5 stars

This is a really beautiful, moving collection whose words match the beauty of the cover. Its spans a large subject matter stemming from growing up in the American south including racism, family, love lost, and religion. It certainly is an emotional read. My favorites were Philando, poem at 30, Poem at 35, and To the Cynic; but I didn’t experience a lack luster one in the entire collection.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced copy for me to share my honest opinions.

This book of poetry celebrates Black Southern womanhood and the magical bonds between sisters, mothers, and daughters. As a Southern Black woman, I deeply connect with this collection. The author's poems are so captivating that you absorb them, carrying fragments with you afterward. Together, these poems evoke emotions, leaving a lingering impression of heartache or reflection.

Genuinely i hope this book becomes controversial so more people start a conversation over what she’s sayin, I Really am happy for an actual poetry book to be released and not some insta poems. The author really speaks her truth and experiences while creating a linear story you can follow all the way thru, idk if that was intentional but the best way to describe it, was that each poem I felt like I was walking through a new part of her life.

Stringfellow's poetry is short, succint and hits the spot. She makes the reader feel the pain and suffering that Black women have endured through the ages. There is a lot of food for thought. The quote, "God can stay asleep/ these women in my life are magic enuff." contains more than a bit of truth. The support system for all women needs to be in place, so women can make it through the tough times.

The acknowledgments at the end of the book are very thought-provoking. I can see this poetry collection being used in a high school or college classroom poetry unit.

I loved Tara M. Stringfellow’s Magic Enuff. It spoke to me, an African-American southerner. I recognized a lot of elements that I could relate to.

My favorite poems were those about the relationship she had with her mama and daddy. It wasn’t perfect, but I felt like she loved them both.

It was a quick, solid 4-star read. My only quibble was a couple of the poems made me uncomfortable, but isn’t that true of a lot of books? Plus I can’t really criticize someone else’s life just because of a couple of experiences I haven’t had. Most of them I recognize.

I didn’t realize how much I like poetry until I read this and another author’s work. Because of Magic Enuff I’ll continue to add poetry to my repertoire.

Thank you, NetGalley for the chance to read Magic Enuff by Tara Stringfellow. I have the author's debut, Memphis on my TBR shelf, so was excited for this introduction to her work.
This work of poetry tells a raw depiction of being a Black woman, from relationships to family to interactions from strangers. I enjoyed reading this and am excited to read Memphis next.

This book is a collection of poems - vivid and visceral, detailing her coming of age in Memphis, her experience witnessing domestic violence as a young girl, her life married to a white partner while also writing odes to black mothers of the movement such as Trayvon Martin and victims of police brutality (Laquan McDonald, Philando Castile, Tyre Nichols).

Don’t let the cover fool you, this is not a bright and fun book. I definitely whispered “Jesus Christ” the first line of This Woman which followed my heart aching for the poem before it, and the one before that.

It was a lot to digest. I don’t say that lightly. As someone who actually enjoys heavier writing such as Jesmyn Ward and Honoree Fanone Jeffers, this felt jam packed with trauma and I struggled with that - particularly the uses of all their names. The themes were similar to Memphis and her storytelling skills are so powerful.

P.S. - Kanye West need psychiatric attention, not to lay atop a Black breast. Don’t put that on us 😭

This book is beautiful - not in a floral dreamscape way - but rather in a rip your heart out and stomp on it way. Just as she did in Memphis, Stringfellow writes in a manner that touches your soul. The words and phrases of each poem are so descriptive that you can actually feel them. At least it seems that way. Much of what is written here is very uncomfortable to read. Things that make you examine yourself deep inside usually are. The emotions that pour from the words on the page cannot be adequately described. The writing, which is by turn raw, heart wrenching, celebratory and angry, is a beautifully crafted tapestry dedicated to the magnificence of Black women everywhere. This should be required reading for everyone.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

This was a beautiful book of poetry. I don’t have much experience reading poetry but I liked this authors previous book Memphis so I wanted to give it a read. Again very beautiful, vulnerable, heartfelt poems. I expect I will re read it after a little time. Definitely recommend.

Simply beautiful. I’m not much for poetry, but this was excellent. I’m a white educator who works with a majority of students of color. I’m always looking for more diverse books to add to my class library. Although some of the content was too mature (a little bit of sexual content) for my students, the majority would be appropriate for a read aloud/literary analysis/poetry unit. I actually do speech and language therapy, and I can’t wait to purchase this book to show students such beautiful mastery of language.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for allowing me to read and review this book.

I read this in one sitting, every single poem in this book was beautiful some devistatingly beautiful and I would love to thank l Tara M. Stringfellow who has wrote some of the most beautiful words I have read. Some poems were gut wrenchingly beautiful, some made me smike and some made me really think. And thanks to the publosher who has let me read an arc. I absolutely loved this!!!

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for this ARC. After reading Tara Stringfellow's MEMPHIS, I knew i wanted to read that very word this woman writes. Her poetry is strong, hear wrenching, and so so moving.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Tara M Stringfellow for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Magic Enuff coming out June 25, 2024. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author. I don’t think I’m the target audience for this book. It’s directed towards black women. But I received it directly from NetGalley, so I definitely wanted to check it out. It was a short read. I really enjoy poetry and can find a lot of good from reading it. I could definitely relate to the themes of family and womanhood found in the poems. I loved the poems that were basically about honoring those who’ve gone before you and living your best self. Being a woman definitely has its challenges, but it’s possible to go through life making good choices, embracing femininity and healing from past trials. I don’t have all of the same experiences as black women in the US that were described in the poems, but there’s a lot to be learned from listening to people from other cultures.

I fell in love with Stringfellow's prose in Memphis and am still so in love with it now in Magic Enuff. Each poem felt like it came from the soul of a woman struggling to simply be who she is in a country that treats her as less than she is. She continues to show love to her home city, which was a joy to see as well. If you are prepared for some heart wrenching and powerful messages, pick this up ASAP. You won't be dissappointed.

Thank you NetGalley and Dial Press for the eARC

Tara M. Stringfellow, who wrote Memphis, now brings us a very highly relatable poetry book called Magic Enuff. This poetry book could be a little heavy on the topics, but it's very worth the read!
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I will be posting my reviews around the beginning of April on goodreads (Markita Caldwell) and Instagram (@markita_reads).
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Thank you for this eArc.

Magic Enuff is a collection of poems about Southern Black Womanhood that illustrate both the pain and the magic southern black women possess. As a southern black woman, I appreciate this collection so much. The author writes such captivating poems, you feel them and ingest them, keeping parts of them with you after reading. I've bookmarked quite a few of them that either remind me of my grandmother or another woman in my family. These poems as a collective make you see, make you feel, and may even leave an aftertaste of heartbreak or regret. I enjoyed Magic Enuff and I can't wait to share this one with my dear friends once it publishes.

4.5 stars

Thank you to Random House and Netgalley for the eARC!

Magic Enuff is a collection of poems that took hold of my heart and didn't let go. I wish I was eloquent enough to express how deeply moved I was by each emotion-filled poem. Tara Stringfellow writes of the heartache, beauty, trauma, and dignity of being a Black woman in a country that doesn't seem to want us. She writes of some of the well-known victims of senseless violence. My favorite poem is titled To Kanye. I read that poem over and over and discovered something new every time. I think of this collection as a book to have on the shelf and pull down every time I need to read something deep and sorrowful and heart-wrenching and sharing a copy with my best friend so we can compare notes, and I look forward to doing that. Thanks to NetGalley and Dial Press for the ARC.

These collections of poems are like a story. A story of what a black woman has to go through. These poems amazed me is so many ways.

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for giving me an opportunity to read these poems and do a review.

To be honest, I'm not usually a poetry person, but this book pulled me in. I loved it and will recommend it!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I’m grateful for this ARC. I previously read Memphis so I was interested to read Tara Stringfellow’s poetry. I loved it. Several of the poems I could just feel her pain.