I flew through this book. Having listened to the audiobook and also read the ebook, I can say readers are in good hands. The author's voice was beautiful and soothing to listen to and the way she poured out her feelings on paper? Magnificent!

I hope that she feels peace and release when this came out of her and onto the paper. And I hope the crappy guy read it and knows. In Vulnerable AF, Tarriona 'Tank' Ball tells the whole story of a REALTIONSHIP in a short collection of poems. The way that her stories are mixed with music in the audiobook feels reminiscent of an old TV show in the very best way. I often try and do work while listening to an audiobook, but in this case, i just had to sit and listen. This one is for the people who are hurting. For those who have been in tough relationships, these words will help you heal. for badass women who deserve the very best. This is a pro woman story about leaving your baggage (read: crappy guys) and moving on to create something new of your life.

This book reminded me so much of poetry by Rudy Francisco (her way of reading the poems is similar to his). It has a really similar style and anyone who likes Button Poetry books will surely like this one too.

I was surprised by the music in this, it gave the book an interesting feel. I loved the different angles that she covers intimacy from, I still think about the sentence "pressuring someone into intimacy".

I also enjoyed her poetry about her relationship with her sisters and friends, and how "unusual" her love life used to be. I think she has some very original poems about romantic relationships, but others did feel a bit cliché.

The audiobook is a wonderful experience.
I love the mix between story times and poems.

I felt Tarriona "Tank"'s performance elevated her words and cut right to the heart of what it is to experience love in your early twenties.

If you are not someone who reaches for poetry very often, I would highly recommend trying out the audio version when it's read by the author. There is often no better person to convey the depth and emotion.

I loved this! The author did such an amazing job performing their poetry. I loved how lyrical the writing was. It was only a 40-minute audiobook but definitely worth the read if you like to listen to poetry performed.

It's like experiencing an open mic spoken word poetry. Some pieces hit hard but some are short,
it's abrupt. I think I just want more from it. Overall it's good. I will try another work if she will do another one.

Written and read by Tarriona "Tank" Ball, this book of hard hitting poetry tells a very personal story of relationships and the attendant hurt, and I enjoyed it a lot. It's very short - only about 40 minutes in audiobook form. The author is talented, with a strong poetic voice and a good reading voice, and her choices of words and phrasing are lively and challenging.

The actual audiobook apparently comes with PDFs of the illustrations from the print book, but my review copy had no such augmentation, so I can't speak to those. The subject matter is relationships, so the 'vulnerable' in the title has a very limited meaning. No prizes for guessing what the 'AF' means! The poet behind this has a slam poetry kinf of a background - not my faovrite, but this isnlt quite that. Some of the couplets might seem a bit off here and there, but you cannot deny the depth of feeling that underlies this. amd the relationship resonance that powers it.

Having said that, I had two issues with the audiobook version that I should mention. The first is that the author, who read this herself (for which I commend her), would often launch into a poem strong and loud, only to tail off into a whisper at the end, so this was an issue in that you'd have to have the volume up to hear the end, but then the start of the next poem was too loud and brassy, or you'd have the start at a comfortable volume only to miss the ending because it was so sotto voce. I listen to audiobooks when driving, and this book is not suited to that at all because of the volume changes, but even when parked I was still uncomfortable with the significant changes in volume.

The other issue I had was with the piano accompaniment, which to me was an annoyance. The author's voice is a fine one and it felt like gilding the lily to add a rather monotonous piano accompaniment to it. I'd rather it was just me and the author. I'm a big advocate of an author reading their own work although I understand that there are often valid reasons why an author will not or cannot do this. It seemed a shame to me, therefore, that I went into this with a joyous 'play Ball!' in my mind only to have my expectations sometimes overshadowed or diminished by the rather tuneless piano playing.

But that could not hide the inherent power, inventiveness, and strength of these words, which is why I consider this a worthy read despite the distractions. I commend it fully. Tank Ball is a poet to watch - and to listen to!

I've been trying to listen to more audiobooks lately and spotted this on NetGalley so thought I'd give it a try.
I love spoken word poetry, and Ball has created an excellent, personal collection.
I struggled to get into this collection as the subject matter wasn't to my personal taste, hence the 3 stars, but the writing itself is gorgeous, and a huge credit to the poet.

I am new to this artist and author but I enjoyed Tarriona “Tank” Ball narratoring her own book. I could feel the emotions and empathize with her. It was a great mix of poems and stories. This audiobook is short so I could listen at many different moments and relate to the poems in a new way each time.

Thank you NetGalley for this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

Part falling-out-of-love story, part memoir, every part perfect punch in the gut. The audiobook is especially scintillating with Tank delivering her own verse with pure emotion, and jazzy piano played over ‘story time.’

I loved this. It's emotional, honest, and raw. I loved the performance, the author delivers it perfectly and the music in the background was fantastic.

I listened to the audiobook the author narrates with poetry, her's voice with the music background was wonderful. I loved both poems and the stories. This poetry collection was about ended relationship, emotion, love, heartbreak, and being vulnerable.

My favorite was "could be anything"
If you were a book, you'd be an interesting read with a fucked up ending
and "The Ass"
Out of all the parts of the body that you could be

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

*I received a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.*

I really enjoyed this collection of poetry. The author narrated the audiobook, and I loved it. I found the poetry very relatable, and the rhythm and tone of the audio flowed really well. I also liked the style of the collection and how the sections are broken up. It came through on audio, which isn’t always the case, and it worked with the content.

I appreciated this one. It wasn’t my favorite but I enjoyed it. I think this would be someone’s absolute favorite... it just needs the right reader!

Tarriona “Tank” Ball’s voice is otherworldly, when I finished the audiobook of the poems all I wanted was more! The simplicity of the language coupled with the complexity of the emotion make this an extraordinarily beautiful read for someone who needs something for their heart. I’m a huge fan of Ball’s now and I will be back for more!

4/5 such a raw and emotional collection of poems.

I listened to the audio book for this and the performance was so amazing! This collection touched my soul and expressed so many experiences in words I could never even think of using. This collection is about heartbreak and all the emotions/experiences that go along with it and toxic relationships. I'd recommend if you like poetry that isn't too complex writing wise. This was a quick listen and I definitely will eventually be picking up a physical copy for myself. :)

Disclaimer: I listened to this in advance for free on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Vulnerable AF by Tarriona "Tank" Ball releases on June 8, and I was lucky enough to listen to an advance copy of the audiobook, and let me tell you!! Vulnerable AF is magical AF! This dreamy collection of poetry is a confessional symphony conducted the frontwoman of my favorite band here in New Orleans, Tank and the Bangas (and if you haven’t listened to them or seen them play live, you 1,000% should). Her writing is a breath of fresh air you didn’t know you needed. Tank is a natural storyteller, bold, relatable and damn beautiful.

I usually don't read poetry, so this was a first for me. And I have to say, it did not disappoint.

If you listen to the audio, it's very clear that Tarriona Ball is a slam poet. The way she reads the poems... she's speaking from her heart and that made it so so hard for me to put my headphones down. The background music caused me to be completely unaware of my environment (much to my boyfriends dismay). Tarriona, you did an amazing job.

I actually don't know how to review the poems themselves. I'd say the message Tarriona is telling in the poems is very clear. I was able to sympathize with her despite not having had the same experiences. The poems are raw and emotional and every poem is unique in its own way.

I highly recommend reading Vulnerable AF. While I have to admit the audiobook felt more natural than the written book (which is to be expected when the author is a slam poet), I couldn't put both down. Listening to the audiobook after reading the written book showed me a whole other side of the poems and that is quite a unique experience. This isn't something I usually recommend doing, but it would definitely be something you can consider if you'd like to discuss this book in a book club or something similar.

These poems are about being vulnerable in a relationship and how difficult that can be. It dives into looking for others to heal you, lying within a relationship, etc.

I LOVE when the author narrates the audiobook! Especially with poetry, I feel like I'm hearing it the way it's meant to be heard, with emphasis on the correct words. She has the most soothing voice. There was also music in the background of some of the sections which made me feel like I was at a poetry reading at a coffee shop. This audiobook is under an hour so it's a nice quick read!

"If you were a color, you'd be an earth tone."

Thank you to NetGalley for the Audiobook ARC!

Vulnerable AF is a small book of poetry that is narrated by the author and it is wonderful. The way that "Tank" flows like a seasoned slam poet is a whole vibe. It gave me open mic vibes when someone gets on the stage and you have no idea what will. happen. I heard the sound of drums,snaps and whistles. The whole scene was set for me and I came into this with so many questions about Tank's life and love and this delivered.

"If I suck the air really hard I can still taste your bottom lip" This was the flyest line I have ever heard.

This book was so honest and it even made me tear up a few times. They always tell you never fall for a poet because they will write about you. I felt the unrequited love and the secret affection. I am not conventionally pretty so I have unfortunately been the secret before. This book told the truth about that side of the world but there wasn't a hint of bitterness.

This book stood out to me because not only did Tarriona narrate but she put the same emotion and passion into the audiobook as she did into writing this. It was absolutely a pleasure to listen to and I look forward to seeing more of this author on my radar.

Thank you to Netgalley for an Audiobook ARC. This review is all my own and I am leaving an honest review.