This poetry collection was absolutely stunning, I already have a copy on my bookshelf to reread over and over again.

A beautiful collection of poetry that speaks to the soul and takes you on an emotional rollercoaster of a journey. Hard to believe this is a debut collection but very enjoyable!

this collection of poetry couldn't keep my interest. I was quite bored and I did not like it at all. I was not a fan

When I began reading this collection of Poetry, I began to feel less alone. Someone out there understood. I felt a myriad of emotion from sadness and despair to acceptance and hope with a little bit of ' Oh no you didn't' mixed in. I know I needed this book the minute I began to read. I think most anyone would benefit from reading Be(loved).

The minimalist artwork was a perfect touch to this poetry collection. Kudos to the artist. I will own this book. At one point, I was moved to tears. What a lovely journey Dakota Adan. Who in this life does not want to just Be. And just Be loved. This collection proves the place to start is with oneself.

Thanks to NetGalley, Andrews McMeel Publishing, and Dakota Adan for an ARC in return for an honest review.

ARC kindly provided in exchange for an honest review.

Heartfelt.

This poetry collection centers on self-love. In order to make love more fulfilling, there are things we have to let go in order to be whole again. It might break our hearts and we may feel lost and that's okay. Through our vulnerability, we slowly heal from our wounds and grow stronger. It's easily relatable.

Be loved, Beloved, Be (loved). This collection was very enjoyable. First and foremost, I want to acknowledge how beautiful the illustrations were. I loved them. Jenette Wilson @nettysketti is the artist behind those illustrations that suited so well the different poems. Now we can talk about the poems and all I have to say is that I loved them too. There were some long poems and some short ones, of course I enjoyed the short ones the most as they were easier to read but some of the long poems were carrying so much truth, honesty and emotions that it really touched me. I took my time to read this collection, unlike the ones I had read before, and I think this is also a reason as to why I liked it so much. It was also very easy to read and even though it makes you reflect on your life, it does not leave you feeling confused. This book is a revised and extended version of the first edition. There is one more chapter at the end and I am proud to say I did notice a difference in the topic and the way the poet expressed himself. Overall, this is a powerful collection of poems, illustrated by an amazing artist, that I would recommend to everyone.
5/5

This collection was so heartfelt, so raw and emotional to read. I almost felt embarrassed reading these seemingly deep and intimate words. It was a very thought provoking work if art.

***Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***

I appreciated the work and the depth, but this just did not resonate with me as much as would have liked.

A beautiful collection of mesmerizing and intimate poems. The language is easy and simple, though they hold a far larger significance in them. The poems are empowering, encouraging and inspiring. The illustrations in between the pages of the book is an absolute pleasure for the readers. They totally captures the emotions of the poet, and compliments the poetry in the given page. The poetries talk about love, loss, self-healing and self love.

Thanks to Andrew McMeel publishing for making this book available to me via #Netgalley.
I absolutely loved this book. This is a collection of poems exploring self-love, spirituality, sexuality, acceptance, heartbreak, healing, and a quest to find oneself.
There are so many poems that I loved in this book
"I will no longer abandon myself for someone else's vision of who I could be"
"The moment I let go, I realized my hands were on my own throat"
I really enjoyed this book and I would be recommending it everywhere.

I loved the overall message of this book about loving oneself and choosing yourself first no matter what. A lot of the entries are so real and raw that I feel emotions stirring inside me. The formatting and illustrations added plus points for the reading experience due to the aesthetics of it. The combination of long and short prose is also a plus for readers like me who want a little bit of both from a poetry book from time to time. I'd like to read more poetry books from the author in the future.

I’ve been honestly gravitating towards poetry, and for the most part some have been truly enjoyable.

This collection itself was in the middle, there where some truly beautiful pieces that I could relate too, and some that I skipped, I always feel a little awkward reviewing poetry because I know it’s an extremely personal thing. But while it wasn’t my favorite. I still think it’s totally worth the read.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to review this collection of poetry

This poetry collection could easily be retitled "My Boyfriend and I Broke Up and Now I'm DEEP". The posturing and affectation is so dense that it's a wonder he doesn't trip over himself. The lack of self-awareness in a collection of first person poetry is ironic at best. The E. E. Cummings style used in the title doesn't reappear in body of the work, if you're curious; honestly that's probably what drew me to this collection. The ideas presented are unoriginal and trite, and the only emotions conveyed are angst and self-righteousness. I'm not going to include any quotes because this is not a final copy and that feels unfair, but god could I give you some doozies. The narcissism of this child. I'm pretty sure that they broke up because Adan wanted to learn to love himself more, and that is not a lesson he needs to learn. He's got that one down pat. The whole thing is just so pretentious. Adan spends so much of this book writing about being brave enough to show the real him; he appears to have been successful.

For fans of Rupi Kaur.

Just gorgeous and empowering. Everyone needs to read this when they need to be lifted up emotionally. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Be(loved) by Dakota Adan is poetry that is so powerful, mature, and succinct that I am struggling to wrap my head around the fact that this is a debut collection. This is a book about the quest for self-love, and finding the truest version of the individual experience. The collection is a deeply personal account of loss, but at the same time offers an antidote to heartache, a searching of the soul leading to self-awareness and love. This is a beautiful and hopeful collection that I can imagine myself reaching for over and over again.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was around 3.5 stars for me.

Some of these poems are truly phenomenal. Most are about love or acceptance in some form or another. A lot of the poems are about heartbreak. The collection its self tells a tragic story of heartbreak and coming out and growth.

This is a thoughtful collection of short and long poems that may speak to your soul.

Adan's poetry collection is painfully sincere and feels both intimate and universal; thematically his poems delve deep into self-acceptance, love, sexuality, and race, subjects inextricably interwoven with human experience.

I could say that this book is a journey to love, to home, to that place where you can be whoever you choose to be and still feel right.
But, if I say just that- I miss out on how this debut collection questions love, loss, grief, the desire to belong and slowly unravels the journey to love and our understanding of what it means to love, be loved and your beloved. I believe that anyone who reads this book is bound to unlearn some beliefs on love, and in so doing enjoy each piece as it connects to the next and the next until you get to the end.
The illustrations complement the poems as well.
Thanks Netgalley for the eARC.