a fire like you

This book is a beautifully written work of art. I loved every poem! I’m also ready for her to write another book!

Anyone who reads my reviews knows that modern poetry can be hit or miss with me but as of late I've been really enjoying the titles I've been picking up. Though this collection did contain some of the super short poems that I don't really love in modern poetry, the language and message make up for my dislike of that format (plus there aren't a ton of super short ones, just a few).

Chisala's use of language and imagery is truly beautiful and her journey through this collection feels cathartic in a lot of ways. She details not only her struggles, but struggles and feelings that are experienced by a number of people in their lives, which make many of the poems very relateable.

An amazing amazing poetry book. Relatable verses, aptly penned. I wanted to highlight more than half of the book.

A very emotional collection of poetry that I have mixed feelings about.


As always, I'm a bit coonflicted about modern poetry, as in style and wording... I get the content, I'm mostly for it, for talking about it, for speaking up for it, for understanding it. But my brain simply doesn't accept the total freestyle wording that often simply means almost cliché sentences that we say everyday in our lives. That's not poetry, that's just empphasizing what everyone already says.


In case of this book, I felt this a bit but not constantly, which is good. Already more than what I can say about MANY modern day poetry collections. There were poems which I could associate with, ones that touched something deep inside me. There were also ones that I simply couldn't fathom why they're in this collection at all. The themes felt only parts organized and I was often confused why two seemingly completlely different topics were mentioned in one poem that didn't really explain what they have to do with each other. Otherwise, it was a fast and emotional read.

I loved this! It was amazing. I loved her first collection a little bit more but this one had illustrations too.

Upile Chisala's poetry is full of heart and sincerity, and this collection is no different. A Fire Like You is utterly vibrant, powerful and emotive and I could not stop reading from the first to the last page.

***I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review***

WOW. I really loved this collection. Overall I havent been a fan of Chisala's work in the past but I like to give every book a chance especially poetry as every collection can be soooo different. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this collection. Some of the poems didnt resonate with me but they still left an impact. I am a fan of shorter poetry with meaning than long prose and that's what this collection delivered. My only complaint was the poems seemed a bit scattered at times. There would be a theme and then it would go a little off topic and then return and then again go off topic but maybe that was the point? overall I was a fan of this collection.

I think this is an important poetry collection that Upile wrote not only from her heart, but also from her gut, passing through pain and hard lessons, to finally be able to emerge thanks to resilience and hope.

i believe poetry is for everyone, which is why i enjoy reading collections that are written in clear language and are easily accessible to the non-academic reader. chisala's collection is perfect for new readers of poetry, people who enjoy high levels of sentimentality, and those who enjoy no distance between the "speaker" and the author. these poems read like memoir - the reader has no choice but to feel involved in the poet's journey through love and self-reflection. if literary poetry is more your speed, i suggest passing on this one but i recommend "a fire like you" for lovers of other poets who write in a similar style (rupi kaur, nayyirah waheed, lang leav).

*i received a complimentary advanced copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

I was impressed by this poet’s collection Soft Magic that I read last year so was looking forward to seeing what she offered next. I was not disappointed. I enjoyed every poem in this collection. The poems are varied in length, some a few stanzas and others one or two lines, some have title’s and some don’t. The themes explored are as diverse as identity as a black woman, love and desire. This is a good collection to get lost in for a few hours.

Amazing poetry. I was pleased to find this bright new (to me) voice — so much to offer in this fine work!

i read nectar last year and really enjoyed it, so i was kinda happy (?) to read this book.

the poems are quite easy to read, but I didn’t feel the same emotional impact as when i read nectar, these poems were a little simpler.

i admit i expected more, but that doesn’t take away any merit to the book, the poems are beautiful/real in their own way and i admire the author for talking about such personal topics.


my favs:

Something as brutal as you,
As fist-like and unaware,
With a cruel history, in the bone
And in the mouth,
With little prospect of peace,
Always on the wrong side,
Something as brutal as you walks in, and I embrace it.
I embrace it knowingly.


Please have the audacity to love yourself a little harder.


I am sorry in a thousand languages for ever giving myself up for you.
I fooled us both.
I was the lover I needed most.


The very first step is believing you deserve joy.

a fire like you is one of the most eloquent, well-written collections i’ve had the privilege of reading so far in 2020. upile tells her story again with strength, beauty and relatability. i found myself wishing i could read these poems to my mother and my sisters. a beautiful collection tied together with simple yet intriguing illustrations. a must-read for any poetry lover.

Like many poetry collections nowaday, the book is split into four parts to convey different feelings/emotions. The themes of each part overlap quite a bit here. There are some heavy topics in these poems that may not be the best for everyone, such as abusive homes, toxic relationships, race and identity, body image, and self-love. What I really enjoyed was that there is a lot of focus on loving yourself and being kinder to yourself. That is a message that I am always fond of seeing in any work. It is a quick and inspirational read that fits with the modern poetry we see now.

"Darling, my anxiety is brutal
And my doubts are persistent.

But your staying has always been true
And your love is tender.
And I'll fight myself to keep you."

I spent a large portion of this book on the verge of tears. Upile Chisala's poetry speaks to me on a very personal level and I cannot wait to buy myself a physical copy when this releases in March. She writes her poetry from what feels like a very personal place and I love it so much. I can't wait to see what she puts out next.

I very much enjoyed this book of poetry. The poems were something that most people could relate to. I liked the clear, succinct language and style. I look forward to reading her other collections of poetry.

This was a very interesting poetry collection. I am still in that weird in-between of how I feel about modern day poetry and this collection confirms this. I enjoyed it, however, there were a severe amount of poems that were five lines or less. There were also moments I felt I wasn't getting the entire story, however, the collection itself was enjoyable.

Like the title Upile’s words are like fire. She has a way of making just a few sentences burn within you. I found myself placing my hand to my heart after reading many of her poems. This is a great read.

This is such a relatable and fascinating poetry collection. The author shows us how to be strong and tells us that we shouldn't be ashamed of our past or the thing we cannot control. She writes about self-love and positive thinking and some of her poems changed me completely. I rated this book 4 out of 5 stars and I totally recommend it to anyone who has an interest in poetry. This poetry collection made me want to read more of Upile Chisala's books.

I received a review copy of #afirelikeyou from #NetGalley

This is a collection of modern poetry and prose that flows together per the major themes, but each piece can also stand on its own. It starts out pretty dark but as the book goes on, the writing builds with more and more hope and optimism and eventually external changes and improvements. There are intermittent line drawings that add some extra meaning to the text overall. This also comes in an audiobook narrated by the author - I highly highly highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys the text.

I loved the poems but my favorite part was actually from the acknowledgments: "And finally, to Sakhe, I don't have the range or the words or even the language. You are everything."

I requested "A Fire Like You" on one of my whimsiest whims while perusing Netgalley, and was oh-so-lucky that it worked out. 

"A Fire Like You" takes on complex topics that I haven’t seen explored often (or at all) in poetry: poverty, a depiction of a home that isn’t the worst but that wasn’t wonderful and a family who wasn't always perfect but that tried their best, racial prejudice and what it feels like to be a black woman in this world. The most interesting of all, to me, were the discussions on poetry itself and how the form often feels like it necessitates wallowing in dark times and re-experiencing past trauma in order to create it. Chisala questions why we feel this way, and discusses how dangerous a path that can be for the poet to always focus on the worst times of life just to create emotional verses for their audiences.

I loved the uniqueness of what this collection covered and how there weren’t just love poems (although, the section entitled ‘swoon’ delivered some of those too). And it had the writing to match the power behind the words. 

While reading, I had no overall criticisms with the book. However, although there were a handful of poems that I loved, the majority were just middle of the road. The more ambiguous the poems got, the better I liked them, while there were some that just seemed too simplistic with only one or two lines. But, obviously, poetry is a very subjective and emotional thing, and there will be plenty of people who feel the exact opposite. 

What I can say is that I think a cleaner progression from start to finish would only have served to strengthen this book. The poems stay on topic for their sections for the most part, but I thought that with just a bit more re-organizing, the collection would have shown a clearer story from beginning to end. 

I rated "A Fire Like You" 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Thanks to Andrews McMeel Publishing for the ARC!
Great book for fans of modern poetry. This was my first book by this author and I hope to read more from her in the future. Some poems touched me more than others, but overall it was a great read.

"I have decided to never again put myself through hell for love.
This life is far too delicious to be spent burning for men."

This collection is divided into 4 parts: Wound, Hunger, Swoon and Sister. Each part explores Upile's explores her identity as a black Malawian woman, intimate life experiences and imparts enunciation on empowerment and love.

I didn't enjoy this as much as I wanted to. The poems felt too unadorned and out of place. Even though few poems resonated so well with my heart, it didn't strike the right chords in me. I completely loved 'Swoon' but the others felt repetitive and foreshadowed certain poems from her previous collections. I prefer 'Nectar' over this any day. Nevertheless, it is a good quick read, thanks to the magical eloquence Upile's writing style holds!

Upile has always been an eloquent voice in the world of poetry. She has always explored the diverse topics: self-love, womanhood, healing, growth, relationships, race & racism and portrayed their connection to one another through a beautiful and empowering web of collections of poems. I would be looking forward to read more works by her!

Rating: 3/5

a fire like you by Upile Chisala

3.5 stars

“We were two bruised things
Behaving poorly.
Always going wound for wound
And troubled father for troubled father.

Dredging up dirt and trauma.
Nothing was sacred, everything was a weapon,
No one was safe.
This is the damaging dance.

Fire still can’t be put out with gasoline.
Love and violence have never been friends.”

Chisala is an angry poet and that’s a good thing. We need more angry poets being published today. Her poems are honest, open, and confrontational about today’s issues with poems like “As Black as Tax”. She drives in her voice and allows herself freedom to express the sorrow of her soul. I like how angry she is. She is a passionate voice in the poetry community and it's something we need right now. If you are looking for a passionate poetry collection, I think this may be the collection that you have been looking for.


Whimsical Writing Scale: 3.5

Plotastic Scale: 3.5

Cover Thoughts: Simple and striking.

Thank you, Netgalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing, for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Upile Chisala's latest book of poetry, "a fire like you," was stupendous! It was full of short micropoems on love, self-love, lust, relationships, and family. It is broken out into four sections: Wound, Hunger, Swoon, Sister. Most poems are only a few lines long but they are deeply felt. You can feel the pain, the longing, the emotion behind the words. There is real desire and passion caught in the few lines that connects with your heart.

Ms. Chisala is a black Malawian woman that has been through many difficult life experiences, which tries to relay to the reader. There is a depth in her writing despite many of her poems consisting of fewer than twenty words. What I found to be most inspiring in this book was her poetry on empowerment. The poems that focused on taking care of yourself and not looking for a partner or spouse to take care of you. There definitely is some benefit of having a partner to care for you when you cannot care for yourself, but that should be the exception and not the rule.

I thought that this was a splendid new collection that any fan of poetry should go out and get when it is released this week on March 10, 2020.

I received this eBook free of charge from Andrews McMeel Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. I did not receive any fiscal compensation from either company for this review and the opinions expressed herein are entirely my own.

It is collection of short free style poems with deep sense of pain prevelent in human existence.
It dissects love, loss, desire and pain.
I liked many lines which have deep meaning and excuisite aftertaste.
Author has real talent while showing her anger and clear in depiction of changing relations.
I kept reading till end, once I picked it.
A very good book for poingant tales from life of a wounded soul .
Thanks netgalley and publisher for review copy.

Great empowering poetry that makes you see things in a brand new way. I liked how the author used her heritage as inspiration.

This is my second Chisala poetry book. And she never disappoints me. Her poetry is moving and relatable. She touches on African families and trauma. I like relatable poetry and this was just that. The type of poetry that gives you goosebumps and makes you feel like the poet knows your soul, your problems, your innermost thoughts. What I particularly enjoyed about this book was the cadence of the words. So much poetry nowadays is just words strung together to form an affectless sentence but Chisala doesn't do that when she writes. She writes like she means it. One thing I loved was when she talked about posturing pain in poetry for the benefit of readers, without thought of the poet's mental state. Poetry doesn't always have to be about pain, sometimes it can be about happiness and still hit the same spot.

This was the first time reading anything from Upile Chisala, but I definitely want to read more after reading this one. I love their writing style.

Upile Chisala never fail to amaze me. This woman is a manifestation of feminism. This book is a superior for me. It allows me grow more and find myself. This is heart wrenching and moving book. Beyond grateful!

A tremendous, apt collection of words that so harrowingly speaks to the pulse of our days. I loved this very so much.