I thought the poetry in this collection was very nicely written and emotional. It evoked a lot of feelings, regardless of the fact that I have not had the same kind of experiences as Parker, the words allowed me to feel through words.

Absolutely beautiful poetry collection. Heartfelt, raw, inspiring. It was so hard incredibly lovely.

5/5⭐️

I’m a huge Amanda Lovelace fan so when I saw her wife was publishing a queer/trans centered poetry collection, I knew I had to read it! And I’m so glad I did! Queer to its core, this poetry collection is both tragic and hopeful at the same time, with the author agonizing over her darker past while looking forward to a brighter future. While not the most complicated or wordy poems, they were lovely and the messages were deep and meaningful. Looking forward to Parker’s next work!

Starlight She Becomes is a poetry collection detailing the author's journey through discovering herself and realizing her transness. This resonated deeply with me as someone trying to figure out my own identity. The emotions are raw and I could feel them through every line. 4.5/5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley for a free ARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Really heartfelt, insightful and inspiring. Made me feel all kinds of things.

My favourite poems were: “hate”, “do as i say not as i do”, “i dream about a version of me that still has friends”, “dysphoria iii”, “always becoming, never being”, “Lake Michigan”, “see me”, “conservative <s>views</s> hypocrisy”, “eradicate”, “pride 2023”, “regular”, “don’t wanna live, don’t wanna die” and “a letter to my past selves”

This was a book that opens your eyes to the reality of many people, trans people, to be more specific. With an honest and direct style, without ever losing her artistic flair, Parker Lee shares her experiences, from the most euphoric to the most devastating. Moments that would be familiar to anyone take on a different meaning through the author's pen.

There are many styles combined, and although prose is the most present, the most constant, there is a descriptive style in all the poems that serves as a common thread. Although there is a bit of everything, it is with her short prose that Parker shines most. While it is true that there are short sentences that seem like simple thoughts, these complement the longer segments.

While I certainly have no complaints about this book, I do have to say that it is quite experimental at times. It is not something one would normally expect unless one is already familiar with the author's style. For that reason alone, I would recommend reading at least one previous book to fully appreciate her writing style.

Overall, it's a beautiful read that explores identity and mental health from an honest and direct perspective. It's an especially important book given the times we live in, where LGBTQ+ identities, especially trans identities, have been under attack. With The Starlight She Becomes, Parker Lee speaks volumes and celebrates her femininity above all else.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this advanced readers copy. I am a huge supporter of the author for years now. I was very excited to be accepted to read this. I have a copy preordered as well. This was beautiful as her work always is. It was heartbreaking at times too. But also full of strength and love. Such an inspiring book. I can’t wait to get my copy.

These poems felt like connecting with an old friend. It felt like the poet was telling me a story aloud in conversation rather than simply reading the words she wrote. The poems are definitely set in a certain time and made me reflect on my life during those years, too. The emotions of the poet definitely bleed through the words. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

I was excited to read this, but felt the poetry needed more work and editing. The content is powerful and heartfelt, but nothing surprising in the use of language arts. It isn't "insta poetry" but it does read like diary entries with a few line breaks thrown in. We need more courageous and vulnerable poetry about gender, mental health, body dysmorphia, eating disorders, and sexuality. But the volume as a whole is only as strong as the individual poems, and their ability to stand on their own.

In The Starlight She Becomes, Parker Lee offers not just a collection of poems, but a roadmap of the soul’s unfolding. This is a book born of bravery—a testament to what it means to live one’s truth in a world that often demands silence from those it doesn’t understand.

What makes this collection unforgettable is its honesty. These poems do not posture or pretend. They ache. They fight. They rejoice. Each verse is laced with the quiet essence of becoming—of shedding what was never truly yours and reaching for what has always lived within. The result is a voice that is both raw and refined, vulnerable and fierce.

Some of the most powerful moments come when Parker turns inward, grappling not just with external perceptions and expectations, but with the struggle of internalized fear and doubt. In those poems, we meet the little girl who lived hidden for so long. We meet the woman who finally dares to speak. And we meet the artist—brilliantly unapologetic—who can now write her story on her own terms.

Reading The Starlight She Becomes is like holding someone’s hand as they walk through fire and emerge not untouched, but transformed. The fire is still there, the scars are still visible—but so is the beauty. So is the triumph.

This collection is more than poetry—it’s a testimony. It’s proof of life after silence. It’s a gift to anyone who has ever struggled to be seen, and a necessary mirror for those learning to see themselves for the first time.

Another beautiful poetry collection from Parker Lee! This heartfelt and triumphant work showcases Lee’s unmatched honesty about sobriety, identity, and self-love. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.

I got this as an arc on Netgalley and it will come out in July. This was an interesting collection of poems with a lot of good queer themes. It reads a lot like that poetry you see in novels lately that combines writing and poetry writing and creates something that flows.

This book makes some amazing observations and details an awe inspiring experience. More than one, in fact. So much so that it makes me sad that I didn't love it more than I did.

I'm also hesitant to call this a collection of poems. I'm not the first to note it, but this is definitely written more in a memoir style. The lack of capital letters does not make something poetry for me.

Still, there were definitely aspects of this collection that were achingly, devastatingly poetic. There were parts of it where I was hopeful. Other times that were difficult to read through their intensity (this isn't actually a bad thing, it means that it was evocative in those middle parts) and then, finally, there was the catharsis.

While I don't believe this was the author's best work, I definitely understand how it is the most important, and I love that for her. I love that Parker was able to find a home that would celebrate and keep this book in the format that it was created in, rather than trying to twist it out of its original shape.

But I feel that was more important for the author's experience, than for the reader's. This was a heartfelt memoir / journal style piece of writing that lacked cohesion at times to the outside viewer. It's a very private piece of literature that I feel will be incredibly important to those who walk a similar journey. I love that it introduced me to a new trans poet in Joshua Jennifer Espinoza.

But, though I own the other collections by this author and have loved reading them, I sadly don't think this one is one I'll personally be returning to.

Beautiful, reflective - so compassionate and well-put together. I really enjoyed these poems and the prose along side them.

I was excited about this book, but it just didn't hit the way I hoped. Many of the poems felt more like stream of consciousness journalling than actual poetry. And the overall vibe was dark, broody, angsty, and depressing. It never really felt like the celebration of self that I was hoping for.

I will say that I enjoyed getting to see the world through a trans perspective. But the poetry just didn't click for me. Too much self-loathing. Not enough self-love. Even the last section, “Stardust,” only felt like a nod towards self-acceptance, not an actual embracing of self.

Sad and dispiriting. This book reads like a cry for help.

Through this collection of poems, we are shown beautiful, raw and powerful insights into Parker Lee’s life and experiences. I feel like poems don’t need to follow rules or a specific format, they simply need to have rhythm and a message. These types of poems tend to feel more honest and makes me feel like I get a less polished, and edited version of the author. I feel like I’m feeling the experience right alongside them. I really like this style of informal poetry and would definitely recommend this book for fans of Rupi Kaur, R.H. Sin or Amanda Lovelace.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I struggled a bit here, because the style is so informal, and reads more like voice memos or diary entries than poetry to my eye. Someone else's review suggests that readers of Amanda Lovelace and Rupi Kaur will enjoy this, and I think that's quite likely. I do feel like the writing style is very accessible and sincere. I personally prefer poetry that exhibits a greater interest in language, phrasing, and wordplay. I also found a lot of the musings in these pages to be fairly surface-level and, at times, trite.

That said, trans experiences are often very isolating, and I believe that trans readers in particular will find elements of Lee's work to be familiar and comforting. Lee's exploration of what it means to be a trans woman in 2020s America is earnest and direct. I know a number of people who find poetry to be intimidating as a concept, and Lee's work makes no moves toward pretension. For me, that's almost a complaint, which I mention in part because for some people that will be a point in this collection's favor.

In terms of the content/messages, this would be a good fit for reader who enjoyed Sara Soler's "US." While there's pain here, there's also a lot of affirmation and joy.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC copy.

"Dead soil can only grow other dead things, and I am tired of being a graveyard."

Typically, I am not a poetry reader, and this style of poetry is not something I've read before. Yet I don't regret the hour or so I spent with this book, cup of coffee at my side as I navigated through this, at times very familiar, collection of poems.

Raw and direct, beautifully written, I found myself more than once recognising the old feeling I have known so well myself, not in the exact way as the author, but familiar all the same. The feeling of being at war with your own body and mind and trying to use every weapon at your disposal to come out as unscathed as possible.

Not only did I recognise experiences I have felt on my very own skin, but I found myself inspired my the poet's journey. Finishing this book, I allowed myself to believe that maybe one day, I, too, would be able to love the person I might become.

This was a really beautiful poetry collection. I was intrigued by the synopsis for the collection, and enjoyed Lee's writing style. Her poems spoke of her journey as a trans woman and her relationships with the people around her and the world we live in. They touched on addiction, EDs, gender dysphoria, queerness, acceptance, and many more important topics. Overall, Starlight She Becomes was a solid collection of poetry. I look forward to reading more of Lee’s work.

raw and emotional, starlight she becomes is a collection of poems dedicated to becoming ones true self. i was absolutely enthralled with this book and the feelings it wrenched from my. as a long time fan of this authors work, i cannot wait to see what she releases next.