• Sweet foreword
• Homorous but thought provoking poems
• If you're having an existential crisis and need something uplifting this is it. The poems in this book allow for readers to contemplate their place in the world but feel good doing it
• The poems gave me Dr Seuss vibes and maybe a bit of Roald Dahl too

I'm a huge fan of funny poems so I was really excited when NetGalley let me read this (thank you!) The poems were witty, wise, and modern -- I think my favorite would be the one lamenting that Netflix doesn't get me.
But I identified with most of the poems, which covered topics ranging from school to relationships. I was so intrigued that I felt as though I needed to know who this person was, and she's an economist! Proof that we can all find common ground when we open our hearts (I wish I could understand economics).
If you enjoy whimsy and are young at heart, you will enjoy this as much as I did. There are definite shades of Silverstein and Seuss

4/5 stars. I received this book from Netgalley. These poems were a quick, fun read. Many of them made me laugh. My favorite ones were:
- Fortunes Told
- Conditions
- Pounce-ciations
- I Love what you love
- Velcro Friends
- Magic Carpet

It sure is tough being a grown up! 0/10 recommend. This book on the other hand, 10/10 recommend. Such a great read!

‘It’s Tough Being a Grown Up!’ by Malika Bhandarkar is a very cool collection of poetry that explores the many challenges of adulthood. With relatable themes, vivid imagery, and a variety of poetic forms, this collection offers a delightful yet thought-provoking reading experience.

Themes: ★★★★☆
The collection covers a wide range of themes under the umbrella of the tough parts of being a grown-up. From daily struggles to deeper emotional battles, each poem touches on aspects that are highly relatable for adults. The variety in themes keeps the reader engaged and resonates with the many facets of adult life.

Imagery: ★★★★☆
The imagery in ‘It’s Tough Being a Grown Up!’ is quite good. Bhandarkar uses vivid descriptions and evocative language to bring her themes to life. The imagery enhances the emotional impact of the poems and helps to paint a clear picture of the experiences and feelings described.

Structure: ★★★★☆
The structure of the poems is well-crafted, with a lovely range of forms. This variety adds depth to the collection and showcases Bhandarkar's versatility as a poet. Each poem’s structure is thoughtfully designed to complement its theme and tone, making the collection dynamic and engaging.

Engagement: ★★★★☆
This collection is a nice, short, and fun read. The poems are concise yet impactful, making it easy to read a few at a time or devour the entire collection in one sitting. The relatable themes and accessible language ensure that readers remain engaged throughout.

Readability: ★★★☆☆
While the collection is overall quite good, the rhythm feels a bit off in a few of the poems. This can disrupt the flow of reading slightly. However, the majority of the poems maintain a good rhythm, and the engaging content compensates for the occasional hiccup in readability.

Enjoyment: ★★★★☆
‘It’s Tough Being a Grown Up!’ is a very enjoyable collection. Bhandarkar's insightful and often humorous take on the challenges of adulthood makes for a delightful read. The collection's relatable content and vivid imagery ensure that it leaves a lasting impression on the reader.

‘It’s Tough Being a Grown Up!’ by Malika Bhandarkar is a highly recommended read for anyone looking to reflect on the trials and tribulations of adulthood through poetry. Its relatable themes, vivid imagery, and variety of forms make it a standout collection that is both thought-provoking and enjoyable.

Absolutely loved this book. I know I'll come back to it whenever I feel down and enjoy the poems again and again. 10/10.

Thank you for the book!

I actually really enjoyed this read! It was a fast paced poetry book that I was able to finish within a sitting which is something that I love! These poems made me giggle to the book, and sometimes made me a little sad and nostalgic for my childhood. Thank you to Atmosphere Press for approving this Arc in exchange for honest review!!

Thoroughly enjoyed this book! Very easy read and one I’ll be going back to often and reading my favourite poems. Definitely recommend.

This was short, sweet, humorous, and uplifting little collection of poems about life, love, and adulthood that many can identify with, especially the poem about Netflix.

**Thanks to the author and publisher for the e-arc I received via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.**

This was a very cute collection. I don't usually connect with poetry, but I like these fun verses like the ones in this book.

This book was a fun to read. It talks about the small and insignificant things that matter in our life. I'm glad that this one was not about love and pain, like all other poetry books. The theme mostly revolved around childhood and family. My favourite among these were - Report Card (that says result may not be the end of everything) and Velcro Friends (that talks about clingy friends). There were subtle mentions of my favourite famous personalities like Harry Styles and Enid Blyton. Anyone who is new to poetry can dive into this one as it is not complex.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc!

This was a very short, but powerful read.
While poetry can be pretty subjective, this was a very good book.

I really enjoyed this book of poetry describing the realities and sometimes struggles of growing up. The poems gave me a bit of a Shel Silverstein vibe which was very fun. There was great humour throughout and there were some really good views on all aspects of becoming an adult. The poems describe situations that I think most adults have experienced, with little bits of the author's heritage thrown in to add a little extra flair.

I received an advanced copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

This was a collection that I enjoyed reading far more than many of the ones I’ve read this year so far so that was a relief. The writing format used isn’t found much anymore in modern poetry so that was a plus, sticking to some of the more traditional styles. Most pieces were more tell than show and some were too straightforward. There were also not many that I could relate to but they were interesting to read.

A fast and easy read of poetry.

They are separated in chapters that make sense. It is a nice and occasionally funny read.

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐮𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐩𝐨𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐲. 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐣𝐨𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐮𝐩𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐥𝐲𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐦, 𝑰𝒕'𝒔 𝑻𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝑩𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂 𝑮𝒓𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝑼𝒑! 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐬 (𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐮𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐬) 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞. 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐃𝐫. 𝐒𝐞𝐮𝐬𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐡𝐞𝐥 𝐒𝐢𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐢𝐧.

𝒯𝒽𝒶𝓃𝓀 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓉𝑜 𝑀𝒶𝓁𝒾𝓀𝒶 𝐵𝒽𝒶𝓃𝒹𝒶𝓇𝓀𝒶𝓇, 𝒜𝓉𝓂𝑜𝓈𝓅𝒽𝑒𝓇𝑒 𝒫𝓇𝑒𝓈𝓈, & 𝒩𝑒𝓉𝒢𝒶𝓁𝓁𝑒𝓎 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒜𝑅𝒞! 𝒜𝓁𝓁 𝑜𝓅𝒾𝓃𝒾𝑜𝓃𝓈 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝓂𝓎 𝑜𝓌𝓃.

Thank you, NetGalley and Atmosphere Press for this advanced reader's copy. This was a fun book of poems about growing up in the style of Dr Suess. Very fast read and super cute. Each had poem had it's on little quirk.

Thank you Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book. These opinion are completely my own.

I find it really hard to give a rating to poetry, it's someone's truth on paper.. I don't relate to many of the poetry, but I do appreciate the sentiments behind the words.

It's tough being a grown up is a thought provoking, relatable collection of poems that most, if not all adults will relate to.
Not only is the poetry relatable, there's also humour in the prose, and vivid imagery which shows the trials and tribulations of being a grown up. Because, as wel all know, it's tough being a grown up

I really enjoyed reading this. It was a beautiful collection of poems that are great for young children!

It's Tough Being a Grown up was a fun collection of poems. I felt that the writing was easy to understand and the themes very relatable.

Perfectly composed body of work.
These poems smell like spice, and feel like a hug from an old friend. A friend, that understands you on a different level, someone, that feel like a family. It's about simple daily struggles, love, friendship, discovering your identity. It's light andefresh. It's short, but leaves a mark in your soul. I feel lucky that I was able to read it, and discover the author. Thank you!

Thank you to NetGalley, Atmosphere Press, and Malika Bhandarkar for this e-book in exchange for an honest review.

This poetry is like a patchwork of what it means to have a child-like point of view and then to grow up. It's dealing with the constant changes of our society and dealing with the changes of our lives. It touches you in a way only poetry can speak to the heart. In a very easy to read poetry pose similar to styles of Dr Suess, this is a fun, must read book.

#netgalley #netgalleyreview #atmospherepress #itstoughbeingagrownup #malikabhandarkar

I really loved the title and cover of this book. It's Tough Being A Grown Up! is a collection of lighthearted poetry about the difficulties of being a grown-up along with other themes such as childhood, romance, food and pop culture.
I loved the "The answer is yes" and "Report Card".

Mallika Bhandarkar's "It's Tough Being a Grown Up" is a lovely book filled with relevant stories and comedy about the ups and downs of adulthood. Her approachable writing style makes the book both pleasant and soothing, reminding us that we are not alone in battling life's hardships. A fantastic book for anybody searching for a casual yet important read.

It really is tough to be a grown up! I absolutely enjoyed this book and I can see my patrons loving it too!

I absolutely love this, especially the poem titled "Pounce - ciations". All the poems in this book are so relatable, especially to teenagers. This is perfect for my students.

A good collection of poems depicting modern life, where you’ll be able to find something relatable or you can reminisce through childhood, young adult life and the latter years. Quick and enjoyable read

Fast read of poems which some will connect and others won’t. I enjoyed her style and the content of some very relatable topics. This would be great for a high school class.

5⭐
absolutely wonderful! the poems in this collection are witty, smart, humorous, and romantic; i couldn't get enough! an extremely impressive debut poetry collection.

my favourite poems were:
"Brand Identity for Baby"
"Colinizers Guide to Self-Awareness"
"Tummy Worship"
"I Love What You Love"
"Plates & Bowls"
"Lepidoptera Census"
"Outgrown"

i shall carry these poems in my heart like little gems; put them in my sky as little wonderful stars.


thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this arc!

Publishing date: 14.05.2024
Thank you to NetGalley and Atmosphere Press for the ARC. My opinions are my own.

The book as a meal: Comforting oatmeal with banana slices and jam
The book left me: Wondering how many childlike traits I have carried to adulthood

Negatives:
Some poems were very relatable and others were not at all

Positives:
Lots of relatable themes
Fast paced and doesn't overstay its welcome

Features:
Seven chapters filled with lighthearted and sweet poems, reflection and wonder about adulthood and childhood

Why did I choose this one?
The idea of poems about adulthood in a lighthearted tone sounds wonderful. Right up my alley, as I have not been an "adult" for very long and struggle a little bit with all the nuances.

Pick-up-able? Put-down-able?
Devourable. Another collection that got gobbled up in a single sitting. Very fast paced and the poems are not too long.

What was the vibe and mood?
It almost felt like a talk with your parents about why you can't do this and that because you are of age now. A little silly lecture. Or looking back at your childhood and remembering how easy it was. Wondering why you always wanted to become an adult as a child.

Final ranking and star rating?
B tier, 4 stars. This was a very sweet collection that strutted right up my alley. The only reason it does not get 5 stars is because the poems themselves are not that distinct from other works I have read, and they were not all that relatable. It was still very good and I will recommend this to others. Especially to my teacher friends, I feel like this would fit well in a high school and college class.

Favorite poems:
I'm not a pigeon
Tummy worship
The importance of name tags
Scented
A dream or a promise?
An affair
Velcro friends
Social media safari
What will you be?
Outgrown

This was a fun read. The author gave lots of detail of her culture and growing up which was interesting.

I personally don't like the cover but the layout of the book itself is good and the poems fun.

Thank you for the arc