I have never felt so seen and so vulnerable by a collection of poems. Blythe so perfectly captures what it was to be a teenager at that time and I could see so much of myself and my friends in her work.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book, as this book has already been published, I will not share my review on Netgalley at this time.

Blythe Baird is one of my favorite poets and when I heard she was releasing a new book, I had to have it. Her words speak to me on a deeper level and I find her struggles and reflections so relatable. Her books may not be for everyone due to the trigger warnings, but I will definitely recommend this one.

I really like Blythe Baird so it was very exciting when I got approved for this one. I liked it a lot.

Blythe continues to have the innate ability to leave her readers feeling seen, understood, and believed without even having to be in the same room.

This book definitely made me feel like I’m not alone with these thoughts that I have. It’s super relatable and you can see yourself through the authors words.

“how does anybody heal/in a culture that glorifies/self-hate? beyond that,/ how does a teenager/heal in a culture that/glorifies self-hate “

This is the second collection Baird has released that I’ve read. It left as much an impact as the first one I read did. It was an honest collection of Baird’s experiences with mental illness, body dysmorphia, eating disorders, sexuality, and healing from trauma. I related to a lot of what was written - especially at the mention of tumblr and the glorification of thinness. Being the same age as Baird, this particular poem at the start of the collection made the collection of poems evoke a sense of that time in my life, making the reading experience even more personal.

I always love Blythe Baird's poetry and now I am able to experience it over and over again as I keep rereading this book just to annotate, analyse, and just experience it again. I love it, it's so beautifully written.

TW: this includes poems about suicidal thoughts, eating disorders, mental illness and self harm.

I didn’t lay the way the author explored these themes and sometimes I felt like it was a bunch of random words that didn’t make any sense :/
It’s a no for me.

Very impactful poetry. I don’t think I’ve related so heavily to any story like I have this before.

The pacing was off at times but the language used relayed the inner turmoil of many different childhood traumas and mental illness that people, especially teenagers experience.

Thankyou to Netgalley, the publisher and Blythe Baird for allowing me to read this ARC.
This was an extremely raw and powerful book of poetry.
The poems that touch on mental health really hit home for me as i am someone who has had struggles with my mental health in the past and this really touched me.
Thankyou again!
5/5 stars

I am not, unfortunately, the audience for this book. Spoken word poetry is fabulous, and I'm gaining an appreciation for it as a speech judge, but my training is in the realm of MFA programs, so the poets who get me the most are the ones who live best on the page and benefit from reading aloud.

This isn't the reason for the low ranking, however. Spoken word poetry can work wonders on the page too. These poems seemed a little easy to me, lists of phrases that fell together, but didn't transport me into something new.

I am a huge fan of Blythe Baird and have been ever since I discovered her on Button Poetry's YouTube channel several years ago. Her newest collection feels like an emotional evolution from her previous works and really shows how her craft has grown. The way Baird is able to communicate in sparse, yet wholly lyrical language, is enticing and captivating. I am convinced I would read anything Blythe Baird writes.

Baird's collection was beautiful. I hadn't read her work previously and this was an engaging introduction. It deals with heavy material but handles it and the audience with care.

This was quite a heavy read and I feel kind of uncomfortable rating this book because it's so autobiographic - the author put into words many painful experiences she went through while growing up. The book offers a painful, raw insight into a lot of heavy topics we don't talk about nearly enough. But at the same time it's really awe inspiring - all the perseverance, the search for self, the hope. Sadly the writing style didn't really resonate with me though, especially at the beginning of the book, but luckily later on I found some parts that I really liked. I think a bit younger, teenage me would like this book much more than I do now, especially that first part. Give this a go if you like heart-wrenching poems in a spoken poetry style.

Sweet, Young, & Worried by Blythe Baird is straightforward and gripping in such a powerful way. She touches on some heavy topics so fluidly and vulnerably, making the reader feel like part of an intimate conversation. This book often punched me in the gut and left me with so many feelings!
4 stars

I really enjoy Baird's writing - we're close in age with similar experiences, so some of the imagery she uses is super nostalgic for me.

I really enjoyed this poetry book. Baird did an amazing job on it. It is, perhaps, one of the only poetry books that I have genuinely enjoyed within the past few years. Deals with various topics that might need a tw so definitely look those up before if you might need them. Divided into three parts: past, present, and future. It is something we can probably all relate to

I pinky promise
your poetry will still
be poetry even if you
don't write it
like this

I don't get the annoying format that is used throughout the whole book. When will poets understand that you actually can use different types of formatting throughout the book and break the formula and the poetry will still make sense? Do I have to pinky promise it will still make sense? There you go, pinky promise. As for the poems, it's not actually that good. Yeah, it's deep and it makes sense. I love reading poetry. But even with the proper format, I don't think I will enjoy it. The poetry tells a story but there is much less eloquence to it than I'd like. Especially the first part. But I really started to enjoy the later chapters. I just wish the formatting doesn't clash with the actual prose. The formatting in later chapters are nice though. Instead of hindering, they help.

Also a side, side note: That's not a birth chart. Western natal charts are round and Eastern natal charts are square. But your poetry makes so much more sense now. Signed, an astrologist.

A beautiful collection of poetry to dip in and out of. It is simultaneously incredibly deep and personal, and offers something for everyone to relate to. I wish I'd found this earlier. It would have made me feel less alone. I would say some of it is a little bit cliche but sometimes cliche truths are what you need to hear.