I tried to download this poetry collection multiple times, all I have is a link to the PDF download. The PDF will not read across any of my devices, and there was no e-reader or NetGalley app link, which makes no sense. Would have really loved to read it, but unfortunately that won’t happen right now. Will wait until the collection comes out and then hopefully read it.

Firstly, this collection has quite a number of poems with triggering content so do be careful. I can’t find a list of all of the trigger warnings but here’s what I remember off the top of my head: miscarriage, sexual harassment.

This was a fascinating reading experience. I had never come across illustrated poetry before stumbling onto this anthology and I’m definitely going to be looking into it some more. As with all anthologies there were some poems and illustrations I loved and some I wasn’t as fond of. I will say that with this, unlike other anthologies I’ve read, there weren’t any poems that I actively or vehemently disliked, just some I didn’t fully understand. The book includes a study guide with a couple of questions/comments about each poem that provide some additional context which I really appreciated.

The über popular poem Good Bones by Maggie Smith is included in here with illustrations by Carola Borelli which was one of my favorites, as were Half Girl, Then Elegy by Omotara James (illustrated by Ayşegül Sınav), Bassam by Ruth Awad (illustrated by Emily Pearson), Incantation by Paul Tran (illustrated by Jude Vigants), and Drown by Venus Trash (illustrated by Y Sanders). The collection presents a wide variety of poets and artists and the illustrations were as intersectional as advertised which I really appreciated. Overall this was a really thought provoking collection that has given me a lot of authors and artists to research and provided me with a reading experience I’ve never had before. The only negative thing is that a couple of the poems weren’t illustrated fully and as the illustrations are placed before the text only version of the poems, you might not realize it unless you read all of text only versions.


I feel like this anthology would be great for people who want to read more poetry but are hesitant out of fear they won’t understand it. The illustrations and study guide really help to make the poems more accessible and understandable. I also like this would probably a great resource for educators and could provide a new and more accessible way to teach poetry to reluctant students. Older students only though, it’s definitely not appropriate for a younger crowd.

This collection is as varied as the authors themselves. I found myself drawn to certain pieces, both in their art style and lyricism. However, I will admit that I was very happy to see the poems in full text at the end of each artistic version. I found trying to read them in the context of graphics and comic strips a bit less enjoyable than I expected.

Embodies beautifully brings together empowering voices with gorgeous visual art of cis female, trans and nonbinary artists. Whether you are newly drawn to poetry or have shelves and shelves of poets, you'll fall in love with both the powerful poetic words and beautiful visual art in this work. This anthology moved me to tears, despair, and hope while filling my soul with images I will take with me for days to come.

I received a free e-ARC from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Embodied is honestly like nothing I have ever read before. I'm not even sure I can write a review to do it justice, because it really is something you have to experience for yourself.
The book consists of a series of poems which are accompanied by images, so it's basically illustrated poetry. And it is beautiful. Each poem explored some aspect of the lived experience of women (cis-, transgender, and non-binary) in this gorgeous intersectional feminist anthology. Common themes related to gender, sexuality, the body, identity, and heritage, I didn't love (or even understand) every poem, but that is where the visuals worked wonders, because I felt like they captured the spirit of the poem. Sometimes literally, and sometimes they more metaphorical. And every single illustrated poem were completely different from each other. No two art styles were alike, and they added so much depth to the poems. Even the lettering played a part.
I don't think I can recommend this anthology enough. It is moving, poignant, and gorgeously illustrated.

Unfortunately I was unable to open the file. I tried Pocketbook and Adobe Digital. I'm rating the book a five because of the content and bravery of all who shared their stories.

I was so excited to check this out, but have no way to download/read it. That being said, this is something that I’ll more than likely need a physical copy of.

Thanks so much to NetGalley for an advance copy of this graphic novel in return for an honest review.

This is an absolutely stunning collection of graphic poetry. The ways that the art enhances and changes the poems, and the ways that the words influence the art...it's creative, beautiful, moving, innovative. Altogether spectacular. I gulped it down in two sittings, but it's a book that deserves a much slower second read. There were so many layers to each poem, and the ways they were translated/interpreted into graphic form. I've never read a book quite like this and I won't soon forget it.

This was amazing. I loved seeing so many poets I know and love. The poems themselves were powerful and flowed well together. The artwork was really beautiful. I appreciated how they included the poems within the artwork but also separately in the original form. This is perfect.

<i>arc provided by the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review</i>

This was a stunning book! We get to see poems and graphic novel art that goes along with each of them.

I think this was a genius idea and it is something that a lot of people will want to pick up, it really adds an extra layer of feeling and depth to each poem! I appreciate the different messages that are brought forth in each piece. Some touched me a lot more than others but all of them were full of emotion.

I highly recommend this if you’re looking for some new poetry but maybe in a format that you don’t see quite as often!

3/5⭐️

This book was a fascinating experience. I've never read illustrated poetry like this before, and my usual favorite way to experience poetry is by listening to it read aloud. But even though listening to poetry and seeing poems fully illustrated are very different sensory explorations, for me the use of art in this book successfully accomplished the same thing I seek in poetry read aloud: an added dimension to communicate meaning and emotion in the poetry. I did also appreciate having the text of the poem after the illustrated version - I like to read a poem multiple times anyway, and sometimes the text arrangement said something that wasn't expressed in the illustrated version.

I didn't understand every poem in the book - honestly, I am very new to poetry and never expect that I will understand every poem in a collection - but there is so much power and feeling to all of the poems and art. The study guide at the end helped to provide some additional context and illumination, as well. Some favorite pairings were Rubble Girl (poem by Jenn Givhan, art by Sara Wooley), Gender Studies (poem by Caroline Hagood, art by Stelladia), Half Girl, Then Elegy (poem by Omotara James, art by Ayşegül Sınav, color flats by Alexia Veldhuisen) and Drown (poem by Venus Thrash, art by Y Sanders).

I did wish that the ambiguity in the order of lines in Tempest (poem by Khaty Xiong, art by Morgan Beem) had been better captured in the illustrated version - I didn't feel that I'd really been able to grasp the poem until reading it from a few directions in the text version.

A number of artists take turns crafting wonderful visual stories in this collection. I loved the individual style on display in each tale.

Such a fun combination. Being able to see yourself in media is extremely important, and I really did see myself, as well as a lot of other people in my life.

I was unfortunately unable to access this document. When I finally found an app that could read the document it came up as code.

I really enjoyed this poetry collection/Graphic novel! Its very unique to anything I've read so far. I found myself connecting more with some poems over others. The art in all of the poems was incredible and completely added to the experience, I cant say enough good things about it. Perhaps my favorite poem in the collection was Soft Landing, I'll share a small quote.
"I give myself love-
Think it means
Harsh criticism, endless physical effort,
Ruthless to myself
Let me nurture my brutality"

I'm looking forward to looking into more of the artists and poets work.

Thanks so much to Netgalley and publishers for a copy to review, all opinions are my own.

I received this book for an honest review from netgalley #netgalley

Feminism writing at its absolute best. The illustrations were perfect and so moving. They're writing was beyond what I expected. So moving.

A beautiful collection of the harsh realities of lived experience as a minority. Loved it so very much and I will definitely be recommending this to everyone.

I really appreciate the variety of poets and illustrators. It was poignant and fresh. Another advantage was to include a copy of the poem in verse after the graphic to illustrate the original flow of the verse. I like the study guide at the end. It would have been a great addition to my literature classes in university.

This was a unique read. I typically don’t enjoy reading poetry, but I do enjoy graphic novels. I think this a great way to make reading poetry more enjoyable. The art was absolutely beautiful and was unique to each poem. I enjoyed the diversity in both the art and the women who were chosen to write for this novel. The study guide in the back was a great addition to help deepen understanding. I had a hard time relating/ understanding some of the poems, but as a young white female, I think that was definitely due to my own ignorance. I also liked that after each poem, the poem was included again without illustrations to give the reader the option of enjoying the poetry traditionally. Overall, I felt that this was a unique experience and a great option for those who like graphic novels and want to delve a little into poetry.
*thank you to the publisher for my review copy*

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review!

I loved this collection. The artwork is *gorgeous* and I loved how the artists interpreted the poems they worked on. I think this is a perfect book to help students learn about poetry, as the images do have connections to the poems, and so many students struggle with reading poetry.

I loved how each of the contributors wrote about bodies and identities. I found myself reflected in some of the poems and I know my students will as well. This is such an important contribution to the growing non-binary and trans canon and I cannot wait to dissect the pieces in the classroom.

I also love that it had study questions with it!