The narration is wonderful but I wasn't a fan of how religious the poems/themes were. Just not my cup of tea.

A quick book of feminist poetry as read by the author. I find that poetry is best listened to when read by the author, the inflections and the emotions are there and more raw. Any woman would be able to relate to the themes in this collection.

I listened to the audiobook as well as followed by reading the ebook. This book is such a beautiful book. So empowering, so touching. It encompasses things women go through as children and as adults. Aija Mayrock says in this book from time to time that we shouldn't lose our childlike wonder while we grow wiser and deeper and I felt that.

While the poems might feel like something you have seen before or read before if you read poetry a lot, there are more important because the words are things we never should forget. This book is reaffirming in the extraordinary that a woman is, the magic in our eyes and lessons we never should forget.

This is that book you should get to when you are weary of fighting as a woman, as a person, the poems will strengthen you. I loved every bit of this book and Aija Mayrock's voice in the audiobook was a joy. Strong. I enjoyed listening to her.

What a powerful work of poetry. Dear Girl by Aija Mayrock is the battle cry of the ages. The strength of her lyrical prose will make you want to stand up and clap then pat your own back for being a woman. It is congratulatory and spirited and full of life. I can't believe this is a debut. As a fiction reader, this author makes me want to seek out a new favorite genre, poetry. Powerful, powerful, powerful!

I received an advanced review copy of this audiobook from the publisher, Andrews McMeel Audio via NetGalley, for my honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Absolutely incredible collection of poetry on various topics such as self-worth, confidence, ancestral trauma, heartbreak, and sexualization. I found so many of Mayrock's words resonating with my own experiences. Mayrock's voice adds power to her already powerful prose.

First of all, I’d love to say a huge thank you to NetGalley, Andrews McMeel Audio (publisher), and Aija Mayrock (author) for providing me with a free advanced copy of this audiobook. I’ve had my eyes on this title for a long time and I’m so glad for the opportunity to listen to it.
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This was an amazing listen. I’m a sucker for poetry collections, and even more when it’s an audiobook. Aija Mayrock, the author and narrator, did a great job of narrating this audiobook poetry collection and conveyed the emotions and poems perfectly. The audiobook was also filled with lots of music and sound effects that add extra dimensions to the narrator’s performance.
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The poems were excellent OMG. She touched on so many important issues while crafting such exquisite poems and reminding women and girls everywhere of their power. She talked about the male gaze, the disparity in upbringing of girls and boys, body positivity, love, loss, heartbreak, and female empowerment.
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One of the most important and recurring themes in so many poems in this collection is that women learn to find, use, and love their voices. There has been no better time to dismantle the culture of silence than now, as all of our voices are needed to call out and fight against the oppressive force and nature of patriarchy.
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This is aimed at and focused on girls, but it features sections aimed at boys, fathers, brothers, and sisters as well. There’s a call for accountability across board, and she does this in so many beautiful ways.
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I recommend this collection for everyone. It’s so great. All of the praise and stars to this amazing poet!

I'm really struggling to write my thoughts on this book. I thought I would love it, but I wasn't the right reader for this poetry book. The idea behind this book is terrific. Unfortunately, many of the messages fell flat. Aija does have a beautiful way with words, but I felt this author tried too hard to be the next Rupi Kaur. To me, it seemed like the author is just reinforcing stereotypes without taking a critical look at the world we live in.

Many of the poems focused on how men have no societal pressures, and women have them all. One verse, in particular, stood out to me. In this poem, the author states that women are trained, yet men are allowed to be. Let's be completely honest, we are all trained to be feminine or masculine in our society (speaking as an American citizen). Men are raised to embrace toxic masculinity, and women are raised to embrace toxic feminity. We are doing a disservice to pretend that our society has only failed women.

I felt that Aija Mayrock took her inspiration from Rupi Kaur and similar poets but failed to capture the multitude of emotions. At times I couldn't help but think the poem was created simply for Instagram, and though this book touched on depth filled subjects (rape, sexism), it felt incredibly shallow.

Ultimately, I very obviously was not the right reader for this book. I feel like this book would have resonated more with me when I was in high school. In the end, my sociology & psychology background inhibited my enjoyment of this book. I wish that this book helped break stereotypes and not reinforce them. Though this book is beautifully written, it did not resonate with me.

Feminist poetry is always enjoyable for me, but I think some of these statements are pretty surface level for the feminist movement and could have gone much deeper, especially in the intersectionalism we require ro make true progress. Function-wise, this audiobook was incorrectly labeled/out of order as the outro came before the book itself and then kept repeating itself unprompted.

I loved the audiobook! The narration was like a rap song - the poems started with Dear Girl, they were short and inspirational. It covers all phases of a women's life with a modern touch. As written and narrated by the author, I could see the emotion in poems. I will recommend the book to teens and young adults.

3'75

“Dear girl, you ask me what I wish for you. I simply say, never allow any soul to clip you wings, you were not born an ember, you were born the flame”

This was my first audiobook on netgalley and I’m really happy I picked it up. It is such an empowering read, it almost made me cry a couple of times. I also really liked the strength of the narration.

The only reason why I don’t give it a higher rate is because some of the poems felt unfinished and left me wanting more.

Definitely a read for every woman around the globe.

Thanks to Netgalley and Andrews McMeel Audio Ink for the audiobook arc in exchange for an honest review.

I received an audiobook copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for a review. This collection of poems is extremely powerful, thought provoking and emotional. This book screamed female empowerment in such a poignant way. Two parts that stand out the most to me were “Girls are told obedience is their middle name” this struck such a cord in me because in this society if you are not docile and sweet you risk being berated, abused, or accused of being a “nasty woman”. Another part that really left it’s mark on me was “it’s easier for me to hurt myself than to love myself “, I mean wow it Is such a powerful line. I am in awe of this book. This book is an easy 5 star ⭐️ read. #deargirl #aijamayrock #netgalley #poetry #poetrycollection

CW: rape

I have never listened to poetry on audiobook before, but I really enjoyed this one! It was read by the author, so I got to hear her words as she intended them to be read. This collection of poetry flowed together very well. I also liked this one on audio because it came across more like spoken word. I'd definitely add this one to my poetry collection.

I want to choose my words carefully but my mind is buzzing with thoughts of the many empowering poems that I'm having trouble getting it all sorted out. I wish that I had this book when I was younger, but when I was younger the author was younger. But I'll guarantee that my daughters have these word made available to them.
In today's society females are often corrected. Corrected on how we dress, act and even how we feel. Our natural body is one we have become accustomed to being ashamed of. We doubt ourselves, we hide, we change and we bash one another.
Mayrock did a phenomenal job of flowing words together to create the most impact in reminding us that we are WOMEN. We are strong, beautiful, smart and deserve so much more than we are given by our male counterpart and what we cast out and receive from other females.
Not only does she cover love and loss, she manged to bring new life to our menstruation and equability. She encourages us to support one of another as whole as women.
I loved every bit of this book. I loved that she narrated the audio book herself. Which in my opinion brought so much more fire to each and every word written & spoken.

It's such an honor to be able to review this book so thank you for giving me an opportunity to do so. It is a really a book of power. It is something that every woman should read for them to realize that they or we are as valuable as men, that a value of a person is not defined by their gender. It's something I can relate to because my actions have always been controlled due to my gender. I like the way it was narrated by the author. At first, I though she's rapping but she spoke with so much power. I like this one and it's something I will want to recommend to my friends.

DEAR GIRL was a fantastic, passionate audiobook! I would have loved this too to read in print, but the passion behind the author's narration was amazing.

The messages the author has in DEAR GIRL are empowering and important and should be heard by everyone.

This is the first Audiobook I got via #Netgalley and I absolutely loved it. I did have to play it about 2 times faster to really enjoy how intensely the narrator (who by the way is fascinating, it was also performed by the Aija Mayrock the writer of this book).

This is a collection of poems that shows and illustrate the sheer power that is a 'Girl'. The strength of failure and the movement beyond what is and what is available to something more precious and valuable. It follows the journey from girlhood to womanhood and it is told in poetry.
It felt like a conversation between two friends, between mother and child, between two sisters, between a woman who has lived through the war, pain and suffering to a girlchild just coming to her own.
"Anger is Ugly" is just one of the things that we are told, just to silence our anger and to underestimate how souls
"I will fight still they give up" There are so many things that I really enjoyed. I just hoped that it was a bit longer.

However, I felt that listening to this book really increased my level of enjoyment because the intensity with the performer carried the words would not really be one that I would have when I am reading it.

When I was in middle school all the girls got a talk to teach us how to behave and act, specially in front of boys. They told us about having good hygiene, act modest, to cover ourselves with a properly length skirt, etc. When the conference was ending the speaker criticized feminism saying that the girls having feminist ideas will end up alone in a house filled with cats and even pointed out that feminist didn't wanted to have husbands and therefore they were lesbians, she told us ”in ten years when it is proved how right I am you will all remember me” and she was right on one thing: how much I think of her I hope she's fine and I hope one day she gets to read this book or a similar one.
This beautiful collection of poetry talks about feminism and how long we come, but also how far off we are to getting to have equality. It is a realistic take on feminism, how we need to raise warriors to survive.
It tells us that now we are heard, not by justice, but by us. That this is the era to choose not to stay silent but to speak up. That this is not the era of girls but their future. It also talks about the part played by society into raising girls that take so much time and effort into their appearance. The author told me for the first time that my emotions where not just irrational thoughts, to not cover my body with shame, to be lauder and take space and to held my wounds like crown jewels.
In all, this is a book every girls should read to remember to grow wiser, grow deeper but to never grow up.
And to answer the author: I found what I was looking for and more.

4/5 stars
I thought this was a beautiful "love letter to the sisterhood" as described by the poet. It was an empowering read that affirmed how if we are to value ourselves and each other, we have to stop demoting ourselves at the behest of the patriarchy. Should we continue to do that, along with putting down and competing with fellow sisters in a degrading way, we are only dismantling the entire women's movement that has come a long long way.
The collection speaks a lot of how we need to reverse the ways in which our rights and bodies have been disenfranchised. I also thought it was very accepting of all the differences that make us unique as well as all the trauma we have undergone. There is this particular poem I really liked and it goes as:
There is no such thing as weak women,
only women
who have not stepped into
their power.

Step into it.
The world is waiting"

Overall, a beautiful read that incorporates every aspect of being a girl and a woman and especially the inheritance of trauma from mothers and how it is a cycle going on and on, to go on and on unless we do something about it.

Do pick it up!

An honest, empowering collection of poetry. I truly wish I had this book last school-year, as many of my students would have benefitted from reading/listening to these messages of hope.

I received this audiobook from the publisher via NetGalley.

I was so blown away by this book that I'm struggling to form coherent sentences. Here are my notes as I wrote them.

Powerful. Resounding. Confident. Deliberate. Booming. Strength in softness. Explosion. Relatable. Empowering. Unapologetic. Camaraderie. Sisterhood. Hope.

Amazing. A feminist must-read.