Last night I finished reading `The Sunflower Project’ written by Alyssia Charisse.

Synopsis: This work is an anthology of personal and reflective poems that are thematically arranged using stages of a sunflower’s life cycle.

What to expect:
- Poems about healing, love, loss, one’s connection with God, and self worth
- Lots of floral imagery
- Lots of references to the poet’s Christian faith

The Verdict: This is something different to what I usually read, but it was a nice change. The Sunflower Project has been out in the world for about a year now. If you enjoy poetry that focus on self-reflection, try this one out.

Shoutout to NetGalley and the author for giving me the opportunity to read an #ARC of this one.

This is a great book. I read it in one sitting and I don't do that often. Every word spoke to me. This is so many of our stories all rolled into one. It is one that everyone should read.
The lessons of maturity in faith was excellent. I didn't feel that I was being preached to, just having a conversation with a friend. I felt that this book was a huge does of positive when I needed it. I started it during a time when I was about to be out a job and with Corona not sure I'd be able to find a new one.

This was a good poetry book. I loved the authors take on the topics discussed here and the prose was beautiful. was it my favorite poetry book? no. But this is what is beautiful about poetry: there's a bit for everyone everywhere. This one was just not up to my alley

A beautiful collection of poetry for each stage of life. It is elegantly illustrated and structured and the poems quite relatable. Rupi Kaur fans will enjoy this one.

I’m so happy to have come across this poetry collection on here. It was beautiful and relatable. I enjoyed the structure of the collection and how it was broken up, the illustrations were also a really nice addition to the poems. 😊

I do really love poetry (when I read it) and the premise of this: growth and healing, sounded right up my alley. The sunflower project is a collection of poems grouped into the four stages of a life cycle of a sunflower - it symbolises unLYSHed's life journey and growth to becoming the person she is today.

My favourite aspect is definitely the writing style - it's beautiful. raw, intimate and emotional. The honesty in her words makes you feel a genuine connection to the writer, it leaves you enthralled and hoping for the best for her. It address abuse, sexual assault, loss of faith (and gaining that faith again), heartbreak, trauma, self love and your own worth. One quote that particularly resonates with me is:

"your heart is happy now
but your mind remembers then
do not be ashamed"

The floral symbolism really adds to the narrative, and the illustration on the last page was perfection, as it shows her full cycle.

However, the major drawback for me was the religious aspect - and had I known this before going into it, I probably wouldn't have requested it. If it wasn't present, probably would have been a 4 star from me, but unfortunately as I didn't relate to it in any way, it just caused a disconnect with the narrative. To be completely honest, whenever God or 'Him' was mentioned I skim read.

I would definitely recommend this to fans of religious poetry and fans of poets such as Rupi Kaur and Lucille Clifton.

Thank you to the Net Galley publishers for allowing me the opportunity to read The Sunflower Project for an honest review.

The Sunflower Project is a collection of poems that tell the story of phases of life; growing from the seed of innocence and naivety, to almost withering into nothingness with the loss of self-love and self- worth; then being revitalized by rediscovery and restoration and unfolding petals that are kissed by the sunshine of freedom, healing and the reclaiming. the sunflower project tells the story of love and loss, faithfulness and faithlessness, brokenness and abandonment, and finally introduces the rebirth and the determination to becoming centered, whole, and victorious in existence once again. the sunflower project was written in the hopes that readers would see themselves in its pages, acknowledge their heart’s needs, and join the writer in embracing all of the petals that symbolize different facets of their identity worthy of love and attention; building a stem of resilience despite life’s storms; and committing to continually tracking the Son under whom there is greater grace.

This book was very reminiscent of the collection of poetry The Sun and Her Flowers by Rupi Kaur. There were enough differences to set the two apart, but unfortunately this collection fell short in comparison. First things first, the cover of this book is absolutely stunning, and is what drew me to want to read this book in the first place.

Regarding the collection itself, the author's words were beautiful and raw, and she is very strong for sharing the beauty and pain of her own trauma. I even felt like there were a few poems that I could relate with. However, there were too many dark subjects in order for it to be relatable for all. While the storytelling was immersive, the religious content was honestly a turn off. The description of the book gave no indication that God would be mentioned, and at times it made it confusing as to who she was referring to when she referred to "him". Is she referring to God or her abuser? It was really hard to decipher at times. Overall it was a beautiful collection, and I give it ☆☆☆/5

Thank you so much to NetGalley for giving me a copy of this book.

I have been trying for a time to read more poetry for a while now, and try to pick up different poetry books that sounds good.
I have never been in a toxic relationship myself, however, there are things in this I definitely can see myself in. The writing is really good, and is flowing easy. This books is raw in the things it is talking about, and I like how honest the author is about the things she write about in this book.
I will definitely recommend people to read this poetry, at least if it sounds like something you might like.

Thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for an eARC in exchange for an honest review of <i>The Sunflower Project</i> by unLYSHed. I always feel strange reviewing poetry because I am not an expert at it. I feel like I am uncultured because I’m just like “I really enjoyed this” and that’s about it. I don’t know how to write critically about it because I feel like it’s such a personal experience. It’s the same with this collection here. Instead, I go based on how they make me feel personally.

<i>The Sunflower Project</i> is a raw and emotional portrait of a life that was beautiful and touched me deep. The honesty in the words of unLYSHed stood out to me the most. I think good poems make you feel the emotions of the writers even if you haven’t personally experienced it. I saw myself in a lot of this poetry and I think that it’s important for people, especially Black women to look into this book. I felt a sense of healing and sensitivity here.

This collection explores loss, love, healing, and religion. It confronts guilt, toxic relationships, and sexuality. It’s just an honest look at what life is like for so many of us. I wanted to hold each of the poems close to my heart as they are delicate and feeling ephemeral. I experienced the writer’s personal growth with this reading experience. I plan to buy this collection for myself to keep for the rest of my life.

*Received a free advance reader's copy for an honest review*

I have really been getting into poetry collections lately, specifically by women of color, and I was excited to see this book listed on NetGalley and it really intrigued me as I felt I could make a connection to unLYSHed writing. And as I was reading this collection I completely was entranced with the writing and the theme of The Sunflower Project. The collection follows unLYSHed journey of birth, innocence, naivety to darkness, heartbreak, trauma, self-identity and then to self-love, worthiness, faith and growth. I highlighted so many passage in this collection and felt unLYSHed really put her heart and soul into it. The only reason I did not give it 5 stars is because I am not necessarily religious, and from the middle section to the end there were a few passages about faith and God that I didn't necessarily care for but I understand the power religion and spirituality can have when following and looking for guidance during troubling times.

Overall, I will definitely be looking out for more works by unLYSHed!

An incredibly emotional and powerful collection of poetry written around the symbolism of a sunflower, with stages in the life cycle of the flower representing stages of regression and recovery of coming to terms with an emotional and physical trauma.

Should definitely come with strong trigger warnings for physical, sexual and emotional abuse.

These poems were raw, narrative yet abstract. Some reflected on experience from afar whereas others very much felt like a traumatic re-living of an experience.

The writer has clearly experienced a great deal of personal growth and uses writing as a tool of self-expression and discovery.

These poems are raw and emotional yet you can interact with most of them in an almost voyeuristic and horrifying string of connection permitted by the writer.

The only disconnect came, for me, with the finding of God and the use of the word "daddy" - connotations that do not purely mean fatherhood and the way that is left open leads to a certain unsettling disconnected.

Thanks netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me this Arc in exchange for a honest review...

The Sunflower Project was a beautifully written collection of poetry, even the cover is a beautiful masterpiece. It had some poems that took me on a journey, I really connected with and felt deep.

It's definitely worth purchasing especially if you like Jennae Cecelia and Rupi Kaur, you will love this!

I don't have words to express how this book made me feel each poem is a very delicate thing that had me very into it and I love It so much.
Without doubt this became one of my favorites poetry books and I enjoy it from beginning to the end.

the sunflower project by unLYSHed is a beautifully written poetry collection!

I was mesmerized and amazed at this beautiful collection. I like dipping into poetry once and a while but it's not my primary genre. It can be so hard to find a good poetry collection that you connect with and understand (key word: and). the sunflower project was a collection of poems relating to love and loss that will connect with readers. It may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I sure enjoyed it. I think it's a wonderful collection for people seeking to find an art form to understand various types of situations and pain.

Overall, this poetry collection is an emotional roller coaster that made my heart and eyes open up.

Four out of five stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.

"This is the result of living broken
You are like a tornado
Of silvers of your own soul
The debris it creates makes a trail behind you
You leave what is truly you behind
And pick up the dust and ruins you pass over"
p.86, the sunflower project

This book is for sure not for everyone... it is written for the dreamers of this world. Those who have loved and lost. Its a beautiful retelling of how one can fall and rise to be something greater than before. Its a guide for those who did not bloom yet and a reminder for those who reached the top of the hill and are able to look back to their past.

The book is written in 4 different phases of life, adressing stages of emotional connection towards love. It is very personal and intimate, an emotional journey that captures the reader and shows how many faces love can have. While the content expressed is a pure pleasure to the heart, there is also the aspect of visible art. The author works with small graphics connected with words and variations of font which is an additional expression of the emotions hidden between the lines.

All in all i really enjoyed reading it and i even read it in one sitting. I would recommend reading this book for girls who feel misunderstood, for those who are going through a breakup or even for those who want to see the world with someone elses eyes.

Thanks so much for the opportunity to read this book .
It was stunning alone by the cover itself , then you get inside and the words are captivating by page 1.
It’s a raw , emotional, poetic journey and I absolutely loved it .
Self reflection ,understanding ,loss and love are definitely things taken from and experienced while reading this book .
It also explores a religious reflection and relying on and into Gods healing .
Each page drips the authors own passions and struggles and really reels the reader in .
The struggles with religion , identity , toxic relationships, sexuality , and self love and worth are served up in the most poetic natural way possible . I definitely recommend this one .

2.7/5

I'm gutted while writing this review. I had high hopes for this book, thinking I would love it but I just couldn't....
Maybe it was the religious aspect of it that turned me off? Or the formatting?.... I am not sure. Her words were beautiful and raw. To some parts, I could resonate. I wish you all the best.

Whilst I did enjoy parts of this book (‘Budding’ was a high-point) the very religious themes meant that I wasn’t the ideal audience for this book.
There’s obvious talent, and the cover art is beautiful- but this book just wasn’t for me

I love this book. It's so honest and raw that it made my heart ache like I just went through the same things she went through. But I actually never went through something like that.

An intricate collection of development, from birth and unconditional love and giving of a parent to the appreciation and complications of family life. It takes you into the depth of despair of first love and innocence lost and self sacrifice for a naive perception of love. Beautiful use of language, both visceral and raw. The author takes us into her experience in love and lessons difficultly learned with scars left behind on a soul. Extremely moving and bravely shared. Stories in poems for self discovery of personal voice and fearlessness to use it, needs, worth and boundaries.