Reflection

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of Reflection by Tyler Lockett that I read and reviewed.
I chose to review this book because I am a Seahawks fan and I wanted to read Lockett’s book. This book gave me a new insight into him as a man. I did not realize how deep his faith ran nor how he felt on some other subjects that was addressed. This book gave me as a fan a deeper respect for Lockett as a man. This book also made me think deeper on some subjects he addressed.
I can honestly say I really enjoyed how touching and deep some of these poems were. Reflection gets four out of five stars from me.

I appreciate the vulnerability of Tyler Lockett when writing this book. I plan to have a copy of it for my classroom. I think it would be great for young (especially male) athletes to read.

25...that's the number of times Tyler Lockett invites you into his world through his words. He says it as he feels it and it only goes to show that sometimes a ray of light is all it takes to illuminate a dark tunnel.
With poems where he asks you "how bad do you want it?" and you cannot help but sit back and ask yourself really what's stopping you from going after your dreams.
"Like Father like Son," unravels the pain when cycles are maintained and not broken, endless years of hurt upon hurt on generations. "Fair shot," simply had me undone with one phrase "imagine wearing a hoodie not to be seen, but instead people are scared of you." He also does not shy away from talking about relationships and expectations.
This would be a great companion in paperback or hardback for there are those insightful "notes to self" at the end of each poem and then workshop guides which include three or four questions to explore.
Thank you Netgalley for the eARC.

“Don’t waste your time fighting obstacles that were never meant to be fought”

To be honest I only started reading this book because Tyler Lockett is a Seattle Seahawks wide receiver, and I am a Seahawks fan. This book is a poetry + mindfulness book that talks about love, expectation, race, commitment, family patterns and so much more. When I first read the introduction, I thought I had found my new favorite book. The introduction is filled with outstanding life lessons that are written in such a way that are not read as clichés. And although the book did not turned out to be my new favorite, I still really enjoyed it.

The parts about the book that I enjoyed the most are the poems where he talks about our dreams and goals and how far we are willing to go to accomplish them. HOW BAD DO YOU REALLY WANT IT? Moreover, I though tie workshop questions were a nice touch, they allowed the book to be interactive and for the reader to reflect and what the lessons of the poems were. Tyler Lockett has so many raw and powerful experiences I was glad he put them on paper for all of us to read.

My only complaint with the book was that it was all over the place, the author when from idea a to idea b in one sentence and a poem that started being about motivation finished as one of dating. Moreover, I thought the organization of the poems made no sense, I would have loved to see more cohesion.

Overall it was a solid 3 star book. It has some amazing poems and life experiences, and like I said, the poems about motivation are truly what made this book amazing. I would recommend this book for anyone who is religious, a football fan, or simply looking for a motivation to keep going and fighting for your dreams.

Thanks to NetGalley and the author for giving me the chance to read this.

"You don't have to see yourself as a superstar but you can see yourself as an inspiration. Because that's what you are to some people. And it's okay to accept that."

Time to be honest: I am not into sports. I used to love tennis as a kid and play cricket with my brother. I played Badminton in my early teens and that is that. So, sports just aren't my thing. When I saw the word NFL, my mind went a bit blank and confused when the word NBA popped in my head. So I had no freaking idea who is Tyler Lockett. Just like I google everything I do not know of, I googled him and saw he is a big deal in the football world. But I was drawn to this book. Many times before requesting, I told myself that the poems might be surrounded around all the football stuff (like a cynic I am turning out to be, judging books) but I became more inquisitive. I closed my eyes and I took it on a condition: I will not give feedback if my guess turns out to be true. And I thank the good lord that I WAS WRONG but I WENT FOR IT because this book rocks, man!

The book comprises of poems on so many themes which are connected to one other by web-thin connections. They are quite long but they have this life in them and it entrances you in a rhythmic trance. He talks about dreams, success, goals, behind the scenes of someone who is always on the media's eyes, reflections, mental illness and life lessons which motivates you in a big way! It contains workshop pages where you can linger over the questions some poems put on you and reflect upon it. And the dating advice between the lines of some poems is definitely something! That is all us girls ask for sometimes.

I immensely enjoyed this collection which touched my heart and provoked my thoughts!

Recommended: It will truly come off as an inspiring collection of poems to young and old alike because it is never too late to work towards your dreams and ponder over some thoughts which are totally worth it!

4 Stars (I received an e-arc from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review)

I wasn’t sure of what to expect when I started reading the collection, but this was such an immersive experience into the authors life. The style reads as spoken word that could also come across as song or rap lyrics. Chronicling Tyler’s life from a child trying to get out his neighbourhood in Tulsa, knowing that playing football is one of the only ways to make an honest living. Then we get to see what people think his life is like as pro is like and how Tyler could live that baller life, but that’s not his style. How all the people that ignored before he was famous now suddenly come around and are trying to use his money and/or status. All throughout the collection the author constantly references God and his deep connection with his religion, though hearing about Jesus can get a little repetitive. As someone who is not of the Christian faith, I would have preferred for him to just use god in the text. One aspect that at times annoyed me, was all the slang phrasing which was purposeful. This made the poetry sound more like rap lyrics but there were times where I wished there was some proper grammar. Overall this collection was emotional, honest and a love letter to God.