Home. Girl. Hood was a phenomenal read. I have never read a book of poems that left me feeling exposed in the best way. Ebony Stewart created a work of art where I felt represented. I found myself thinking, “FINALLY!” I felt a connection with every piece. I think my favorite is An Ode to My Pussy. It was raw and empowering. What I enjoyed the most was how the artist did not struggle to create the poems. It felt natural, lived, survived in a way most poems do not.

* Many thanks to NetGalley and Button Poetry for providing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Dear Ebony Stewart,
Gurl, Imma be straight witchu on sumthin, I got a copy of your book via Netgalley and I'm here because I love reading books and yes, free is expensive and I got me a free copy to read in exchange for my views. So, straight up, Professor Paul Cohen wherever he is, he is one person whom you're waiting to do right by you, but the way I see it, you done shine brighter than a galaxy bearing it all in this collection, so take your hot sauce and grenades and your bag and your coconut oil skin and keep writing.

Okay, now this book is life itself, the good, the bad, the ugly and the never-changing, the pain of living through it all and the exhaustion of wanting better and never getting it just being black, From, 'Psst...hey you Bxxtch let me holla at you' to 'Contacts: Names I changed your Name' to reminding us of that ex you wanted to forget, to 'Electrolytes' on loving and not being appreciated or loved back to being ghosted, every piece is a revelation and I love that Ebony does not hold back. Not even when she talks of love, pain and responsibility on 'Happy Mothers Day.' And then there is 'On the way back to Myself,' that reminded me of the strength I have as a black woman and how to keep my head held high.

You can never go wrong with Button Poetry, loved this!

This quickly became one of my favorite books of poetry. It took a little bit for me to get into it, but I think for the very reason her poetry is considered out of the ordinary. The authenticity and how the author shows up as completely herself were far more relatable than any poetry I've ever read.

I both understood and struggled to understand because of my adverse identity as a girl told she wasn't Black because she wrote and spoke too well. Reading felt like stepping back into my own memories, but in a tone I'd not heard before. I was beyond enraptured with the never-experienced realness and rawness in this poetry -- even when it stung a little. I'm excited to see her craft continue. There are so many intersectional identities I feel it's a must-read for. If you like poetry at all, this is a highly recommended experience.

Ebony Stewart was such a great discovery for me. I had never heard of this poet and this was her first collection I read. This little book is heartfelt and powerful, and it made me think a lot. I read it in a few hours, but I went on thinking about it for days. Stewart explores the female identity and what it means to be a black womxn and dealing with growing up and finding one’s own in the contemporary world. I totally recommend this collection and I’ll go on reading this author, who really deserves to be known.

•thanks to #netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review•

This book has some really thought provoking stories and some of them really hit home and I'm awed by how beautiful these poetries are in this book. I definitely enjoyed reading this.
I'm also gonna say that I really love how the cover looks. It's so powerful!
I love the way in which the author has written it, there's something really poetic and lyrical about her writing and I definitely going to recommend this one.

Still can't believe I genuinely enjoyed this one. A truly big suprise even to myself. I'm not really into poetry so I usually avoid it. However this book, this beautifully crafted book made me rethink why I never try hard enough to indulge myself to this genre. This was really good. Sure, there were pieces that I didn't thoroughly understand (and I blame that to my poor imaginative skills ) but they didn't affect my overall perception of this book. I thought it was very powerful, empowering, and evocative. I was really amazed by its lyricism approach and beautiful style. One of my favourite pieces is probably the one called "Compassion Fatigue". That one almost made me cry. For real.

Ahh poetry hands down, has got to be my most favourite genre. I really really enjoyed reading this one. I love the lyricism, style and everything else. Can’t wait for it to be out so that I could gift it to my friends.