becoming.

I'm not a poetry person, but besides that, I really enjoyed this little book! It's packed with beautiful thoughts that made me feel like I had lost someone I really love when that actually has never happened to me and I think if a book does something like that, then it's really good!
I still don't think poetry is my thing, but I'm glad I stumbled into this gem.

becoming. by Renaada Williams promises light at the end of the tunnel, and what message could be more relevant in today's world? This is a lovely collection that is powerful in its simplicity, and personal, while at the same time addressing the universal themes of love, feminism, and belonging. These poems provided a lyrical escape and a much needed reminder that whatever your individual experience, we are all in this together. I must add that I was initially drawn to this collection by its gorgeous cover.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Becoming is a simple yet powerful little book of modern poetry. Ranaada Williams collection is very personal and touches on subjects such as depression and self-love. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital copy of this book.

Becoming is full of sincere poetry; the simple style lends each piece a lot of potency and the build up towards the end feels very tender and well-earned. Altogether a lovely collection.

Wow. I'm not normally a poetry person, but I decided to read this ARC on a whim. I will admit that this book as a whole didn't speak to me in ways that it would have in the past, but it gave me insight into how far I've come in my mental health journey. This book was full of irony (the best kind) and insightful thoughts that will make you revisit old wounds and past trauma. This book will convince you that you are enough and that who you are is a work in progress. I thoroughly enjoyed this book in one sitting and will be checking out this author's other work! I am definitely more open to the idea of poetry now and the waves that it can create.

Becoming is a collection of poetry covering serious topics such relationships, depression, race, self-worth, self-esteem and self-empowerment. I definitely connected more with some poems than others but find that is always the way with poetry collections. As with all good poetry several pieces left me in awe of a poet’s ability to say so much so succinctly. Possibly because succinctness doesn’t come naturally to me! Such regular, almost mundane words can carry so much power when combined in just the right way. Best savoured slowly. Definitely recommended.

The poems about self-esteem, unhealthy relationships, depression and race, and the end of the collection some powerful and inspiring thoughts. I think these poems is very simple: some statements edit to poem form. If you like Rupi Kaur or Amanda Lovelace, you should read this book too.

This collection of poetry was beautiful, simple and impactful. Every poem seemed to pull on my thoughts and emotions. This collection is a gem that I will be sure to revisit.
A huge thank you to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for my ARC.

I received an ARC of becoming. By Renaada Williams from NetGalley. This is a simple and beautiful poetry collection.

“We are created in the darkness and forced into the light,” (Williams 116). The main themes dealt with are love, depression, suicide, race, and self-love. The poems are short and to the point which I appreciate. The style is what I refer to as “Instagram poetry”. It is very modern and broken up, sometimes roughly.

Some lines and words are repetitive throughout the book which is the main reason this collection received 4/5 stars. Overall, I enjoyed the poems and felt the Authors emotion behind each one.

This collection of poetry was inspirational. Each poem involves heartbreak, self-esteem, and self-care. Thank you to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for my ARC.

'Becoming.' is an incredible poetry book. Renaada Williams writes about black lives, heartbreaks and how to overcome them, and it just felt as if she was talking directly to me. It's such a wonderful poetry collection and I just wish it was longer. This book really spoke to me. Rating 5/5 stars.

Becoming is a collection of short poems by Renaada Williams. The poetry she's written has themes of heartbreak, mental health issues, being a person of color in America, feminism, and self-love. I can resonate with some of the poems, and I had a few favorites as well. I liked how she broke up the poems into different sections. I'm a huge fan of these types of poems. When I worked in a bookstore they used to shelve them into 'internet poetry'. It was a fast read so you can definitely finish it in half an hour or less. I felt and understood every poem. Below are 4 of my faves from the different sections in the book.

<u>Heartbreak</u>:
It's funny
how easily the monster in my head
can cuddle me
so softly
while laying in bed

<u>Mental Illness</u>:
I know what hands clenched to the chest
from crying all night feels like
and I think you do too
-normal

<u>Being Colored in America</u>:
I just want to live in a world
that I'm not afraid
to be alive in

<u>Self-love</u>:
You
have to stop customizing yourself
to fit someone who doesn't even deserve
you

Thank you to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Great book! I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
Thanks to the Publisher for giving me the opportunity to read it in advance

I like this poetry a lot. It shared stories about women and lots of things related to it. Therefore, I feel like this book is my voice.

Firstly, I would like to thank NetGalley and Andrews McMeel for giving me the opportunity to read this book for an honest review.

The fact that this book had been self published a few years ago by Renaada is very inspiring and to then get a publishing deal with a publishing company that has published women like Amanda Lovelace and Rupi Kaur is such a great achievement. Having rebranded the book with a fabulous new cover and a beautiful layout inside with brand new poetry as well I really hope that this book does well. I really enjoyed reading it. The amount of topics covered in this poetry anthology is mind blowing. Heartbreak, loss, grief, self worth, depression, suicide and so much more. I knew that I would love this book from the very being just from reading the dedication. It is dedicated to Renaada's Granddad and the poem that she wrote was so beautiful. Having recently lost my Grandma I could really relate to each word.

There were a few things that I didn't like. The fact that this book has no capital letters hurt my head. The most hurtful one was lowercase 'i'. It is supposed to be capitalised. Also none of the poems had titles which makes it harder to refer back to favourite pieces and I've always be taught to title my work. Another thing was that every single poem was centralised on the page. This was only done for aesthetic purposes which I do on Instagram but I would never do it in actual published work. My tutor on my creative writing course just told me off for centre aligning a poem. Only ever do it for a reason! Don't over use it. Also there was overuse of one word lines in a lot of the poems which should only be done for impact. But I was able to overlook all of this because I loved the content so much. If I could release a book any where near this standard I would be so happy.

🌞🌞🌞 Actually 4.5/5⭐
I related so mutch wit this poetry collection.

First, I liked how it was written in a way you see a jurney. Not even a growth, but how the author went down in the first place.

I loved the way that she talked to me through her poems, like we were the same person.

I loved the way every poem was written, not like a simple poem, but like she was talking to me. It was amazing.

This is one of my favourite poetry collections I've evere read.

This book is amazing. Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this. I love reading all sorts of poetry and this is one of those books where I will go back to and read again. This book goes over the subjects of relationships, depression, self-esteem and self-empowerment. I would recommend this book for all sorts of readers.

This collection of poems is truly beautiful, powerful and inspired. I feel like this book is a journey that everyone at one point or another must take, Renaada is an author follow. To read her words is to become something bigger, something better. I truly can’t wait to share this with my loved ones. Unlike a lot of books of poetry, she doesn’t get repetitive or tired. I honestly couldn’t get enough, and I can’t wait for more

Renaada Williams’s becoming is a candid and often moving tribute to the power of life, love and loss, and through her bold exploration of such themes Williams achieves a sincere venture into the scope of poetic self-expression.

Aptly described as tributes whose journey reminds us that there is always light at the end of the tunnel, becoming takes the reader on an intimate route through the author’s emotive craft, with the end result being something of an epiphany of self-affirmation, hope and light; an assurance from which the reader is able to glean hidden purposes to be found in suffering and strength to be acquired through pain.

Though the poems found within are not overly intricate in their arrangement, and therefore run the risk of losing potential richness through overt simplicity, they nonetheless reach the desired goal of laying the foundation necessary to reach a wide audience through honest portrayal of the testing one experiences at life’s hand, and the depth of meaning with which one emerges from it.

Every book published by Andrews McMeel is an automatic buy for me at this point, and the wonderful thing is that they never disappoint! becoming. is such a lovely, powerful modern collection of poems that I will definitely return to again and again!

Love can be really painful. Specially when someone is capable of being in love deeply and perceiving the depth even when the other person is not. The poetry in this book is a world of pain. The author takes you on a journey inside her mind which is troubled by the people in her life and the way they affect her life. How do people embrace darkness and love being broken and still want others to accept and love them in a manner which satisfies their core? How do people become everything for someone in one moment and then no-one the other moment?

These are stories about moving on and stories about not able to let go. These are stories about both forgetting and remembering simultaneously. They show various aspects to love, pain, darkness and judgements,

What a beautiful, moving work of poetry. I was deeply affected reading it and loved the way the text was laid out and the rhythm of Williams' words. The subject matter is raw, vulnerable and open. I have a special place in my heart for this type of poetry and I think Williams beautifully navigates this art form. I loved and appreciated this book of poetry and I definitely recommend it!

Thank you to Andrews McMeel through NetGalley for my advanced copy! My views are my own.

It’s National Poetry Month so I’m trying to read as much poetry as I can and I enjoyed this collection! I can totally relate to the poems about love, breakups, acceptance, and hope. I couldn’t relate as closely to the poems about depression, therapy, and race but they were honest and I appreciate the author sharing them with the world so others don’t feel so alone.
I think fans of poets like Lang Leav, Jennae Cecelia, Amanda Lovelace, and Rupi Kaur will enjoy “Becoming.”

Thank you Netgally and the publisher for the chance to read this ebook for free.

This review also appears here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3295501991

I received an advanced reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

This is a beautiful and touching book of poems that are truly heartfelt. I could feel the authors pain in afew of these poems and so many in the first 1/3 of this book were so relateable to me they could have been my experiences.
This book is deep and meaningful and many of the poems are only very short but very well done.

Absolutely wonderful collection. The poems range from heartwrenching to empowering, all of them are beautiful.
The title is what initially drew me in, I love poetry collections that reflect part of a personal journey. These poems are unapologetically honest, a truly inspirational collection.

Becoming. is a poetry collection that covers feminism, sexuality, race and mental health. It is a collection of short, personal and emotional pieces of the author’s life journey, love and loss. At the end, we see a message of hope shinning through a tunnel of darkness.

I was very moved by this collection of poetry and indeed kept agreeing to many things that were written. I found myself saying Amen! to poems speaking of self-love that were truly empowering. Even to the poems of loss and self-hate, I was feeling the same pain as I’ve been through then before. I was also enraged by the racism towards the black community.

With all that said, it is clear that I really enjoyed reading this poetry book and would recommend it to others. This is the reason why I love self-help poems and continue to search for such book collections.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Andrews McMeel Publishing through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

becoming. is a beautiful poetry collection that covers feminism, sexuality, race and mental health. There's so much hope in it and several of the poems are empowering to read.

Delicate, elegant, and hopeful poetry with full of optimistic energy that heals the lost souls and broken hearts. I love the way it expresses the feelings about depression and grief. It feels like each single word speaks out loud the pain we have struggled with, also bringing the courage to make us fight against demons inside our minds and find a glimpse of light in a forlorn valley.

There are 4 parts, which is separately about love never lived, matter over mind, everything BLACK, and save yourself, in the poetry. Each part seems like the stages of knowing the actual wound inside us, finding out sources of pain, trying to seek the hope from the darkness, and helping ourselves be reborn. That's how these poems impress me. While reading, I feel that I've been understood. It knows the pain and negative feelings rooting deep in my heart. It's not easy to get them away; however, the words tender those scars and let me understand it's not my fault to be weak. We all suffer from those indescribable sorrow, so we are not alone.

becoming. Become the one who know how powerful we can be. Become the one having faith and will to be a survivor.

Here's one of my favorite quotes that I want to share with at last:

we are created in the darkness
forced into the light

I loved this book, it has really good poetry.
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Gallery Books, and was not required to give a positive review.

A beautiful book of poetry, Short poems, simple words, but a powerful and very personal message. Renaada isn't afraid to show pieces of herself through these poems and in turn makes us all less afraid to speak our own true feelings.

Becoming is so terribly moving it sometimes hurts. And I say it as so because Renaada Williams doesn’t shy away from the experiences of her depression. Williams doesn’t make it pretty or give it a complete 'it’ll be okay' vibe. It’s gritty and real and something to still be worked through.

Bad days. Good days. Williams bares it all when it comes to mental health. Then on top of that, she includes love and loss and racism with heart and bitter honesty.

Becoming feels like just the tipping point to her story and it has put Williams on my radar of authors to watch and I can’t wait to watch her grow in her art.

I’d never heard of the poet before. I like discovering new poets. Overall, I enjoyed the poems in this collection. My personal bug bear is that the poems don’t have titles. I like my poems to have titles but this is becoming a common style in modern poetry. The poems are very simple, deceptively so because they deal with far deeper ideas and subjects than you expect at first glance. They were easy to read and resonated on some level with me. Like a lot of modern poetry, the poems are personal as well as universal. I really like the cover as well.

“I want you know that you are amazing, I know that you are beautiful”

What a great start to this book. I loved reading it. By the time I finished, I felt amazing and beautiful. As you go through her problems, you get to feel it as she becomes herself. As she realizes that she can be herself without someone else.

I highly recommend.

Beautifully written. This book makes an impact. Becoming is about the process of becoming. It is about the process of learning, moving forward, affirming the truths about oneself, and throwing away the fodder. I think the world needs to read this book.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and, Renaada Williams for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Very poignant and beautiful. I really think this is a poetry collection that non matter the age or race, they can be read and felt in your heart. Real resonance.

This book was beautifully written, and some of the poems truly made my heart drop because of how relatable they are. My only wish is that the book was longer as it took me less than an hour to go through.

This was the first work from Renaada Williams I've read, but it won't be the last. I look forward to reading more from this talented author. I really enjoyed this book and it evoked a lot of emotions for me, and the "Everything Black" section was especially moving and powerful. The entire book was inspiring and will stick with me for awhile. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital copy of this book.

This modern poetry collection was very simple but really touching. A lot of poems in this collection hit very close to home for me, and because of this I personally loved this collection and would definitely recommend it to other readers. Also, the collection touched on many important topics such as self-love, depression and racism. My only (small) complaint is that some of the poems were a bit hard to read because the sentences were broken off in weird places sometimes, so I had to re-read them a few times.

Lovely read! Some poems resonated with me and some didn't. Not sure if I would pick this poem book up and re-read.

becoming. by Renaada Williams is a lovely collection of poetry to fill your TBR shelf with!

The poems are short, sweet and simplistic. They are the type of poems I want to read on a rainy day where I can stare off into the distance with my tea and ponder their meaning. It's quite lovely, to be honest. They aren't too long, they aren't full of weird metaphors that leave me confused, and I found them to be even put in interesting designs. I quite liked them!

Even the acknowledgements were in a poem, and I found that to be super cute!

I'd highly recommend these if you want some poetry and want a quick read. These are beautifully written and make for a quick read.

Three out of five stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for giving me a free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.

I think poetry is a genre you either love or hate and for me, this book was a simple yet beautiful collection everyone should read.

It consists in 6 chapters: acknowledging, message to you, love never lived here, matter over mind, everything BLACK, and my favorite, save yourself.

"the thing about art
about magic
is that some people will get it
it’ll move them in ways they could never imagine
and for some
they won’t understand
they’ll have more reasons than a few
to make it seem as though
this
as though you
aren’t as beautiful
and powerful
as though you
aren’t as realistic as they would want you to be
and you
have to know
that you don’t require an explanation."

The style is easy to follow and if I’m being honest, there were a lot of poems that I bookmarked because they resonated within me. Recently I’ve learned that some words stay with us because they mean the things we cannot say aloud, or the things we wish someone would tell us. These advices, these poems that are like looking through a crystal clear glass: everything is easy, yet we complicate it.

"I was never looking for the light
at the end of the tunnel
I didn’t go into the belly of the beast
thinking it would be something pretty left over for me to
grasp
I knew inside there was a jungle
I knew I had to
be hungry enough
strong enough
and passionate enough
to surive"

Like I said, save yourself was my favorite chapter because it talks about strength, self-love, self-worth and all the positive things that help me motivate myself on a daily basis. To learn how to love yourself is a slow, worthy process. You can learn so much about yourself when you give yourself time to appreciate the little things you are, your abilities, your values, the things that make you simply you.

I would totally recommend you to check this out! I’m sure I’ll be picking more books from this author! Also the cover is beautiful, so kudos to the designer for that.

I LOVED every minute I spent reading Renaada's glorious written word. Be prepared to be stripped straight down to the core of your emotions and feel ALL the feels.

I thought that this was a good poetry collection. It intertwined universal feelings with feelings that only the black community can feel. I think it was effective and powerful. Some of the poems I was not a huge fan of, but overall I thought it was good. This collection made me think about the bad"loves" I have had and some of the red flags I should have seen. This collection also showed the depressive side of love and all of the baggage that comes with that.

Every poem is something almost everyone can relate to and has experienced.
The book was defiantly smaller than I thought but there are poems on both sides of every page. I love the attitude of the whole book itself. I had bought 1 for myself and 1 for my best friend who is going through some things right now, and 1 for my younger sister in-law that I knew this book would one day be something she would appreciate. Every poem is something almost everyone can relate to and has experienced. It’s a great nightly read and reflection book. Highly recommend it.

4.5/5*

This book was provided by the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Andrews McMeel Publishing and Netgalley!

"you
are the prettiest bouquet
of dying flowers
i
have ever seen."

becoming. is a poetry collection about mental health, heartbreak, sexuality, race and feminism. Most of the poems in this collection are short, but beautiful and meaningful. becoming. is divided into 6 chapters and they talk about a different theme.

"i couldn’t find the balance
of loving you
while holding on
to me."

As I mentioned before, becoming. is divided into 6 chapters and there’s this chapter that talks about race. I think this chapter was even more emotional to me, because of the Black Lives Matter movement at the moment. I think Renaada William’s poems were so beautiful and I think non-POC people can learn more about POC’s feelings by reading these poems.

"you
are not here to be
everything
for someone else
and
nothing
for self."

Some of the poems had a title, but not every poem, so I couldn’t make a list of my favourite poems. I think the list wasn’t even necessary because I loved every poem. becoming. was such a beautiful yet sad poetry collection, and I loved every bit of it. This is the first poetry collection I’ve ever read by Renaada William and I cannot wait to read more of her work!

"you
were the definition of
what a man
father
and a friend
should be.
you
always make something out of nothing possible"

I just got lost in this collection.

It's genuine.

It's heartwarming.

It's emotional.

It's liberating.

I just felt that this collection ended too soon.

I am always going to read whatever this author writes in the future.

Thanks NetGalley for the copy.

I originally read the self published version of this book and really loved it so when I saw it was getting published again I knew I had to grab a physical copy. i really liked this collection! The new edition doesn’t disappoint! New poems and revised old ones, i really recommend this collection.

Full of emotion and longing. Heartfelt and clear poems on love and living. This poet is on the way to growing into a unique voice.

Renaada's collection of poetry was absolutely stunning. Each topic that was addressed hit close to home, and was meaningful. I'm definitely interested in reading other poetry from this author. This was beautiful and inspirational.

I received an advanced reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley.

I have received an advanced reader's copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review by NetGalley.

becoming by Renaada William's was a beautiful collection of poems. I was looking forward to this book and it did not disappoint! Each topic addressed was insightful and meaningful. I look forward to reading future material from this author.

Thank you for this opportunity and apologies for the late review.

This modern poetry is still brave and bold. The universality of feminism, love, and self-care are on point. Deep and Relatable. The simplicity of this book really captures my heart. This book will speak for you, no matter what race you are, how you handle your anxities, and how you handle yourself. The last part marks the whole book a total powerful one. Can't express how much i love this book.