Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC.

This is a great collection of poems that are often dark and twisted. Short and sweet, many were thought-provoking regarding gender and sexual identity, race, and class. There were a few short in words but left me reflecting on the meaning.

I would love to hear an audiobook of this or some spoken word.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book is a selection of powerful and beautifully written poems, discussing the themes of religion, race, cultural inheritance, family, and sexuality.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and there were a number of poems throughout that stood out to me, purely due to their imagery and eloquent play on words. I look forward to reading more of Rachel Long’s work in the future.

My Darling from the Lions is a debut collection of poetry full of short, storytelling poems that are vivid and clever. Split into three sections, the topics range from family to race, sexual politics to growing up, and a range of other moments, with some hilariously sharp lines and insightful ways of phrasing things that'll make you think 'oh yeah, that's it'. Some of the imagery and comments from the poems will stay with me for a while, particularly 'Sandwiches' and 'Interview with B. Tape II'.

The poems are approachable and readable, making this a great collection to read and share, and they create a real sense of person and life even within very short poems. Powerful messages are combined with witty storytelling to bring a really enjoyable collection of poetry.

Thank you Netgalley and Picador for the ARC of My Darling from the Lions.

I have heard so many good things about
My Darling from the Lions that I had to read it.

Told in such a beautifully vivid way, each individual poem is diverse and covers topics from race, religion, sexuality, family, sickness, healing and cultural inheritance.

I cannot wait to read more of Rachel Long's work.

Absolutely phenomenal. I've long been a fan of Rachel and she absolutely deserves to have this book on shelves everywhere. Will be pressing this collection into the hands of everyone I know.,

An incredibly beautiful and powerful collection of poems that can be read again and again. My only criticism, and it really isn't a criticism, is that I wish that there were more!

This incredible collection of poetry is a relief and almost made me sign with the tension building in me with the strong language. It's gorgeous. The poems are about resistance and fighting back.

Here's a part of prose nothing specific but would definitely give idea of language

Sandwiches

Tiff’s got me against the school railings, doing my eyeliner. In double French, I’d whispered, Your eyes. Will you make mine like that? – slice through a room, a lie, a man – Break time her body on mine, stoosh then soft; sugar on the tongue of all she hasn’t done yet, all she’s heard she could do. Already, Tiff’s a reckoning; bomb glitter on lids, oil spill on lips, sandwiches padding her bra. Yeah, the sandwiches. Thick, white, unbuttered. See, Tiff’s clocked the boys have clocked the difference between a tissue and a tit, a sock and a tit, but not quite yet a tit and a slice of bread. O, girl, you have opened my eyes, how they weep!

Definitely worth buying

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review!

I adored Rachel Long's writing in these poems. She has a remarkable way with words and I really enjoyed reading every single element. The poems contained content such as sex, race, healing, femininity and many other aspects and I found that these were portrayed eloquently and beautifully.

However, at times I felt very disconnected to the characters and I wish there was more descriptions on them so I couldn't enjoy it to its full potential .I will definitely be reading more of Rachel Long's works!

My Darling from the Lions by Rachel Long wasn’t quite what I expected. A lot of it was more like flash fiction than poetry. It chronicles a young black woman’s experiences.