What a beautiful and emotional book. The poems in this book are beautifully written and I can definitely feel the emotions from them. I would highly recommend this book to my young adult patrons!

*Thanks to NetGalley and Page Street YA for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.* My Year 8 English students are currently studying poetry, so Angela Shanté's beautiful collection of poems and vignettes, titled 'The Unboxing of a Black Girl' fell into my hands at just the right time. The book explores what it is to be a black girl in the United States and touches on some pretty heavy themes. Nevertheless, I think the title would be appropriate for teenagers interested in poetry. I loved the delicate language of the book and how Shantè painted a world with her words. As an added bonus, as a teacher, I found it useful that many of the pages had little footnotes for people wanting to learn about what the poem was exploring.

Got my hands on Shante's poetry book from Page Street YA, and what timing! April, National Poetry Month, seemed perfect to dive in. I couldn't put it down—even sneaking reads at work! 📚🌟

"The Unboxing of a Black Girl" is direct, lyrical, and downright beautiful. It's a heartfelt ode to Black girls, navigating the tough waters of adulthood while holding onto innocence and resilience. Shante's words hit deep, exploring love, pain, and identity in a way that feels both personal and universal. 🖤✨

Reading it felt like Shante was speaking straight to my soul. Her bravery in tackling identity and culture is inspiring, creating a connection that's hard to shake. In a world where Black girls' stories often get sidelined, this book is a much-needed reminder of their strength and brilliance. 🌟💪

A must-read that's both heartfelt and relatable, taking you on a journey through life's complexities. I'll be recommending this gem to everyone! 🌺📖

The Unboxing of a Black Girl is a collection of vignettes and poetry is a beautiful reminder of the complexity of life and the abundant will of the human spirit to dance in the rain. It is a love letter to Black girls and a statement on the ways adultification of Black children limits their ability to soak in the carefree joy that is supposed to be childhood. Through it all, however, Shanté finds ways to appreciate the fullness of being Black in New York City and to defy the boxes that are built for us by the powers that be.

“…but the thing about comfort is
growth happens right outside of it.
Where can she be free?”

Shanté brings all of the pieces of herself into her poems in a way that creates space and vulnerability for others to explore their own experiences and revel in their own joys. Peppered throughout are suggestions for a playlist of movies and music as well as must reads that shaped her unboxing and, she hopes, will provide guidance for young people who follow.
Angela Shanté’s poems dance and soar and bear witness to the myriad lenses through which we experience life. Everyone should read it and, perhaps, find themselves a little more free.

This really hit home for me. So many poems that I highlighted that resonated with me. I loved the little footnotes at the end of some of the lines.

This book is a poignant love letter to Black girls, delicately balancing themes of innocence and resilience amid the challenges of adultification. "The Unboxing of a Black Girl" is a touching exploration of love, pain, and identity. What makes this book truly compelling is Shanté's ability to intertwine the personal with the universal. Through her delicate approach to profound themes, and even painful experiences, Shanté creates an intimate connection with readers, drawing them into her world of poetry and vignettes. I found myself captivated, reading words aloud into a whisper and feeling as though Shanté understood me personally. Her words bravely tackle issues of identity and culture, resonating with authenticity and vulnerability. In a world where Black girls often face erasure or distortion in narratives, Shanté's work is a vital contribution—a reminder of the resilience and brilliance inherent in every Black girl's journey. This collection is a must-read! Not only heartfelt and relatable,but a journey through the complexities of life that I will definitely be recommending.

I want to thank Angela Shanté, Page Street Publishing, and NetGalley for access to this ARC!

"The Unboxing of a Black Girl" by Angela Shanté is a beautiful, and sometimes heavy, account of a black girl's coming-of-age. The author delicately shares her life unfolding through her experiences, teachings from others, and her unique view of the world around her.

Reading about how black girls get forced into boxes just by existing was an affirming experience. In many instances, I found myself relating to so much of what she shared. Some of the poems even felt as though she wrote them just for me. Those Alanis Morrisette and Fefe Dobson references were just too specific! Any young girl enjoying something perceived to be outside of her "culture" or "box" will know what I mean when they read this.

I was also captivated by the ways in which the author shed those proverbial boxes. Black girls are not a monolith, but society tends to sees us as such. And though we are often forced to assimilate, with the threat of being overlooked or ostracized, we find our way out of those boxes. Angela Shanté illustrates this so gracefully with her words.

Another thing that stood out to me in the reading was the footnotes accompanying the poems. If there is something the author speaks of that one is unfamiliar with, she went the extra mile to make readers familiar outside of the margins. That's not something I see a lot, but I did appreciate that.

The Unboxing of a Black Girl by Angela Shanté is truly a gem. It's an ode to the black girls finding their way out of the boxes they've been placed in their whole lives. Many thanks to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

"The Unboxing of a Black Girl" by Angela Shanté is a beautifully written and powerful exploration of Black girlhood in New York City. Through a combination of poetry and vignettes, Shanté crafts a love letter to Black girls while also offering a critical examination of the societal forces that shape our experiences. The book explores innocence, joy, adultification, love, loss, and exploitation, shedding light on both nurturing and harmful environments for Black girls and femmes.

I love the way Shante incorporates footnotes to make her cultural references more impactful. As a reader I found this collection to be not only a literary work but also a deeply educational experience on the inner life and outer struggles of Black girls and femmes. This book validates readers who seek stories that reflect the multifaceted experiences of Black girls and those who are interested in exploring the intersection of personal and political narratives.

Thank you to the author and publisher for the opportunity to read!

This was a mixed bag for me. Some of it really hit home, others I didn’t really connect to.
There were a lot of footnotes which I personally found distracting, though I’m sure it will be useful for a lot of readers.

The Unboxing of a Black Girl by Angela Shante is a beautiful but weighty collection of poetry. The majority of the poems in this collection deeply resonated with me, focusing on the experiences of Black Girlhood and Womanhood. Angela effectively conveyed her personal experiences through her art. I particularly appreciated the inclusion of footnotes to provide further context on the places, people, and topics referenced in her collection. It's worth mentioning her reference to THE WHIZ, a cult classic, and the inspiration it provided for a few of her poems. The collection delves into various themes, including the loss of innocence, being raised by a single mother, the significance of community, pop culture, identity, and the experience of receiving a perm, among others. As a Black Woman, I found the content to be quite profound, despite the brevity of the poems. Overall, I consider it to be a strong 4-star read. I believe that my African American Literature professors would have found this book compelling, especially during my college years.

This poetry set is emotional, insightful, brave, and magical,

Though many poetry books can offer something similar, the world will never have enough voices of Black women. Angela Shanté rises to the top because this isn’t just a book of poetry it’s an experience. With the footnotes around things to research, some of the things I already knew like the Wiz just made me smile.

The way that we’re invited to feel the words on our tongue reminds me that Blackness is beautiful and of the oral tradition. The structure of not only each poem, but the parts, the titles, and the book as a whole are something to be studied.


And though you’re not supposed to have a favorite….

“Black Feminism and Respectability Politics”

is mine.

I’m sure people will come back to this book for many years to come.

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Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read and review this book.

The Unboxing of a Black Girl is a fantastic read. That being said, I am not the target audience for this book. As someone who is not part of the target audience I still really liked the authors writing style and I think the list of resources given is amazing!

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for this ARC in exchange for a honest review.

What an beautiful peace of work. This is the first poetry book that I have read in a while. It was so well laid out and the content was also amazing and relatable. Looking forward to getting a physical copy of the book.