I really really wish that every woman and man in this world would just spend their time to read this exceptionally written poetry. So many proses that resonates with how i feel when I can’t even put a word into what I’m actually feeling but this poetry able to communicate my tangled thoughts into words and that’s just heartwarming. Her III is a book that you can visit to learn more about yourself and finding of how to love yourself and other and setting boundaries without feeling guilty about it. Looking at some of the proses also make me realize that in relationship, feeling validate over my emotions and struggles is okay and it’s not wrong for me to ask about it to my partner. A truly heartwarming poetry🤍

I don't what made me pick up this book. It was the most trite "poetry" I've ever read in my life. I try not to judge people but I'm judging everyone who liked this book.

I can thoroughly appreciate the wom(an/en) that Pierre wrote this collection for and the men he hopes will be ambitious enough to open the same pages and allow his words to make their mark.
Unfortunately, being that I am not in the current dating pool and am happily married to a really good guy, this collection didn't resonate with me as much as I wished it would. I feel like it is a collection I would have appreciated more in my early twenties.
It can get a little bouncy, between speaking to HER and HIM but I do think there is something for most people to find and pause with.
I really loved Heal. grow. love and felt like that collection was much more fulfilling at this stage of life.

Thank you to Andrew's McMeel Publishing, Pierre Alex Jeanty, and Netgalley for an ARC of HER vol. 3.

I love the HER books, every poem just hits home. Its a confirmation and validation to see words put to paper that I feel but don't have the words to express. Pierre Alex Jeanty gives words to buried emotions and every HER book just makes me feel seen as a HER! I recommend every HER read this at some point.

I love all books that empower women and this one does not disappoint. It’s filled with turning your insecurities into confidence. A quick read full of beautiful words to uplift you.

I was excited to read a new poetry book, an although there was a few poems in "HER" that I did enjoy, 90% of the book feel flat to me. It really did feel like poems for her written by him. I just feel the mark wasn't meet on what the author was trying to portray.

Her Vol. 3 is the third book in Pierre Alex Jeanty’s collection of poetry for women. According to the foreword, he writes these poems not to tell women how to be, but to validate their experiences and help them through things they might be going through. I own both Her Vol. 1 and Her Vol. 2 (though, shamefully, that one is still on my TBR…oops) so I was super excited to see this one.


The Good

This book was very easy to get through. Most of the poems were short and snappy, which made for a quick read. I’m not a big fan of long, train-of-thought style passages so this was a big plus for me.

In the foreword Jeanty describes himself as an observer, and I think this is proved true in the different stories he tells throughout this collection. From poems about cheating, self-discovery and motherhood, there is a poem here for everyone.

(Well, almost everyone.)

Before I get to my problems with the book, I’d like to share some of the lines that I loved.

“She will no longer be a home for lost men.” (Page 29)

“If her beauty lures you faster than her heart, you are swimming in the shallow parts.” (Page 94)

“Being numb is too close to death to settle for feeling nothing at all.” (Page 131)


The Less Good

My first and biggest issue with this book is that it seems to come from a very Christian and heteronormative perspective. There’s literally a poem that says “not all men.” This collection of poetry is not accessible. It is aimed at cis, straight women, and while that isn’t a bad thing in and of itself, it’s just not for me.

There’s also a recurring theme of Christianity and faith, and a lot of these works perpetuate the idea that women should be nice and pure and innocent, which in itself is a potentially damaging ideology to have.

Some examples of this:

“Her trust is in God, not man. Her trust for men will only be led by God.” (Page 127)

“Having a man is not what makes you feel all woman; his presence just amplifies it.” (Page 171)

“The man for you will praise your femininity.” (Page 175)

On a more minor note, I felt that this collection could’ve been arranged in a more meaningful way. There was no cohesion to the order of poems and that was occasionally jarring.

In three separate poems, the (woman) reader are referred to as “queen”, and these poems are respectively three and five pages apart. So within eight pages, right around the middle of the book, we have the term “queen” used three times then never again. It read like the poetry was just put in the book in the order he wrote them. Again, this isn’t inherently a problem, it just made my reading experience less than it could’ve been if there had been some more work done to thread the themes together.


The TL;DR

First of all I want to say that poetry is a very personal thing and, in my opinion, there is no wrong way to read (or write!) it.

For me, personally, this collection had some issues–the main one being that I wasn’t the target demographic. And that’s okay! I found a lot of value in some of the works and none in others, but that’s the risk we take when picking up a poetry book.

Star rating:
3 (2.5 rounding up, because I truly believe there is something for everyone in this book.)

Free verse, with some poems that hit hard but most fall flat.

This is my first HER poetry book. The content doesn't feel purposefully organized in the way I prefer reading poetry. Instead, a lot of it seems thrown together with repetitive ideas throughout. When a similar idea appears in a new poem, nothing new seems to be discussed. The nice thing about poetry is that the books can be read in one sitting, so I felt the flow pick up about halfway through. Still, many of the poems used unnecessary filler words (also, as well) or repetitive words/phrases that broke up the flow. The poems he used more of a distinct rhythm and less words were my favorite. Page 57 & 103 especially hit home and I thought were written quite well.

I thoroughly enjoyed both volume 1 and 2 of HER, so was ecstatic to have received an ARC of volume 3. I love the simplicity of the writing, and how validating and affirming his works are. The book starts with a disclosure reminding the reader that this isn't a man trying to mansplain womanhood, but rather a man sharing his observations. I found a lot of it was positive and highlighted the many seasons of a woman's life. I find it funny how each time I reach for a new volume of HER, it seems to come to me at just the right season where I can really relate to the works. But with volume 3, I especially loved that it wasn't just me who I felt these works represented. Instead, I could identify my mom, my best friend, my sister and so many fierce women in my own life. Once again, an excellent collection of works I plan to revist over and over again. Truly, these are beautiful, empowering and darn right, fierce.

I am familiar with this author and really enjoy the other two HER books. This one is just as beautiful and didn’t disappoint. I got this book as fast as I could knowing I would love it. Definitely a quick read that I enjoyed and suggest everyone check out. Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC.

This is a book that I wish my high school self had. This collection of poems that introduce topics of self love, intimacy, relationships, friendship, communication, and even brief touches upon depression. The poems touch on topics many individuals can relate to. I enjoyed reading the poems, although I wish there was more cohesion when it came to the order of the poems. I would have appreciated poems regarding similar topics being in the same section of the book.

One critique I have is that I felt like some poems were oddly specific and I knew I did not relate to them and found that other readers may not as well. Another thing I have noticed while reading this collection of poems, is that many of them discuss women and what the deserve as if it is being read by men. I feel like the content and target audience of this book do not match, which caused some disconnect for me personally.

Overall, I did enjoy this book and found a handful of poems to reflect back upon. If you are struggling through a break up, or are simply looking for some support through a self-love journey this is a great tool to have. For the right reader, I feel that this book contains meaningful poems to illustrate female emotions and experiences.

Thank you NetGalley for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

If you want to point out what would go wrong when authors are trying to write about women, please do not pick up this book.

I do feel this compilation of poems is for the ones who are looking for something positive and something encouraging when we feel women aren’t treated right and they deserve a place like everyone else.

I find the writing good and simple. This simplicity in the expression is what matters most when reaching out to the younger generation and anyone in general who will feel understood and spoken for when it comes to empowering them when they read such books.

It’s okay to be not as “poetic” or “literary” when it comes to writing poetry. What matters is that the poetry is read and the messages get reached to the right audience.

I do feel that this collection is very important. Anyone can just pick up this book and read it thinking about their mothers, girlfriends, sisters, aunts, wives, friends. They will see everything what the author is trying to convey.

Love it.

I absolutely loved reading this book. I was completely drawn into the topic and could not stop reading it.

2.75/5 stars! This book is the final entry in the Her collection of poetry by author Pierre Alex Jeanty. These books read like Rupi Kaur through a male lens elevating women. While the premise is good, it is a hard barrier to cross. As a woman, I tried to be open to a man's perspective on a woman's internal and external beauty. There were times that I think Pierre achieved this and a few really special moments. But overall, it was too difficult of a barrier to overcome, especially during a time when male legislators are literally taking autonomy over our bodies away. I do think the author's intentions were good. I don't think he had any intention to offend women and sought to elevate them, but the concept falls flat.

I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily