Yes, everyone is lonely and looking for something more. I liked the majority of the poems but I honestly believe we the people need to make different choices and not expect anyone to rescue or change us.

Reading A Rebellion of Care: Poems and Essays was my first exposure to the works of David Gate. I am impressed.

I like the format of the book, mixing both essays and poems. It gives readers a deeper look into the author's perspectives. As with any book, but especially essays and poetry, some of the writings resonate and some don't. This book left me wanting to read more by this author.

My sincere thanks to Convergent Books for permitting me to access a DRC of this book via NetGalley. Publication is 7/15/25. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own and are freely given.

I don't think I was the audience for this. It's not bad but it's so subjective that it's really hard to rate. I didn't find myself compelled to read more but I can imagine someone else might.

I found the essay part of the chapters the most engaging while the poetry was simple in form.

I believe this will be an important work in the future that illuminates the trajectory of humanity.

If you’re already highlighting in the introduction, you know it’s going to be a good book. This essay and poem collection gives a voice to things many of us have felt recently as we grow and learn and are, frankly, appalled at the state of… *gestures wildly* things. Gates’ writing is relatable, chapters often starting with an essay to set the tone, then expanding into perspective, art, and emotions with poetry.

Thank you to Netgalley and Convergent Books for the eARC. 3.5 stars rounded up.

There were pieces of this collection that I loved, and pieces that I didn't personally connect with, but I enjoyed this collection overall!

Thankfully, many of the pieces in David Gate's debut collection are brand new -- not a repeat of his Instagram feed. Loyal followers will recognize a few favorites, but they will also discover many new faves here. It drags toward the end and there were definitely a number of writings that seemed unnecessary or brash, but I highlighted dozens of lines and will recommend this one!

“ Often I can feel myself inching closer to the lip of despair. Maybe you can too? But I’m not ready to give up just yet. I still want all of this life.
A hummingbird song. Blueberries, raspberries, gooseberries. Michelin stars and Taco Bell. Tattoos on my body where the skin will wrinkle as I age. I still want it all.”

In the last few years, many of us have noticed that something feels off. The hustle to work, to make money, to put food on the table in a world of rising prices. To keep up with the Joneses, to purchase for convenience, to keep buying and consuming to fill a comic. Less time for community, more isolation, more loneliness, even as we crave connection now more than ever. What makes life worth living in the seemingly endless hellscape of capitalism? Where is the joy?

David Gate explores these questions in this poetry collection, many of which I have seen and loved on Instagram already. It’s incredibly difficult to capture all of these experiences, but somehow, he does it. From millennials tired of avocado toast jokes to the desperate desire to reconnect with nature to finding community, the struggles of a competitive modern world are outlined expertly and with great care.

Self-deprecating, irreverent (less panic, more disco made me laugh out loud), and sentimental, this book feels like a moment of relief in a world full of chaos.

I've been a long time fan of David Gate vis Instagram, and I was so excited to read this. It's a thoughtful collection and one that I'll be sharing with friends and revisiting often. Thank you so much to Netgalley for the ARC!

A Rebellion of Care by David Gate is a collection of poems and essays inspired by the life of its author. I found some of the more standout pieces to be incredibly thought-provoking. While I admired the creativity of the remaining selections, they lacked an entertainment factor, and the delivery came off cringey. Not to say that all written work must be "entertaining" or be written to a preset standard, but when something becomes a chore to read, it inevitably becomes less enjoyable.

I have been following David Gate on Instagram for a year or so now and couldn't wait to get my hands on a copy of this. Most of what was here in the book was his IG posts, I enjoyed reading it all together. His essays too hit some great points. Overall, enjoyable, cynical and well written.

A Rebellion of Care quickly became one of my favourite poetry collections. David's poetry is honest, humorous, and incredibly profound. I want to read it again and again.

David Gate begins this inspiring book of poems and commentary narrative saying, “ For the last thirteen years I have lived four thousand miles away from my nearest blood relative who isn’t one of my children. In that time, all our social and communal needs have been met by friends. Every single one..”
Hmmmm….intriguing. Gate is not anti-family but wants us to look beyond our comfort of family to world outside our 4 walls, to strangers who can become new forms of our family. This act can also teach our children to be at home in the world.
Gate explains, “Good families and good homes are not the goal. They are one solid foundation for children to blossom, and they are a playground for us all to learn commitment and forgiveness. But all that love and care isn’t meant to form perfect picture postcards—it is meant to go forth.”

If every single and married person read this book and took its message to heart, it would be a stupendous step forward to ending loneliness and the divisions we see so much of in America at this time.

This is one of the most important books I have read lately about how to live a good life.

I struggled with this book - I almost DNFed but decided to skim through the last third to give a cohesive review. I was unfamiliar with Gate’s work, and while I found that the short essays that started each chapter were (mostly) compelling, the poetry fell short of expressing the ideas he seemed to wish to convey. For one, I felt there were simply too many poems. A lot was thrown in there that seemed like they could be casual instagram post poems, and didn’t need to take up the page space, so that the better poems were better highlighted. I truly think Gate has good intentions, and is politically aware, but some of the poems felt performative when next to other poems about avocado toast and band name puns. I think that Gate does feel inclined to raise awareness about political issues, but the essays felt more compelling to me than the poems themselves, which felt contrived. I think there is a collection of poems in here worth highlighting, but unfortunately it gets lost with the constant thematic jumps between not just chapters, but between the poems themselves.

I enjoyed this collection so much! I’m a new poetry reader, and this might just be my favorite of the year. I am officially a David Gate fan, and will read more of him for sure. Loved Less Panic, More Disco. Adorable and fun. Also loved Give Flowers, beautiful and sentimental. Something for everyone. Loved it!
Thank you netgalley for the advance read!

Although the subject matter really interested me, the simple prose instead of verse really made the text unmemorable

There are times when you feel like you need a certain kind of book.
With all the chaos in the world right now, the news cycle, the division and anger, engaging in content feels both exhausting and important.
This book is a good balm to the way things currently are. There’s the anger and rage at injustice, poverty, violence, inequality, politics, and there’s also a call to return to simple pleasures - connecting with the earth, with each other, with small joy.
It is a book of poetry but I also enjoyed the essay at the start of each section.
I don’t know that I feel exactly the same as David Gate about every single issue, but there is a common humanity here and reading these poems is both thought provoking and challenging, yet soothing and comforting, depending on which one you’re reading.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of this book.

What a wonderfully, thoughtful collection of poems and prose reminding us what is important in life and to be a rebel against those things that aren't! Each section begins with the author's thoughts and feelings concerning a specific topic and then some poems based upon that topic follow. It would make a lovely gift or a book to keep out to read when you need something quick yet meaningful! It is a short book that packs a punch. For those sensitive readers, there is some sparse occurrences of strong language.

Rebellion of care showcases the values care work has within our society and screams at us to view it differently and more in depth.

The real world examples reenforces Gate’s opinion on this yet his examples often drags his point towards theory. This also leaves parts disjointed and hard to follow.

4.5 rounded up.

I've been following David Gate's work for several years on Instagram. His poetry is sparse and simple while profound. He explores everyday life, justice, home, and care for our fellow humans. I'm a fan. So when Convergent Books reached out with a digital review copy of this, of course I rushed to NetGalley to download it. Thank you!

This book contains much of Gate's poetry that I had already seen online, but I loved that they were collected in one place and divided into themed sections with an essay of introduction on each topic. Gate's words were at times challenging to my worldview, but in a way that was thought-provoking and poignant. If you've been a fan of any of his work before now, I highly recommend this. I'll certainly be getting a print copy for my shelves when it releases.