Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

What a moving set of writings! A look into a life I would never live and a glimpse into her soul. It took me a while to get through these as I was considering them along the way, but I appreciate the opportunity to take in these words and thoughts and feelings.

Really enjoyed the insight into Maori culture through Tibble's poems. This collection was well-curated and readable the entire way through, like her previous collection. She brings images to vivid life, despite them being completely unrelated to my own experience as a reader. I will seek her out!

A wonderful accompaniment to Tibble's existing work. Accessible to a wide range of readers without feeling dumbed down.

It was hard for me to interpret some of the the pieces. I'm don't think the style is for me. However, I could feel the rawness throughout each work.

Rangikura is a great 2nd collection of poems from Tayi Tibble. I loved her raw poetry, incorporating myths as well as modern concerns of womanhood.

"My ancestors ride wit me. / Don’t tell me wtf they would do. / I know them way better than you"

Tibble does a good job of inviting us inside her brain, while making it a point that we are only being allowed a glimpse of her world. There are plenty of words that are in the Māori language that you def need to google to understand the context of, but I commend that (!) because she sticks to her truths in her own language and forces us to step into her world.

Would recommend to folks who enjoy contemporary poetry.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

This collection opens seriously strong. I knew I was in for a ride when the first two poems went so hard, so I buckled in and I wasn't let down-- not even a little. There is so much raw, crisp imagery here-- even some of Tibble's most fractured prose transports you to that PLACE to that MOMENT, showcasing Tibble's skill in capturing the complex experiences and nostalgia and pain of young womanhood with all of its beauty and ugliness and cringiness. Teenage me would have definitely made this book my entire personality for at least a month. Grownup me would me a liar if I said I wasn't still tempted.

Such a glamorous cover that really grabbed my interest. There were some glimmers of good stuff here, but I didn't find much to hang on to. To be honest, as a queer woman, I simply get tired of reading poetry about women being disappointed by mediocre men.

Received as a free e-book from Net Galley.

Publish and promote the poetry of young people! Lift up the words of folks from different backgrounds who are generous enough to let us into their worlds! There is so much more that can be done with words and intertwining languages and culture than how we see it in the mainstream.

Believe me, I love an introspective poem that makes me contemplate selfhood and the interconnectedness of all things. But I also love anticolonialist poems with words in Mauri that aren't translated, poems that are not for me but teach me and make me curious. Here you have both!

I feel like this collection is being marketed with an indigenous baddie framing and that is part of the story but not all of it. And yes there are some adult themes (sex, drugs, crimes) but there are also genius phrases that stop me in my tracks. And depictions of female friendship that ring in my soul. You could read it fast but I like taking my time.

Review published on Goodreads.

I don’t read a ton of poetry but this was stunning.

It’s more contemporary, with modern references and pop culture mentions. They focus on growing up, womanhood and expectations, and culture.

I loved listening to this on audio, the author did a beautiful job reading her poetry, and it was a delight to listen to.

If you love poetry, or even if you don’t, I’d highly recommend giving this a listen!

Thank you @netgalley and @aaknopf for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

A quick, lyrical, collection of poems with lots of energy.,Tayi Tibble's words are beautifully written and portray such deeper meaning. I think a lot of young people, women in particular, will find it to be relatable and see Tibble as a fresh voice in the genre with poems that are nostalgic and comedic but also reflective of trauma and colonization. Tibble uses a lot of slang and sensuous language and many of the poems are about relationships with men and growing up. They definitely invoke feeling and deeper thought. It's a great addition to an adult poetry collection, offering a unique perspective in a short volume that is quick to read and easy to enjoy.

I voluntarily read and reviewed a digital ARC from Knopf via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Tayi Tibble’s second book of poems Rangikura was just reprinted with Knopf. (The volume was first published in 2021 in New Zealand.) Tibble, from Wellington, New Zealand, writes a poetry that blends her Māori culture with the attitude and wisdom of a young Millennial or the elder stateswoman of Gen Z. (Tibble was born in 1995.) Her poems are wildly bold, not shying away from colonialism, climate change, and the banality of pop culture. They are defiant and tender, as illustrated in these lines from “Tohunga”:

good on you babe. / You got what you wanted. / The juicy earth / the factoried women / the rivers / the mountains / all bowing for you. / I’m proud of you / the way you erected / monuments in your image….

You can read the whole poem here:

https://lithub.com/tohunga-a-poem-by-tayi-tibble/

Congratulations, Tayi!

Although this was not a collection that resonated with me, there was much to appreciate in Tibble’s poetry. Many of her poems explore strength and vulnerability (although in contexts mostly unfamiliar to me), identity, and sexuality. She mixes poetic devises and language with slang in an interesting way, but, again, not something I connected with. I did appreciate her owning and celebrating this dichotomy between youth and pop culture, and being very connected to her ancestors.

This collection was worth reading for me as it stretched me outside of my poetic comfort zone and because it’s always educational to read writing from an Indigenous perspective.

Thank you to Knopf and NetGalley for the e-ARC!

I picked this book up to review because I was drawn to the cover, which is bright and active... so is the inside! The poetry is fresh and modern, and gives a good feel of the poet swimming in the social milieu that is being described. The best part is how subversive and delightful her exposure of prejudice and pride in being indigenous is a cloak that doesn't grant invisibility but declares presence. She is large and in charge here, and this is a highly recommended collection for anyone who enjoys modern poetry and the interface of cultural embrace in a modern and still biased world.

The writing style wasn't for me, but I finished it because it was only 72 pages. The metaphors read like what they show an acid trip to feel/look like.

I'll pass on anything else the author writes.

First, I LOVE the cover. It's what sold me on this poetry collection immediately. I also really liked the more current language and form of the poems (it made me think of Joshua Whitehead?). Unfortunately, I just don't think this collection was meant for me. A lot of it went over my head.

Homegurl is literally the next SZA. This is for my ABG bitches who wake up wake up gotta put on make up listening to Tinashe off a cracked iPhone, thinking about how much their ex pains them while working at your local boba joint with boys with nice cars whispering pretty little nothings all around you.

Lyrical at best, Tibble needs to quit playin and drop the mixtape already goddamn

These are active accessible poems about growing up female and Maori in New Zealand, about finding your voice and a place for all the competing voices around you and inside you, about finding the boundaries of your body and how to live in the world. They are moving in both senses of the word--slithering and hissing across the page in various forms, and moving in that they reach out and grab the reader's attention and emotion; they are full of recklessness. They engage with history and the immediate present at the same time, and demand that readers do both too. I enjoyed the specificity of Tibble's voice.

Thanks to the publisher, the author, and Netgalley for my free earc. My opinions are all my own.

Rangikura is a collection of poems and short poetic stories by a contemporary Māori author, Tayi Tibble. Each poem holds a beautiful rawness which draws the reader deeper into the life of the writer.

Although the author does not state Rangikura is autobiographical, it reads as if it is the author’s life story. At times the poems have no punctuation, a smattering of punctuation, or poems that resemble stories. All rules of writing have been thrown to the wind and I love it in this wild whirlwind of emotion.

Tibble’s writing style brings about this sense of uninhibited, sensual wildness that runs throughout the book. Make no mistake, this is adult poetry. Profanity punctuates key points, while the author tackles topics of sexuality. This evidence may be found as early as the first poem, Tohunga.

These poems are not quiet, ruminating words to be read on a Sunday afternoon at the library but should be read aloud with intense dynamics to an audience of one or 100.

Tibble’s writing mesmerized my spirit from the first word and led to my reading the entire book in one sitting. I also gave a poetry reading to my husband, my audience of one, from various selections in the book. He enjoyed it and my enthusiasm for this work.

Desiring to review works from Indigenous writers, I sought out options with only “Indigenous poetry” as my parameters. I believe the Māori gods brought me to this powerful collection as the first suggestion offered to me.

There is a poem in the book, Te Araroa, which speaks of discrimination that the author has been made to feel intensely because of Tibble’s Indigenous heritage. The raw brutality of the discrimination faced by the author broke me to tears.

Although the poetry had various traditional Māori words and beliefs throughout the work, it did not hinder my understanding of the work. In fact, these qualities enhanced the magic of the words.

Rangikura is definitely a book for adults only, with lush, sultry, powerful and beautifully uplifting poems. I easily classify this collection of powerful stanzas as the new poetry lover’s classic.