I Must Belong Somewhere

Full of loneliness, beauty, and heartbreak Dawn Lanuza weaves together a haunting account of finding home, contentment, and so much more.

This was beautifully written, and at times, heartbreaking. I LOVED the trigger warning that was placed at the beginning of the book, and really wish more authors did this. My favorite had to be 95. Such a beautiful take on the wicked stepmother! I also loved how you almost seemed to go on a journey with Dawn, and towards the end, there was an optimistic light at the end of the tunnel.

Thank you to Netgalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for sending me an ARC copy of this book!

*Trigger Warnings: death, suicide, violence, bullying, injury, self-harm, body image, & sexism.

I can only describe this book as the feeling of being 22 and female. Of being an age where your collected memories transform into a recollection of how your life experiences are defining you as a human being.

After reading this book I feel:
* The reminiscence of teenage summer romances and heartbreaks.
*The essence of freedom, of craving more from your existence.

The poems read like a life unfolding with sorrow and self-realization. The realness of vacancy as people step in and out of your life, the sense of being the observer on the outside of a suicidal downfall, and the understanding that as a woman you have strength no matter how the world wants to suppress it.

Just as Lanuza wrote it herself, "Embrace what you have gone through."
That is the beauty these poems speak.

I really liked this collection of prose and poetry. I felt that it was a good look at mental health and how it affected her, but she also puts it in a very relevant relatable light. I felt that I could be reading about myself in some of these passages.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

I Must Belong Somewhere by Dawn Lanuza is a powerful and personal reflection on love, longing, and displacement. Told in beautiful and flowing prose, Ms Lanuza ruminates on her own journey of mental health and self- esteem. The topics covered are wide-ranging and eminently relatable, and I believe that this collection will resonate strongly with many readers.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I must belong somewhere is an amazing collection of poetries and prose, which talks about love, loss, acceptance, healing, changing and self-love. It is a unique, interesting and heart touching book. The poems are really relatable, some poems were touching, I felt they were talking about me, all the things I felt. Some poetries are truly feminist and empowering. The cover is really beautiful. And the illustrations in between the pages is a bonus for the readers. If I have to describe this book in one word, it would be magical. This book is perfect for the fans of Rupi Kaur and Amanda Lovelace.

Beautifully written and laid out. Self hope, self love, anxiety and depression mixed with self doubt. I felt like this book was speaking to me and for me. It was so beautifully written and resonated to my core. Highly recommend. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This collection of poetry is a raw, and visceral work that comes from the heart. A bleeding heart. These poems work through heartbreak, loss, health problems and depression. Along with carrying the weight of gender roles, sexism and growing into womanhood, the author pointedly explores the harm and digression of these rules have on young girl and women everywhere. She makes the case for how womanhood has made her feel and how she now feels that she belongs upon getting her period. She declares how uncomfortable growing breasts and changing affected how boys. looked at her at a young age, and how it made her feel like an object instead of a person.

The themes here are not heavy handed but they are not light either. The poignant way in which Dawn Lanuza writes about her experiences is what creates just the right touch for these hard hitting sensitive topics. Even the way she talks about travel, and how traveling light has informed the way she lives is captivating and makes you recess the things that make you feel like yourself. This collection is near perfect to me, it makes you think without making you uncomfortable, it quietly unloads poignant thoughts in an effective way. This book gets five stars from me.

The way Dawn Lanuza weaves words and finishes with a majestic masterpiece that leaves you with a question about your whereabouts is topnotch!

I rarely read poetry books because, as a training poet, I have a rule to reduce poetry consumption to avoid duplication of style and copying of voice but when I saw this galley available for review, I immediately downloaded and devoured it.

I Must Belong Somewhere is a questioning book.

You'll see yourself asking where do you belong as you flip the last pages of this galley because as humans, we tend to seek the feeling of being home in places, people, and things we feel comfortable.

The vivid description of how the voice of the story transcended from childhood to adulthood without having definite answer to her own questioning is purely human and resonates with me in a personal level.

Overall, this coming-of-age book is highly-recommended for readers from all walks of life because at the end we are all human and the most fitting answer to our own questioning is the title of this book, I Must Belong Somewhere.

I found myself relating to a lot of the later poems in this collection. I think the beginning reflects more of a physical sense of moving around too much to feel at home anywhere while the second half felt like the kind of lost I’ve always experienced; an internal sense of not knowing what is best for myself or *who* is best for me. I think the overarching theme, but from two different angles was really well done and I really enjoyed this collection!

*4.5 stars
Trigger warning: This book contains discussions on death, suicide ideation, violence, bullying, injury, self-harm, body image, sexism, and mental health. As mentioned on the first page. I'm praising the author for inserting the trigger warnings.

This book is a powerful reflection on oneself's life in longing, displacement..., It is beautifully written and emotional. I think it is perfect for early teens looking back. The author shows her struggles and her journey with mental health and self-esteem.

<p>This is extremely raw which makes it all better, and it helps you to connect with the author on a deeper level. I found myself in some of her poems and prose. Excellent collection</p>

With a premise as human as existential doubts and personal problems, this collection of poems is wonderful for those who need to immerse themselves in their thoughts with comfort and understanding.

I am a novice poetry reader and am looking for the things I connect with best. Some have been hits, some have been misses for me. Some modern poetry has felt trite, repetitive, and shallow. Other collections have hit home I suspect due to where I am in my life. I think all poetry is for someone, though. I struggle to "review" poetry because it is, at the end of the day, someone's art. Whether it resonates with me or not, it is someone's art and it will resonate with someone somewhere.

That being said, I really loved this collection and found that it was a lovely balance between the ethereal, romantic kinds of modern poetry I have enjoyed, and something a bit more down to earth. I did not feel so far removed from the experience being expressed by the words that I couldn't connect (which is sometimes a struggle for me especially with classic poetry), and it did not feel as shallow as some of the modern stuff I've been reading lately. I just thoroughly enjoyed the words of this poet.

In this collection, Lanuza touches on themes of longing, belonging, healing, loneliness, identity, mental health, and more. Modern poetry can often be hit or miss for me, as some of it, unfortunately, feel cliché and surface level. While I did find some of these pieces to be trite, others helped unearthed parts of me that I had pushed down or ignored. The poems within are in turns moving, raw, vulnerable, joyful, and uplifting. Even many of the shorter pieces strike powerful chords that resonate long after you've turned the page. This is the first collection I have read of Lanuza's poetry, but I now fully intend to check out the others! I also want to express my thanks to all authors and books that provide trigger/content warnings at the start; this is something that may seem small but is extremely important, and really shows that extra bit of effort and care for the reader.

My thanks to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

trigger/content warnings: death, suicidal ideation, violence, bullying, injury, self-harm, body image, sexism, mental health.

I Must Belong Somewhere by Dawn Lanuza is the first poetry book I've read since.. ever. And I have to admit, I absolutely adored it.

I Must Belong Somewhere reads as a personal journal. It's a story about love, loss, fragility, longing and loneliness. The subjects aren't easy and light, but I read this novel in one sitting. The writing is beautiful and modern. It felt relatable and honest, which made me connect with the author. This is a wonderful and powerful collection of poems.

Trigger warning at the beginning of the book; death, suicidal ideation, violence, bullying, injury, self-harm, body image, sexism, mental health

Though I don't have personal experience with a lot of the topics of the poems, they still made me reflect internally on my life, and feel less alone. The second half of this book in particular was emotionally resonant. Unlike many of the poetry collections that I have read lately, Lanuza's poetry and prose are equally evocative. I would recommend this collection.

Oh, the never ending journey of finding home, a place where you are loved as you are- and with this collection I felt young again, hopeful, fearful and heartbroken.
It was the journey I never thought I needed to take.
Thanks Netgalley for an eARC.

I really enjoyed this poetry collection. I found the poems honest and raw. Like most poetry collections some poems I really related to and some just missed the mark for me, however I found that the feelings of loneliness and longing really came through. I really enjoyed how Lanuza used different length and style to reflect different feelings throughout the collection. There really was a sense of longing that I think a lot of people can relate to.

I loved that a trigger warning was placed at the beginning of this collection. It was very nice to see.

I absolutely recommend this book to poetry readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for an eARC copy of this book.

4/5 stars!
I read another one of Lanuza's works THE LAST TIME I'LL WRITE ABOUT YOU, early in 2020 and I quite liked it. Although it did not leave a lasting impression on me, that collection was pretty likeable.
So when I saw that I MUST BELONG SOMEWHERE was available to read, I jumped at the opportunity - to see what turn Lanuza's writing had taken. Needless to say, I was quite impressed. I think I MUST BELONG SOMEWHERE was a wonderful improvement on the previous book and I was in love. The words were simply magic and really touching. The prose works were also very powerful - especially the women-centric ones. The overall tone was very nostalgia-induced and I for one was all for it! I think this one was a must-read! do check it out!

Dawn Lanuza inspires readers in "I Must Belong Somewhere" with works of relationship themes and the empowerment needing to get through it all.

I devoured this book and was ready to give it 5 stars early on.

Lanuza's poems are simple but articulate and beautiful and relatable. She doesn't use flowery language, complex grammar or poetic style, big bold words. I think her stories and emotions are able to read clearly is because they don't get lost behind useless adjectives and superfluous words. And there is something about the way she arranges words, simple everyday words, that expresses emotions and pain elegantly and as a reader I felt them and many times thought "She has perfectly expressed everything I could never find the words for". But it didn't cut me to the core like other poetry books (that I had to put down, lovely but painful), Lanuza's words real and relatable as they were, were more the reflecting kind for me. After many poems I found myself staring into space, letting the words sink in, the feelings sink in.

This is absolutely a book I intend to buy, need to own, need to feel, to mark my favorite poems, would buy for friends.

I absolutely loved this poetry collection! I felt so related with so many poems that it felt like it was talking to me. I hghly recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read this before publication date!

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

I must belong somewhere is a powerful book of poetry addressing many things that can often be taboo subjects such as loneliness, displacement, gender and so on.
This poetry digs under your skin and makes you stop and ponder the verses and poems written and reflect upon them.

Thank you Andrews McMeel Publishing for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It's too early for me to write a review and I have to say I Must Belong Somewhere is by far Ms. Lanuza's best poetry collection...yet. The poems are personal and majority of them struck me. Some of us are finding the sense of belonging, there are moments we felt invisible in a crowd and it hurts not being seen for being yourself. Reading them is like a reflection of what I've experienced. It made me emotional at some point and I had to sit back and breathe. I may not be a fan of its structure but the way it made me feel is a plus.

This collection also talks about various topics which might triggered you such as depression, self-harm, suicide etc. Please keep this in mind before reading it.

"2.
Every once in a while she is convinced that she doesn't belong here anymore.
Yet she doesn't know where she should be just yet.
She finds herself where she is because she doesn't know where else to be.

Where would you go? she asks herself. If everything would be taken care of, where would you rather be?
But she can't see it that way yet.

Her mind carries all of the worry and the weight.
Sometimes, when she’s in a new place, wandering and learning its streets, she just hears herself sighing, I must belong somewhere.

She hasn't found it yet,
but she hasn't given up on the idea of it."

Thank you NetGalley and Andrews McMeel for providing me with a temporary e-arc.

I didn't sign up to start tearing up at the first page LOL. Also, this poetry collection comes with a trigger warning. Practise self-care before, during and after.

Written during her year of rest and travel, I Must Belong Somewhere is Dawn Lanuza's third poetry collection.

Being a tear-jerker with poems that wind around your heart and say 'I hear you', I Must Belong Somewhere takes you on a stirring journey and reaches out to assure you that this collection is where you belong. Exploring the feeling of displacement and yearning to feel at home while looking back on to the companionship and love left behind, this poetry collection is truly one of the best poetry collections to have written.
It is so hard for anyone to read this book and not feel that Dawn just touched a part of you that no one has been able to yet. Dawn Lanuza weaves heart-rending poems on topics that are difficult to dive into such as bullying, death, mental health, slut-shaming & sexism with focus on 'not feeling at home' and 'yearning and hoping for that feeling home'.

Dawn dives into exploring wanderlust in a way like never before. When I said earlier that this book gives you a feeling of belonging, I meant it. Even if it is impermanent, it is still lasting for a moment. That counts for something. Dawn weaves poems of different lengths- each with its own intimate touch that lingers on your mind for a fair amount of time.

Even when few of the poems felt out of place breaking the reverie this collection takes you into, they were still impactful, heart-rending and thought-provoking. It also contains a few illustrations- they made a mark on me. I found myself annotating poems and saving them in my personal collections so many times over this read and I would do it again sometime this week since I am craving for what this book had offered me.

There is something therapeutic about this particular read. It will always be one of the collections you will find me recommending to anyone looking for a perfect read when you need comfort or to feel sadder but end the session with a nice note.

Rating: 3.75/5

I saw this poetry collection on a friend's Instagram stories and immediately knew I had to get it. I was absolutely ecstatic when I saw that this was ready to read and now that I have read this, I know that somehow, the author knows who I am without knowing of my existence. There were so many points in the book where I paused, choked back my tears, collected myself, and then went on because it hit so close to home! I don't want to be that person who fills up reviews with excerpts from the book, but this is a book to be savored. And that's all I'm going to say for now until I can formulate my thoughts better.

I'm just going to leave you with these two verses that wrecked me:

Despite my knowledge,
these words swirl around
my belly,
a fetus of doubt and worry,
a voice in the back of my head
saying my existence
depends only on my ability
to birth another life.

"You should toughen up"
is why I'm hard on myself.
I've been told I'm soft.
--- like "soft" is a bad word

I am a big fan of this style of poetry. I must say that before anything else.
I love when there is a thematic element (belong, in this one) that courses through a collection. I love when the poet considerately thinks to arrange the poetry with longer pieces next to shorter ones. And I love a well-placed illustration. There's variety, but depth. There's love, but also loss.
A beautiful work! I admire it greatly.

“𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘦𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮. 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵. 𝘔𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐’𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨.”⁣
⁣
This poetry was beautiful. So many verses were so relatable and powerful from discussing love to longing and everything in between. ⁣
⁣
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you #netgalley for an ARC for my honest review. #imustbelongsomewhere

A really introspective and thought-provoking collection of poetry - a good choice to read at the end of the year; a reminder to be kinder to yourself and appreciate what we've all survived this year.

Thanks to Andrews McMeel Publishing for the DRC!

Great collection of prose and poetry! I love Dawn Lanuza's books. I can see myself in so many of these pages. She addresses some very delicate topics, it's not always easy to read about such feelings... But at the same time, somehow she still manages to bring some positivity into it. I feel really good after finishing this book. Totally recommend it.

ARC was provided by NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

This review is being published before the release date (January 5th, 2021)

Content/Trigger Warnings: Death, suicide ideation, violence, bullying, graphic injuries, self-harm, body shaming, sexism, mental health/illness, toxic relationships, abandonment, depression, anxiety



“I must find a way to still choose myself despite holding on to you.”

I’m a firm believer that poetry, literature, and a plethora of other things can come into our lives when we need them the most. If I’m being honest, if this didn’t come into my life right now, I probably wouldn’t have given this as high of a rating as I have. Modern poetry and prose is something I have to be in a particular mind set or in a certain part of my life where I feel like it’ll be helpful to read. And reading this book right now, it has been a blessing.

This was such a well written collection that’s beautiful, and at times very heart breaking. I loved how every thing flowed and nothing seemed out of place. Everything was connected to one another whether it was a poem or prose. I think that’s one of the hardest parts modern poetry face, making everything flow together, but this author did a wonderful job of accomplishing that. And really loved that despite some of the hard themes throughout this book, there’s an optimistic feeling at the end. It was such a great way to end the book.

My most favorite thing of this whole book was the content and trigger warnings at the very start of this. I say this every time, authors should include these in their books and when the do, damn it’s the best feeling. Seeing an author take the time to add these at the beginning of their book, it’s like a little pat from the author saying, “I see you and I acknowledge your mental health.” It’s just a really great way for authors to show they care about their readers.

“I grew wings, but sometimes in between, I think I left my heart where you’ve been.”

Overall, I think this was a well-written book that many readers are going to connect with. I think many readers will find validation in their feelings or find a way to heal with this book. For me, with my whole chest, I believe this book came into my life when I needed it the most and that left a big impression with me.


The quotes above were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.

3.5 rounded up! ✨

TW: suicide, self-harm, bullying

I think this is the first poetry and prose book that I read that was written by a Filipino author. And girl, it didn't disappoint. Some poems are relatable, some are inspiring and some are full of hope. I liked that it somehow tackled the importance of mental health.

Thank you Dawn Lanuza for this! I will try to read your other books. Thank you also to Andrews McMeel Publishing for the ARC!

This was such a lovely read. I enjoyed reading it and I had a few favourites from the book. I recommend.

@Thanks NetGalley for giving me the access to read this wonderful story. It was such an emotional journey. I loved every line of this book. I give 4 stars to this wonderful book.

3 / 5

Dawn Lanuza is an upcoming author of novels and poetry that I believe has a lot of potential. Her poems are raw and unfiltered. I like and can relate to many of her thoughts and feelings.

I really loved some of her poems, they struck very deep chords in me as I share some sentiments of her life. Being Filipino, finding a new home, pondering what a home really is.
On the other hand, some of her poems fell flat in their sincerity and presentation for me. I also felt that the general flow of the book was scattered at times. The order and feelings a bit messy.
Sometimes it felt as though I was just reading notes of hers. Not quite finished, polished works. Though I suppose there’s charm to that. I’m certainly no expert, but my wish is she find a bit more control and finesse in her writing to create a more developed and put together collection.
She has great potential, but also much room to improve, which I am sure she will with more practice and years under her belt.

I am excited to see where her career takes her. I’d be interested to read more of her work in the future. There are some beautiful gems in this collection. I hope she keeps mining for more.

I found myself relating to some of the poems in this book as this poetry collection deals with more themes than the usual ones. I enjoyed reading this one and I think it is Dawn Lanuza's best work so far.

I’m a big poetry reader, and I’m always excited to find a new, interesting poet to read. Dawn Lanuza is definitely a serious talent, and if this collection is any indication I will be reading more of her!

I like the entire vibe of I Must Belong Somewhere. It’s a collection that would perfectly pair with Taylor Swift’s folklore and evermore and a glass of wine. It’s an collection that reminds me of the Jo March champagne problems fan video I’ve been watching on YouTube on repeat. Lanuza’s poems perfectly capture the sense of messy 20s restlessness and experiences of love lost and love not right. I particularly loved the poems that focused on restlessness and figuring out where home was and how to find it.

The prose was a little less successful for me than the poems themselves. I felt like the collection could’ve been tighter structurally, but when it worked it really worked. I would definitely recommend this collection, and I can’t wait to read more of Lanuza’s work!

Thanks to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I loved this. The writing style was lyrical and beautiful. The poems were relatable and easy to read. I loved the little illustrations throughout the book. It was such a pleasant read I would love to check out more from this author.

This book of poetry is about finding your place: moving, searching, discovery, loss. Exploring a city and finding the ‘yours’ in it. It’s part memoir of the temporality of a nomadic childhood, and part love letter to finding magic in where you make your home. The writing style has something familiar to it that’s reminiscent of a classic storybook tale: it feels age-old, but told in a slightly ethereal, meandering, wondering new voice. I, too, am a ‘suitcase’ who moved around a lot as a kid, so this tugged at my kindred heartstrings. It has some beautiful moments that I want to go back to already, about the bumps along the road that might harden our soft parts. It made me think about that popular quote, but, instead: those who wander might have been lost for a minute, but they found their way back. And aren’t we all just wandering, here? These poems, at their essence, capture the goodness of going home.

Took me a while to read it, but when I did I felt related to the words that had been written down. Not for the faint hearted. Its very relatable...

I found this poetry to be deeply personal and moving. While some poems are more relatable to a specific person, I still enjoyed reading the ones I didn’t identify with.

Beautiful, personal, heartfelt.
Poetry is a very personal. To write. To share. To read. It always makes reviewing poetry difficult because some people will review something harshly, not because it’s not well done but just because it doesn’t connect with them....or vice versa and review it well.
In this collection of poems, I found such beautiful belonging—just as stated in the title. A beautiful sense of being seen and known and understood.
Of course not every poem moved me the same way, but overall the collection was wonderful.
A few of the statements and lines of prose hit me so deeply I had to note them and write them down. Goodness, she said it exactly how I have felt without being able to articulate those feelings, but she did. And I believe that makes wonderful poetry.