A beautifully written and compulsively readable collection that shines light on the experience of an undocumented Brazilian immigrant as well as her mental health struggles. This collection deals with pretty heavy themes, but there is a sliver of hope underlining it all. I can't count the number of poems I bookmarked so that I can come back to them and experience them all over again. Would definitely recommend this.

I think the reason for such a high rating can be summed up from one of the many poems that I bookmarked from this collection; from salt water, to alien to mama I didn’t know I didn’t know, this collection is an unfolding story of one’s roots and place in the world.

Beautifully written, it paints love, loss, pain and hardship through beautiful and poignant imagery that not only allows you to empathize and relate, but drown in the world being built from circumstances that can seem very familiar to a lot of people.

As a first generation immigrant myself, a lot of the topics, which flowed well into the next in a web of a life unraveling on the pages, I understood. With the backdrop of the American dream, the problems never ring hollow, showing authenticity and cultural shift that has one turning to the next page to see how much more one can relate to each poem.

It is a beautiful debut piece, one in which I will go back to, relate to, and pour over again and again.

Thank you NetGalley and Andrews McMeel for the advanced copy.

The author had some very refreshing opinions she chose to voice about what it means to feel at home (or on the contrary, not at all) in one or more countries. She was also very honest about having double standards within herself. The book's message was interesting but definitely all over the place and messy. I personally didn't think the writing was all that great either. Overall, I thought it read a lot like a personal diary and someone figuring out their love for poetry. It made the collection feel very human, but also very amateur.

This was a really sweet collection. It didn't speak to me on a soul level the way that my absolute favourite poems do, but I still really enjoyed reading it. Looking forward to see what this writer does in the future.

I adored this book! The authors story shines a light on heartbreaking truths on immigration and the emotion pours out of the words. An amazing debut; I cannot wait to read more by Aline Mello!

This is a beautiful collection of poetry. It covers very intense themes such as racism, colonization, colorism, and sexism. In the midst of this is touching and poignant commentary on romantic and familial relationships. This is a great debut by Aline Mello.

This is a new poet for me. I really enjoyed the poems in this collection. The poems are very personal and deal with issues such as race, identity, immigration and othering. They are powerfully written and intense at times. The poems spoke to me.

I could really relate to the author of this book because we speak the same language, Portuguese (although she speaks Brazilian Portuguese and I speak European Portuguese). I too sometimes get tired of speaking English and it feels great to have another language to turn to. I enjoyed reading about her journey and the cultural differences she felt, and the expressions in Portuguese gave it a nice touch. This books also speaks about the difficulties of being an immigrant. It's a book I recommend to any poetry lover out there. Rating: 4/5 stars.

content warnings: racism, xenophobia, sexism, misogyny, eating disorder, trauma, suicide, depression, mental health

-----------------------

With words that flow like waves on a shore, More Salt Than Diamond by Aline Mello is an intimate look into the life of an undocumented Brazilian immigrant. With themes of heartbreak, yearning, loss, personal discovery and love, this collection illuminates the author’s experience in an anti-immigrant political climate.

Mello doesn’t sugarcoat the fact that the “American Dream” is a lie. In fact, she uses her powerful writing to shed light on just how much immigrants give up for safety - language, culture, family, a sense of belonging. With a poem about the ideology of the “grateful immigrant”, Mello makes it known how much Americans expect immigrants to give up in return for safe harbor.

Mello reaches into her roots, laying them bare for the readers with each poem. She pulls you into not only her story but that of her parents and their parents and their parents, on and on. The vulnerability she shows with each word and line and verse captures emotions that readers have never been able to capture themselves.

Overall, More Salt Than Diamond is a beautiful, heartbreaking debut collection that I believe is a must-read.

Gods, this poetry collection is so good. Beautiful, lyrical, emotional, made me cry.

It threads together a narrative about identity, being an immigrant, religious searching.

ALSO it had several poems that use repetition, which is one of my favourite poetry devices, when used well.

I need to own this so I can underline favourite lines & dog-ear pages.

If you enjoy poetry, absolutely read this book.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

More Salt than Diamond by Aline Mello is an intimate look into the life of the poet, who is an undocumented Brazilian immigrant in the U.S. From poems about Donald Trump to poems about English, this poetry collection illuminates her experience and should be must-read reading everywhere. According to the description, the book "shines a rare light on what it means to be a Brazilian immigrant in diaspora, stretched thin between borders and fraught family tension yet belonging nowhere."

Overall, More Salt than Diamond is a moving, captivating poetry collection that should be taught in classrooms everywhere. One highlight of this book was how relatable it is. As a teacher, I have often taught English learners, and I think it's so important for them to read texts to show them that what they're feeling is normal. I highly encourage all teachers of English learners to read this collection. If you're intrigued by the description or if you're a fan of poetry in general, you won't regret checking out this book when it comes out in March!

3.75 Stars ( I received an e-are of this collection from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review)

First of all the cover of this book is so simple, yet so beautiful definitely that colour combination. At the same time I feel like this applies to the poetry as well. It combines the trauma of being an immigrant in the United States, mourning the loss of your country/culture and commentary on various racial/social injustices. I highly recommend this collection.

Mello has a really nice and fluent writing that keeps you wanting to continue reading the other poems.
More Salt than Diamond is a poetry collection. Mello writes about living as an immigrant from Brazil and the hardships that can come to those who are undocumented, specifically in a very anti-immigrant political climate. I believe this will be a good book to recommend to anyone who is dealing with a similar experience or wants to get more insight in the subject.

I'm honestly struggling a little bit with how to rate this collection. The message is very strong and language is beautiful. However, the poems themselves all feel incomplete. Like they don't fully round out the thought or even the emotion. I don't think that was intentional with all of them, and if was intentional, I'm sorry to say that it was not effective. I'm firmly in the middle on this one.

More Salt than Diamond is a poetry collection for it's time. Mello writes about living as an immigrant from Brazil and the hardships that can come to those who are undocumented, specifically in a very anti-immigrant political climate. It's one thing to be an advocate for immigrants but reading more firsthand stories is a way to really stay in touch with the reality of it, and I believe this will be a wonderful book to recommend to anyone who is dealing with the same thing, or who wants to understand more about the people who live it.

Mello has a really lovely way with words and adds a sense of lyricism into her poems that I really enjoyed! Specifically this quote jumped out at me right away: " Can two languages live inside one person without bumping into each other?" Such a clever way to speak on the strangeness of thinking in one language and speaking in another.

My favorite poems are: "Salt Water", "What Was The Passion Fruit Named before the Europeans Renamed It?" and "It Is Not Easy To Stay Inside A Body."

More Salt than Diamond was a compelling expression of heartbreak, yearning, and personal discovery. My favorite thing about poetry is the raw emotion that is addressed. The author delivered in expressing her points and leaving readers with not just a beautiful read, but also a perspective that they may or may not understand. #NetGalley

This poetry collection by Aline Mello is heartfelt and heartbreaking. More Salt Than Diamond deals with Aline's struggles as an undocumented Brazilian immigrant - feeling torn between two "homes". ⁠
⁠
This collection is accessible for those of us who are not poets, yet complex and beautiful at the same time. Aline writes about immigration, family, eating disorders, and hope. ⁠
⁠
I don't want to quote the poems here and risk ruining their discovery for you - but suffice to say - read this poetry collection!

This book was sent to me as an ARC on NetGalley. However, al opinions are of my own.
A beautiful poem book full of raw and emotional poems.

Poetry is not what I usually read or connect with, but this caught my eye and I'm glad it did. As a Brazilian who reads in English, it was important to know Aline's story, which she tells beautifully, from the very start to the end of the Acknowledgements.

It does get into heavy subjects. Mental health, such as depression/suicide and eating disorder, is a big part of it. The violence experienced by minorities, particularly racial minorities. But mostly it's about her experience as a woman, as a latina, as an immigrant. It's like I can even feel the language escaping her.

Also, being really short makes it nice for those who are, like me, not big poetry readers.

Aline Mello's debut poetry collection More Salt than Diamond is a very personal one, and was a delight to read. She beautifully captures the immigrant experience in the U.S.

I was most compelled by her exploration of the connection between identity and language. How language defines her and how she uses language to define herself. "Can two languages/live inside one person/without bumping into each other?" (ESL, p.14). This tension between Portuguese and English returns throughout the collection, and is never fully resolved.

Mello's writing is clear and straight to the point. I would recommend this collection to anyone who feels intimidated by poetry to show them how approachable and beautiful it can be.