I'll Cry If I Want To is a collection of poems that touches on experiences of womanhood, motherhood, marriage, mental health, grief, and the challenges of being biracial. Each poem for me offered a glimpse into the realities of the writer's life, which was reflected with honesty and a lot of emotions --- in the best way.

Throughout the collection, Raquel explores the highs and lows of existence and we are reminded to embrace our vulnerabilities and acknowledge our struggles, physically and emotionally. Within the poems and illustrations, we as readers are assured that we are not alone in our journey of finding solace in this big world..

I invite all women to read this book as it is an empowering poetry collection on femininity, love, body image, and family. I’ll Cry if I Want To is a reminder to feel all the emotions you have tucked away and the ones on the horizon. It also reminds us to embrace our body and speak kindly to it at every season of our lives.

Some of my favorite poems in this collection include:
good woman
anniversary dinner
when I think of salt
body love
baby, when you think of me
we can do it with a broken heart
lost appetite
coolest kid in the universe
breath work
made in his image
if I lived in a house with no mirrors
and FINALLY, the one that I thought was the most emotional poem
secrets to keep us safe.

Thoughts:
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This is a lovely and broad poetry book covering a multitude of topics from childhood to motherhood, grief to growth. The illustrations are simple and pretty, placed through the book sparring but compliment the poems well, especially the flower growing from concrete.

Favourite Quote:
I knew it was just an impossible hot-pink dream. The 39-18-33 plastic doll in my small hands didn't live in my reality, There were no blonde blue-eyed, perfect girls in my vanity mirror There were no Kens walking out of a magazine to save a brown girl like me. The one thing we did have in common was that our feet weren't made to fully touch the ground. We were both dream girls who weren't allowed the privilege of wholly living

*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for the free poetry collection.*

I'm all for intersectional books tackling feminism and womanhood but somehow this book weirded me out with the constant religious themes. I'm so sorry and if you're religious: enjoy; I mean it, but for me it wasn't really working. In general the type of poetry presented was a bit much: a lot of text, very binary sometimes. Some bits were beautiful, yes, but overall nothing touched me deeply.

2.5-3 stars

This book deserves the biggest standing ovation ever, if I could give it more than 5 stars - I would. I genuinely believe that Franco was born to write this rollercoaster ride about womanhood whilst being deliciously feminine. There are lessons I learned about motherhood, love, mental health, identity, self love, loss and relationships. I also really enjoyed the moments where Franco stood outside her perspective and captured themes of sibling hood that she say between her children.

There are so many beautiful phrasings and I would like to share a small selection of my favourites, to truly illustrate the wonder that is this book:
'We all came out wet and pink and screaming, but women were the only ones told to keep quiet' - wow

'The hostess seats us at a table smaller than the love we used to feel for each other' - did you hear that? That was the sound of Franco breaking my heart

'Shake our tears all over the living room floor like the breaking of a piñata' - wonderful simile, just wonderful

'We carved our names into nothing. My skin aches knowing all I have left is a fading film reel of your smile' - devastating

Franco's ability to tell stories through the medium of poetry is nothing short of remarkable, there was so much familiarity woven into the stanzas that I sometimes felt like these poems were apart of me too. Every aspect of womanhood was covered and still each poem was brimming with its unique personality and flavour. I think one of the themes in which Franco excels without a doubt is her talent at painting growth and development in creative and captivating ways.

Whilst my heart broke several times during the reading of this book ('I knew then he would love me then forget me, and I would love him then regret him' knocked me for six, truly), I also felt immense warmth and I think joy can be one of the hardest things to translate through poetry, but it was done so beautifully ('they always leave bread crumbs to keep me company'). My two personal favourites that captured me beyond belief were 'Baby, when you think of me' and 'A boy is just a boy' - these two poems were truly unforgettable.

My only miniature critique would be that a couple things came up in quite a few poems so lost their shimmer and impact a little (mascara/salty tears and barbie felt a tad overused). But honestly an incredible poetry book!

“I'll cry if I want to” by Raquel Franco is a wonderful poetry collection especially for Taylor swift fans! The interesting art and personal anecdotes really liven it up.

Some of the most hard hitting poems about parenthood, loss/grief and womanhood. I would definitely recommend this to any poetry reader. Thank you so much to @netgalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

Beautifully written poems that will captivate you and grab your heart. Highly recommend. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Having followed Raquel Franco's work for a long time, this collection was a pleasure to read! Franco's writing is steeped in worldly wisdom, experience and maturity as she writes about womanhood, relationships, and motherhood.

The collection begins and closes incredibly strong and feels very timely, especially when it'll be released in January 2025. Franco advocates strongly for women with power and grace, making this collection both a comfort and inspiration for many.

My only gripe was the repetition sometimes in poem style/message; I believe the collection could have been refined further ensuring the strongest of Franco's work was able to shine from beginning to end.

This is a beautiful collection that has so much to say on motherhood, love, grief, femininity, and so much more. I loved getting to read it!

I had so many favorite poems, but the line I can't get out of my head is "You can have summer, the season most likely to keep its word."

Thank you to Netgalley and Central Avenue Publishing for the chance to read and review this ARC.

This was an easy, quick read and the poems were feeling real. Unfortunately, I didn't like the collection. I feel like there was something missing and I found it hard to connect with the author and most of the time with the poems. So, I don't want to write anything bad about it just because it didn't work for me. Hope someone will like it more.

I'll Cry If I Want To by Raquel Franco is a raw and unfiltered exploration of what, essentially, it means to be a woman. This is a collection that resonated deeply with me on an almost primal level, and I believe that every woman who picks up this book will feel both seen and empowered by the author's poignant, thought-provoking words. The ultimate takeaway here, I think, is that we are never alone in the struggle. Recommended.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Central Avenue Publishing for an ARC.

𝙄𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙨𝙖𝙮 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙤𝙤 𝙢𝙪𝙘𝙝, 𝙙𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢 𝙞𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙢𝙪𝙘𝙝𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨… 💖

𝙄’𝙇𝙇 𝘾𝙍𝙔 𝙄𝙁 𝙄 𝙒𝘼𝙉𝙏 𝙏𝙊 felt like having a heart-to-heart with your bestie on a girls sleepover night, cue 𝘓𝘦𝘴𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘎𝘰𝘳𝘦 music 🎶 .

This collection dives deep into the hamster wheel that is womanhood—touching on everything from motherhood and marriage to mental health and grief. 🌸💔 Every poem feels so 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡 and 𝙧𝙖𝙬, like the author is revealing truths straight to your soul.

One of the things I adored most? The way the poems unapologetically embrace the messy, authentic, & beautiful chaos of life. 🌈😭Whether Franco is reflecting on the overwhelming joy (and exhaustion 😅) of being a mom or the tricky art that is marriage, there’s an undercurrent of resilience and gratitude that just shines through.

And let’s be real: as someone who sometimes feels like life is one big juggle, this book hit 𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙙 in the best way. ✨ It’s a gentle reminder that it’s 𝙤𝙠𝙖𝙮 to not have it all together all the time (hello, relatable 👋), and that embracing our vulnerabilities is actually a superpower.

Plus, the little Taylor Swift references? I mean, 𝙮𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙨, please! 🎶💫 Swifties, you’re going to feel right at home with these sweet nods that make you feel seen. 😭💖

Highly recommend for anyone who needs a reminder that being 𝙮𝙤𝙪—in all your chaotic, beautiful glory—is more than enough. 💕

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Central Avenue Publishing & the author for this beautiful ARC! 🫶

Wow what a moving collection of poetry. I could relate to a lot of these feelings. Franco really knows how to use words to make the reader feel things.
It's hard to put into words how wonderful these poems are. This is a book everyone should read.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC.