I found this poetry anthology to contain extremely evocative imagery and an immensely rich imagery and use of language to portray the culture of the poet. The varying use of poetic form creates a striking collection of poems that force the reader to digest the harsh reality of the topics that are mentioned. There a number of visual forms that cause the reader to view the poems in different perspectives and allow the reader to find different ways. Overall, the anthology is extremely thought provoking and memorable and will definitely be an effective way of enlightening readers on the different topics and societal ideals that are referenced.

Urbanshee was a beautiful collection of poems. I loved the different styles of writing, which made each poem stand out completely from the previous one. With poetry it’s sometimes hard to fully grasp what the author intended, so I looked up YouTube videos of Siaara Freeman performing many of the poems in this collection and would read while I listened along. I felt like this greatly enhanced my experience of the book. Siaara Freeman is talented, funny, and she lays it all out there. I really enjoyed reading and listening to this collection.

Overall, I thought this was a stunning collection of poetry. There were some raw and deeply emotional pieces that were mixed in well throughout the work.

"It Is Hard To Tell Someone On Fire That You Are Drowning" is a line that is going to stick with me for quite some time.

I was a bit hesitant at the start to read this, as I do not always connect to poetry the way the author intends, and there were a few moments in this that I felt disconnected from. But that is the beauty of poetry - it draws people in in different ways, at different times.

Freeman truly opened up and allowed us a deep look into past hurts and current emotions, sharing parts of herself that I am sure were difficult to share. And for that, I applaud.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy for an honest review.

I’m not a huge poetry reader, but I enjoyed this collection! There were several standout poems for me including The Reclaiming, The OUTside & the INside Joke, and No Tradebacksies x infinity, among other poems. I do think the synopsis may be a little misleading though, because I saw very few retellings of fairy tales and mythological stories. But then again, I’m not the best reader of poetry, so I may have missed something. I did enjoy this book and I feel like it’ll be a great audiobook one day because a lot of these poems would be even more beautiful when read aloud!

Thank you Button Poetry and NetGalley for this arc. All opinions are my own.

TW: parental death and murder

I find it difficult to talk about the things I dislike in poetry - because it could very well be the thing that someone else enjoyed most. I enjoyed a lot of Freeman's longer pieces that blurred the line between poetry and prose, but some of them did feel like they drug on or repeated themselves too frequently for my taste. I also wish that the overarching theme had been more present. The mythology aspect is definitely in these poems, but I wouldn't call the entire collection a focus on mythology like the title suggests as many of the poems don't contain references or allusions and are more focused on other literary and media references.
Overall, I did enjoy a lot of these poems, but there were only a handful I feel like I'd read again. Freeman has so much talent and I enjoyed this collection enough that I'm excited to pick up more work in the future!

This collection of poems hit directly into the heart. The author opened up her soul to write this and it is clearly visible in the prose, at some points I was moved to tears and I'm sure this is a collection that many can relate to as well.
This book was a blessing to read.

This collection of poems felt raw and uncut, and truly made me feel like the poet was speaking directly to me, the reader.

She’s opened herself up in a way so true to herself to share her story, and the story of her father, and of growing up black, facing racism, loss and love.

I enjoyed that there were undertones of mythology and that it was present, without overtaking the poet’s stories or messages throughout.

This was a clever and beautifully written collection of poetry. I enjoyed the way it was written and loved how the author made you feel throughout the collection.

Rating rounded up to a 4
I can only review this collection of poems based on my enjoyment as I have barely read any poetry since leaving high school. Many books, not a lot of poems.
However, I did enjoy this collection. It felt so raw, like the author just opened up their very soul to the reader. Vulnerable, pained, and hauntingly beautiful at points
I think that I missed the fairytale references but I am putting that down to reader error and I’m not lowering my rating because I didn’t get what I hoped for. I got something else that made me think and feel and will stick with me for a really long time
Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
I’m now keen to keep reading poetry

Siaara Freeman's Urbanshee is full of raw and honest poems revolving mostly around being Black in America. You can tell you she really opened up and made herself vulnerable, especially when writing about the murder of her father, as he is a main centerpiece in a lot of the poems. Even though I cannot personally relate to any of the struggles she writes about, it in no way lessens the artistry of the poems in this collection. If anything, I wasn't smart enough to fully understand some of the pieces she published and that is on me, not the the poet.

I really enjoyed how a lot of it read like slam poetry and how a lot of the poems were set up in interesting visual shapes and sizes. Some of my favorite poems were "Hexes for my Exes", "Grinding", "Urban Girl Finally Responds to the Yo Mama Jokes", and "Urban Girl".

The one thing I will say is that I feel like many of the poems did not have a lot of mythological or fairytale connections. Or at least that I noticed, but again, I don't think I am as smart as the poet and a lot of the connections could've and probably went right over my head. I think I expected it in a more straightforward way so if you don't know a lot of the modern references, you might not get a lot of the poems and their fairytale/mythological parallels.

Otherwise, I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys poetry and especially who enjoys anything written to bring light to Black lives and struggles.

Thank you to NetGalley and Button poetry for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

I’ve been a fan of Button Poetry since high school (I just graduated college for reference), and it’s always wonderful to see the talented poets publish their work. This collection of poetry is no exception. The poems ebb and flow like the ocean, lulling the reader into comfort while the author shares their innermost thoughts. Reading “Urbanshee” is like having reconnecting with a long lost friend.

This collection blurred many lines and showed so many truths about what life has felt like for our author. You can immediately pick up on the struggles faced and the things she's held dear to her. There are quite a few references to so many things. I wasn't sure for a bit about how I would be rating only because poetry is a mystery to some and answers to others. It's ever changeable on a case-by-case basis. These are fantastic works to understand when she's overcome tragedy and life-altering decisions.

A clever and beautiful dive into self knowing, accepting and exploration. The author opens up new lines of thought to explore and consider with lovely imagery and passionate wordplay

*I received this book for free through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

I am not the intended audience for this book. It didn't feel artistic. It felt like random words strewn together that meant more to the author. The topics weren't clear. The poems read more like lengthy stories. Overall, not for me.

I been following Siaara Freeman's poetry career since I saw her Button Poetry video on YouTube many years ago so reading this was a real treat. As expected I enjoy the themes she explored in terms of urban environments, Blackness, womanhood, grief, and many others. They resonate even if you do not relate because Freeman's tone gets at something human that is difficult to explain.
The use of mythology is a massive selling point for me. It is both incredibly interesting as someone who has studied world history and literatures, too often relegated to childhood stories - with few exceptions - but it offers the perfect themes, characters, and motifs to explore timeless experiences. Combining world mythologies with experiences of Blackness is revolutionary and refreshing not just because it's innovative but because these are histories from which Black and non-white people have been historically erased, which is entirely inaccurate. This book was a gem to read, and I look forward to Freeman's future work.

I've been trying to make an effort to read more diverse contemporary poetry and this is really good. Raw, honest and well written.

Thank you Netgalley and Button Poetry for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This poetry collection felt repetitive an in no way relatable. I didn't particularly enjoy any of it and I will not be recommending it.

Thank you to netgalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Urbanshee is actually the first poetry book I have read. I was nervous that I wouldn't "get" it to be honest, but the synopsis really drew me in.
I actually cried while reading this. I know that's really cliche given that it's poetry, and it should also be known I cry very easily, but that's not the point. This book felt very raw, vulnerable, and open, to me. There are a lot of heavy topics discussed, and although I cannot relate to most of them, the way the author writes about grief really resonated with me.
Overall I really loved this, I will be recommending it to friends and will probably try more poetry in the future.

Ms. Siaara Freeman brings us her poetry in an “uncut” fashion. Raw and openly honest!
It helps us understand her growing up after her father’s murder. The struggle of finding herself versus being what everyone else wants her to be as a black girl, as a black woman. Quite a few of her poems touched me deeply, as I to have suffered losses. Remembering our Elders in “A Lineage of Language”. All lines we cherish and remember while sitting around our Aunts, Uncles, and Grandparents and their “catchy” but true proverbs that BEGAT other proverbs. “Every goodbye ain’t gone, and every shut eye ain’t sleep.”
“Self” Struggles gives us the notion to look inside ourselves… as individuals we are our own nemesis..
“Wasteful”, definitely depicts a heavy heart.
Despite growing up without a father, drugs and murder being a part of her everyday surroundings in Cleveland,, she definitely shows that an “Urban Girl Exists” and through self-love, can beat the odds!
Thank you NetGalley and Button Poetry for access to this literary work of poetry. Although I am not clear on the “retelling of fairytales”, Siaara Freeman brings it, and you better be ready!

This was a decent poetry collection. I do not think I was the intended audience, so the poems did not have as much of an emotional connection as it could have.