“It is a small act of protest, / just to be here and still alive. / This, too, is worthy living. / And it will do just fine.”
I LOVE Nikita Gill. She snatched my heart completely with her collection of poetry based on Greek Mythology, and I’ve read quite a few of her collections sense. Her poems are ripe with imagery while still maintaining the relatable, emotional center that is prevalent in a lot of contemporary online poetry. It’s accessible yet still complex, and she’s just a wonderful poet.

This collection was written during COVID about the experience of a worldwide pandemic, and it resonates strongly because of how universal this experience was. There are some brief vignettes into Nikita Gill’s individual experience, and this makes it all the more impactful.

What I didn’t realize before reading the collection was that it was centered around the life cycle of a star- I love when poetry collections are dictated by a certain theme, as it shows how they were able to work within limitations and create an overall theme.

Overall, I loved this collection. Go out and purchase a copy for yourself, mark it up every time some phrase hits you in the chest and lodges itself there. This is going to be the kind of collection that sticks with you.

I’ve been a fan of Nikita Gill for quite some time. Fierce Fairytales is one of my favorite poetry collections, but I’ve adored her poetry outside of that specific book as well. I thought Where Hope Comes From might be the book that offered FFT some major competition. Unfortunately, I didn’t connect well with this one.

Gill’s letter to her readers in the beginning of the book is deeply heartfelt, but the poetry throughout didn’t give off the same vibe. I think she wrote about a lot of meaningful topics, but much of this collection felt generic to me. I thought the poems felt forced, rather than words generated from the theme of heartbreak and isolation. That’s not to say they didn’t genuinely stem from those things, but the actual ache didn’t translate on paper for me, despite being so brutally evident in the past. With all this being said, I did occasionally stumble upon a line or two that took my breath away. Those experiences were, sadly, rare.

I must note, however, that her drawings in this collection were absolutely gorgeous and, overall, it was within the visual art that I found the most depth.

I will continue to read Nikita Gill’s work and I’m sure there will be more to admire in the future. Not every collection will be a hit for me and I accept that.

I am immensely grateful to Hachette Books for my digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

Where Hope Comes From can be preordered now and will be available on June 1, 2021.

I could relate to parts about the pandemic and some of the parts about writing and being a poet. I gave this a four out of five stars. I also preordered myself a physical copy and can't wait to get it in. While reading this it made me want to focus on my own writing.

What a beautiful poetry collection! This book is the perfect beauty that came from the hell that was 2020. In Gill's poetry, we can find ourselves and our complicated feelings about this past year. Gill's imagery, her view of the world, and her hope in goodness and kindness is sure to resonate with all readers. This book belongs in a time capsule to show the best of what came from 2020.

After reading her Great Goddesses collection, I knew I would love this one as well! Obviously, the world and people are still dealing with coronavirus, so I think this collection will hit differently in a few years time.

However, overall, I think Gill did an excellent job at capturing the loss and struggle that so many people faced during the early months of the pandemic. However, she also spoke of the hope that we have to move forward, to change social norms, and to "rebuild."

I think Gill's poems are accessible, without being simple, and are just beautifully written.

I always appreciate Nikita Gill's words and perspective and I loved hearing it from the time of lockdown. I will always read her stuff. I find her relatable but not over simplified. Digestible but not carbon copies of similar poets.

WHERE HOPE COMES FROM arrives at a time when we need it most, reminding us we're not alone...even if isolated. Like most of Gill's collection, this one contains contemporary, almost confessional-style poetry, which feels much like little letters we find along the lonely path. The poems are sentimental, brutally honest, and on the brink between hope and despair, though it heavily leans on the former. Most of all, I loved how relatable the poems were, speaking to mental illness in a time when the world is confronting a deadly virus, to relationships put on hold, to all the things we can no longer say face to face--and all the longings we share. Most of the poems spoke to how life was before, and how we all must confront ourselves AND this new world, but rather than lecture, the poems extend a gentle hand to guide the reader out of the darkness of despair, and to find the lightest parts of ourselves to pull through.

The list is endless for all the wonderful things Nikita Gill was able to accomplish with this book. This collection of poems all fit into the realm of contemporary poetry and it was a pleasant surprise, as insta poetry seems to be a popular trend right now. There are some insta poetry style poems in here but they are few and far between, making this predominantly contemporary poetry which I believe works for most poetry enthusiasts.

The poetry collection focuses on life in the time of Covid and a deeper connection to the universe. What I liked so much about this collection is that it does not emphasize romantic relationships, and it is the first poetry book I have read that has done so. Although romantic relationship poems and everything else in that realm are popular for a reason, it can feel a little repetitive and overwhelming after awhile. Nikita Gill created a collection that extends towards a different type of love in such tumultuous times and it works beautifully. The illustrations that go along with the poems are lovely as well and a nice addition to the book.

Some of my favorite poems include: "In Self-quarantine, Watching my Cat from my Bedroom Window," "Hindsight," and "Notes on Survival."

These poems, including a majority of the other poems in this collection, are unique poems that I have yet to hear and it is refreshing to read poems that can be about a similar topic but all sound unique and different in their own ways, rather than just reworded poems on the same topic.

Overall, Where Hope Comes From is a 4.5 star read for me and is by far my favorite poetry book I have read this year. This is a book that can be understood by any reader, from a beginner to those more advanced, and it covers such a universal topic that every will find something they can relate to in it.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A much needed comfort read for the year we’ve had staying afloat in the COVID-19 pandemic. This is a comforting reminder that it’s okay to just stay afloat

Nikita Gill is someone I accidentally started following through Pinterest... oddly enough... and the day I came across her first poem was a gift. Her writing is the kind of poetry that fills in all the cracks. She's such a fulfilling poet and after this year of hell, reading something so beautiful that was inspired by something so tragic was inspiring in and of itself.

Where Hope Comes From is a hug of comfort from what we have been through since the start of the coronavirus and a love letter for what is to come from it. We have seen and felt such darkness but there is so much value that we can take from this if we look carefully enough.

I absolutely loved this. I have so many poems that I've bookmarked in my eARC just so I can find them in the printed copy later and tag them. This was a gift and on a day where I finally got to book my vaccination appointment.... it really did fill me with hope.

Sent kindly by NetGalley

This poetry book touched my heart. It touched on the raw subject of life in lockdown. It is a position we all are familiar with and Nikita Gill puts her heart and soul into this. It is so heartwarming and heartbreaking.

I never like to declare books as my favorites, but this is easily one of my favorite poetry collections. It perfectly captures all of the feelings you may have experienced during 2020. The fear, the tragedy, the uncertainty of it all. But then, it gave so much hope. Nikita Gill paints this masterpiece of hope and grief, brokenness, and resilience. Even now, as our normal is so different than it was prior to the pandemic, her words give us direction and sparks of light to cling to. I also liked that she wrote on the BLM movement and not just the pandemic.

If you need hope, or a push towards living in kindness, read this book.

Suffering is universal. This has been the hard truth for everyone during the past year, when COVID-19 pandemic reached its long arm worldwide. “No human has been left untouched by the devastation and the chaos” felt by the Coronavirus pandemic. As someone who was considered high-risk, Nikita Gill wrote where Hope Comes From to cope with her feelings of uncertainty and loneliness during these unprecedented times.

“I want you to know that no matter what you are going through, no matter how big and deep and painful those feelings are, you are not alone.” —Nikita Gill

These poems seek to rebuild hope. “I wrote poems, mantras, affirmations, reasons to live”, and they help us to see that we are not alone. Despair can make way for happiness, and beauty can be found In togetherness. By exploring the life and rebirth of stars, Gill found what she was looking for.

Gill wants her readers to understand that just as there are five stages of grief, there are also five stages of hope. The poems explore the five phases of grief in order to illustrate the five stages of hope. Moving from poems like Black Hole (Despair) to Supernova (Reflection) and Nebula (Rebirth), we are able to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

The first poem sets the tone for the collection:

that if you change your thoughts,
you, too, can change your universe.

There are daily mantras and Reminders From the Stars:

Even at your loneliest, there is someone in this world feeling exactly what you are. There is comfort in this, if you let it in.
and
There are still people who love you, even if you cannot see them right now.

Some poems echo famous works of literature, like Plague Year and Love in the Time of Coronavirus. Others reflect on Kindness, some look for Silver Linings. There are funny references to the ways this generation coped with COVID, like Baking Banana Bread as the World Ends, which I think we can all relate to. There are Lessons on Love, and Reminders from Smaller Beings, advice on How To Deal with a Painful Experience.

So, where exactly does hope come from? It “comes from standing together against evil. It comes from chaos—rediscovery of truth, understanding loneliness and self-compassion, too.” These poems create a space for us all to relate and come together, but most importantly they send us messages of hope.

2020 brought about so much in our world. Nikita Gill channeled her feelings into this collection of poetry. This collection brought out several feelings in me as I read. It brought up feelings I had pushed down, and things that I needed to remember. That to me speaks a lot about a read.

Thank you #netgalley for this copy in exchange for review.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I was able to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
***
Where Hope Comes From is a wonderful reflective collection pieced together as the world went into lockdown and covid changed everyone’s plans for 2020. Addressing mental health, and loneliness this collection also covers finding yourself in those moments of quiet and embracing the person you are. Also, it’s about love and kindness, which there is always more room for in this world.
There were so many wonderful poems. My two favorites were “City, Ruins and You” as well as “And Even Through This”.

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, poet Nikita Gill captures, the heartache, loss, hope, and other hosts of emotions that people experienced. In Gill's classic ethereal style, she weaves together a powerful collection of poems and artwork to honor those we have lost due to this pandemic and to acknowledge the pain that isolation brought during lockdown brought. I think many people will empathize with and find comfort in her words.

“There are no rule. You are already strong.” I needed to read this! I’ve just recently gotten into poetry, and it truly does help express your feelings. I loved how the author spoke about the pandemic and quarantine. It was so relatable.

Sigh. I love poetry. And I love emotional poetry. I am a sucker for raw, emotional, even dark poetry. But right now, in real life, between the pandemic and politics, this was just all too real and raw, too much reality, I guess. This pandemic and political climate has pushed me more toward escapism than realism in my entertainment. And this was a little too much realism for me right now.
Beautiful writing though.

A outstanding body of work of poetry related to the pandemic lock down. The author reflects what many were feeling and the effects this had on our world. I am a fan of the authors work and highly recommend this book for those that practice good self care and good mental health. it is both reflective and heart warming .

Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity

DNF @ 50%

I've read another book by Nikita Gill in the past and even though it wasn't my favorite, I enjoyed it. Unfortunately, I can't say the same for "Where Hope Comes From" since I had to force myself to go as far as I did.

This is what I call self-help/inspirational poetry and it's just not for me. I find myself rolling my eyes on the exasperated and melodramatic phrases that enforce positivity instead of critical thinking of tough situations. I couldn't connect with the majority of the poems, but some of them were okay. I also believe that some readers would love the unrelenting positivity, I'm just not one of them.