Thank you for the eARC copy from Andrews McMeel Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
2.5*
I love poets with rhymes, and sadly this did not really had any, so I could not enjoy it so much. I had a feeling that these would be nice lyrics in her songs, (I don't know her but i get to know from this book that she have a band), but in this form as a poem, did not work for me. But I liked how she wrote about the feelings, I could resonate with some of them, I liked the illustrations paired with the texts, and it made it more special that she shared her experience of her stories that motivated her to wrote about them.

I have to admit I didn’t actually know who Tank was before starting this book. But when she mentioned her Tiny Desk performance I couldn’t help looking it up and watching for myself. And, boy, can she really perform.

The title of this poetry collection is aptly named, because if Tank is one thing, it’s vulnerable in her writing. She holds nothing back. Vulnerable AF is a collection of poems interspersed by short stories entitled ‘Tank’s Story Time’ that tell about a failed relationship from her past.

My favorite poem by far was ‘Adam (The First Poem I Ever Wrote For Him)’. I couldn’t stop thinking about it afterwards. So raw, emotional and honest. Overall, I enjoyed her use of metaphors and similes, and some lines in her writing hit really deep, but I did find it hard to emotionally connect with some of her poems.

Knowing that she’s a slam poet, I definitely plan to return to this collection in the future and listen to the audiobook version of it, as I think having her read the words exactly as they were intended to be heard would have been a pretty powerful experience.

Thank you to the publisher, Andrews McMeel Publishing, and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC of this book. All thoughts are my own.

I flew through this book. Having listened to the audiobook and also read the ebook, I can say readers are in good hands. The author's voice was beautiful and soothing to listen to and the way she poured out her feelings on paper? Magnificent!

If Jill Scott's Honey Molasses was expounded into a book of poetry and visual arts it would be represented among these pages.

The cover alone let's you know the author has an abundance of thoughts. In fact elements of the artwork are dispersed throughout the book in various graphics.

Tank pours her heart out about a past relationship with a musician. Love, hurt, humility, lessons learned, and healing are all discussed. The rhythmic flow pulled me into this relationship and had me remembering ghosts of relationships and situationships past. I look forward to future works from this artist.

I love reading poetries but don’t read them so often and when I come across them, many of them really get me overwhelmed feeling so many emotions all the time. I didn’t really expect this book to be so outstanding. Because I am obsessed with celestial bodies I absolutely love the poem “Sun and Moon Folk”:

I used to call you Sun
And I, your Moon
We gave each other such important names
So early in the day
Maybe I can see why you turned eclipse

Never thought that the names would become bigger than the sky
that carried them
I guess you
Didn't want the responsibility of brightening my day in that way
Didn't know that you never wanted to gleam like that
But you should know
I didn't call you Sun with the intent for such a responsibility
I called you Sun because when I saw you...
I shined

Overall I loved this book, it was a great experience and I thank netgalley for providing me with the e-ARC

Beautiful and fun poems! I appreciate the humor and honesty of the authors poetry. I loved the variety of the poems and how she arranged them so it would be nice and light and then deep and important right next to each other. I resonate with the imagining something so hard you start to believe it. Also, understand the boredom of a nursing home job.

Tank is a collection of poems about a former relationship. While it's clear that Ball has a deep affection for her ex, it also shows how easily her feelings can turn toxic. The book's poetry is accompanied by short stories called Tank's Story Time, which I found to be a little confusing to me. Given her background in slam poetry, it was no surprise that some of the poems required more than just a simple rhythm to get the full effect.

The poems are broken up into three sections: one where Tarriona talks about her real-life relationship, one where she talks about Adams toxic relationship, and one where she talks about her future. Some of these poems are powerful, and I feel that they would most likely speak to someone who is still struggling with their own pain. Thank you, Andrew McMeel Publishing, for the gifted copy via net galley.

This poetry collection about love and heartbreak was so relatable, and just as the title states, vulnerable AF. While reading this I felt like I was talking with a friend about a breakup; about the love that let her down and how she was coming out stronger despite all the heartache. It was deeply personal. I highly recommend this read if you are going through a breakup, or are maybe you are ready to start the journey to discovering your sense of self after being wrapped up in someone else’s expectations.

My favorites were Survival Guide, The Cycle, and Monsters. There was also a particular stanza in Adam that was phenomenal.

This collection is very open verse. Each poem flowed well into the next. And I also enjoyed the drawings throughout the book.


I was given an eARC in exchange for an honest review from the publisher. All options are my own.

I LOVED this. This collection was so relatable and honestly, it found its way to me at the absolute perfect time. Tarriona is an incredibly gifted writer and I was pretty blown away with how connected I felt to these poems! I can't wait to see what else Tarriona comes out with.

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

Wow, this really was vulnerable af.

I really enjoyed this look into a failed relationship and how the author felt. It was raw and yes, vulnerable, and I think it makes for a cool experience.

Sometimes there were almost-rhymes that were a little off, unless you have a southern accent maybe, but generally, quality poetry and a quality book.

I'm not a connoisseur of poetry. It's not the first thing I select to read but I do enjoy a good collection when I find one. Tarriona "Tank" Ball delivers a very good collection that made me think back on my first love and first break-up. Remembering the ache, sadness, anger, recovery and healing was oddly therapeutic.

The poems I had audible reactions to were: Survival Guide, Postpone, Glare, The A** and Sudden Truth. Her words are more than enough but complimented by those beautiful illustrations by Shonté Young-Williams is just chef's kiss! A bundle of magical black female energy in your hands.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received an eARC copy from Andrews McMeel Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Actual rating 3.5, a higher rating goes for the stunning cover

I pictured this whole poetry collection being performed on a stage, in a dim-lit room. Tarriona "Tank" Ball comes up with a mic and absolutely crushes the hearts of everyone in the audience, spills all her raw emotions, hurts, realness.

Vulnerable AF made me feel utterly vulnerable and powerful at the same time. The poet opened her heart to us, revealed her deepest emotions, gave us a few life lessons, and shared glimpses of her soul.

Some poems were relatable af, as we all went through heartbreak or two. The words emanate anger, confusion, hurt, even regret and sadness. The verses and short prose are heavy with all these emotions, mixed with a dose of nostalgia of times when the poet believed that the love she felt was true.

At times, I felt disconnected from a few poems and prose; they came across as weaker in wording and feelings, with less expressiveness and cohesiveness with the rest of the collection.

To all of you who are still holding a flame for someone who refuses to show you love in return, or are in the midst of a hard breakup, read this collection; it would help you heal.

"It is important that we forgive ourselves for making mistakes. We need to learn from our errors and move on."
Steve Maraboli

To watch Tarriona “Tank” Ball’s Tiny Desk Concert is to love her. This joyous, stylish and incredibly talented woman exudes strong Lizzo energy, leaving the viewer grinning like a fool. Vulnerable AF is Tank’s debut poetry collection and she manages to side-step many of the pitfalls slam poets encounter when moving into the written word. The collection deals with the ending of a toxic relationship and Tank’s energy and verbal dexterity shine through every poem. Yet she also showcases a sense of whimsy that doesn’t always appear in her live performances. It’s an impressive effort and I’m already eagerly anticipating her next collection.

I usually don't read poetry, so this was a first for me. And I have to say, it did not disappoint.

If you listen to the audio, it's very clear that Tarriona Ball is a slam poet. The way she reads the poems... she's speaking from her heart and that made it so so hard for me to put my headphones down. The background music caused me to be completely unaware of my environment (much to my boyfriends dismay). Tarriona, you did an amazing job.

I actually don't know how to review the poems themselves. I'd say the message Tarriona is telling in the poems is very clear. I was able to sympathize with her despite not having had the same experiences. The poems are raw and emotional and every poem is unique in its own way.

I highly recommend reading Vulnerable AF. While I have to admit the audiobook felt more natural than the written book (which is to be expected when the author is a slam poet), I couldn't put both down. Listening to the audiobook after reading the written book showed me a whole other side of the poems and that is quite a unique experience. This isn't something I usually recommend doing, but it would definitely be something you can consider if you'd like to discuss this book in a book club or something similar.

This debut poetry collection is raw and vulnerable in a way that is so very generous. I was able to read the book in both e and audio form and I enjoyed both. The book is a mix of poetry and story time, with beautiful, intricate, quirky illustrations sprinkled in.

Honestly, the illustrations were some of my favorite part of experiencing this book. They lent a whimsical dimension to the entire emotional experience of the written word. The whole collection of writings is hyper focused on a single experience of love, desire, and heartbreak from all different angles, and Tank really lets the reader into her brain even as she is speaking to the object of her love and loss.

I highly recommend reading this book while listening to the audio to get the full impact of the writing and illustrations.

Thanks to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for the ARC.

I don’t usually read poetry (I know I’m basic, shut up) but the cover illustration is so nice I got pulled in. Not really being a poetry kind of person means I’m not the best judge of what constitutes technically good poetry. I’m pretty clueless, tbh. So I’m just rating based how much I enjoyed reading this collection of poems, which is to say: I had a great time.

The title is right, this is vulnerable; and relatable. This collection is
sort of an exploration of the narrative of romance and heartbreak told through fragmented, but interconnected poems. I liked the poems and loved the illustrations on the pages between them. It’s a very short but satisfying read, kind of like the feeling of sinking into a hot bath?? Or like, enjoying a particularly indulgent cookie?? Idk, but I liked it.

4.5 stars. I hadn't heard of Tarriona "Tank" Ball before this, but this brief collection has made me a fan. She has a really nice sense of metaphor and a nice rhythm to her lines. These poems and prose pieces are about an older relationship that burned bright and then ended....poorly. the poems, like "Sun and Moon Folk" are all about understanding and learning from that:

I used to call you Sun
And I, your Moon
We gave each other such important names
So early in the day
Maybe I can see why you turned eclipse

Never thought that the names would become bigger than the sky
that carried them
I guess you
Didn't want the responsibility of brightening my day in that way
Didn't know that you never wanted to gleam like that
But you should know
I didn't call you Sun with the intent for such a responsibility
I called you Sun because when I saw you...
I shined

I both read this and listened to the audiobook; if you get a chance, listen to Ball read her work. Her emotion and pacing (especially on the prose pieces) are really good!

4 stars for the print book
5 stars for the audiobook

This collection lives up to the title, putting the author's experiences on full display. Many of them were relatable, particularly in references to relationships with broken people. The poems range in lengths from a few lines to pages, so there's something for all readers. I didn't connect with many of the pieces, but I usually enjoy more visual poetry (metaphors, symbolism, etc) rather than stated facts in a poetic form - just my personal taste, though. The entire collection fits together and flows well, regardless of style.

I listened to the audiobook (read by the author) which heightened my enjoyment. These poems read like journal entries turned into poetry. Overall, some are successful and others feel forced.

I really didn't get on with this one, and I wish so much that I could've. This just doesn't work for me as written poetry at all. There's no attention paid to rhythm or rhyme, the phrasing is clunky and awkward and often juvenile (the amount of times the word 'freaking' was used made me cringe) and all the emotions are so surface level that I just didn't feel anything. There's no depth of feeling or language here. It was like reading a stranger's diary.

As for the structure, I liked the idea of having interims where the poet talked confessionally about how the poems came to be and gave some context to each of them, but in actuality they were just repetitive, jarring and read like filler to make up for the fact that there weren't enough poems to warrant a collection. It felt like a missed opportunity.

I can absolutely see how these poems might have been cathartic for the author, and I can see how they would possibly work in a slam context, with the atmosphere and the author's delivery giving the emotional weight to the poems that the words themselves don't quite convey on the page, but this just doesn't work as a collection of poetry for me. Perhaps it could have been pruned and published as a chapbook, or as an accompaniment to one of the poet's shows, but not in this format.