Kate Baer's poetry collection "And Yet" shows both the beautiful and the messy parts of being a mother and friend in the 2020's. Melodic but frank, Baer's writing shows readers that their struggles are not experienced alone. Unfortunately, this is one I think I wasn't quite ready for--I think I may appreciate it more in a few years--but ultimately a collection I would recommend to a friend.

This was a fun, off the wall collection of poetry written by a modern woman for modern women. I enjoyed reading about being a mom, body image problems as a woman and the struggles we as women encounter everyday. I also liked some of the modern topics that were hit on as well and how there isn’t a perfect way to respond to situations.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Just like this book, my review will be short and sweet. But unlike my review, Baer’s poems pack a punch. She consistently writes poetry that doesn’t require a lot of words yet they are so powerful and can resonate with readers. Whether you find yourself nodding along to each poem or just a few, there’s a little bit of something for everyone.

Baer manages to write about real life situations I very much identify with. I’ve never felt so seen while reading but man, after three collections by Baer, I’ve felt seen in each one.

If you’re new to poetry or want to add poetry within your TBR, I highly recommend any of Baer’s work, as I’ve loved each of them.

Big thank you to Harper Perennial for the ARC / ALC!

Content warnings: sexism

I'm a huge fan of Kate Baer's poetry. I found her years ago on Instagram, prior to even the release of her first book. She's a contemporary woman's dream - talking honestly about everything from motherhood, marriage, feminism, love, and loss. All of the messy, beautiful, mundane, and painful things that make life worth living. Her poetry always sticks with me long after I stop reading - and I devoured these pages in one sitting. Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me an advanced copy of this collection.

*happy publication day!*
Thank you NetGalley and Harper Perennial for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

As a woman in her 30s who became a mother at the start of the pandemic in the US…dang. I was crying in a coffeeshop as I read the entirety of “And Yet” in one sitting, seeing so much of myself over the last two years in these lines. Kate doesn’t hold back on the exhaustion, rage, fear of being a woman/mother/wife/human right now, but there is also hope/love persisting in the face of such crazy circumstances and beauty found in the small moments.

Main themes: womanhood, motherhood, marriage, living through the pandemic/the last few years in the US. I could see how this collection of poems could be hard to relate to for people who don’t have kids/aren’t married/etc.

Some favorites:
“Still Married”
“On a Thursday Afternoon”
“Baby Good”
“When Someone Asks If I Ever Think of You”
“End of the World”

It feels almost superfluous to review this, but here it is: I love Kate Baer, she is a genius, this is an amazing collection of beautiful, moving poems. I’m in the same stage of life and I feel that her work crystallizes so many of the feelings that I can’t put into words or don’t even know that I have. Beach Body and There are Days are both poems that Kate has shared on Insta so I know them better, but they are both my favorites here so far. I’m looking forward to continuing to absorb this to develop more favorites. Thank you for the opportunity to review it.

Going into this book of poetry I had high expectations of highlighting every page, however I felt that Kate stuck to a lot of surface, insta-post types of verses. There were a few poems that were notable, and in the end, that is all I hope to ever come away with from a book of poems.

The book also leans very heavily into the topics of motherhood, life during the pandemic, being a woman in general and some social, cultural issues. I felt that I related to some of her motherhood poems, but some seem like they will resonate with mom’s of younger kids. And, although not all of the poems personally resonated with me, you can certainly see Kate’s point of view and the emotion weaved in her writing.

Thank you to Netgally and the publisher for providing access to a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I wish Kate Baer would dig a little deeper!! Most of these poems are very generic and cliched. A couple steps above insta-poetry but nothing profound or memorable. It feels like they got lost in the goal of being relatable, so the poems are so generic they could apply to almost anyone, which makes them too boring. I can tell the intention and messages are powerful and important to the poet, but they could be SO much better with more personal detail and poetic techniques. Just a bummer! (I did like “beach body”) And thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

Loved this collection of contemporary poetry written by a wife, mom, and modern woman. The poems are genuine and approachable. I read a few each day so that I could sit with each one for a spell. Favorites were "Bliss" and "Reasons to Log Off."

This was yet another lovely book by Baer. Thank you NetGalley for the copy of this book. After reading her first two books, I knew I would need to devour her new one and that is exactly what I did. Her poems are relatable, heartwarming and a joy to read.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Harper Perennial and Paperbacks for the ebook ARC copy. And Yet will be released on November 8, 2022.

This poetry book by Kate Baer explores the concepts of motherhood, life during the pandemic, and what it feels like to be human. A lot of these poems resonated with me, and I feel as though she captured what being human is in such a real way.
I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys poetry, especially those who enjoy poetry that isn’t sugar coated or trying too hard. A lot of times, I feel like poets try to hide everything behind metaphors and sounding pretty or interesting. But the poetry that means the most to me is the kind that is honest. And Baer is definitely honest in her poems. She tells you the truth, and it still has a rhythm and flows beautifully. This book evoked a lot of emotion while reading. I highly recommend, and I am definitely going to read her other books.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC!

I heard about this book from Nora McInerny - another fantastic speaker, author, and human being. I was so excited to receive this in my queue. Kate Baer's poetry is so simple, yet it hits you right in the gut. From motherhood, to the pandemic, to so much more, I felt so connected to Baer's words and feelings. As a new mother, her words really stuck with me.

Sometimes, you just need realness. Authenticity. A few curse words. That's it. An absolute masterpiece.

And Yet was my first of Baer’s poetry, and it won’t be my last.

My only reason for not giving it 5 stars was more personal than anything to do with the quality of the world. It leaned heavily on motherhood, which made it a little specific for my personal relation. That being said, a number of the poems had a profound effect, and even found themselves being sent to friends. They were stunning, thought-provoking, and insightful. Topics range from sisterhood to the American Dream to hope and the human spirit.

And Yet is a beautiful poetry collection compiled of poems discussing motherhood, personal identity, social issues, insecurities, relationships, etc.
Although I could not personally relate to every poem, they were each written with such strong purpose and feeling that I couldn’t help but feel emotional.

I found myself rereading over and over the poems that I could relate to, and I feel that Kate Baer did an excellent job of highlighting important societal issues. Many topics that are discussed in the collection are things that I see and experience every single day. I was happy to see such awareness brought to these problems, and I found each poem to be very inspiring in their own ways.

I had a great reading experience while delving into this poetry collection and I’d recommend it to anyone with an interest in poetry. There is a poem in this book for everyone, and I believe that anybody who reads this will have a very unique experience and reaction to what is written.

Where would modern women be without Kate Baer's incisive, starkly honest poetry? Everyone loves the Baer poems they see shared on Instagram. But to really feel the full impact of her talent, you need to hold her poetry collections in your hands. It can feel overwhelming, trying to read them all at once, as is probably the case with all great poetry. Each poem should really be read slowly and pondered for a few minutes afterwards. Maybe reading a few poems each morning would hit the sweet spot. Even the shortest ones pack a punch, in my experience.

My favorite poems in And Yet explore themes of the disappointments of marriage and the expectations put on modern mothers. Other themes include aging, technology, and politics, all under a broad message of feminism and resistance.

I love that Baer's poetry always feels so of-the-moment. The book description uses the word "beguiling" and I think that's the perfect word to describe what makes her poetry so compelling. As each poem begins, you never know exactly where you're being taken. But you are always curious to find out what feelings the poem will ultimately invoke as you finish the final line. Most often, Baer says what we are all thinking and feeling, but are too timid to verbalize.

Thank you NetGalley, Harper Perennial, and Kate Baer for the eARC of this poetry collection. I already can't wait for her next collection to publish!

And Yet by Kate Baer is her third collection of poetry in as many years. Like her other collections, Baer writes with snide humor and a wry wit. She lambasts chauvinism and male privilege. She wrestles with body image and mental health. She looks to the future but also examines her past. All of the poems are all so wonderfully different and yet her voice shines clearly throughout the collection, creating a cohesive whole.

My favorites were Sad Olympics, End of the World, and Halfway There.

If you love modern free verse poetry, enjoyed any of her other collections, or follow her on social media, I think you’ll really love And Yet. Thank you to Harper and NetGalley for my advance review copy.

Kate Baer's third book of poetry, AND YET, is an accessible and culturally relevant collection for this moment. Filled with poems about things like burnout and bodies and "bad" women, Baer captures what it feels like to be a woman and a mother right now. Her range is impressive. Poems like, "Pandemic Christmas," "At the Covid Testing Clinic," and "2021" contemplate death and exhaustion stemming from the pandemic, while "Not a Diet Diet" and "Beach Body" are tongue-in-cheek meditations on societal expectations of feminine beauty.

Baer also makes clever choices in the forms her poems take on. In "Postpartum Questionnaire," she mimics the screening that new mothers get at their first postpartum follow-up visit; each check box can be read as an individual response or together to tell a larger story. In "MILF" she reimagines other acronyms that apply to mothers.

Some of my personal favorite poems captured the often fraught relationships of mothers with their children, especially daughters. "Putting Away the Baby Clothes" describes the bittersweet feeling of watching your children grow up without sounding trite. "What Are We Doing Here" boils down the important questions and answers in life. And "Marvel" contains the gorgeous closing line: "You're the daughter who became a lion in an otherwise soft and ordinary life."

All in all, while I especially resonated with this collection as a mother myself, I think there are plenty of poems in it that connect with a larger audience. I read this book in an afternoon with a cup of tea and felt like I was talking with a friend across the table. It was a gift — a gift I'm excited for her to share with everyone.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Perennial for allowing me the chance to read and provide an honest review of this book! On release day, I'll be posting this review to my social platforms, Amazon and B&N listings and on GoodReads.

Kate Baer does it again. And Yet seems more like a continuation of themes explored in What Kind of Woman and was a welcome departure from I Hope This Finds You Well. Baer's poems are written for a very specific audience-- mothers struggling with identity and failing in a quest to do it all and be everything for everyone. And Yet is raw, gritty, and unashamed. Baer's poems are evocative and illuminate the beauty in the seemingly mundane. I will forever pick up anything she writes. She's turned me into a reader that doesn't mind poetry. Thank you to the publisher, Harper Perennial, for the eARC!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance reader's copy of this poetry collection.

And Yet is a short collection of very short poems that are, unfortunately, mostly forgettable. There are certainly some brief moments of brilliance, but for the most part the observations feel mundane and the poems feel barely above Rupi Kaur in terms of skill level (don't get me started on Rupi Kaur). Somewhere in the middle of the collection, I felt a fleeting sense that Baer has a unique ability to describe what it's like to be a woman. But a few pages later, I was back in the mundane, wondering when the book would end. Maybe modern poetry just isn't my jam?

Kate Baer knocks it out of the park with her second full length book of poetry. I continue to be impressed by her skill of capturing moments of life so succinctly, poignantly, and realistically. She exquisitely expresses herself on topics that are easy to relate to; motherhood, marriage, grief, love, loss, change, and preserving a sense of self when chaos often seems to rule the day.

I am already looking forward to her next offering!

My thanks to Harper Perennial for allowing me to access an ARC of this book via NetGalley. Publication is set for 11/8/22. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and are freely given.