thank you to netgalley, central avenue publishing and the author for providing me access to this e-arc! all opinions are my own.

the starlight she becomes is an intimate poetry collection, exploring (self-) love, belonging, gender, dysphoria, queerness, addiction, isolation, and so much more. in my opinion, reading this collection in one sitting is absolutely the way to go - the raw emotions and vulnerability that shine through every poem feel special, and as a queer person i could relate to a lot of it.

i have lots of favourites in this collection, but i especially appreciate "pocket-sized rebellion", "see me", "like mother" and "a letter to my past selves" as well as "a letter to my future self".

overall, stunning collection!

through reading this, I kept thinking the writing was like a softer Amanda Lovelace and to find out this is her wife made so much sense and made me smile so big because that is such a loving marriage, good for them. This is definitely a poetry book needed, especially in current times, and it was lovely seeing the slow explosion into the person Parker was always meant to be and how they embrace it now

Verses, stanzas, things with feelings, things which ring emotionally a bell in me and others I still found beautiful because they convey the story of someone who feels a lot.
It's beautiful.

Very interesting reflection of being at odds with yourself, written by a trans woman, which really gives you an insight into her journey. I really loved how it's separated into moonrise, sunrise, and stardust to represent the different stages of her life.

I related to moonrise, but stardust is full of hope and I really appreciate ending on that note.

"There is an emptiness inside I cannot explain - a longing for something I cannot give a name"

Parker's words are so impactful and poignant, even in the slightly less weighty pieces. The words are picked and placed perfectly to have the desired emotional effect on the reader, even when discussing choosing a character in Pokémon. Of course the depth of that decision ran so much deeper than just what pixels on a screen represented her over time. I loved how she took us through a journey from being closeted and dysphoric to openly trans and euphoric and loved, with a section dedicated to self discovery in the middle. Prose is woven throughout the book between pieces of poetry as well. As a non-binary human myself who has been through similar struggles and moments, I found her stories haunting, comforting, and familiar all at once. Also, bonus points for the breakdown of some of the poems titles at the end of the book. If you're a lover of (mostly) modern free-form poetry, I'd absolutely give "The Starlight She Becomes" a read. I'll leave you with my favorite stanza from the entire book.

"and even when my sunset comes and i drift to sleep
for the very last time, there will be no casket to close,
no grave to bury me in, because who i am cannot be
contained by anything less than the universe herself."

4.75 stars

Thank you to Central Avenue Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC of this poetry collection!

This is a beautifully written collection of poems from a trans woman who is still early in her transition. It talks about her life pre-transition, and how she struggled deeply with body image and alcoholism before realizing these issues stemmed from her gender identity. It also discusses the struggles and self doubts that come with transitioning, both the internal and external ones.

I really loved the poems that focused on the signs of transness that exist before you discover your true identity- because the signs are always there, and feel glaringly obvious in retrospect. I also love the connections with music made throughout the collection, as it helps ground it in the reality we all live in. My only issue was that some portions were more explicit then poetic in terms of their messaging. But, this is a super minor problem, and I highly recommend giving this poetry collection a read.

The best way, I can describe this poetry collection, is emotional. Not only from the way the poems talk about emotions, but also in the way it made me feel.
I cried multiple times throughout the book, sometimes from happiness or because the poems were just that beautiful, but just as often because it made me ache. For the author, for myself, for all of us trans and queer people, for the whole world.
There are many lines and entire poems that I would love to quote, but one that really stuck with me was this part from “hrt is alchemy”:
“i am the poem.
i am the masterpiece.
i am my greatest work.”
So, I highly recommend this poetry collection and am looking forward to reading more from the author.

A deeply personal and emotional collection of poems and prose, showcasing the author's deepest emotions, whether they're brighter or darker ones, just like life.

A powerful queer book with strong and inspiring message. Definitely worth reading.

"You are so much more than they could ever comprehend."

Absolutely beautiful poetry collection. Heartfelt, raw, inspiring. It was so hard incredibly lovely.

5/5⭐️

I’m a huge Amanda Lovelace fan so when I saw her wife was publishing a queer/trans centered poetry collection, I knew I had to read it! And I’m so glad I did! Queer to its core, this poetry collection is both tragic and hopeful at the same time, with the author agonizing over her darker past while looking forward to a brighter future. While not the most complicated or wordy poems, they were lovely and the messages were deep and meaningful. Looking forward to Parker’s next work!

Starlight She Becomes is a poetry collection detailing the author's journey through discovering herself and realizing her transness. This resonated deeply with me as someone trying to figure out my own identity. The emotions are raw and I could feel them through every line. 4.5/5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley for a free ARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Really heartfelt, insightful and inspiring. Made me feel all kinds of things.

My favourite poems were: “hate”, “do as i say not as i do”, “i dream about a version of me that still has friends”, “dysphoria iii”, “always becoming, never being”, “Lake Michigan”, “see me”, “conservative <s>views</s> hypocrisy”, “eradicate”, “pride 2023”, “regular”, “don’t wanna live, don’t wanna die” and “a letter to my past selves”

This was a book that opens your eyes to the reality of many people, trans people, to be more specific. With an honest and direct style, without ever losing her artistic flair, Parker Lee shares her experiences, from the most euphoric to the most devastating. Moments that would be familiar to anyone take on a different meaning through the author's pen.

There are many styles combined, and although prose is the most present, the most constant, there is a descriptive style in all the poems that serves as a common thread. Although there is a bit of everything, it is with her short prose that Parker shines most. While it is true that there are short sentences that seem like simple thoughts, these complement the longer segments.

While I certainly have no complaints about this book, I do have to say that it is quite experimental at times. It is not something one would normally expect unless one is already familiar with the author's style. For that reason alone, I would recommend reading at least one previous book to fully appreciate her writing style.

Overall, it's a beautiful read that explores identity and mental health from an honest and direct perspective. It's an especially important book given the times we live in, where LGBTQ+ identities, especially trans identities, have been under attack. With The Starlight She Becomes, Parker Lee speaks volumes and celebrates her femininity above all else.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this advanced readers copy. I am a huge supporter of the author for years now. I was very excited to be accepted to read this. I have a copy preordered as well. This was beautiful as her work always is. It was heartbreaking at times too. But also full of strength and love. Such an inspiring book. I can’t wait to get my copy.

These poems felt like connecting with an old friend. It felt like the poet was telling me a story aloud in conversation rather than simply reading the words she wrote. The poems are definitely set in a certain time and made me reflect on my life during those years, too. The emotions of the poet definitely bleed through the words. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

I was excited to read this, but felt the poetry needed more work and editing. The content is powerful and heartfelt, but nothing surprising in the use of language arts. It isn't "insta poetry" but it does read like diary entries with a few line breaks thrown in. We need more courageous and vulnerable poetry about gender, mental health, body dysmorphia, eating disorders, and sexuality. But the volume as a whole is only as strong as the individual poems, and their ability to stand on their own.

In The Starlight She Becomes, Parker Lee offers not just a collection of poems, but a roadmap of the soul’s unfolding. This is a book born of bravery—a testament to what it means to live one’s truth in a world that often demands silence from those it doesn’t understand.

What makes this collection unforgettable is its honesty. These poems do not posture or pretend. They ache. They fight. They rejoice. Each verse is laced with the quiet essence of becoming—of shedding what was never truly yours and reaching for what has always lived within. The result is a voice that is both raw and refined, vulnerable and fierce.

Some of the most powerful moments come when Parker turns inward, grappling not just with external perceptions and expectations, but with the struggle of internalized fear and doubt. In those poems, we meet the little girl who lived hidden for so long. We meet the woman who finally dares to speak. And we meet the artist—brilliantly unapologetic—who can now write her story on her own terms.

Reading The Starlight She Becomes is like holding someone’s hand as they walk through fire and emerge not untouched, but transformed. The fire is still there, the scars are still visible—but so is the beauty. So is the triumph.

This collection is more than poetry—it’s a testimony. It’s proof of life after silence. It’s a gift to anyone who has ever struggled to be seen, and a necessary mirror for those learning to see themselves for the first time.

Another beautiful poetry collection from Parker Lee! This heartfelt and triumphant work showcases Lee’s unmatched honesty about sobriety, identity, and self-love. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.

I got this as an arc on Netgalley and it will come out in July. This was an interesting collection of poems with a lot of good queer themes. It reads a lot like that poetry you see in novels lately that combines writing and poetry writing and creates something that flows.

This book makes some amazing observations and details an awe inspiring experience. More than one, in fact. So much so that it makes me sad that I didn't love it more than I did.

I'm also hesitant to call this a collection of poems. I'm not the first to note it, but this is definitely written more in a memoir style. The lack of capital letters does not make something poetry for me.

Still, there were definitely aspects of this collection that were achingly, devastatingly poetic. There were parts of it where I was hopeful. Other times that were difficult to read through their intensity (this isn't actually a bad thing, it means that it was evocative in those middle parts) and then, finally, there was the catharsis.

While I don't believe this was the author's best work, I definitely understand how it is the most important, and I love that for her. I love that Parker was able to find a home that would celebrate and keep this book in the format that it was created in, rather than trying to twist it out of its original shape.

But I feel that was more important for the author's experience, than for the reader's. This was a heartfelt memoir / journal style piece of writing that lacked cohesion at times to the outside viewer. It's a very private piece of literature that I feel will be incredibly important to those who walk a similar journey. I love that it introduced me to a new trans poet in Joshua Jennifer Espinoza.

But, though I own the other collections by this author and have loved reading them, I sadly don't think this one is one I'll personally be returning to.