BOLD, DYNAMIC, POWERFUL
READING AGE- 12 AND ABOVE
MY RATING - 5/5
One of my best reads for 2020
The audiobook speaker is the same as the author if I am correct and oh my god! Such powerful voice! Dear girl is narrated so beautifully, the music in the background fits so well with the narration. Yes, it is a poetry book but something in which we all can find ourselves in. I would also like to describe it as a adress, a beautiful warning, a future to come collection of poetry. The voice was so clear and beautiful that it makes you actually wonder and think. The poems are 5/5 all of them. They act as healing process to I'm sure wounds of millions of people. Everyone on this planet should hear this. 5/5 to the audiobook. The poetry talks about various social issues as well and ends on a beautiful note.

I normally have a hard time rating such personal collections, this collection really resonated with me. I felt every word. Thank you to Aija and her publishers, and NetGalley, for allowing me to listen to, and review, this powerful spoken word/poetry collection. I recommend that everyone take a listen to this, or read it when it releases on August 25th, 2020.

A collection of poetry with a feminist theme. I loved that the author is also the narrator for the audio version. She brought life to the poems. I really enjoyed this. I’m excited to read some more of her poems.

Thank you to Netgalley, Aija Mayrock and Andrews McMeel audio for an audio ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I liked many of the poems in this short poetry book, but some I found cliche. For anyone spending time on Instagram, on bookstagram or plain Internet, the ideas of empowering women and being true to your self are not new. I'm all for that, sure, but in the form of a short poem it sounds like another catchy saying.

Every theme that has to do with women has been approached and ticked off in this collection, and I would have prefered a more in depth approach or focus on a specific theme/ direction. I couldn't help but notice that some ideas were sameness found on Instagram or have been repeated in different contexts over the last few years.
⁣
I underlined quite a few good lines and some turns of phrase made me stop and reread. I think for a reader whose go-to choice is not poetry this could be an easy introduction to this genre. I do believe most readers could resonate with some of the poems in the collection.

Audiobook

I was approved to review this book through NetGalley.

Description from NetGalley:

From a poet and celebrated spoken-word performer comes a debut poetry collection that takes readers on an empowering, lyrical journey exploring truth, silence, wounds, healing, and the resilience we all share.

Dear Girl is a journey from girlhood to womanhood through poetry
It is the search for truth in silence
The freeing of the tongue
It is deep wounds and deep healing
And the resilience that lies within us
It is a love letter
To the sisterhood

This audiobook is a fusion of powerful words and beautiful music. Together, they create an emotionally resonant listening experience.

My Review:

It was an audio version which I loved since the author performed her poetry. I have to admit that until last year when I started teaching APLIT and was forced to teach poetry that I have never been one to pick up a poetry book. However, I've found a new appreciation for poetry and poets as I've taught myself and my students the nuances of poetic prose. This collection of poems is powerful and should be read by every young girl and woman across the country. As I listened I did long to have the words in front of me because there were so many lines I wanted to go back to and reflect on as I listened. There is something special about listening to poets perform their poems that help the reader/listener gain a new understanding of the words but it's also helpful for us visual learners to have the words in front of us. I understand that at spoken-word poetry events this would not be the case but I want something tangible to hold onto as I digest the poems.  

I see this collection not only as an addition to my classroom (I've already started brainstorming lesson plans with these poems in mind) but also as a perfect gift for my female student assistants (I like to gift them a book as a token of my appreciation at the end of the semester). This collection is empowering, motivating and thought provoking! I will be purchasing the audiobook when it is published on August 25, 2020. Be on the look out for it; I promise you will want to add this to your personal library and your classroom library! 

The paperback version is already available, but don't miss out on the performance of these striking poems via audiobook!

This book is a collection of poetry by the author revolving around the journey from girlhood to womanhood. It speaks power, strength, acceptance, walking ahead together. It rages a fire within you while calming your soul.. This book is precious and I am in for anything that Aija Mayrock writes!

JUST PICK IT UP

Ps: Take up the audiobook because author's narration is so so lively!

I've read the digital verision of this book and decided to try out the audio book as well because I read that she also does spoken poetry. In fact, I looked up one of her videos on youtube before listening to her audio book. She certainly has the talent for audibles.

My review from the digital version still stands. The overall tone of the book sounds angry and too repetitive. Although I found the audio book reading too dramatic. The beginning sounded like she was reading a fairy tale to children and I didn't think it suited the contents of her poetry book.

Aija Mayrock brings so much expression and passion to her reading of Dear Girl. There is nothing I like better than to hear poetry recited by the author and this audio book delivers. Mayrock's contemporary poetry is powerful, emotional, and contains important messages of self-acceptance, healing, feminine power, and sisterhood. It is a beautiful collection brought to life by her voice. The one thing I didn't enjoy is that a few of the poems have instrumental music accompanying them, and I found that a distraction from her words. I highly recommend this audio book!

Advanced audio book provided courtesy of NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I’m just going to go ahead and put this audiobook on repeat for the next 10 years. Wow, so impressed! This is a deep, touching, challenging book of poetry that I had the privilege of listening to the Author Narrate. It brought me to tears at some points, it has such a strong message in a gentle tone for women of every kind. I have included one of my favorite lines: “Grow wiser, grow deeper, but never grow up” Miss Mayrock has incredible talent in her writing but also her Spoken word was absolutely perfect. The audiobook has background music in some sections which absolutely enhances the beautiful poetry.

5/5 Stars

This was my first experience of listening to poetry as an audiobook and there is something so vital about hearing the poet read their own writing. It transforms the words on the page into deeper and more impactful art. I had not heard of Alija Maycock before and am intrigued to look at this book in the physical form and read further.

This was really good! I flew through it in like 2o minutes. It covers a lot of important topics. I'll read through this again someday. #DearGirl #NetGalley

Dear Girl is more than just a collection of poetry. It is a manifesto, a clarion call, a siren’s song calling all women, all girls, all the people who were told they couldn’t, they shouldn’t, they should sit down, be quiet, make themselves smaller. It’s impossible to put this book down without feeling more empowered and more hopeful. I dare you to try.

Somehow I missed that this was poetry, so I was super excited when I started listening and found out that's what it is. This audiobook has made me a firm believer that all poetry should be turned into audiobooks. The narrator did an amazing job bringing the poems to life and I loved hearing each new one.

I wish I was able to read this book as a young girl. At times, it gave me a confidence boost, but also reminded me of some of the negative parts of being a women.

The writing is absolutely beautiful and I loved the narrator as well. I have never listened to poetry before and I enjoyed how each line was spoken.

I highly recommend this to all genders across the world.

Albeit well-meant, it was mediocre and full of platitudes. Most of the time, it felt like the author was trying to include everything about modern feminism ever published on the internet, but she still equated womanhood with wombs and the heterosexual female experience. Very often I felt the book should be titled "Dear boy", because it talked more about men than it did about women. I wouldn't recommend it to any of my friends, because there is more value in some posts on Instagram than in this poetry book.

A must-read for any girl or woman who has faced adversity in their life. Such a powerful message and voice. Aija tells a powerful story in which we can heal the wounds and make positive changes in this world to switch societal standards and raise our children to respect and not lead a double standard to diminish the adversity we face today as women with thoughts, events, and traumas.

I really enjoyed the ethereal vibes and honesty of this audiobook. While some of these poems are a bit overdone or repetitive, there are several that spoke a whole lot of truth. Hearing the lines spoken out loud is empowering - her voice is very powerful, and the audiobook feels like a long motivational speech. The way she describes women talking badly about other women is so important. “If we’re fighting for equality, there has to be camaraderie.” Since we’re taught and trained to compare ourselves and others, we’re born into a need to fight against it. I think all women should listen to this book at least once a year to reaffirm truths about themselves and about other women. “Your past lives with you dear girl, but you are not your past.” So many good quotes that I want to tape up on my mirror to motivate me through tough days!

3 out of 5 - It was ok.

Poetry has never been my thing, but the story being told and narrator were both powerful.

The theme throughout about lives of women and their journey through life was one that did hit close to home with me.

There were times the music was louder than the narrator, which was distracting.

Thanks to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Audio for this advanced copy.

This is the BEST THING I HAVE EVER HEARD. Incredible poetry, incredible reading, incredible poet. I'll be telling everyone I know about Dear Girl. Beautiful, emotional, raw, inspiring - I wish I could go back and give it to my teenage self. Absolutely adored this - amazing publishing.

Dear Girl is a fantastic collection of powerful poetry that focused on uplifting girls and women. The poems were short but you could really tell that each word was carefully chosen. The subject manner wasn’t new. I’ve seen it in other contemporary poetry collections, but there was just something so impactful about Mayrock’s words. They are short but brutally honest and discuss many issues that impact the lives of women around the world. 

"Dear girl,
You ask me what I wish for you.
I simply say -
Never allow any soul to clip your wings
You were not born an ember,
You were born a flame."

The poems are a call to action. They are inspiring, empowering and make you want to rise up and speak out! I experienced this poetry collection as an audiobook and I think that really contributed to this feeling of wanting to do something and take action. The author narrated it herself and spoken word poetry has also been a favourite of mine. Her voice is so emotive and full of power. I felt her sadness, anger, happiness, etc. But more importantly, I felt like I was listening to a close friend tell me about her hopes and dreams. Listening to the author made it more personal. I just planned on listening to the collection while making dinner but ended up finishing it in one sitting. I couldn’t stop thinking about it, that’s how beautiful and powerful the poems were! 

“Dear everyone,
Grab ahold of your voice. 
it is time to make a choice 
to believe survivors
to pay us all the same 
to give women of color equal access and opportunity
to protect the safety of trans girls everyday. 
Make the choice to change the climate. 
Make the choice to not stay silent.
This is not the era of girls, 
this is the future of girls.”

I highly recommend this collection, especially the audiobook, to lovers of spoken word poetry. Also, since the writing and topics are within a similar vein, if you have enjoyed Amanda Lovelace’s poems, I think you’d also enjoy these as well.