4 stars. I haven't read Pierre's first two Her. poetry books, but I have to say I am now interested in his other books. This book is a compilation of poems written about women. Women struggling in toxic relationships, learning how to find their courage and confidence, etc. There are also lessons in here for men (this was written by a man) on how to honor, love, and respect women. It's such a beautiful collection and the art/doodles inside is lovely and relevant. I was very surprised this was written by a man, but I love how he is using his words and talent to honor women everywhere. As a woman, this was a loving tribute to read.

I was so excited to see that I could read an early copy of Her III!! I loved volumes 1 and 2 and could not wait to see what volume 3 was like. Pierre just absolutely gets it! From knowing how the female brain thinks, to the things that we don't say out loud but would love to. His writing style is very crisp, and to the point. I also love that there are little illustrations throughout that go along with the poem on the page. I can not wait to pick up a finished copy of this so I can annotate it with all of my feelings and maybe even some doodles of my own. Pierre is becoming one of my favorite poets and I can't wait to see what collection he comes out with next.

I loved this poetry book. I'm not the most significant poetry reader, but I felt this book had good poems. I saw the rating on this book was 3 stars, but it should be at least a 4.5 I would have liked more pictures on the pages, but other than that, I enjoyed it.

two years ago i read the other books of the series and i like them very much. this is not the exception, the words in this one are beautiful and the art are gorgeous.

thanks to netgalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for a copy of this book.

as always while reviewing poetry, i’d like to point out that just because i didn’t like the work of a writer, doesn’t mean everyone won’t like it. there are many ways to read and identify with poetry.
i read this as a try to get more into poetry, so i thought this would be a great way. i liked some of the poems, others i didn’t like it. this book is modernly written, not the in traditional way (with stanzas and rhymes). as i said earlier, this wasn’t really for me but i’d still recommend this book.

Unfortunately this poetry collection didn't grab me. As I always say with poetry though I am glad it is being shared and I'm happy for the author to be able to so intimately express their feelings. I can see the vulnerability and emotion in these poems. The illustrations in the book were a nice touch as well.

I’ve loved all of the “HER” books and this one did not disappoint at all.

“She’ll compromise for love, but she will not compromise to be loved anymore”

And it just gets better!

I just reviewed HER III by Pierre Alex Jeanty.
I absolutely loved this one. It was powerful it was relatable and kept me interested from start to finish. Cannot wait till it is released. I will be running to the bookstore.
#HERIII #NetGalley

There were poems in this that were really good, but unfortunately a lot of it read like snippets of sentences from a self help book.
Also, I understand that this is a book meant to celebrate and remark on the women this author has observed (he told us immediately), but are the only women he knows ones who either want nothing to do with men or have had their hearts ripped out from a toxic relationship? His view of who women are seems really male focused.

I was immediately taken aback due to the preface by the author regarding why he felt it necessary to write of the female perspective. The author states he’s a “great observer” of the female life, but I vehemently disagree. Just because you have encountered countless women, does not suddenly enable you to truly see or understand what being a women is like.
The author does state he does not consider himself to be a great poet, which is something we can both agree upon given the subject matter.
For the most part, the authors words seem to fall flat.
Many of the pages are micro poems alike to that of a social media caption. In this “collection” it is hard to find true depth.

I've been reading (and enjoying) Pierre Alex Jeanty's poetry on Instagram for a few years now. His latest book HER vol.3 was a quick and interesting read that ended up a mixed bag for me. There were a number of really good, emotionally impactful poems but overall I felt the collection lacked a cohesive flow.

As someone who really enjoys reading poetry, I feel that popularity and visibility of poetry on Instagram has contributed to increased readership and publishing interest in poetry books. Reading this book I've tried to look at it both through the lens of my overall reading experience, as well as my personal lens.

The author prefaces the collection by saying that he is simply an observer and he's not trying to tell women how to be and I kept that in mind as I was reading. Personally I have no issue whatsoever with a man writing about women. There was beautiful imagery in some of the poems, as well as an overall uplifting elements. I know I will be revisiting some of the poems in the future.

Where disconnect happened for me was the lens of hetero-normative and religious world view. I feel this will be the audience that this collection will most resonate with. It just felt a bit one-dimensional for me. I want to acknowledge that I recognize that there is a deep vulnerability in poetry and that this boils down to my own life experiences and world view being vastly different.

Thank you to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for providing me with an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

HER III by Pierre Alex Jeanty

Rating: ★★

First, thank you to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this e-ARC.

While I enjoyed the poetry within the collection, over all, it didn't seem to flow well enough for my taste. I didn't feel a connection to it. It reads like some verbal advice that one man would give to another about women. It is always difficult for a man to write about the experience of women.

I am hesitant in my decision of I like the "warning" that was given in the beginning or not. On one hand I did like that he gave fair warning in the beginning that these were just his personal observations so it felt less like "mansplaining" and more like he was simply noticing these things and explaining them to his fellow man. On the other hand, I feel like if that kind of warning was necessary than the author already knew how this collection was going to feel to many women reading it. That he already knew the intended audience was wrong for this one compared to the first two of his works in this collection.

The idea behind the collection is fantastic and some of the prose is very well written, but I had a hard time enjoying it as much because it felt so disjointed and some of the elements came off as emotionless and patronizing.

Although I enjoyed reading this collection of poetry and the overall message contained within, I felt it came across as a little too "mansplaining" for my taste. Having a male write about females is a challenge; I think the execution here could use some work. Overall, still worth the read.

“Love always looks the same; so does the absence of it.” This quote by author Pierre Alex Jeanty, found in the early sections of his newest piece “HER III,” sets the tone for the rest of the novel and its lessons on introspection, maturation, and identity. Comparable, stylistically, to the poetry collection “The Evolution of a Girl” by L.E. Bowman, “HER III” uses a nameless female protagonist and her introspective journey to narrate female development and self-actualization when confronted with a facade of love as opposed to real, true love from her romantic partner.
Jeanty uses a variety of literary devices to develop this narrative and give it a level of relatability and personality that is sure to resonate with readers. Using various points of view and colorful metaphors that emphasize the comparability between nature’s behaviors and humanity’s behaviors, Jeanty is able to subtly, yet effectively, touch on how women and the relationships women share with men should not be comparable to that of a rehabilitation shelter housing needy people or a mother or service maid to their master.
One of the best discussions brought about in the collection is around the stereotype and the definition of a “good woman.” In past time periods, the social definition of a “good woman” was a woman who stood in solidarity with her male spouse, learning the craft of endurance, as though love was more about longevity than compatibility. However, Peaty argues that the term “good woman” should refer to a woman whose identity is not reliant on her implications with a man; instead, it should be a woman’s ability to find the good within themselves and know to whom this “good” is worthy of being shared that should determine a woman’s “goodness.”
Jeanty also uses behaviors of shifting in narrative and target audience to provide lessons to readers. The author shifts from providing lessons to readers more inclined to align with the ideology of the protagonist to providing warnings to those that may favor the countering opinion. Furthermore, a sort of narrative dialogue that caters to both possible opinions regarding the novel's messages on feminism and female empowerment is created.
The only possible critique to be had of this novel is that it occasionally relies on cliches, which often create awkward shifts between mature, impactful messages and other rhetoric that, unintentionally, comes off somewhat juvenile or surface-level.

I enjoyed the poetry but overall the collection didn’t seem to flow or connect. This read like a series of advice and less like poetry (at least poetry that I have previously read). I love the meaning and many of these poems stuck to me; I wish I read some sooner in my dating life, but overall the lack of flow between each work left me a bit disjointed.

Her III was an entertaining read. I have read all of the collections by the author and this book fit the tone and emotion that readers are looking for. There are strong feminist points made throughout. While this book was entertaining, it isn't anything I would care to read again.

I first read Jeanty's book when I was in high school (now a gradwaiting stud), and I still remember how I loved it because it encouraged me and it gave me a positive hope in life. And it still do, in his book Her III. Not only to younger generation but to all people who needs empowering especially women.

Here's the thing. I enjoyed the idea of this book. Some of the prose were well written. Is it considered as a poetry collection? That's not something I will comment on because it felt repetitive.

I like the idea of a man trying to talk with other men about the power of women. Very interesting theme the author tried to discuss about but most of the words and line, it feels like we've seen it beforehand.

I liked the book but didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would.

🦇 Book Review 🦇

Rating: ⭐⭐

❝ Look at the way she conquers the darker days in her life, like the moon piercing through the night sky. How could you not admire such resilience? ❞

❓ #QOTD What six words would you use to describe yourself? ❓

🦇 The final collection of the HER series, this volume attempts to provide an enlightening discussion regarding self-love, trial & tribulation, and empowerment. As with the previous two volumes, some poems express how to love a woman from a man's point of view. The narrator recognizes the daily struggle "she" must navigate and conquer before ultimately persevering in this world.

💜 If you're a fan of Pierre Alex Jeanty's previous works, you'll likely devour these affirming poems in a single sitting. However, you might not enjoy the meal. This collection lacks the heart that would otherwise allow us, as women, to feel SEEN. The poems are written from the point of view of an observer, but it feels like an observer is leveraging a women's struggles to create content and make money. As someone who reads and writes poetry, some of these were difficult to read in the worst way.

🦇 Unfortunately, this is my least favorite of the HER collection. Some of the themes feel repetitive, some of the concepts not fully evolved. The cadence in some poems comes off as awkward, as if the pieces were rushed but not edited. Worst of all is the note from the author at the collection's start: "If this book ever sounds like it's telling women how to be women..." It does exactly that, reading more like a series of distant, cliche-driven social media posts than poetry. The previous collections did a better job at speaking to a male audience, instructing THEM on how to love a woman. Why should we, as women, listen to a man tell us how to love ourselves? The chosen voice and tone come off as emotionless, with concepts that feel derivative, lacking in depth, and even patronizing.

🦇 Recommended to anyone who read the first three HER collections and wants to close this chapter.

Themes
💜 Insecurities/Self-Doubt
💜 Self-Love/Self-Confidence
💜 Heartbreak/Healing

🦇 Major thanks to the author and publisher for providing an ARC of this book via Netgalley. 🥰 This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

“Her III” is a delicate collection of how to love a woman, told by a man. It’s gentle and sweet and often details instructions that ring true. However, with a male narrator it often falls short of detailing the novelties of the female experience, possibly simply due to the narrator having never experienced it. It’s simple and a good read, however a female reader may often find it a bittersweet punch - oversimplifying and sometimes recycling some stereotypes of what it means to ‘truly’ love a woman. No one woman fits into all the instructions that Jeanty dictates in this textbook attempt.