This was a heart wrenching and beautiful collection of works. There wasn't a single piece that didn't have at least one line that didn't resonate with me.

This short poetry collection was good and moving, and I liked the Point of View of the writer, and hope to read more of their work.

"I had to break me" by Nisha is a beautiful ecapsulation of her jorney through a life filled with struggle, love, expectation, destruction and ultimatly, a self-actualization of finding herself. The short poems are deeply relatable and offer an intimate peek into the author's journey. This is a great read, highly recommended!

Not really my favorite book of poetry. Little hard to follow and figure out what the underlying themes were

"I Had to Break Me," Nisha takes us on an introspective journey through the tumultuous landscapes of rejection, stillness, and self-discovery. This debut poetry collection explores the transformative power of pain, likening it to a fire that consumes, creates, and reveals. Through the poet's poignant verses, we are invited to witness her personal and professional struggles, as she grapples with the challenges of the healthcare system while attempting to provide healing and solace to her patients. Additionally, Nisha takes us back to her homeland, Nepal, where she confronts the aftermath of a devastating earthquake and actively participates in the rebuilding of her community. Amidst these trials, the poet delves into the realms of past love, unveiling the heartaches and self-realizations that emerge from such experiences. The simplicity and cyclic nature of Nisha's language beckon us to delve into the depths of her heart, encouraging us to relate to the shared human struggles that permeate each page of this profound collection. "I Had to Break Me" is not merely a compilation of poems; it is a spiritual memoir that embraces both the cataclysms and the joys that life offers. Through its verses, the collection emphasizes the notion that our most significant battles are not fought externally, but within ourselves. It compels us to confront our own inner conflicts, encouraging us to acknowledge and overcome the barriers that hinder our personal growth. As we immerse ourselves in Nisha's words, we are reminded that the pursuit of self-awareness and self-acceptance is a profound and transformative journey that ultimately leads to liberation. Nisha's ability to blend vulnerability and strength within her poetry is deeply commendable. With each line, she skillfully paints a vivid picture of her experiences, allowing readers to connect with her on a profoundly emotional level. Whether she is articulating the anguish of rejection or the solace found in embracing stillness, her words resonate and resonate deeply. "I Had to Break Me" is an evocative invitation to embrace the complexities of life, to confront our own demons, and to find solace and purpose amidst the chaos. Nisha's masterful storytelling through poetry offers a profound and thought-provoking exploration of the human condition. This collection serves as a reminder that our struggles, when embraced and overcome, can give birth to immense strength and resilience. By the final page, readers will be left with a renewed sense of hope and a deep appreciation for the transformative power of pain.

“When you have not embraced your own heart Of course others will break it easily.”

Wars, You, Mourning, Earthquake, Stillness, and Me. These are the categories of emotions that this beautiful poetry collection emulates. The emotions were so real and raw. I found myself in many of these poems and felt my heart beat in tune with these words. I felt most compelled towards the sections Wars and Stillness; however, all of the sections were filled with beautiful imagery and brought powerful emotions. This was a wonderful collection and I encourage any who love poetry to read it! Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this beauty!

“I am in love with me I am in love with every pain in me Every rejection within me I am simply in love with this moment”

"Earth is my country
Its dimensions are my joy
Don't limit me with the boundaries of your mind
Don't confine me to the space of a so-called nation
I just need a small, clean space to dance
To enjoy nature's bountiful essence
To live in harmony
But first I need to be in harmony with myself"

Thank you NetGalley and Expressions of Nisha LLC for letting me read this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed this collection or poems; it's beautifully written and deal with a variety of topics that I think most people can relate to in one way or another, such as love and loss, resentment and redemption. My favourite part of the collection was the first section, titled War, but the rest were also really good. My one criticism would be that a lot of the poems blended together in my mind and it wasn't entirely clear whether I was still reading the same or a different one, but all in all I enjoyed this book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Amazing how this book felt for me. It was wonderful, just beautiful. A collection of poems that I would recommend to my friends. Definitely worth the read.

Thank you so much to Netgally and to Nisha for giving me a chance to read this book!

A breath of fresh air, that's what this book is for me. After reading romance continuously, this book came in as a refresher for me.
-->Very inspiring and heartfelt! I love Nisha's poetry! Each of them is a glimpse of Nisha's life. I got the message she wanted to convey. It's quite heavy though, to know or bear the emotions behind all those words. But it's real. A touch of truth in our reality.

beautifully written and sometimes moving collection of poem. I don't like it or hate it. A nice book for one sitting.

This was a great collection of poems! I feel like it offers moments of beauty and reflection that make it a worthwhile read overall.

There were some poems in this collection that were extremely poignant and moving; however I did find a lot of the phrasing and language to be redundant.

This book was a very beautifully written and powerful book. Although there were some parts I could really stay focused on, 75% of this book I understood and loved!

Thank you netgalley and publisher for the chance to read this book!

First, as always, I want to thank NetGalley and Expressions of Nisha for the eARC of "I Had to Break Me." Reading this book left me feeling a number of ways, and the largest feeling was of gratitude. I am grateful that Nisha decided to share her story and write it in an often very beautiful way.
With lines such as:
"The story the universe writes for me
Is like a sky beyond my grasp,"
Nisha has some of most beautiful conceptual poetry that I have read in a while. Throughout the book, there are standout lines like that, particularly in parts four and five. However, at times I will say the wording becomes clunky and some of the words such as "intense," can be used a bit too frequently. I also think it may be helpful to use titles to break up some of the poems, because while they do often flow together, at times there are some that feel disparate within the same section. All in all, I did greatly enjoy this book, and I believe that it was largely beautiful and well-written!

“I had to break me” is a sharp and intricate collection that works through so many issues of human-hood. Worth a read

I think the author is brave for putting this out into the world. She describes her dark thoughts and feelings in a candid and unedited way, almost like it's her personal diary that's been published. That's, unfortunately, also where my criticism comes in: it feels very under-edited (in my opinion, truly great poetry is edited to the point where every word, every punctuation, every line break, is considered and deliberate). In this collection, I found it hard to distinguish between the different poems, as they're all about the same subject and are written in a very similar way. No one poem stood out from the rest.

In the author's defence, she does mention at the beginning of this book that she's not a poet, so perhaps I'm being too critical. She has a lovely voice and I would be keen to read something of hers in the future when she's had time to fine-tune her skill.

Loved this.

Some of them made me pause for a good 2 minutes.
Thought-provoking. Raw. Love seeing her choose self love over everything.

I really enjoyed "I Had to Break Me" as a collection of poetry. I appreciated the segments/categories Nisha broke the poetry up into and appreciated following the author's journey through their poetry. There are times I found myself saying "I've thought like that before!" with a line which to me feels like magic when it happens in a collection of poetry.

This collection of work is such a beautiful expression of Nisha's inner feelings and monologue. A testament to who she is at her core, shaped by the experiences of her life.
I found the works to be powerful and strong while also conveying deep hurt and vulnerability.
Truly a joy to read.

Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this e-arc.
This was a wonderful collection of poetry. It took me a good week to finish it because I wanted to take In the poems unlike usually how id just be able to read it in one or two sittings. The first section wasn't my favorite but the last one was so good. The poems are very relatable and I recommend this collection.