This book was stunning. It was full of raw emotion and extremely timely, especially right now. Some of the poems I didn't connect to, but most of them I did. I've only ever experienced this sort of emotion with one other poet's collection, and that was Rupi Kaur. This is a book that needs to be taught in schools, put in the hands of everyone, especially teenagers. I don't have enough good things to say about this poetry collection, and I can't wait to read more of what Sophia Thakur comes out with in the future. I'll have to make sure I pre-order a copy of it and spread the word about this amazing book as much as I can.

This was beautiful. Some poems were delicate, some were brutal, but they were all too real. It was so powerful to have read this while the Black Lives Matter movement is gaining strength and recognition worldwide. I got chills several times. These poems are so raw and I think everyone deserves to read them. I’m so, so thankful I got to read this. Definitely one of my favorite books in 2020! Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for granting me an early copy of this new edition.

Powerful collection of poetry. The poems have raw emotion; full of honesty. Powerful -own voice poems.

There were some beautiful lines in these poems but I couldn't get myself to finish it. Although Thakur's words on race are poignant, particularly at this time, I found that the more religious themes of the poems distracted from the meaning for me. This is an entirely personal preference for me so it's not something that I would knock down the rating for. As I said, there were some beautiful lines but I found that the poems I read washed over me and they didn't leave an impact unfortunately.

I absolutely adored this collection. Like most poetry books, there were poems that highly resonated with me and others that didn’t quite click. While I enjoyed the long ones, I think that the shorter ones were my favorite because it exhibited a real sense of control, power, and passion to convey a message in such a short space. One poem that stuck with me after this collection ended was “Fairground Lenses.” I thoroughly enjoyed all poems about family and culture. I look forward to reading more from Sophia Thakur in the future!

Somebody Give This Heart a Pen by Sophia Thakur is a powerful collection that will speak to anyone who is, or has ever been, young and trying to figure out their own place in a complicated and ever-evolving world. Ms Thakur is raw, honest, and uncensored, and her prolific voice will be lauded by a generation. By tapping into the very pulse of her own experience and environment, the poetic soul of the author demands to be heard, and will certainly resonate, on some level, with any reader. This is a beautiful collection that will linger in both the mind and soul.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Candlewick Press for the opportunity to read this ARC.