This was a really powerful connection of poems. Heavy is the Head touched in a lot of darker themes, so be mindful of any trigger warnings before starting.

Heavy is the Head was, at its core, about and for women, specifically black women, and the struggles that they face on a daily basis. A lot of poems discussed sexual assault/exploration and the universal struggle of being a women in America. This was a very thought provoking collection and the flow from poem to poem was smooth and felt like a natural progression. I would recommend this book to any fan of poetry.

Therapy diary of a young, Black girl dealing with loss of innocence, depression, sexual harassment/assault.

Powerful stuff here - I chose these 2 passages that really resonated with me

"If you're going to tell me anything, then tell me about the sun. tell me how it rises each morning - in spite of us, regardless of whether we want it to or not..."

"Every night I google symptoms of depression to remind myself that someone out there has given this feeling a name, has translated this emptiness into a language I can speak."

Wow. This was an amazing collection of poetry dealing with some very hard and confronting subject matter. Very thought provoking.
Would definitely pick up more works by this author.

I think this is one of the most heartfelt and vulnerable collections I have ever read. It is something, to read someone delivering such raw feelings and experiences in poems. It made me feel seen, heard, and understood in a lot of ways, but also led me to question other people's experiences of life, past, trauma, and healing. It opened my eyes on the fact not everyone is following the same path, and I simply found the writing stunning. This collection is part of those books that are going to fill your phone gallery, that you want to read and reread, highlighting every single word so you don't forget anything.
I really recommend this beautiful collection.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book to review.

Sumaya Enyegue is a writer I have admired and followed for a few years now, so the prospect of her first collection was exciting and for many, I'm sure, felt like a long time coming. As a debut, however, it appears more to have been crafted for the current 'Instagram poetry' market rather than being a strong reflection of Enyegue's undeniable talent.

This talent appears in pockets of masterful magic and linguistic manipulation in Heavy is the Head. From the superb rendering of anagrams for trauma in 'Rearranging My Traumas', to the haunting structure and repetition in 'There Was A Lynching On My Birthday', and the extended metaphor of colonisation in 'Gentrified', Enyegue proves she wields the potential to be an indomitable voice of her generation.

Unfortunately, this strength, while the collection begins incredibly strong, seems to wain as the majority of this collection is bulked out with poems and sayings which read as unfinished or as filler. The ideas in many of these pieces read like much of poetry published mainly online seems to and this definitely seems to be a commonality between many of the collections Central Avenue Publishing have released in the last few years. And this is a shame because Enyegue is fantastic, but, I'm afraid, this collection does not do her justice.

“Someday I will love someone without ever having to write about it. And when this happens, I will call them first. We will laugh about nothing in particular and make plans for a future without blood and it will be magnificent. I will hang up without saying goodbye and my hands will tremble like an addict desperate for a fix except the fix is a life well-lived and the addict is me with a pen. But I won’t write about it. I won’t create a half-hearted metaphor about this full-hearted feeling. Instead, I will love you—mid-sentence—and uninterrupted.”

Thank you to Central Avenue Publishing and NetGalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. This poetry collection is honest and raw. I particularly liked the poems: ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL; BUT SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS, WHITE ACTIVIST EXPLAINS ERASURE TO ME, GENTRIFIED, MY ANXIETY KEEPS TELLING ME THAT EVERYONE I LOVE IS DEAD, THE BLACK GIRL DIES IN THIS ONE, DARK CHOCOLATE, IS IT STILL SEASONAL DEPRESSION IF IT HAPPENS ALL YEAR ROUND, AND EXCERPTS OF CONVERSATIONS I WILL HAVE WITH MY DAUGHTER 1
This collection is worth reading as it clearly expressed the hurt and hope, love and loneliness, the contrasts of life.
The only critique would be that the formatting was a little hard to follow, but I think that's just the ebook. I prefer hard copy books when it comes to poetry for that reason (it is tough to get the margins, lines, and page breaks just right)

Poetry is a deeply personal experience, both from the writer's and the reader's perspective. What I appreciate about "Heavy is the Head" is Sumaya Enyegue's willingness to play with the format and finding something poetic in random musings or snippets of dialogue. Another very important aspect were the trigger warnings at the beginning of the collection that certainly make the reading experience safer for the potential audience.

This was quite an incredible poetry collection that was raw and emotive. Whist reading, it was difficult to fathom that the author has experienced so much at such a young age.

The theme of the collection focuses on moving through the world as a black woman, grief, trauma and relationships.

There were many powerful pieces throughout that had me needing a moment to process, the words do not sugar coat and are not positively skewed. It is just simply stating things as they are for the author.

The only thing that took me out of it were references to instagram, and social media and how people in their twenties interact. I’ve never come across this in poetry and it took me out of the moment a little, but more than anything this is me showing my age.

I definitely think Enyegue is one to watch and I will be watching to see what is next for this talented young voice.

Thank you to #netgalley and the author for giving me the opportunity to read an early copy. Available from early August!

This collection was very heavy. Her diction and wording were powerful, and honestly after every poem, it felt as if there was a mic drop, which shows just how powerful her written word is. While some of the topics I don't have experience with, her perspective and thoughts were raw, volatile, and powerful. I loved it and I cannot wait to read more by this poet!

Absolutely phenomenal poetry collection. I loved this so so much and it’s now one of my new favourite collections. Everything about it was fantastic and I’m beyond excited to see what comes next for the author.

Powerful and often gut wrenching poetry. The words were stunning even with the difficult subject matters. The choice of the language fitted together perfectly.

My personal favourites were - ‘rearranging my traumas’, ‘instructions for loving your friends’ and ‘chant’. Thank you so much to Netgalley, the publisher and author, for the pleasure of reading and reviewing this beautiful collection.

I really enjoyed these poems. I think they were really beautifully written and shed light on some deep topics. i enjoyed the perspective from a POC and hearing about her experiences

thank you netgalley for the e-arc!

This was a stunning collection of poetry. The poems are not easy, they don't go down smoothly, they burn and poke and expose very ugly things you have no choice but to face head-on. But that is the point. For those who are not black, it is easy, and sometimes unconscious, to create a level of separation between us and the pain that comes with being black and a woman in today's world. This collection will not let you look away, no matter your race, gender, sexuality, or any other identity, this collection demands your attention. The author does not shy away from difficult topics, she embraces them in a way that is raw, unwavering, vulnerable, and beautiful. I need a physical copy of this so I can annotate it and then force all my friends to read it. Incredible.

While I'm not black, I try to read books and poetry collections that touch on the experiences of the black community. While reading this poetry collection I was in tears, due to how beautiful the poems were but also how heart-breaking the experiences described were.

I made some failed attempts previously trying to read the sun and her flowers and The Princess Saves Herself in This One. I thought poetry wasn't for me. And then I read On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous, which isn't exactly that, but blew my mind in so many ways.

Some of these resonated with me more than others. The prevailing feelings of Blackness, whether good, bad, or sad, are present throughout these poems. This is not lighthearted. There are very heavy topics here, including abuse. But there is also beauty. Because to be Black, or other, or anything at all, is to be a multitude of things.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher.

Thank you, Central Avenue Publishing, for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Enyegue’s debut poetry collection is a force to be reckoned with. A bold, gutting and honest expression of the human experience, girlhood and blackness.

I’ve followed Sumaya Enyegue’s work online for quite a few years now. She has a very distinct and powerful voice that is evident in every piece. This collection was visceral, evocative and comforting. I enjoyed the overarching imagery tying the collection together in a cohesive way.

I cannot wait to buy a physical copy of this collection to annotate and tab my favourite pieces. If you like spoken word artists from Button Poetry, you’ll enjoy Sumaya’s collection.

This debut collection is powerful, angry and honest - Enyegue tackles heavy topics, from generational trauma and mental illness to rape and blackness. Her ability to write a vulnerable refusal to accept that the current is not okay is inspiring and understandable, and her titles are poignant and gripping.
Enyegue captures womanhood, trauma and bitterness in a way that forces the world to see her.

Thank you to NetGalley and Central Avenue Publishing for the ARC.

Powerful, intricate, and gloriously angry - Enyegue tackles heavy topics with her poetry, from rape and generational trauma to anxiety and blackness. Her poem titles are a masterclass on poignancy as well. I will absolutely be re-reading these poems as Enyegue has managed to frame vulnerability, forthrightness, and a refusal to accept that the way things are right now is okay with her stanzas.

Thank you to NetGalley for the review copy.

This was a great debut from this author and I do think it's an important poetry collection I can definitely see others loving it, unfortunately, I didn't
The style of some of the poems didn't work for me and I didn't care for them. Some were too long, others too short and some I don't think flowed very well.

Stop what you’re doing and read this!! I have followed Sumaya Enyegue on Instagram for a while and have always loved their work. This collection of poetry is jaw-dropping. It strikes your heart and sticks with you. I am so excited for this to come out and am very grateful I was able to read this ARC. It did not disappoint.