I never read any poetry before and I used to think that it could be complex and difficult to understand but after reading Dear Girl, my opinion changed. It was so easy to read and so beautiful, I really enjoyed it. I picked it up on NetGalley because of the cover that I found really pretty and I did not regret it. The voice is powerful. It is about empowerment and it really is uplifting. I think every girl and woman can relate to most of the poems, they are just so simple and yet so full of truth. As said in this poetry collection, we need to support and help each other, so let’s do it; it’s about women everywhere. The poems are a call for women all around the world to rise up and be heard. This collection is not about reading something you have never heard before, but reading about something you have maybe not been able to formulate before, about something you may have not been told before. I don’t know what I was looking for when I started reading but I definitely feel like I got more strengths after.

I loved the poems in this book, and especially the variety of topics that they entail. They are truely uplifting, playful and serious at the same time. It was great exploring the words.

So often women are told not to share their experiences and made guilty for doing so. Mayrock attempts to break this pattern through her poetry. Unfortunately, I couldn't get into her style of poetry. It is very much in the vein of Rupi Kaur cliches of comparing women to a phoenix, a flame, a warrior, a constellation, etc.
It just didn't feel like anything that hadn't already been done before. It was all a bit cringe if I'm being honest. #deargirl#netgalley

Perfect for fans of Kaur and Atticus.
This book is a collection of poems with passion embedded with them. The experiences portray in this book and the emotions given are beyond amazing! This is so compelling and easy to read!

This book of poetry definitely had some very truthful poems that packed a punch. Being that collection had themes of womanhood and the inequalities that women face there was much that I could relate to and empathize with. I found that my favorite poems were the ones that had a rhyming cadence to them. I think this amplified the impact of the words and brought the messages across in a striking way. Poetry as always is difficult for me to review because the way that poetry can be interpreted is so vastly different among people. As I mentioned, I enjoyed the writing style for the most part, although there were a few poems that I felt like were punctuated and styled in a way that I personally didn't love. Additionally, these topics have been touched by many people, sometimes it can be hard to differentiate work from other works. This is no fault of the authors, just something that is the case when a popular topic is written about frequently in literature. As a whole though, I enjoyed the writing, I enjoyed that topics such as rape, generational trauma, double standards between men and women, and much more were addressed. All of these are really important topics that everyone should be educated on and I think this book does a good job sharing a piece of what woman go through.

Dear Girl is a powerful feminist collection of modern poetry dealing with a number of issues with lyrical beauty. It muses on gender inequality, rape, and other feminist issues. The poems are unapolagitic and empowering, and inclusive, and important.
There is so much truth in the verses, along with a lot of humor and heart- which juxtaposed with the heavy topics is nothing short of breathtaking.
Many thanks to Andrews McMeel Publishing and NetGalley for the advance copy!

“Dear Sister,
I will never judge you for staying
You know best
how to care
for your wounded parts.
I only hope you follow
the voice
that tells you
when it’s time
to go.”

So, here we are reading yet another poetry book. I know we’re not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but “Dear Girl” seemed so beautiful and had this softness to it that I had to give it a try. And I’m thankful I did.
Aija Mayrock’s debut poetry collection is split into 5 main parts: the search for truth in silence; the freeing of the tongue; deep wounds, deep healing; with love; and to the sisterhood.
These last two parts are the ones that really stood out. There are a couple of poems that resonated with me, even tho sometimes it seemed like the same message being told with different words, especially during “the search for truth in silence”.
What you can expect is a beautiful celebration of women. Empowering messages and little reminders of your own strength and ability to heal and fight gender inequality. What I liked most is the fact that it was inclusive to women of colour and of the LGBTQ+ Community.

Dear Girl is a collection of poems on feminism, equality, girlhood, and womanhood. Description of the book says: "Dear Girl is a journey from girlhood to womanhood through poetry...". Younger women and girls will probably like it.

I listened to the audiobook first, and I recommend that version too. The author herself reads it. It is very challenging to rate poetry. While it resonates with some, with others it won't. I liked the poems and design of the book.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read to this! All opinions are my own.

Every girl/woman needs to read this poetry collection. What a beautiful collection of powerful works all about what it is to be a woman and the struggles we face every day. If you are not one for poetry check out the audiobook. It is beautifully spoken with the correct cadence. I would prefer to listen to poetry because you get the true emotion out of the text. However Aija does a beautiful job at bluntly telling the relatable truth that woman face every day.

“Dear girl” is more than a poetry collection, is a very relatable journey from girlhood to womanhood. It’s a collection of empowering poems about feminism, sisterhood, healing, and resilience.

‘Dear Girl’ is a brief, empowering collection of feminist poems that document the life from girlhood to womanhood in contemporary society. Some of the subject matter included aesthetic expectations, double standards, and sexual assault. The poems and narration were strong and inspiring at times. I think it would have resonated more with me if the poems were more autobiographical. They were often more about general experiences. It was a good collection, but I wanted more depth and vulnerability.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC.

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this empowering collection of poetry from an emerging poet. There was such a strong sense of voice throughout, I could definitely feel the spoken word influence. These are poems for protests, poems to combat years of silence, poems to get you on your feet and make your voice heard. The title, Dear Girl, is apt—I think these would be great to recommend to college and high-school aged girls coming into their own and starting to question what society often expects of them. These poems ring necessary and true, and I'm excited to see such a young voice emerging in the world of poetry.

This is a great poetry collection from another young female poet.

The focus on what it is to be a girl / woman really resonated with me and she was very candid in her use of language. She addresses the sexualisation of women and our role in society well.

As my library is in an all girls' school I feel this would be a solid addition to my collection.

Thanks to the publishers, author and netgalley for this ARC.

Dear Girl is a poetry collection with advice to girls. This poetry collection supports feminism. It mentions important issues like rape, racism, and gender. D.ear Girl was a quick read and I really enjoyed it. These poems contained a lot of emotions.

Thank you NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for providing Dear Girl in exchange for an honest review.

This was a great, fast read I finished in one sitting. I've read a few poetry books in my time and I have to say I think this is one of the best yet. This book is everything milk & honey wishes it was. This collection had the lyrical visual I want to feel from poetry as well as using rhyming to further the conversation without feeling like a Dr. Seuss book. Even if poetry isn't necessarily your thing I recommend picking it up for yourself or for a friend.

This is a collection of poems around the central theme of women empowerment.

"I am the woman I am today because my father never clipped my wings. even in disagreement, I hear his voice. all pride and no shame say- "And yes that is my daughter. " "

"Instead of 'How was your day?' messages, we get, 'You up? Wanna come fuck?' "

"Leaving someone you love is like leaving home, and knowing you can never return."

"Heal your wounds, Dear Girl, so your daughter isn't born with the same ones."

"Your boss will tell you to stop giving him eyes "If you want a raise, you gotta compromise. Show me what lies above those thighs." "

Sweet, yet powerful, Dear Girl by Aija Mayrock is a lover letter to girls and women everywhere. For many of these poems, my mind kept putting the words to music. Maybe I’ve seen Hamilton too many times this past week, but I could easily see Dear Girl soaring on stage in front of an audience. The passage on page 23 may have been my favorite:
----Page 23
Maybe that’s why when people tell you,
“You’re too young to understand,”
you smirk with that twinkle in your eye.

Because the moment you were born,
you were sexualized, objectified,
power never recognized.
-------
Overall this was lovely and memorable! The perfect gift for our daughters, mothers, sisters, and the girlfriends in our lives.

Dear girl is a short poetry collection about empowering, wounds healing and the resilience we all share. It’s indeed a journey through poetry.
If you are a mother, a father a brother or a sister, if you are a girl or a boy you should read this novel. Every girl needs to read it. IT was brief yet so empowering and consistent and made me think about a lot of things: about life, about my choices and about myself
I should read more poetry and more about women empowering.

Thank you to Andrews McMeel and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Aija Mayrock's debut collection is sharp and empowering. The pieces are relatable, inclusive, and inspiring. I think anyone who reads it will find a poem or a line that really resonates with them. This is definitely a collection I look forward to recommending to my teen girls. A brilliant read for 2020.

There were a couple of poems in here that I enjoyed but they are quite much of a muchness. Aija Mayrock is very young, which doesn't mean she shouldn't use her life to write poetry, It's just quite obvious that she hasn't got the lived experience to write with much depth or breadth. I also listened to the audio alongside reading this, which is beautifully performed and I will definitely consider picking up poetry collections in this format in future.