Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-copy for an honest review.

I've read this author previously (soft magic) and loved it but, for some reason, this one not so much. I felt detached from the reading, I couldn't get over how some didn't have titles, others were so short I couldn't even get them and the organization didn't make sense. I just couldn't find the author in this work...

Still, I recommend this author's other works because she is a very good poet.

I requested this one because I enjoyed soft magic. I was not as impressed with this one. I did not really connect with many of the poems.

Upile Chisala's poetry is full of heart and sincerity, and this collection is no different. A Fire Like You is utterly vibrant, powerful and emotive and I could not stop reading from the first to the last page.

* I received a complimentary copy through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

This collection just wasn't for me. The poems were a little all over the place, and at times I found them to be confusing. I didn't connect with any of the poems I read, and that's really what I look for in a poetry collection. I wish i enjoyed this more than I did.

I gave this a three out of five stars. I thought this collection of poems in A Fire Like You by Upile Chrisala were okay. I just didn't see or think they were anything special. I didn't connect to any of the poems.

I loved this! It was amazing. I loved her first collection a little bit more but this one had illustrations too.

A very emotional collection of poetry that I have mixed feelings about.


As always, I'm a bit coonflicted about modern poetry, as in style and wording... I get the content, I'm mostly for it, for talking about it, for speaking up for it, for understanding it. But my brain simply doesn't accept the total freestyle wording that often simply means almost cliché sentences that we say everyday in our lives. That's not poetry, that's just empphasizing what everyone already says.


In case of this book, I felt this a bit but not constantly, which is good. Already more than what I can say about MANY modern day poetry collections. There were poems which I could associate with, ones that touched something deep inside me. There were also ones that I simply couldn't fathom why they're in this collection at all. The themes felt only parts organized and I was often confused why two seemingly completlely different topics were mentioned in one poem that didn't really explain what they have to do with each other. Otherwise, it was a fast and emotional read.

An amazing amazing poetry book. Relatable verses, aptly penned. I wanted to highlight more than half of the book.

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

This is my third book from this author and it doesnt quite measure up for me. I didn't feel a connection to this collection
Thats not to say these poems won't do for the right person, I'm just not the right person for these poems I guess.

I was not impressed with this collection at all. It was not the worst poetry I've come across, but just skimming it I knew I'd never read it wholly.

This poetry collection just wasn't the book for me. I think the author drew a lot from her life and her personal experiences and this is definitely something to be admired and celebrated. My problem was that I did not feel a connection to what I was reading. The themes were a bit all over the place in the collection and I could not clearly see a common thread.
Unfortunately, this book wasn't to my taste.

Anyone who reads my reviews knows that modern poetry can be hit or miss with me but as of late I've been really enjoying the titles I've been picking up. Though this collection did contain some of the super short poems that I don't really love in modern poetry, the language and message make up for my dislike of that format (plus there aren't a ton of super short ones, just a few).

Chisala's use of language and imagery is truly beautiful and her journey through this collection feels cathartic in a lot of ways. She details not only her struggles, but struggles and feelings that are experienced by a number of people in their lives, which make many of the poems very relateable.

There were a lot of poems I connected with and some lines I really thought were eye opening, Some I didn’t find as poetry but overall was a good book.

This book is a beautifully written work of art. I loved every poem! I’m also ready for her to write another book!