This debut poetry collection by Canadian broadcaster, Josie Balka, is organized into three thematic sections: loving, longing, and living. Of these, the loving and longing sections resonated with me the most. They offered moments of emotional reflection that felt sincere and relatable. In contrast, while there were a few strong pieces in the living section, I found it less compelling overall. The experimental shifts in poetic form and structure throughout this section often felt disjointed rather than dynamic, and the reflective content veered at times into territory that echoed the language of familiar self-help rather than fresh or insightful.

The collection's format also presented some challenges. The absence of formal breaks between poems gave the impression of a continuous stream of verse, which blurred the boundaries between individual pieces. While this may have been an intentional stylistic choice, it made it difficult at times to fully appreciate each poem on its own terms. Stylistically, the poet experiments with a wide range of forms and voices, a choice that both highlighted their versatility and revealed the unevenness of a writer still discovering their creative identity. The collection feels very much like a first book—ambitious and heartfelt, but occasionally disjointed. That said, there are definite gems scattered throughout, and moments where the poet's potential shines through.

Overall, this is a debut that shows promise, even as it grapples with questions of form, tone, and cohesion. I believe newer readers to poetry would greatly enjoy this collection as it offers an opportunity to explore familiar themes of love, nostalgia, and anxiety while also showcasing a variety of poetry styles. For longtime poetry readers though, this collection may leave you wanting more cohesion.

I took this one a bit slower, intentionally, and I have no regrets. So much of this is relatable, especially if you fall into a category of feeling things deeply or being highly sensitive. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgally and S&S for this early read. I love love love Josie’s poetry and this book didn’t miss a beat!

My favorite is the last section. Those poems really hit home. I love how authentic she is.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this free ARC in exchange for an honest review. Pub date: May 13, 2025

A stunning collection of poetry. It starts with a call from the author about the title—I hope you remember—and to remember the people these poems remind you of. Many musings on relationships, romantic and platonic, successful and not, breakups, connections with family, friends, pets…and yourself. This is very accessible poetry if you’re just getting into it, written so relatably, with big feelings easily conveyed in its pages. I lost track of how many poems I bookmarked to return to!

This collection of poetry is very reflective, relatable, and sentimental. The writing style is accessible as is true to the books marketing and origin. Each poem is simple, with easy symbolism that won't be cumbersome to the reader's understanding. I believe a large number of readers will find a kindship to the musings of Josie Balka.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Simon and Schuster | Simon Element for gifting me a digital and physical ARC of this wonderful book of poetry by Josie Balka. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 5 stars!

While I had never heard of this author before, even though she's apparently wildly popular on Tik Tok and radio, I was absolutely blown away by how these poems about life made me feel. Divided into chapters of Loving, Longing, and Living, each one will bring up a different emotion. It's nostalgic, hopeful, full of self-love and understanding, and this is going to be my go-to gift especially for younger women making their way in the world. But trust me, no matter what your age or walk in life, these poems will touch your heart. Highly recommended!

"One of life's most cruel and unusual punishments is not being able to feel things the same way two times."

I've been on a poetry kick lately and I've followed Josie on Instagram for a while so I was super excited to read this one! You could totally hear all these words in Josie's voice (if you've watched her videos online).

There were a lot of pieces about a past relationship which would resonate with a lot of people and could be really powerful words. I enjoyed the nostalgia vibes and would bet that Josie is a fellow Enneagram 4. If you're a 4 like me you'll enjoy a lot of the poems in this collection.

This would make a great gift for anyone who needs a little pick me up after a rough period in their life.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars.

The “Loving” and “Living” sections were good, although some of the poems felt repetitive. But the “Longing” section nearly destroyed me. It was like she was looking into my soul 🥲

A review of I Hope You Remember: Poems on Loving, Longing, and Living by Josie Balka

Reading this book was my first exposure to the poet's works and I look forward to reading more from her. Balka knows how to put big feelings into words, and she does so beautifully! Her poems are very relatable, and most readers will find entries that resonate deeply for them.

Four stars, I highly recommend this book!

My thanks to Simon Element for permitting me to access a DRC of this book via NetGalley. Publication is 5/13/25. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own and are freely given.

This ARC felt like I found a diary. Some pieces hit home. Some pieces felt like a secret. Some pieces made you remember and some pieces made you want to forget. It was a quick read but enjoyable. Thank you to Josie for allowing me to read her heart.

I love poetry! If you are looking for a great poetry book that is profound and relatable, this is the book for you. I will definitely get a copy for my classroom even though the poems are written for adults. I think many of them are relatable to everyone. Some of her poems were similar in idea to some that I have written over the years and it made me feel a little less alone in my feelings.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for a digital ARC. Receiving the copy did not impact my opinion. I really did enjoy the book.

I don’t usually seek out poetry, but I LOVE stumbling across perfectly formed words that just hit right in my soul. Josie does that on a regular basis. She’s one of the only accounts “starred” in my feed so her posts always appear at the top.

Her poems read more like a reflective moment in your head.
A late night therapy session by the fire with a glass of wine and a best friend.
A car ride on a sunny day with the windows rolled down, a favorite song blasting and your hand riding the wind waves.
The moment your spiraling comes to a stop and the light at the end of the tunnel is finally visible, even if it’s faint.

My only thing I wanted to make this better was Josie’s voice reading it. She has a way of reading her poetry that makes it hit even deeper and flow better than I can read in my head. I did my best to try and imagine her voice while reading but I cannot wait for the audio to come out, read by her!

By far my favorite poetry collection read of National Poetry Month and a great debut from a Canadian poet. The poetry in this book is relatable, accessible, hopeful, nostalgic, full of joy and love and longing. A lot of the poems touch on life, love, being kind to yourself, taking chances, female friendship and more. I devoured and underlined so many lines and couldn't recommend it enough! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

Josie Balkan’s poetry Excellent quality and excellent customer service is beautiful, inspired and moving. She has a unique voice for offering comfort and encouragement. This book of poems is a treasure.

I CAN NOT WAIT FOR THIS ONE ON AUDIO.

I absolutely love Josie and her writing. These poems hit at the heart of everything. If you like poetry, pick this up. If you don't think you like poetry, PICK THIS UP and let Josie change your mind.

Josie has quickly become one of my favorite poets. She makes me remember periods in my life with precision. I cried through this but it also healed me in places I didn't know I needed. This was a perfect compilation of poems.

As someone who feels so deeply about ✨everything ✨ this book spoke right to my heart.

I have always loved Josie’s online videos and the way she makes so many people feel connected and seen is beautiful and stunning.

This book was a collection of some writing I had heard online and some that was new to me, but each one was beautiful and spoke to my soul.

I would encourage anyone who feels deeply, loves hard, and contemplates life a lot to pick this book up! They will feel seen within the pages of poetry!

Thank you to the author and Simon Element for the eARC! 🩵

I Hope You Remember - Josie Balka

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A collection of poems from viral TikTok poet Josie Balka about love, friendship, anxiety, body image, loss, grief, growing up, and growing old.

I was so excited to get an ARC for this book thanks to NetGalley and Simon Element. I’ve followed Josie on Instagram and TikTok for at least a year now and I have always connected with so many of her poems, no matter the topic. These were beautifully written, deeply poignant, and heartbreaking in all the right ways. I can’t wait to buy my own copy to mark up and highlight all my favorite lines!

Literally the only thing that would make this poetry collection better would be if Josie Balka herself narrated an audiobook version. I loved this so much - the collection was so wholesome, accurate, and soulful. I have followed Balka for a while, and was so excited to receive this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Highly recommend reading and purchasing a copy, because these poems will perpetually be timely.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my ARC!

A lovely and relevant book to that reaches out to your soul. The book progressed in a way that was relatable and enjoyable. It felt very real and like the author was letting the reader in.