So powerful, it could be a quick read, but I took the time to absorb everything. Kabal's writing is really nice, and it resonated so much with me as someone who has been quiet for a long time in my life. It felt like a friend held my hand and told me about his life. Allowed me to reflect on mine. Can't recommend this book enough!


"I am done apologizing for the sound of my life. For surviving loud. For loving loud. For choosing presence over permission. This is not rebellion. It does not seek opposition. It is reclamation.”

Mouthy is a beautiful and bold collection of poems and reflections from the author, with guided reflections included for the reader to complete. As someone who has always been “the quiet one,” and one who shrinks in the background, apologizes way too much, and very carefully chooses what to say (or too often says nothing at all instead), I resonated deeply with this book. I appreciated the reflections included throughout the different sections and the gentle encouragement from the author to, essentially, be here together. To walk the journey through this book together, no matter where we all are in our healing journeys. I have included a couple of favorite quotes that I resonated with below. It was difficult to narrow it down to only three.

“They liked me best when I was flexible. When I laughed things off. When I made space even while disappearing inside it.”

“I will not return there. If my refusal unsettles you, ask yourself who benefited when I stayed small.”

“I stopped apologizing for growing softer and louder at the same time. I stopped shrinking for the comfort of people who were never willing to grow with me.”

I want to thank author Kabal for writing this book and sharing with us. Reading this was healing in a way I didn’t quite expect, and I have a renewed sense of determination for healing this part of me and finding my voice. Thank you.

I highly recommend picking this book up! It feels even more important and powerful with everything happening in our world right now.

Thank you also to NetGalley and Woodbridge Publishers for the ARC opportunity!

A beautiful self-help book of poetry that reminds us to stop shrinking ourselves for others, to take up space, and to stop apologizing for being ourselves. There are prompts included in this book for journaling that are quite powerful to go through. I loved the mid-book chapter that asked us to rest, which I really needed at that mark due to the emotions this work brought up.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I will want to revisit this from time to time when I need it to remind myself to be authentic and to not suffer the silence of control.