This was incredibly powerful and poignant; a lyrical portrayal of being Black in America. I appreciated the stories that the poems told, and the messages that Martina McGowan expressed. Some of my favourite poems were:

- Forever Lost between Sunlight and Shadow
- Benediction Number 9
- America's Music (I think this was my favourite)
- A Shocking New Race War
- Traffic Stop
- How You Hate to Rape Me
- BIPOC

Everyone needs to read this book.

It was as if the author was talking to me or I was in the room, at times the grief and anger felt so intimate and intense I could feel the passion and pain through the words.

Really, really well written I can see this going on the school curriculum for English or A level gcse.

I was blown away. At times it made for very hard reading but that's the point. A sit up and think poem anthology but written in a way as if you were being spoken to.

5 stars

"America, something is wrong"
This is so so powerful and necessary for everyone to read. McGowan is able to express the long term issues of race in America, she is able to talk wildly about it focusing on wide aspects but also on individual lives that most people would know from the media. "her light, brutally extinguished by the shadow/bent on destroying us all"
This book of prose was highly emotive and like I said early crucial for everyone to understand how deep rooted this issue is in American life. "There is little time to allow our children to be children"

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC. This is my honest review.

An insightful portrayal of what it's like to be a Black American. Some of the poems in this collection focus on broader aspects of being Black, whereas others focus on specific current events such as the murder of Breonna Taylor.
The poems use great imagery and profound language, with terms such as "cracked cups of peace".

this is an incredibly important and heartbreaking collection. there is not much to say about these poems except that: everybody should be reading this. mcgowan effortlessly expresses a long-standing history that has been recently amplified but is not new by any means. personally, i am not fan of the style of mcgowan's writing; i find it a bit too straightforward and prose-like for my taste BUT this is an instance in which the weight and importance of WHAT she is saying overrides any complaint about style. i think it's actually great that it is written so straightforward because i feel this is something that should be read by everyone, and her writing makes her poetry accessible to people who might not be big poetry readers. overall, this was a great and timely read, one that i believe should be read and experienced by everyone.

The prose was absolutely breathtakingly beautiful especially the poem on Breonna Taylor. This poem was absolutely heartbreaking. "Yesterday the shadow had not yet issued the "no-knock" warrant/ Yesterday the shadow that haunts us all had not yet battered down her door/ In the middle of the night/ where she slept/ Thinking she still belonged to the sunlight." Heartbreaking.

"In My Review Mirror" hurt me to my soul knowing that this is a daily occurrence for black people. "I am certain they are not coming fo me / Well, reasonably certain / I have done nothing wrong"

The Poem titled "Numb to the News" had a repetition of "dead" which really packed a punch.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me an e-ARC to read and review before publication.

I enjoyed this a lot. It bright to light so many issues currently affecting POC. I highly recommend this book. It’s powerfully written

I Am the Rage is as powerful as it is beautiful. Dr. Martina McGowan speaks directly and candidly about injustices that plague our world. Her words drove straight to my heart.

The poetry collection, I Am The Rage, by Dr. Martina McGowan is a stunningly vulnerable and passionate reflection on race, history, and police brutality in America. Some of the poems touch on how deeply affecting unceasing fear, daily stresses, and microagressions are causing anguish and hopelessness. In the collection, McGowan describes the white supremacy America was built on and the reality of two Americas, separated by race. Only recently it seems white people have begun to grasp the reality POC face every day. She illustrates the trauma passed through generations and necessity for assimilation and children to grow up quickly and fall in line or face dire consequences. Though there is sorrow, there is also passion, rage, and hope in the poems. Affecting bold Illustrations accompany the poems. I Am The Rage is a truly wonderful collection.

Thank you Sourcebooks and NetGalley for providing this ARC.

What an absolutely stunning collection. Every single word was written with such emotion, and it was wonderfully displayed throughout. I would recommend this to anyone who is wanting to understand more of what is going on in our world and why change must be made.

I Am the Rage.

One of the collections I've read recently that seems to matter most with what's going on in our country right now. Beautifully written, and powerful.

I urge you to pick this up and give it a read.

"The newest war on racism is new to You"

This is a very beautiful, important and well written poetry collection. I could feel the raw and brutal feelings from each poems and they really resonated with me. I sure will recommend this collection to peers.

This collection was written beautifully and the writing was wonderful to read. Every poem laid thought provoking ideas that carried such a sincere and honest tone. It felt eye opening, allowing one to envision an experience they could never have. It was freeing and beautiful, one of my favourite pieces I have ever read. Extremely thankful for the opportunity to see this.

A masterpiece!

While I should not have to say it is the other side of society, this book gives a look into the other side of society. What does it mean to be a woman of color? What does it mean to be a woman of color in 2020 when the world is falling on its head?

The raw emotion inside of this book is a bit too much to bear at times and I have never been placed so squarely into the shoes of someone who the world looks at as lesser because of their melanin level.

This poetry collection is exactly what it claims to be. It’s justifiably angry, and makes a lot of good points. As a white person this is difficult to read because it makes you confront things that are hard to face. It’s exactly the type of thing white people who who claim to care about change need to read.

This review has not been posted anywhere, and this will be updated with a link after publication to include that review. Thank you for giving me the chance to read this wonderful book, and I can’t wait to purchase a copy to make my friends read.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"Living in a world where I am more terrified of dying while
doing ordinary things
Than I am of dying of this deadly plague"

I am The Rage by Dr. Marina McGowan is a debut poetry collection uncovering the emotions behind racial injustice in America. Dr. McGowan writes about Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, the BLM movement, and the everyday struggles of being a Black woman in a country filled with racism.

This collection is written beautifully, and each poem contains a clear and distinct voice. I could feel the pain and anger behind each word. This collection is powerful, hard hitting, and thought provoking. Another stunning part of this collection are the illustrations. Each one is simple, yet evokes deep emotion. Such a brilliant debut, and I am excited to read more by Dr. McGowan.

Again, thank you to NetGalley, Dr. Martina McGowan, and the publisher for the opportunity to read this collection of poems early.

Firstly, I would like to thank Sourcebooks and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. An additional thanks to Sourcebooks for permission to review this book early.

It was just a matter of time before we started seeing beautiful works to come from the rise in the Black Lives Matter movement from May 2020. This is the first of many I am sure to consume and there are some high expectations for the rest after reading this. Needless to say, I loved it.

This book is just as it is titled, The Rage. The justified, painful, and desperate rage.
The generational trauma that goes unacknowledged.
The sorrow and grief of having to watch innocent people murdered.
The pettiness and disgust of the "All Lives Matter" and "Blue Lives Matter" movements that followed.
The frustration of allies that aren't actually helping or listening.
All of these compiling to create the Rage. A rage that cannot and will not be quieted.

This book is very different from all of the (also great) titles that made best seller lists in 2020 in the name of racial justice. Instead of being told how to do better, this book showed me feeling. The poetry broke my heart and filled me with anger, it was beautifully written and deeply dug in to the point. There is real, deep, and constant pain and trauma being inflicted in America and there are not enough people who care about fixing it. This book taught me that, as an aspiring ally, I need to listen.

I have already pre-ordered a physical copy of this book and am looking forward to reading it again and again. I look forward to reading more from Martina McGowan.

Powerful poetry about racism in America. Just like the title, Dr. McGowan does not hold back her rage and fire for justice. These poems pack a punch, and McGowan's voice is so strong. Definitely worth a read.

This collection of poetry has 30 poems and stirring illustrations that are a response to the racial injustice in America.
All the poems were written in 2020 -a number of them in direct response to the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor and the protests that followed - and each exploring important themes of the Black experience with raw emotion.
These poems need to be read- and put into the hands of readers everywhere to better understand this perspective.
Thank you, Martina McGowan, for sharing your rage with us.
Many thanks to Sourcebooks and NetGalley for the advance copy.

This collection was amazing and powerful. Some of the poems broke my heart. It touches on current issues regarding racial injustice. I think everyone should read this.