four parts to convey different feelings/emotions. The themes of each part overlap quite a bit here. There are some heavy topics in these poems that may not be the best for everyone, such as abusive homes, toxic relationships, race and identity, body image, and self-love. What I really enjoyed was that there is a lot of focus on loving yourself and being kinder to yourself. That is a message that I am always fond of seeing in any work. It is a quick and inspirational read that fits with the modern poetry we see now.

I have read the first two poetry collections by Upile Chisala, so I was looking forward to reading more from the author. The collection "a fire like you" is written in the same vein as the other two, both in format and subject matter. And while I could relate to quite a few sentiments in this collection, I was looking for more. I appreciate the author sharing her heartfelt thoughts and observations through these poems, but at times I was hoping she would further elaborate past two to three lines.

Thank you to Netgalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for an ARC of a fire like you in exchange for an honest review.

"Darling, my anxiety is brutal
And my doubts are persistent.

But your staying has always been true
And your love is tender.
And I'll fight myself to keep you."

I spent a large portion of this book on the verge of tears. Upile Chisala's poetry speaks to me on a very personal level and I cannot wait to buy myself a physical copy when this releases in March. She writes her poetry from what feels like a very personal place and I love it so much. I can't wait to see what she puts out next.

Amazing poetry. I was pleased to find this bright new (to me) voice — so much to offer in this fine work!

i read nectar last year and really enjoyed it, so i was kinda happy (?) to read this book.

the poems are quite easy to read, but I didn’t feel the same emotional impact as when i read nectar, these poems were a little simpler.

i admit i expected more, but that doesn’t take away any merit to the book, the poems are beautiful/real in their own way and i admire the author for talking about such personal topics.


my favs:

Something as brutal as you,
As fist-like and unaware,
With a cruel history, in the bone
And in the mouth,
With little prospect of peace,
Always on the wrong side,
Something as brutal as you walks in, and I embrace it.
I embrace it knowingly.


Please have the audacity to love yourself a little harder.


I am sorry in a thousand languages for ever giving myself up for you.
I fooled us both.
I was the lover I needed most.


The very first step is believing you deserve joy.

Like the title suggests, this book of poems is very in tune with its fire theme without being overly-aggressive like some modern pop poetry books out there.

The book is split into four parts: Wound, Hunger, Swoon, Sister. However, the themes are not particularly distinctive and there are some overlaps. The illustrations are rather abstract and open to interpretation, which I thought was unique and interesting.

Subjects being discussed include abusive homes, toxic relationships, race and identity, body image, and self-love. There is a lot of focus on loving yourself and being kinder to yourself, which I think will resonate with many girls out there. While I didn't find the book super outstanding, it projects quite a bit of courage and has a strong voice. Overall, a quick and inspiring read.

I was impressed by this poet’s collection Soft Magic that I read last year so was looking forward to seeing what she offered next. I was not disappointed. I enjoyed every poem in this collection. The poems are varied in length, some a few stanzas and others one or two lines, some have title’s and some don’t. The themes explored are as diverse as identity as a black woman, love and desire. This is a good collection to get lost in for a few hours.

i believe poetry is for everyone, which is why i enjoy reading collections that are written in clear language and are easily accessible to the non-academic reader. chisala's collection is perfect for new readers of poetry, people who enjoy high levels of sentimentality, and those who enjoy no distance between the "speaker" and the author. these poems read like memoir - the reader has no choice but to feel involved in the poet's journey through love and self-reflection. if literary poetry is more your speed, i suggest passing on this one but i recommend "a fire like you" for lovers of other poets who write in a similar style (rupi kaur, nayyirah waheed, lang leav).

*i received a complimentary advanced copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

I think this is an important poetry collection that Upile wrote not only from her heart, but also from her gut, passing through pain and hard lessons, to finally be able to emerge thanks to resilience and hope.

I've been really enjoying reading modern poetry books lately and while A Fire Like You isn't my most favorite, I still really enjoyed it.
I thought the writing was beautiful and meaningful, and relatable many times, but I felt like there was quite a few filler poems that didn't seem to hold as much meaning as others and maybe were written in haste.
Overall, I did enjoy it and would probably pick a physical copy for my poetry book shelf, but it wasn't my favorite.

***I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review***

WOW. I really loved this collection. Overall I havent been a fan of Chisala's work in the past but I like to give every book a chance especially poetry as every collection can be soooo different. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this collection. Some of the poems didnt resonate with me but they still left an impact. I am a fan of shorter poetry with meaning than long prose and that's what this collection delivered. My only complaint was the poems seemed a bit scattered at times. There would be a theme and then it would go a little off topic and then return and then again go off topic but maybe that was the point? overall I was a fan of this collection.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-copy for an honest review.

I've read this author previously (soft magic) and loved it but, for some reason, this one not so much. I felt detached from the reading, I couldn't get over how some didn't have titles, others were so short I couldn't even get them and the organization didn't make sense. I just couldn't find the author in this work...

Still, I recommend this author's other works because she is a very good poet.

I requested this one because I enjoyed soft magic. I was not as impressed with this one. I did not really connect with many of the poems.

Upile Chisala's poetry is full of heart and sincerity, and this collection is no different. A Fire Like You is utterly vibrant, powerful and emotive and I could not stop reading from the first to the last page.

I gave this a three out of five stars. I thought this collection of poems in A Fire Like You by Upile Chrisala were okay. I just didn't see or think they were anything special. I didn't connect to any of the poems.

I loved this! It was amazing. I loved her first collection a little bit more but this one had illustrations too.