I've loved this poet's work since I first saw her TED talk many years ago. She traps images and situations beneath the magnifying glass of her gaze. Somehow she transforms very personal memories into universal experiences. I suppose that is the magical alchemy of poetry, after all. Whatever it is, this poet's magic is great and wonderful to roll in. There's some experiments with form, line breaks and spaces, that take me some work to get used to. I defintely feel like I am reading someone's most personal diary. Sometimes, I like that. Sometimes, I feel like a trespasser. Overall, definitely a solid four star. Well done!

I will admit I was initially drawn to this book because of the stunning cover! I also would like to explore more poetry, a genre I haven't delved very much into. As with any collection of writing, some of the poems spoke more to me than others and I think if I re-read this in a few years I would walk away with completely different ideas. I found the poems specifically relating to anxiety and parental anxiety to be very moving and effective. This collection seems to be about coming-of-age, and reflections on youth and aging, and what it's like to sit on the ledge, with both in plain sight.

The poems are well written but I just wasn't a fan of this type of poetry. Maybe this type of poetry is better seen live, as it sounds more like spoken poetry and it doesn't hit the same as written poetry. Other people loved this so I know that the book will find its audience, I'm just simply not one.

I am a huge fan of poetry and yet had no clue who Sarah Kay is prior to requesting A Little Daylight Left. This book of poetry was perfect for this season of my life. Kay’s poetry reminds you to stay present in life and most especially my favorite part is the reminder to keep chasing sunsets (or sunrises in my case).

To be honest, I'm having a hard time categorizing these poems, which is part of why I don't want to give this book 5 stars. Some of the pieces are wonderfully nostalgic or tantalizingly observant. Others are full of raw horror and deep sorrow. A few are angry. I really loved Kay's clever use of metaphor, even if I often had to read a poem a few times to get the gist of it. It was also fascinating to watch some of these poems pull together two topics that seem to have nothing to do with one another, but somehow by the end of the piece, they make sense. I can say that I found a few new favorites in this book of poems, primarily at the beginning and end, but there were quite a few that weren't for me. I would recommend this book of poems to anyone who likes poetry, but I'm fairly confident that because of the wide range of topics and emotions here, there will be some that won't hit right.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

"& what is a girl if not a pulsing thing learning what the world will take from her"

Sarah Kay's poetry is captivating, and I loved reading this collection. At the end of multiple poems, I found myself pausing to digest and then immediately rereading because it was just *so much* -- but in the best way.

Achingly beautiful and completely relatable. Can't wait for more.
Thank you to the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my review.

Sarah Kay’s latest collection of poetry, written a decade after her debut, explores the joy, sorrow and messiness of being human, but gets bogged down with unnecessary filler words and rambling metaphors. A handful of poems, like “Worth Celebrating,” “Table Games,” “Sharpshooters,” “Allow Me Just This One,” and “Jello” captured my attention, but most rolled over me like a tumbleweed. Some poems were pretentious and others contained lines repeating the same metaphor but in varying ways (seriously… we got your drift the first time). Additionally, I was not impressed by her liberal use of the ampersand, which made every poem seem like a run-on sentence.

Perhaps I would have enjoyed this collection more if I heard her recite these poems in person or on a YouTube video. Reading them was a sorry consolation prize and unfortunately didn’t capture the cadence or depth of feeling Kay meant for them to have.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an electronic ARC of this poetry collection.

Thank you Net Galley and Publishers for letting me read an arc of this book in return for an honest review,

This poetry book was powerful and vulnerable and the writing was absolutely beautiful. Unfortunately it wasn't a me book, but that's ok. It's a book for someone who loves the difficult things in life - heartbreak, ailing loved ones, new beginnings and uncertain futures. It's a spoken word poetry book so I feel like I might have liked these better listening to them out loud instead of reading. There were some poems I really enjoyed and were relatable to me but as a whole it wasn't my cup of tea. I am glad to have branched out to something new though.

This collection of poems might be one of my favorites so I’ve read.
They read so easy, and I absolutely loved how they moved from childhood into adulthood. I feel like those transitions make it easy for anyone to relate to some of these poems.
The cover is gorgeous and I will totally read more by Sarah Kay in the future.
Thank you netgalley for the ARC!

Beautiful and heartbreaking and hopeful, as always. I'll never forget watching Sarah and Phil performing "When Love Arrives" during a high school english class (~10 years ago) and I will never skip a Sarah Kay poem because of it.

A lovely, thought-provoking, and accessible collection of poetry. I enjoyed Table Games and To Whoever Broke Into The Rental Car, and The Minister of Loneliness.

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy.

I really enjoyed this book. When reading it, it felt more like an essay or short story versus poetry to me. Although this is my first time, reading a book by this author, so that’s probably just their method.

I loved that each poem seemed to capsulate a moment in time perfectly. I felt like I was sitting next to them living out this moment with each new poem. it was such a raw and beautiful read.

There are poems about grief, relationships, faith, and religion, family, the individual experience, etc. If you are looking to feel moved, I really think this is one to pick up.

I always hate when a poetry collection doesn't work for me. Poetry seems very personal, so I feel like people who write it pour more of themselves into it. This just wasn't for me.

Maybe I just don't have whatever knowledge it takes to appreciate poetry beyond feeling. Cause when I don't connect to it or can't relate to it, I can't sit with it.

Overall, these poems seem well-written to me, I just wasn't getting anything out of them, but I don't doubt there's people who will, and I hope this book finds its audience.

These were powerful and interesting poems. They read quickly and I wanted to know more. The poems start when she is a child and then move through her life. I felt such emotion and experiences as I read each one. It was almost like reading a fast moving book but with very powerful imagery. I have not read a lot of poetry in my life but these will stick with me. I look forward to reading more.

Thank you to Random House Publishing/The Dial Press and NetGalley for this ARC.

“What is a girl if not a pulsing thing learning what the world will take from her?”

Omg Sarah Kay is a wizard of words. I was so transfixed by her swiftly evolving storytelling through her poems. We see her discover the meaning of animals and emotions at a very young age and even notice her uptick in awareness as she ages and overcomes battles and trials that arise.

I could have gotten completely lost in her writing. Bravo

“A Little Daylight Left” embodies beautifully immersive poetry. This is my first experience with Kay’s writing. I was immediately drawn into her reminiscent, hopeful poems. They were an encouragement and source of light to come to after a long day.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Sarah Kay delivers in her newest poetry collection A Little Daylight Left. As always, her poetry is accessible, finding avenues of love and loss to connect with her audience. Perhaps more poignant is the connection as a writer of poetry, you will feel drawn to the sections about the pull of writing a poem and creating in times of happiness, sadness and uncertainty. I wish we could bottle the genius of this kind of poetry- it is a breath of fresh air during a time when so much uncertainty exists.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this advanced copy!

I feel alive and aware after reading Kay's poetry collection. Each page had a poem that left me wondering about the decisions I make or don't make. I felt less fearful about the world around me and was full of hope for my place in it. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

What a stunning collection!

I flew thru this in 1 sitting. Most of the poetry I relate to is lalmlst exclusively relational in hindsight. Thank you, Sarah, for writing poetry that has that same sense of urgency but addresses the phase of life I'm currently in.

I highly recommend this one. It lives up to its cover, which says a lot bc look how gorgeous that is.

{Thank you bunches to Sarah Kay, RH Publishing Group, The Dial Press and NetGalley for the DRC in exchange for my honest review!}

4.5 stars rounded up

I've liked Sarah Kay's poetry since I read No Matter the Wreckage several years ago. I liked this collection even more because it was emotional and resonant. This is a short collection, but very impactful. It reckons with the memories of traumatic world events, confronting the realities of life and coexisting with the natural world.

Many of the poems played with space which I found effective, but the constant use of the ampersand was a little bit distracting.

The poems that I enjoyed the most were Raccoon, Orange, and Each of Us Here. Any fan of poetry and any fan of Sarah Kay will not be disappointed here. A Little Daylight Left is scheduled to be published in April of 2025.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for providing me with an early review copy in exchange for an honest review.