" how many generations will it take before this society
stops burying girls
under the weight
of countless expectations?"

A personal collection of poems touching on important topics such as cultural, gender and societal expectations. The collection was particularly engaging to read as a South Asian woman, but is still a well worthy read for other audiences. I particularly liked the layout with the tea pairing for each section, it felt like a really nice and thoughtful touch.

However, whilst I found the actual writing to be quite impactful and memorable, it didn't always read like poetry to me. Maybe this is because of the ebook format but sometimes it felt more like a speech, or sometimes even felt like prose, and I can't help but think I might have enjoyed it more as a collection of essays or as an autobiography. I think these options would also allow the author to go more in depth into the topics she speaks on, as this poetry collection did feel quite short.

Thanks NetGalley for the eARC

A collection of poems that take the reader through the author’s life including traumatic experiences. Despite the honestly and raw emotion included - the style makes this book so easy to devour in one sitting and definitely well worth a read.

These poems are a reflection of the author's journey. It brings about a variety of emotions. The poems are stories from her culture, traumatic experiences from the past, and everything else. Thanks to the publishers at Central Avenue and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read these poems and do a review.

Special thanks to Central Avenue Publishing and Netgalley for an ARC of “What Will People Say” in exchange for an honest review.

I’m always happy to discover a new South Asian writer, and Taniya Gupta’s debut poetry collection did not disappoint. Her poems – mainly about race, gender, childhood, marriage, mental health, and identity – are embedded in the “brown girl experience”. It was heartbreaking and healing at once to read Gupta navigating harsh themes like abuse, insecurity, and mental illness yet still end the collection on a note of hope. You can finish this poetry collection in a day and it will give you something to think about while comforting you. That being said, please note that many of these poems share details about suicidal ideation and sexual assault, so keep this content warning in mind.

I took out two stars because the general form of these poems didn’t particularly interest me. I’m just not a fan of the “lowercase + return key” formula. I would have liked to see more innovation and creativity in the delivery of the poems. I also wasn’t wowed by the general “you may be broken but you are still strong” thesis of most of these poems. I just feel like I’ve seen and heard and read it all already. That being said, I’d recommend “What Will People Say” for novice poetry readers and anyone looking out for upcoming South Asian voices.

This poetry book was pure magic. It highlights everything I already know about the female struggle and rage while also teaching me the concept from an entirely different cultural perspective. I thoroughly enjoyed how empowering these poems are and how enriched I felt while learning about this particular experience. I thought an especially personal touch was the tea pairing for every part. It made me want to buy all the teas and read again, all in one sitting, changing the teas as the story moved.

This is a collection of poems with a very approachable writing style. Gupta moves from India to Canada, and grapples with anxiety, the pressure of her in-laws, cultural expectations, talking to the little girl inside of her, and questioning the patriarchy. Emotional and empowering.

I devoured this book. It was completely captivating. I opened the book thinking I would enjoy it, since I’m familiar with the author and enjoy Taniya’s poetry that she has shared on social media previously.

However. I was not prepared. Not prepared for how stunningly magical this book of poems would be. The poems flowed from one to the next, writing a story of life, with struggles and love and confusion and families issues.

The poems didn’t just echo in my heart and make me feel emotions so deep, they drew stories and pictures in my mind. So vivid, so real.

At times I felt like I was walking through life with Taniya, moments that felt so close to my own stories and memories. I suddenly felt a little less alone. A little less scared.

At other times I felt like I was Taniya’s shadow, quietly watching her life take place, while she allowed me to feel a sliver of her emotions in the moment.

Truly stunning work. Taniya has created an extraordinary story with such emotion and vulnerability. Thank you for sharing your life and moments with the world.

As a tea drinker, I especially loved that each chapter started with a tea pairing. This was the cherry on top for me. Every part of the journey of the book was thought of.

I can't say that I'm a poetry enthusiast, but I found the title of this book so evocative that I wanted to give it a try. Like millions and millions of women, I too have felt the weight of that question : "What people say?"

Through a collection of compelling poems, each representing a pivotal moment of her life, Taniya Gupta bares herself to the readers while addressing important topics like family dynamics, how girls and women are perceived and the expectations that burden them in patriarchal societies. It was deep, powerful, moving and surprisingly approachable. Totally recommend !

Thank you NetGalley and Central Avenue Publishing for giving me access to this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

I loved these poems!
The tea recommendations added such a nice touch - I loved this concept
The poems really hit home for me as a south Asian woman and parts of them really wow’ed me. Overall I loved it and have no criticisms

This book of poetry is something so special, obviously to the author and now to me. I can see myself rereading this multiple times. The way the story was organized from “little girl” to “rejoice” shows the authors growth and life experiences, it shows her pain and joy. I love this story because even if we are of different culture and race the beauty of experiences is they are much more shared than you can imagine. I also loved being able to explore another culture through this book and how I was taught so much I didn’t previously know. I wanted to point out also that I grew up in a conservative family from the Bible Belt south of the USA. The term “what will people say” is used entirely too much down here. While I am proud of my community a lot of the problems author Taniya Gupta brought up are prevalent in this area as well. I truly feel that teen girls AND boyss (adults as well) need to read this to further understand issues in many communities.

I saved a few quotes that really jumped out at me during my time reading, that I personally relate to.
“through my sessions in my therapist's office i met so many versions of me that had been betrayed years had passed
i had never even let myself cry”
“i am not sorry that i exist”
“i am focused on me on prioritizing my well-being over pleasing you”.
And so many more, my phone is full of quotes from “what will people say”