Inward

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read this poetry collection!


Themes: fulfillness, moving on/letting go, finding yourself and healing.

The cover is stunning and is what initially drew me in. When I learned that these poems would be focusing on self-love, I knew I had to read it.

I loved and connected to most of the poems, the only parts I didn't enjoy were the long winded paragraphs, I felt as though I was reading a self-help book instead of poetry. I found that the most powerful and meaningful poems were the simplistic ones. I lost focus on the long sections.

I loved the Interlude. How the author wove in a story of a woman teaching children and adults alike on healing and love.

My favourites:
"To be so broken to have fallen so deeply that the only thing you can do is rise into a new you"
"The healer you have been looking for is your own courage to know and love yourself completely"
"Ask yourself: is this worry real or is my mind just looking for something to grab onto"
"Progress is being aware when there is a storm happening inside of you and remaining calm as it passes by"
"Make sure the walls you built to protect yourself do not become a prison"

Overall, I would definitely recommend reading this collection if it sounds like something you would enjoy.

We could all use some self love. Do you have that one friend or a bunch of your friends whom you'd love to always keep their head up and glow? Well, I'm saying that this book makes such a great companion. It's one of those gifts that speak volumes over and over again. Thanks NetGalley for the eARC.

I felt a sense of intelligence coming from Inward, as if the author was writing ancient proverbs and poetry at the same time. The word "self-care" comes to mind when I read through the pages of Inward, and I love how the book promotes self-care and has much to say about what we ought to do and are not doing. This would not be my favorite poetry book but as they say to each his own! I do think there's a depth in this book that I couldn't quite get into when I was reading it, but perhaps that's just me! Good read overall.

I loved this book a lot, I just read it in one sitting and I regretted I wasn't reading it sooner. The book tells me a lot about humanity and self-helping. I mean if you're on your way to find what 'life' means, you could definitely find some motivation through some part of the book. The book also mentioned lots of something that's currently happening in our nowadays society which I think we need to give it more attention. Basically, the book is worth your time. Go read it!!

Inward is a collection of poems and writing that feels a lot like a meditation guide. It often felt repetitive in its themes and words, but I think that added to the meditative aspect of it. I don't read a lot of contemporary poetry, but something about Pueblo's writing struck a chord with me at the time I read it. The writing took me out of my chaotic brain for a little while and brought peace and clarity. I think having a physical copy of this nearby would be nice to flip through now and again when you're looking for some uplifting words and thoughts.

Reading this made me want to write for myself more in my journal because I think it's important to record our thoughts and think about where we were at a certain point in our lives because later reflection often brings a lot of insight.

The poems were good and uniquely structured. The pacing was good. Off to a good start with this being the first work by Yung Pueblo I've read.

Inward is a beautiful poetry collection that focuses on self-love, self-healing, and all the good that can come from these.

Diego Perez writes under the pen name Yung Pueblo, which means “young people,” according to his bio in the back of the book.

Pueblo begins with what he feels will be the lesson of the 21st century: that to harm another is to harm oneself and to heal oneself is to heal the world. That sets the tone for the poems that follow.

Poems are grouped into sections: distance, union, interlude, self-love, understanding. Interlude is a short story of sorts that sticks to the overall theme of the book.

Most of the poems are short, and a few pieces of short prose are woven among them. They speak of recognizing the pain we carry in ourselves and the importance of self-love to heal that pain, so we can offer our best selves to the world.

Pueblo’s writing is thoughtful and direct. You don’t need master sleuthing skills to decipher his meaning. This leaves the reader able to simply read and absorb.

I recommend this collection to lovers of poetry, as well as lovers of the self-help section. You may find more direction toward self-healing in this small volume than in a dense, text-heavy nonfiction book. I plan to buy the paperback copy to add to my shelf, because I want to revisit these poems again and again. They are good lessons and reminders.

Disclaimer: I received an advance-read copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Inward by Yung Pueblo is a beautiful collection of spiritual poems. Two serve as an intro of sorts, followed by 5 sections- Distance, Union, Interlude, Self-Love, and Understanding.

This book dealt me a gut punch. These poems sang to my soul, conjuring sadness and longing, but hope as well. They are about loving yourself, and finding your own self-worth, which I am in desperate need of doing. I just have such a hard time of it. I feel patently unlovable. I do get locked in obsessions and binges, trying to use outer things to fill an emptiness that cannot be filled with frivolity. I ended up purchasing a copy of my own, and enjoy flipping through to random poems, using the one I land on as a meditation focus. Highly recommended for those who enjoy poetry, and all things spiritual.

***Many thanks to the Netgalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

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