This was a great poetry book. I always absolutely enjoy her work and I can't wait to read more in the near future. I highly recommend it.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

"Sisters' Entrance" is a fascinating collection of poems that handles very heavy topics like domestic violence and arrange marriages, sexism, islamophobia, existentialism, wars, among others. I liked its seriousness and feeling the author transmitted. there were some poems I felt that didn't do anything for the collection and just made the book seem a little weak. but it was still enjoyable and interesting.

"to a family of immigrants,
the fourth of july sounds
like a firing squad,
like the debt collector,
like the dictator coming to call.

it sounds like sunset for the last time or
it sounds like faces hitting the concrete
their voices still remaining, still pleading,
still praying in the wrong language."

The description says "Brimming with rage, sorrow, and resilience..." and that's perfectly accurate. A deep and moving collection.

This is one of the best poetry book I've read so far that truly stuck with me. Raw, painful, real and vivid, I could easily see the words in my head and feel the emotions the author experienced. I'll definitely watch out for Emtithal Mahmoud's next book!

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an earc for an honest review.

I gave this a three out five stars. This book of poems was a look into a women’s life in a country of chaos. I usually rate high if it makes me feel something or I connect with it. It made me feel sad and bad for her and her families conditions in her country but I didn’t connect with it. I did like learning about her and her family what living where they lived was like.

First of all I want to thank Netgalley and the publishers for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.

This is a powerful and gorgeous read, filled with rage and sorrow. This collection of poems mainly deals with genocide and war seen up close and felt on the skin.

In my opinions some poems were too raw (I’m not talking about the content, but the form) and I think I just prefer books about heartbreak because I can relate more to them.
Maybe I’m still too young to really appreciate this book, I think I’ll try to read this again in 5 years!

If you like reading about these themes in books you should definitely check this out!

I’ve struggled to gather my thoughts on this collection, I was just so blown away and overwhelmed by the emotions elicited by this book. The poetry collected here comes from a very personal place for the author, who is a Sudanese refugee that survived the war and genocide in Darfur.

Some poems were heavy and spoke of her traumatic experiences such as in People Like Us and The Bride. Others, like Why I Haven’t Told You Yet, were more light-hearted but still carry a strong message. All of these poems pulled together shape the author, her family, her experiences, and her outlook on life.

Emi is very mature for her age and writes beautifully. She is truly a remarkable young woman and I hope that she has a long career in writing ahead of her. The author has done a TED Talk about her experience with genocide that is absolutely worth watching. This book is invaluable for the reflections and memory history within it’s pages, this is a harrowing but ultimately hopeful read that I wish was talked about more in the book community. Highly recommended!

If you had the power to make your voice heard, what would you say?

For Emtithal "Emi" Mahmoud, it is everything the world refused to.

This is the hardest poetry book I had to review. I tried many times to think of the right words to say but often came up empty. I thought I just couldn't think clearly but then I realized I was afraid. Afraid that I didn't get the message, afraid that I understood it wrongly. Because this is a powerful book. This is not meant for entertainment. This is meant to wake you up.

The author is the winner of the 2015 Individual World Poetry Slam. Poetry slam is a competition in which poets perform spoken word poetry. This book is a collection of her previous pieces along with new ones.

The thing with spoken word poetry is that it is as good as its delivery. There is a world of difference between words when written and words when spoken. I read this book many times but I still felt that I was missing something. So I searched for the live performances on YouTube and I realized what it is. The voice in my head never did the poems justice. There is power in the way Emi delivers her poems. It is so raw and emotional. Bird Watching in Lesvos Island particularly made me bawl so hard.

When they say words are powerful, this is what they meant. This is what the world needs to hear.

Until now, I still feel like the times I read this book isn’t enough. This is a book you need to read over and over again until you understand every inch of its meaning.

This book will leave you feeling like you don’t know enough. That the world is so vast and there are things we didn’t notice and things others tried to hide from us. And when you seek for answers, this book has served its purpose. Because these words were not meant to remain on paper. It was meant to open your eyes, shake you up, and hopefully, get you moving.

This book gave me chills. The author is able to put so many feelings into so few words. I have been overwhelmed with a desire to learn about genocides and other races, cultures, etc. I believe Sisters’ Entrance is a wonderful place to start for someone looking to really understand what is going on in other parts of our world. It is not only history, it is current events. I believe that we turn a blind eye to things we do not want to see, but that does not make them go away. Educate yourself. Feel something other than your own feelings. We do not get to experience everything but that does not mean we do not need to be educated about all experiences.

As a note, an e-galley of this novel was sent to me via NetGalley by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinions in any way.

Sisters' Entrance is a modern, poetic triumph. Simply breathtaking. Where to begin, where to begin, where to begin? I could not put down this collection by beloved slam-poet Emtithal Mahmoud. I just couldn't. Sisters' Entrance is packed with honest topics, expression and a voice that demands to be heard--and so many of us are listening. If you're looking for prose to move you, prose you feel aching in your bones for weeks after reading, this is the collection for you.

It's brutally honest. Thought-provoking. Every word hits you differently. Mahmoud has a voice unlike many in modern poetry and there's something utterly stunning about it. Sisters' Entrance reads like all good poetry should--with feeling, with intimacy, with connection. It is one of the best releases this year, both in poetry and in literature as a general scene.

Mahmoud has this way to her writing that feels so intimate. It cuts you, in a way. You're invited into the soul of each line. There's something so absorbing about her prose. Rich. Full of memories and of existence and pain and life. You feel what Mahmoud feels. You endure what many sections had to endure.

I cannot stress the importance of poetry. No matter the thoughts of readers, the similarities, the length, each poet has a story to tell. Sisters' Entrance is can't-miss-poetry and will move readers and remind them why we love prose to begin with. Emtithal Mahmoud's voice is so very important.

Now is the time for you to listen.

A strong voice in this collection of poetry, about war, genocide, refugees, family and love. From so few words so much heartache of the human spirit is conveyed.

Sweet collection of poems that talks about heartbreak and religion. The writer knows how to make you feel what she feels and her words are filled with hurt and pain.

To be honest, I am still reeling from this poetry collection. The prose is haunting and unforgettable. The strength and fortitude of the poet bleeds through the pages. A lot of the poems are specific to a woman’s life – the little moments that we don’t even realize that stick with us throughout our lives, the moments we don’t question. These poems act as a mirror to the treatment of women by society and family the like and its sharp words slice into your skin and lodge themselves to your veins.

This poetry book was both beautiful and haunting. It made me feel uncomfortable several times while reading, which I appreciated. It made me realize how privileged I am and how often I take it for granted. Her words cut right to the point while also painting a harrowing, true picture of things she’s seen and done. The words in this book will definitely stay with me for a long time. I think this is very important reading for people of all ages, regardless of age, gender and race. We can all learn things from each other and not take our and others’ lives for granted anymore.

WOW! This was really depressing and heartbreaking, but SO worth the read. I just want to give the writer a big hug. She's been through so much.

Unlike a lot of popular contemporary poetry collections, I was not fed deliberately vague lines and generic content with gaps I could fill in with my own stories; instead, I was gifted with the unadulterated thoughts, feelings, and haunting realities experienced by the author. It was like being invited to see the world and everything in it from the poet’s perspective. More than that, it was like being entrusted with the full weight of someone else’s truth. The poet does not provoke her readers to personally relate to her experiences; but rather, she compels the audience to empathize with her, and on a larger scale, with people who share the same marginalized identities and endure the same injustices. In that empathy, there lies a deeper, more nuanced sense of compassion.

I have always been fascinated with contemporary poetry books, but unfortunately, very rarely do I love them. I find that a significant number of popular contemporary poetry share similar structures and styles: universal narratives that are presented aesthetically and largely bank on how easily people can relate to them. A lot of times, a contemporary piece on heartbreak can be interpreted a myriad of ways, from romantic heartbreaks to familial grief.

What makes this one wonderfully different from most contemporary poetry collections is that nothing about its content is vague. Sisters’ Entrance offers a strong feminine voice that not only speaks loudly and clearly, but also, and perhaps more fundamentally, resonates with readers, whether they can personally relate to the experiences or not. Emitithal is an immensely talented storyteller, and in this book, she invites readers into the nooks and crannies of the reality she has to face and oftentimes endure.

What I’m really trying to say is: Sisters’ Entrance is arguably one of the most important and most hauntingly evocative books I have ever read. Emtithal Mahmoud writes brilliantly, but more significantly, she writes with defiant purpose, inspiring bravery, and empowering honesty. Her work sheds light on socially relevant issues such as genocide, survivor’s guilt, gender-based power dynamics, and discrimination (i.e. racism, Islamophobia), and ultimately, speaks of the brutal realities faced by women of color in contemporary society. The personal impact of this poetry collection on me as a woman of color is unparalleled, and I cannot recommend Sisters’ Entrance enough times!

Sisters’ Entrance is a collection of reality, brutal but honest reality, and the emotions of a woman who lived through that reality herself.

This collection covers almost everything that’s wrong with our world because of the few humans gone wrong. Genocide, bombings, violence, and struggle against them--these are just the topics touched in the first part of the collection. You can only imagine what the latter parts bring. The horror of living in a war zone and the helplessness that a person feels when they can’t do anything but watch people die. Justifiably, belief and faith, and the guilt that comes along with them, is talked about in the first part too. Both the themes act hand-in-hand but not actually in hand with each other. And that’s what pulls you right in.

The second part deals with another set of woman-ly problems and the passed down lessons that are taught to the little girls. Virginity and the myths surrounding it, how the myths can create a set of standards that a girl needs to follow, even if it costs the girl a lot, is one of the many issues. Dowry, early marriage, and domestic abuse are written about. The entire viewpoint of the society when it comes to keeping up with relationships or adjusting according to someone else, make this collection more realistic. Among these, rape is talked about too--not only rape before marriage, but rape after marriage too, and probable rape during a woman’s entire life--a vivid nightmare, no doubt.

Not only this, Sisters’ Entrance lays out the unknown abuse that a woman bears from her own family. The jokes about women that are laughed off during a family gathering or being touched by brothers in a way brothers are not supposed to touch you. These overlooked topics won my heart instantly because the poet did an excellent job in highlighting stuff that’s not usually said but needs to be said nonetheless.

The third part takes the collection to a higher level by exposing an immigrants feelings when they leave behind their land and home to start anew, only to find themselves not belonging on this foreign land. Similarly, refugees who cross borders in hope of finding peace only to suffer a war woven into society against ‘our own’. The poems are able to convey the struggle clearly and definitely helps the readers take away something, even if it’s a harsh reality.

Misogyny and patriarchy problems are spoken about too. The last part deals with the religion, Islam, itself and the views of a Muslim and the world regarding a religion. The savage actions that people take against a specific group, whether for their skin color, their religion, their citizenship, or for the clothes they wear, is embarrassingly true. The poems give me courage to read about these happenings, which is very much-needed since the world has ignored these doings for long enough.

This poetry collection can enlighten you, empower you, and engage you with people, incidents and places of the world that you didn’t already know about but should be knowing.

Trigger Warnings: genocide, bombings, violence, death, death threats, mourning, sexual abuse, sexual assault, rape, dowry, early marriage, domestic abuse, emotional abuse, religious opinions, immigrant problems, refugees, misogyny, patriarchy.

Gripped this book all the way. It was captivating it tackles views on topics such as genocide, war, mourning, the love for fellow countrymen, the guilt of surviving, racism. You can feel the authenticity of the author from each and every piece. Nothing repetitive all were written uniquely profound. It was heartbreaking, fierce, and empowering to read. It's something that you pick up from your shelf to read over again.

Note: Copy provided by Andrews McMeel publishing through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

Thank you Andrews McMeel Publishing for providing the ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest.

I discovered this poetry book through my friend Shealea. She gave this book five stars and I was instantly intrigued. Sisters' Entrance explores the brutal realities about war, racism, genocide and religion. It's written in the most spontaneous, achingly beautiful way you'll feel the rawness and authenticity of each piece. I love it. Thank you Shealea for recommending this book! 💕

Final rating: 4.5 / 5 stars

This is a copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley in exchange of an honest review. Thank you to them!

Let me introduce to you the author of this book, Emtithal Mahmoud, a fierce woman with strong ideals that captivated to me since I read the first pages of her book. Natural of Dafur, Sudan, Emtithal is a poet and activist who won the 2015 World Poetry Slam Champion and Woman of the World co-Champion.

I had a mixed feelings through my reading, I felt angry, at the same time I laughed at the sarcasm of the author's words. The whole construction of the poems, and their arrangement and structure, fit perfectly for a transversal understanding of what the book talks about.

In a scenario of war, "Emi" transports us with her words to the pain and obstacles that her own and her family suffered. A poetry with a relatively dense degree of subjectivity, which made me think how fragile and cruel the human being is.

The criticisms that "Emi" makes of the prototypes of the society that was inserted, are severe and it imposes with a claw that really touched me. Feminine strength and defiance to standards helped the author to expose her struggle.

Clearly a read that I strongly recommend to everyone! With themes around feminism, war, and revolt under stereotyped patterns, it is undoubtedly a book that will unravel for even more current subjects such as those cited above.

Happy readings!