Moon Truths

Moon Truths by Gabriella Ray was so refreshing. She found a way to express that women could be strong on their own but, could also be strong with the love of a partner. I found myself rereading several of the poems as I went through this book. I would gladly purchase a physical copy of this to put on my schedule and read again.

There is Beautiful imagery within these poems and the author captures many feelings in a visceral way. This would be a lovely gift for any women in your life!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Moon Truths, by Gabriella Ray, is an inspirational poetry collection for women. Written in a contemporary free-verse style, the poems are short but arresting, with powerful, sensual images. With a clear theme to show both the quiet strength and fierce vulnerability that make up a woman's soul, Ray's poems are also a sum of woman's experience. Many of the poems are named for the integral parts of a mature woman's whole: Beauty from Pain, Grace, Honor, Love, Self-Care, Balance, Gratitude.

My favorites in the collection were the ones at the collection's end - Book of Life & Origami. In them were the optimistic thoughts of a writer who sees each page as a fresh opportunity to create new meaning, and herself as the heroine of her own story. A story that will be brilliant, artistic - and a testament to the power of woman.

Moon Truths is thoughtful and reflective in the right ways. It’s a book I would gladly share with others.

Sometimes, you really need to read a book of poetry to remind yourself of your ability and how awesome you are. What I loved about this collection of poetry was that the pieces are short and easy to read; it become clear that you do not need dense poetry or pages upon pages to get a clear and concise message through. Women, obviously, are important. We need more poetry like this collection to continue to make this point clear. It is obvious that the author, Gabriella Ray, has come into her own power and honors who she is. I especially love the title and the connection between women and the moon. It is a connection that has been realized by cultures for years.

As far as negative qualities, I only want to keep reading more! The book is 51 pages, which is all poetry. However, I would have happily liked another 51 pages! There are times when a poem feels a little short or cut off, but it doesn't diminish the quality of the poetry.

I connected with several poems, but the piece titled “Discernment,” was a really strong piece for me. Having been through trials and coming to terms with who I am, as a woman, really drew me into this poem. There is also a line at the end of one of the earlier poems that reads, “underestimate me, we’ll see how long that lasts” that I also immediately grasped onto. What a beautifully written line denoting the power of the self, along with the power of being female and realizing your potential.

This is a book with an incredibly inspiring poetry. It speaks of self-love and acceptance..

It is a very short book, it has about 50 pages, so it shows us that poetry does not have to be in large quantities, nor in complicated language, to conquer a space in our heart. Despite this, I felt I needed more poems, more pages, MORE! I hope Gabriella presents us with more books with this kind of writing!

Gabriella Ray shows us that we can love and be loved, love others and love ourselves even more, be strong and vulnerable at the same time.

Reading this book is a journey of wonderful emotions, we always want to feel more and more. After I finished the book, I began to reread the poems all over again.

Moon Truths reminds you of how spectacular you are and inspires you to continue to believe that every day.

It is not a book with difficult vocabulary, so I recommend it to people who feel insecure by reading in English. This is a great book to get you started on the adventure that is read in English.

This was a quick but powerful read. I saw many of my own truths in the words, which were formed with thought and arranged with clear deliberation on the page. I found the allusions to science and the natural world delightful, and the variety of devices used interesting. I imagine I will read this one again many times for this and that reason in the future, and I think it would make a thoughtful gift to the women in my circle who will find comfort or understanding in its messages.

Moon Truths by Gabriella Ray is described as: "poetry to inspire, heal & empower women," and I could not sum up these beautiful poems better. The poetry ranges from self-care, finding calmness, and above all- love, both towards yourself and your partner. Most importantly this book of poems aims to empower women through their struggles as a community, but also by empowering yourself through self love.

Ray has a fantastic voice and rhythm in her poetry and I could feel the verses and beats in my head as I read them. Wow- what I would do to hear these poems said aloud. Not only is the writing soothing and calming, but the word choice itself is exquisite, yet still readable. I loved how the metaphors and similes were something I have never thought about before, but made perfect sense to me and resonated with me greatly.

My only complaint is that I wish there was more!

Thank you so much Netgalley, Gabriella Ray, and publisher for this ARC!

The publisher, Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), kindly offered me an advanced reader copy (ARC) of Moon Truths: poetry to inspire, heal & empower women by Gabriella Ray via NetGalley. Yet, this is an honest review of the book expressing my humble opinion.

Wow. That's all I can say about this absolutely stunning poetry book. The mere title of the book had set extremely high expectations. "Poetry to inspire, heal, and empower women" is everything I wanted in a book, and I'm extremely pleased to say that Moon Truths is a stunning must-read. Not only for fellow women, but for humankind no matter where people live. Raw emotions pour out of each page. Heartbreak, love, hope, breaking and healing at the same time; this book elicits it all.

This book transformed me and made me see myself under a new light, and yet, it made me feel like the power was within me all this time. Transformed, reborn, found, empowered, and simply felt like myself, all thanks to this outstanding poetry book.

5 stars - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Author: Gabriella Ray
Publisher: Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA)

I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. I have always been a lover of the written word. Especially poetry since I write some myself. The poems in this book made me feel good about myself and not just because I am a woman just because it was well done.