This beautiful poetry collection is about self-love, power, depression, relationships, and understanding. It is geared toward women and perhaps teens or young adults of color. The words Chisala chooses are as beautiful as the ideas she aims to express. I recommend this book for poetry lovers. I suspect readers of color will find themselves seen and heard on these pages, and white readers can see the need for inclusive and “own voices” writing.

I'm not gonna lie, I went into this collection with a low expectations. The first two arc's I received were very disappointing and I wasn't expecting this to be very different. I am so glad I was proven wrong.

I'll be the first to say that while I did enjoy this collection, this poetry is not for me. That's fine, not everything has be geared towards white people. This book is very much so a celebration of not only blackness, but dark skin.

It also talks about relationships and depression in ways that are beautiful and poignant- how you don't need a someone to be whole, how your sadness isn't a weakness. She says so much in so few words.

I was highly moved by this and would recommend it to anyone.

"I am Flawed. Still, I am worthy. Still, I am mighty. Still, I deserve good"

Upile Chisala, with soft magic, brings us a collection of poems and prose so beautiful that you hardly notice anything but the feelings it brings to you.

"When you are offered thin love,
don't take it just because you have thick skin
and someone told you that woman must endure

Love, the only kind that counts, is wholesome."

From poems about and to dark skinned woman, about love - required and not, about and to woman. We feel along the lines that we shouldn't settle, we should be proud, we should love! Ourselves and others! That we need to fight, that it isn't easy to fight, but that it is something we need! Fight with ourselves, fight with the world, for the good of it, for the love.

"I write you poems because God spoke the universe into existence,
so don't ever let me hear you say that words are just words,
that words don't leave a mark,
make a change,
create where once was nothing"

This is a decent collection — a couple of the poems really resonated with me — but overall, I found it somewhat underwhelming.

Chisala is unapologetically black, though, and that really shines through her words. I love that!

“Get in the habit of celebrating yourself
from skin to marrow.
You are magic.” – Upile Chisala

The theme of magic was laced throughout the collection and carried a unique atmosphere. The words flowed with a certain softness that made me think of a soothing lullaby. Although this collection had some great pieces, I didn’t feel very involved or moved. I love all forms of poetry and prose, and I respect the poet’s choice of what works for them. But with Soft Magic most of the poems read more like random thoughts, most only two sentences long.

I like simplistic pieces, but reading an entire collection of them was not as fulfilling as I would have liked. Because the poems were short, there was no time to get involved or let words sink in. I would read a poem, get the message and then continue. There weren’t enough content to make my mind linger or emotions to develop.

I did enjoy the collection overall and a few of the poems (phrases?) did stick with me. I recommend SOFT MAGIC to readers who like modern poetry and minimalistic writing styles. With that said, I think a lot of people will relate and love this collection.

Chisala's work is a celebration for and of women/persons of color. It is very heartfelt and uplifting. It invites readers to look within and to love the skin they are born with.

This collection was written melodically for the current time of modern poetry. Short and sweet. Though it is not my preferred type of poetry, the writing was well done.

Absolutely stunning poetry. I was punched in the gut, taught a lesson, and made to feel powerful.
Deep. Raw. Real. Inspiring. Read soft magic!!

I received my copy of soft magic from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

"I want to think that God smiles
when a black woman is brave enough
to love herself."

I don't say this lightly when I say that soft magic. is my favorite collection of poetry I have read in years. It is powerful, and brave, and loving, and comforting, and flawless. I want to paper my walls with every page of this collection. There's nothing I can even say that Upile Chisala couldn't say a million times better, so instead of reviewing this, I'm just going to leave you with a few of my favorite poems and let them speak for themselves:

"Little boys with sunshine in their giggles are being
mistaken for men
Because their bodies were built like those
of warriors."

—

"If no one has called you brave lately, I will.
You are fighting sadness with everything you've
got and for that you are mighty."

—

"Beloved,
gather up all the hurt in your body
and tell it how you weren't meant for broken."

A very simple, soft poetry for a modern girl. The poet expressed her views on being a coloured person and the strength that's required to be one. Even though the idea is repetitive throughout the book, the freshness is felt in every page. A good fast read for all modern poetry lovers.

I  received a free digital copy of this book from Netgalley for an honest review.

This was a great journey. One of those poetry books you have to put down every other poem because some of them just speak to you. I would definitely reccomend this book to anyone.


"If you got out of bed today and chose to face the world, I'm proud of you.
If you're still struggling to, I'm rooting for you. "

"be careful with how you choose to love people
don't destroy them
don't destroy yourself"

this entire collection hit me in the heart in ways i needed, especially now.
this year i want to practice softness more than ever before.
i want to love right, whether it's myself or others, in ways everyone can respect and understand, with no expectations or doubts, without taking away from myself by giving to someone else.
many of these poems made me want to cry, poc are so brave and beautiful.
more praise should be given, i hope people read this book and open their hearts to the realities around us and inside of others

This was an interesting collection. I think the themes of love and race were present throughout and Chisala has a really present voice. She could really develop into being a fantastic poet but this debut collection was a bit weaker than what i wanted. A few good pieces but generally a little weak,

This was incredibly relatable to me as a woman, and as someone who struggles with her mental health. I think it'd be even more relatable to women of color. The poems are easy to understand, nice and short, very accessible to someone new to poetry. Highly recommend!

A valid reason to make an uproarious, fat noise. These simple poems were thought-provoking, self-affirming, and revelatory.

What a beautiful book. I am a young, white, American male - in short, something that has hurt the world a great deal. It is good to read and know something from someone who is not me. 5 stars because it is exactly what it purports to be and more. Many quotes have been shared to my IG stories, @lukeskyfoos.

I personally haven't read Salt by Nayyirah Waheed, which a lot of people are comparing this to. In my uneducated, therefore, opinion, this was so well written. Highly relatable and heart-warming, Upile Chisala offers an unapologetic anthology of what it means to be a black woman in 'soft magic.'

The minimalist approach is poetry, while dismissed by some as "Tumblr" or "hit-enter" poetry, is becoming more popular, and I for one am delighted. Personally, I love that every word means more when there are so few of them to start; the precise employment of language to convey a simple but important truth. Chisala's messages about self-love for black women deserve to be heard by a wider audience, and I hope it is someday.

"Love, the only kind that counts, is wholesome."

“I am dripping melanin and honey. I am black without apology.”

soft magic is, as it says on the tin, a poetry collection that explores the self, joy, blackness, gender, matters of the heart, the experience of Diaspora, spirituality, and how we survive. As her debut collection and my own introduction to her work, it's an absolutely wonderful book. The poetry is moving and evokes the feeling of soft magic in your very bones.

I can't wait to get my own physical copy, because not only is it a quality collection, it would look beautiful on my shelves.

This is a short but sweet collection which explores some interesting themes surrounding feminism, gender, self-love, relationships, and more.