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

A gorgeous volume of moving poetry! I would definitely recommend this for fans of Amanda Lovelace and r.h. Sin.

Short, simple poems that convey strong emotions beautifully. Like many poetry books, the poems in this were a mix of hit and miss for me. Some I connected to, while others I didn't.

Would definitely recommend.

Thank you to the publisher for a free review copy.

such an uplifting collection of poetry. each poem sparked joy and positivity. It was a good read when I was going through a hard time.

A poetry book which was okay. There were some beauties within but not everything seemed like poetry. Even though I liked the thought behind the words.

This one was just o-k for me. I am not a huge fan but i also didnt hate it? The cover is stunning and i think a lot of people will enjoy but it missed the mark for me

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Inward by Yung Pueblo is a beautiful collection of spiritual poems. Two serve as an intro of sorts, followed by 5 sections- Distance, Union, Interlude, Self-Love, and Understanding.

This book dealt me a gut punch. These poems sang to my soul, conjuring sadness and longing, but hope as well. They are about loving yourself, and finding your own self-worth, which I am in desperate need of doing. I just have such a hard time of it. I feel patently unlovable. I do get locked in obsessions and binges, trying to use outer things to fill an emptiness that cannot be filled with frivolity. I ended up purchasing a copy of my own, and enjoy flipping through to random poems, using the one I land on as a meditation focus. Highly recommended for those who enjoy poetry, and all things spiritual.

***Many thanks to the Netgalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

As a note, a copy 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. Review also found here on Booked J.

There's something I have to get off my chest about reviewers, re: modern poetry. You don't get to decide what is or isn't poetry. You're entitled to not like a certain style, you're entitled to not like a certain author or collection, but you're not entitled to defining what makes poetry. This, and I'm sorry if this is shocking for you, is not a style that has just popped up: it has been here for decades. You're just being pretentious when you should just be expressing the simple fact that it is not your cup of tea.

(And that's, as the kids say, the tea.)

Now that I've got your attention, and likely earned a scoff or glare, let's focus on Inward, shall we? I was not familiar with this collection before it was revised, so this was my first experience with the poets work. As with all forms of prose, I found Inward to be a deeply personal experience that kept me focused on the thoughts explored throughout the collection and there were many parts in which I found myself especially captivated by. The fact that so many reviewers still try to use " it sounds like Tumblr " as an insult is boring, but Inward is not. You're reading someone else's inner most personal thoughts and it shows, and you feel it, and you keep going.

While I'm hesitant to say that a lot of Inward felt repetitive--because aren't our struggles all repetitive in the end?--there are a lot of similar poems in here that may make your mind lag behind as a reader. If you are the type who doesn't find this form of exploring to be compelling, Inward may drag on for you.

I just don't want to discredit the collection as it is--and how it has similar poems sprinkled in-because when your mind focuses on something, it's often different variations of one or two topics... and I relate to that on a personal level. I could quite literally wax poetic about certain things in my life.

I think that what is most compelling and thought provoking about Pueblo's prose is that you're likely to relate to this sense of urgency that comes with life and its struggles. It explores the complexities of one persons mind, and if you connect to it--you really and truly connect.

It's what makes Inward special.

It's what makes Inward poetry.

So, don't let anyone try to explain to you whether or not this is poetry. Read it for yourself to discover if it's something you might like or feel connected to. I'm glad I read this collection and am definitely looking forward to more by the author in the future.

Inward is a beautiful poetry collection that focuses on self-love, self-healing, and all the good that can come from these.

Diego Perez writes under the pen name Yung Pueblo, which means “young people,” according to his bio in the back of the book.

Pueblo begins with what he feels will be the lesson of the 21st century: that to harm another is to harm oneself and to heal oneself is to heal the world. That sets the tone for the poems that follow.

Poems are grouped into sections: distance, union, interlude, self-love, understanding. Interlude is a short story of sorts that sticks to the overall theme of the book.

Most of the poems are short, and a few pieces of short prose are woven among them. They speak of recognizing the pain we carry in ourselves and the importance of self-love to heal that pain, so we can offer our best selves to the world.

Pueblo’s writing is thoughtful and direct. You don’t need master sleuthing skills to decipher his meaning. This leaves the reader able to simply read and absorb.

I recommend this collection to lovers of poetry, as well as lovers of the self-help section. You may find more direction toward self-healing in this small volume than in a dense, text-heavy nonfiction book. I plan to buy the paperback copy to add to my shelf, because I want to revisit these poems again and again. They are good lessons and reminders.

Disclaimer: I received an advance-read copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The poems were good and uniquely structured. The pacing was good. Off to a good start with this being the first work by Yung Pueblo I've read.

1.5

I found this book on Netgalley's poetry shelf and I requested it because it captured me with its description of the content. Probably this book would have been better in the religious sector, because many of the ideas seem to be religious conceptions.

I did not find much poetry in these pages.

Why did not I like it?

I chose this book because I was looking for poetry. I think a poem is a mirror to see what is hidden within us, a picture that shows what we do not know about us or our lives. A “true” poetry reveals reality using words different from those of reality itself, otherwise it would not be poetry. Unfortunately, what I missed in this book is poetry. The music of words, the sound of sighs between one word and another, the expectation of the next verse that reveals the truth.

The poem should be like one of those statues of truth unveiled by time, famous during the Baroque period, like the one made by Bernini and kept at the Galleria Borghese in Rome. Poetry should be revelation of the heart, a discovery of ourselves in the words of another.

Sometimes poetry shows things we do not know, that we do not want to see: it slams them in the face, it screams them at us. It makes us reflect. These poems have told me nothing that I did not already know, they did not show me anything new, they did not excite me. The words chosen are trite and make the phrases commonplace, and therefore the concepts.
They are not poems, they are sad motivational phrases that could be found on the bus.

Sometimes the poems have also an explanation in prose, and I like these parts more than the actual poetry. But nothing can change the fact that the same ideas are repeated and rewritten every few pages.

I'm sorry, this is one of the first books of contemporary poetry I read, and I was greatly disappointed. When I read that someone puts the soul in their writings I would like to see and know that soul.
I was looking for a trip to the heart of another person, not looking for a manual for successful people full of sentences and easy quotes.

Thanks to Netgalley, I received a free digital copy of this book from them in exchange for an honest review

Inward is a collection of poems and writing that feels a lot like a meditation guide. It often felt repetitive in its themes and words, but I think that added to the meditative aspect of it. I don't read a lot of contemporary poetry, but something about Pueblo's writing struck a chord with me at the time I read it. The writing took me out of my chaotic brain for a little while and brought peace and clarity. I think having a physical copy of this nearby would be nice to flip through now and again when you're looking for some uplifting words and thoughts.

Reading this made me want to write for myself more in my journal because I think it's important to record our thoughts and think about where we were at a certain point in our lives because later reflection often brings a lot of insight.

"I Am Happily A Work In Progress".

I absolutely ADORE Yung Pueblo and his short prose and poetry. They always bring light to dark times.

"Do The Earth A Favor Don't Hide Your Magic".

This Book Will Definitely Make It To My Poetry Collection Along Lovelace, Reyna And Rupi.

5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you Andrews McMeel Publishing for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Reading this book feels personal as I look back to the lowest point in my life. All the painful feelings I had, as much as possible I keep them to myself. I endure my anger whenever I can and it's horrible. At one point I wanted to explode but I can't. There was a point I became distant and I struggled expressing my feelings to the closest people in my life. I just want a piece of mind and figure out my problems.

Inward is a self-reflective poetry collection of healing, finding inner peace and letting go. It's divided into five parts and I like the poems distance, union and self-love. The poems are good but I dislike the longer verses / paragraph ones beat around the bush. I prefer short but direct poems. Overall, this is a good collection. However, I just find some of it redundant. Different words but carries the same thought. To end this review, here's my top pick:

sometimes we feel like exploding
not because of anything
or to hurt anyone

but simply because we are growing,
releasing,
letting the old parts die,
so that new habits,
new ways of being,
have space to live

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

~ I received this book for free for my review~

"Releasing, learning, expanding- I am happily a work in progress"

Pueblo's poetry starts out strong - the word usage and feeling is all there on the page. I could feel a vibration of the emotions written there while reading. But then later "Inward" goes into longer poems that almost feel drained of emotion or feeling. They were just long sentences with pretty words but no real emotions to them to make that overwhelming feeling of "Wow! That was a beautiful piece of prose."
I liked more of the shorter poems than the paragraph long verses. I felt more like I could get in tune with the poem when it was shorter rather than the longer ones that seemed to just be simple paragraphs that didn't make much of an impact.
In a way, "Inward" is a good book of poetry, the verses are all there, the emotion is released into the words, but sadly for me, I didn't quite feel it throughout the entirety of the book.

I loved this book a lot, I just read it in one sitting and I regretted I wasn't reading it sooner. The book tells me a lot about humanity and self-helping. I mean if you're on your way to find what 'life' means, you could definitely find some motivation through some part of the book. The book also mentioned lots of something that's currently happening in our nowadays society which I think we need to give it more attention. Basically, the book is worth your time. Go read it!!

I felt a sense of intelligence coming from Inward, as if the author was writing ancient proverbs and poetry at the same time. The word "self-care" comes to mind when I read through the pages of Inward, and I love how the book promotes self-care and has much to say about what we ought to do and are not doing. This would not be my favorite poetry book but as they say to each his own! I do think there's a depth in this book that I couldn't quite get into when I was reading it, but perhaps that's just me! Good read overall.

I enjoyed many of the short passages in this collection, though it started to feel repetitive after a while, which diluted some of the pleasure. I am sure other readers will take away some of the thoughtful and insightful meaning around self love and inner journeying, but again, over repetition starts to leave a taste of cliche. Overall I'd recommend it, thought it could perhaps have been edited to around a third shorter to convey it's message much more succinctly.

We could all use some self love. Do you have that one friend or a bunch of your friends whom you'd love to always keep their head up and glow? Well, I'm saying that this book makes such a great companion. It's one of those gifts that speak volumes over and over again. Thanks NetGalley for the eARC.