This is an incredible poetry collection that I didn't fully connect with, but that I know is going to mean a lot to a lot of other people.

I don't really know much about this one. I was constantly confused while reading it. It's not a bad book but I just think I'm not the target audience for it.
Maybe it's because I don't connect with any of the poems in the book or maybe not, who knows.
I really hope to read more from the author though

a fun poems collections which is more about adults, and I didn't realize that before hand... yikes sorry

This is a lovely collection of poetry that explores themes such as bodily autonomy, trauma (personal and generational), colorism, and othering, as well as more traditional explorations of love, family, and so on. While these works contain a great deal of pain, they also contain humor, strength, and resilience. An excellent teaching guide is included, along with very useful suggestions for exercises based on specific poems. This would make an excellent addition to a late high school or college curriculum.

„Home.Girl.Hood“ von Ebony Stewart ist mir als allererstes durch das wunderschöne Cover aufgefallen, dass ein absoluter Eyecatcher ist. Da ich Gedichte dazu im Allgemeinen sehr mag und regelmäßig Gedichtbände lese, hat das Buch direkt mein Interesse geweckt und ich wurde nicht enttäuscht.

Ebony Stewarts Texte sind sehr eindringlich und fast schon roh. Die Gedichte sind authentisch und beschreiben das Leben als Person of Color oftmals kritisch, sehr verletzlich, aber auch voller Stärke. Dazu kommen auch Identitätsfragen in ihren Texten auf, sowie die Frage, was andere von einem halten könnten. Gleichzeitig wird auch immer wieder die LGBTQ+ Szene angesprochen, ohne dabei zu aufdringlich oder zu kommerziell zu wirken.

Die Autorin beschreibt den Alltag mit Rassismus, mit Zurückweisung, mit sämtlichen Alltagsproblemen sehr authentisch, ohne dabei jedoch ständig belehrend zu wirken. Das macht dieses wunderbare Werk so besonders und ist definitiv eine Empfehlung wert.

Home.Girl.Hood by Ebony Stewart was a deep, emotional rollercoaster of experiences that were shares in a thought provoking way. The author did a great job of inviting us into her world and made that world relatable.

I found some of the poems hard to follow. Others I didn't connect with. Still, this was a solid book of poetry and there are certainly a few poems I plan to revisit.

My thoughts / review:

This is a collection of poetry that is yet powerful but is much needed. Ebony Stewart talked about being a black woman especially an “around the way girl” she spoke about growing up and sex, as well LGBTQ. There was so much the author talked about I felt she was talking to me directly as if we were good friends. Mostly everything I could relate to.

The author spoke from her heart and soul. And I believe as a reader I felt her words. This collection is something I will be re-reading many times over It was that good. Although I feel a lot of black women will understand where the author is coming from and can relate to it the most, just about anyone can read this collection of poetry and get a feel and true understanding of what Ebony Stewart went through and has faced.

Overall I absolutely loved this! *Thank you to Netgally, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read and review this book for my own honest opinion*

Rating: 5🌟

Home.Girl.Hood opens on a high note with effortless rhythm and a bold allure that sets the tone for the rest of the collection. In other words: I was absolutely hooked after the first poem! In this re-release, Ebony Stewart explores themes of race, gender, colourism, and cultural knowledge with a distinct voice, beautifully and painfully developed. Her writing style is invigorating, transporting readers not with imagery but with conversations, thorough studies of emotions; she creates each scene/setting effortlessly focusing on what’s being said, thought, felt. Stewart’s rich creativity and unique storytelling is deeply refreshing and fulfilling, leaving readers with a sense of completeness once they reach the end of the collection.

While I have my favourite pieces, there is not a single poem in this collection that I did not enjoy reading. Stewart captures the complexity of the self, of our desires, and paints a nuanced portrait of womanhood. In Home.Girl.Hood, Black women are multi-faceted and brave, imperfect and divine, more than just their strength. Stewart writes about falling in love with men and women, rejecting patriarchal violence, the loving nature of hands and treasuring yourself. It is powerful to see such a perfectly balanced collection that discusses the hardship of womanhood, of Black womanhood, while also recalling the joys, the pride, the power of it.

I genuinely loved this collection and would recommend it to anyone interested in reading poetry in a fresh, non-traditional form like me! I did find her use of womyn and womxn questionable because these terms are problematic in their origin and do more harm than good in practice. However, the author might not know about the controversy surrounding them or there may be a reason for using these terms that I don’t know of—regardless, I’m giving her the benefit of doubt and assuming she had good intentions.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.

This Book is POWERFUL. I never considered myself big on poetry but this book may turn me around on that. Every word in this book was chosen for a specific reason, to deliver a message. A message to make us realize how hard it is to be a woman today and especially that for women of color. I wept at some of the poems at this book and by the end of it I felt like ai could hear the author in every word she wrote. I would definitely recommend this to a class focusing on contemporary poetry, probably in 11th or 12th grade or college since it does deal with some strong odeas and language, but I think this is definitely something that needs to be picked up. I also really liked the exercises at the end of the book, great lesson plan and might make students approach poetry in a less intimidating manner.

eARC provided by netgalley and button poetry, review provided by ya girl ;)

This is such a fun collection of poems about Black girlhood. Ebony Stewart masterfully explores gender, race, family, and love so beautifully in verse. I want to pass this around from homegirl to homegirl. The collection is for us.

I sat with this book and completed it in a day. As if this book had sucked me into it. While reading the poems, I could feel as if I'm seeing myself in them and they were looking at the insides of me. The experience was hard-hitting, raw and powerful.
I'd totally recommend this book to anyone and everyone.

I didn’t have a chance to read this before it got archived, but I’m still interested! I’ll definitely be buying myself a copy in the future.

How can one collection of poems make you feel seen and drag you at the exact same time? Read Home.Girl.Hood. and you will surely find out. I can't tell you how many times I sat the book (my phone) down and just let the words wash over me in the one sitting I devoured this in. Countless.

First, let me thank Ebony for writing this. Secondly NetGalley and Button Poetry for allowing me early access to this beautiful collection.

I read this on February 28th, the last day of Black History Month and the preparation day for Women's History Month. What a time! It was a very symbolic read for that reason, as I always identify as Black before identifying as a woman. Make no mistake, while reading this I see Ebony doing the same. (maybe that is self inserted)

Ebony Stewart and her editorial team did a fantastic job of crafting the collection in such a brilliant way. The transition from Psst...Ayo B*tch! Lemme Holla at Chu to HOw to Write A Poem About Sexual Assault to An Ode To My Pussy was masterful. The three of those were mixed in between Lilith and Eve, who are the same women (in this context). The juxtaposition of having Happy Father's Day in the same collection as Happy Mother's Day. Reading Perhaps we should go back before reading Family Tree is a goldmine. Both poems encapsulates the black experience in written form (the good, the bad and the ugly). Then ending the collection with I'm so Tired. Sis, please accept this solo standing ovation from me.

My hope is that the roses will come for this author. It currently only has 59 reviews on Goodreads and 106 ratings but deserves much more. If you read this review, make it your mission to spread the word. I would say do me a favor but honestly, do yourself the favor and read this.

Home.Girl.Hood. by Ebony Stewart is probably the most exceptional feminist collection of poetry that I have ever read.

This is a collection for every Black girl who has problems with feeling like enough. Enough Black. Enough smart. Enough strength. Enough woman.

This collection is for every Black girl who wants to be seen. Black girls who have been told their voice is too loud in order to silence them. Black girls with different hair every week who are seen as unprofessional. Black girls who are told to hide their bodies in order to protect them from violence. Black girls who are told to obey and shrink away from the power of men.

I felt these poems in my bones. These poems stripped Black girlhood to her very essence and reflected it back to us.

I read Ebony Stewart’s other poetry collection, BloodFresh, before I read Home.Girl.Hood. It was very interesting to see the growth between each of the collections; her growth as a writer, as an activist, and as a person.

One thing that slightly bothered me throughout the collection was the use of the words “womxn” and “womyn”. I kept in mind that this poetry collection was written years before and re-released this year, and that might have been more acceptable then. To me, these words are transphobic, but it was interesting to see in the attached glossary that Stewart used these words because she thought “woman” was transphobic. I guess I have my perspective because my transphobic, second-wave feminist professor in college strictly used “womxan”, so that’s why I don’t like to use them.

My favorite poems are Ode To My Pussy and On The Way Back To Myself. These poems made me feel especially powerful, but also broke me open. The preface was also powerful. She shared with us why writing is so integral to her life and how she got her start in childhood. I really connected to the medicinal forces of writing.

Overall, I would recommend this universal poetry collection for everyone, every girl and woman, but especially to Black girls and women everywhere.

Let’s just sit a minute and look at the beautiful representation on this cover!!! This collection of poems drips with an in-your-face familiarity! The way Ebony Stewart uses words is unpretentious and stripped down in the best possible way. One of my favorite poems is entitled “Compassion Fatigue”: You’re gonna want to check this collection out!

I'd like to thank the publisher for sending me a copy of the book through Netgalley!

CAN WE HAVE SOME CHAOS FOR THAT STUNNING COVER!? LIKE OMG IT IS ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS.

This entire collection is strong and powerful, filled with emotions to the brim. I enjoyed most of the poems in this collection and have flagged a few to get back to eventually. That being said, I wasn't a huge fan of the writing style as much in a few chapters and that caused a serious disconnect from the chapters for me.

Overall this is a great collection and a stunning read.

After reading this book I finally understand what Black YouTube commentors mean when they say a video is dripping melanin and smells like cocoa butter because this is. This book is layered with sass, intelligence, vulnerability, and goodness. I always knew Button Poetry had the best books and this was no exception. One of the few good new poetry books I've read in a while.

I loved the raw honesty of these poems. I adored that the author had no fear in addressing so many issues- from racism to sexism to all of the many things in between. The words were formed so perfectly and beautifully together whilst being so unapologetically brave drawing attention to topics that are overlooked and people fearful to talk about. A really wonderful collection

What can I say about these poems? The strength of the author's writing is tremendous, each poem brings an intense feeling and in some way agonizing.
Several of these poems brought points in which I recognized myself, but many others that I was never aware of or understood.
The poetry marks a state of being completely particular to black American women. One thing I'm not. In a way, these texts help to open the eyes of readers to other cultural experiences. Another interesting point is the very particular vocabulary of the culture represented, at some points I had difficulty understanding some terms.
Anyway, this book brought me a completely different feeling, it is an excellent read that is very worthwhile for everyone.

This were my favorite cuotes:

"when your hair's a mess they think your life is too."

"When he drives away...
When I'm safe and alive in my own body belonging to me...
Then,
and only then,
can I breath."

"Yo mama been knowing how to make a home out of excuses/tears cried"

"Suffering and joy. A line so thin you coudn't have known the difference."

"He don't like the memories he left me wit me neither."

"I just don't wanna be afraid to be myself. But fear is the part of me I know the most."