Nikita Gill still remains my favorite poet! Her verses are always filled with equal parts truth and magic. What first drew me to her poetry was actually her amazing covers! I stuck around for the beautiful words within.

The Girl and the Goddess was relatable and her words still resonate with me even weeks after reading. I can't wait to purchase this one to go with all of her other books on my shelf. Her work is inspiring and I hope she continues to write many more books for me to read and review!

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

I love Nikita Gill,, but this book was just not for me. I didn't love it or hate it.

This novel in verse follows young girl Paro from birth as she and her family navigate the after effects of Partition in India, and as she grows from a child, teenager, to young adult. Hindu mythology interwoven through her story to guide her through tumultuous times as she finds acceptance and empowerment within herself.

Okay, this book was INCREDIBLE. I have so many excerpts bookmarked that I know I will return to because her words are so inspiring. Every woman needs to read this book. Not only is it gorgeous, relatable, and thought provoking, but the Hindu stories and culture gave the story so much more depth. I could not have loved this more.

I really enjoyed this. I do enjoy most novels in verse though. The artwork was beautiful and the story was captivating. If you are looking for an easy read to sweep you away, this is it.

Nikita Gill is my favourite poet of, possibly, all time. Her poems never fail to stir up emotions in me that swirl around into a cyclone, leaving new parts of me exposed and to build upon.

Her new collection of poetry and stories — The Girl and the Goddess — is especially close to my heart because it draws heavily from Hindu mythology; highlighting it's women and trans people, which we often leave behind. It gives us a small girl in a big city, the terror of sexual violence that femme people experience in India, queerness which is seen as "non-Indian" and it's erasure, how it persists, our often misguided beliefs that everything will be better in a Western country and so much more. It touched upon many aspects of my childhood — the relationship with and love we experience from our grandparents, how bigotry persists in our society, the "log kya kahenge" syndrome, the anxiety that life and school induces, the feelings of being othered constantly as a queer (bisexual, in this case) person and so much more. Every line in the book is crafted with such care, beauty, sadness and joy; that it is impossible to take your eyes off of it. It focuses on partition and it's lingering effects in today's world; and discusses Kashmir with a careful hand. It made cry and made me happy in so many little ways, and gave me a sense of self and confidence with its progression and ending.

"It's okay to feel like you're drowning inside your own bones sometimes." ~ "The Girl and the Goddess: Stories and Poems of Divine Wisdom"


This was my first Nikita Gill book and oh my gosh I loved everything about it! This was one of those books that I read at the perfect time. I was feeling homesick at college and the line: "I read somewhere the first month of going away to university is the hardest. After that you get busy. They don't say it gets easier" really helped me combat that homesickness. This book nourished my soul with the beautiful artwork, intriguing use of mythology, and feminist narrative.


My favorite poems in this collection were "How To Be a Revolution of a Girl" and "What I Have Learned About Sisterhood." In the first, I love the list format, the theme, and the gorgeous writing style. It spoke to my feminist writing side. In the second, every line reminded me of the wonderful girlfriends I have found in college. After reading the poem, I loved that it left me with the feeling that I should immediately text them and tell them how much they mean to me! Also the poem "If Birthdays Were Movies" meant a lot to me emotionally. It reminded me of how much I struggled as a child to make and keep friends. This poem touched my heart. The poems about Sean were lovely too - they all felt like a love letter to friendship.


Something I didn't notice until later in the collection was just how atmospheric the writing was. I love how Gill set a scene with each poem. One of my favorite instances of this was: "I laid my pen down finally and looked out of the window as the cold mist blew around the city, the roofs of buildings shadows against a soft orange-gold sky...Nothing haunts me in this silence." Like wow, I felt like I was instantly transported to London!


There is hardly anything I would critique about this poetry collection. The book's length is perfect and all the poems told a cohesive story, which isn't even necessary in poetry but I loved it here. I was confused when the different gods and goddesses were visiting Paro. It wasn't until near the end of the book that the reader got an explanation for that. I would've preferred it explained earlier, but I like that Gill explains why she waited until the end. Since Paro is confused as to why she's seeing gods and goddesses, the reasoning for these experiences isn't explained until Paro herself understands it. Overall I can't wait to read all of Gill's poetry after reading such a phenomenal book! This truly was an experience.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy.

This collection is full of powerful pieces and lines that are unbelievably moving. Nikita Gill is incredibly talented and while this one was not my favorite collection, it's beauty and emotion are undeniable.

I was sent a corrupted file, so this book is not actually readable by any software. I would love to read this book and review it. The premise of the story is marvelous, and I am especially looking forward to reading a prose and poetry combination story. Please post up a MOBI.

I dont think I ever really know how to review poetry books, but I can definitely say that Nikita Gill had become one of my favorite poets. This is the second book I've read from hers and its pure magic. I loved every minute of it.