Full of loneliness, beauty, and heartbreak Dawn Lanuza weaves together a haunting account of finding home, contentment, and so much more.

This was beautifully written, and at times, heartbreaking. I LOVED the trigger warning that was placed at the beginning of the book, and really wish more authors did this. My favorite had to be 95. Such a beautiful take on the wicked stepmother! I also loved how you almost seemed to go on a journey with Dawn, and towards the end, there was an optimistic light at the end of the tunnel.

Thank you to Netgalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for sending me an ARC copy of this book!

*Trigger Warnings: death, suicide, violence, bullying, injury, self-harm, body image, & sexism.

I can only describe this book as the feeling of being 22 and female. Of being an age where your collected memories transform into a recollection of how your life experiences are defining you as a human being.

After reading this book I feel:
* The reminiscence of teenage summer romances and heartbreaks.
*The essence of freedom, of craving more from your existence.

The poems read like a life unfolding with sorrow and self-realization. The realness of vacancy as people step in and out of your life, the sense of being the observer on the outside of a suicidal downfall, and the understanding that as a woman you have strength no matter how the world wants to suppress it.

Just as Lanuza wrote it herself, "Embrace what you have gone through."
That is the beauty these poems speak.

I really liked this collection of prose and poetry. I felt that it was a good look at mental health and how it affected her, but she also puts it in a very relevant relatable light. I felt that I could be reading about myself in some of these passages.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

I Must Belong Somewhere by Dawn Lanuza is a powerful and personal reflection on love, longing, and displacement. Told in beautiful and flowing prose, Ms Lanuza ruminates on her own journey of mental health and self- esteem. The topics covered are wide-ranging and eminently relatable, and I believe that this collection will resonate strongly with many readers.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for the opportunity to read this ARC.