January 1, 2024 by Kokila
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
In this collection of free verse and short form poems, Watson takes a look at her own tween and teen years and encourages readers of the same age to embrace their truths and stand up to societal challenges. Starting with an elaborate version of the traditional "I'm From" poem, we see how Watson's Jamaican culture and Pacific Northwest residence, along with many other factors, shaped her outlook on life. She discusses family members and how they influenced her, but give us a healthy dose of small, daily memories like hand-clapping games and struggles with hair care. Some of the poems are more prose-like and explanatory, and some are gem-like haikus and tankas. World events, like the Rodney King beating, are shown against the backdrop of Watson's own experiences, putting them into an interesting perspective. Many of the poems highlight very specific ages or birthdays, and outline some of the challenges Watson faced. It's interesting to see these from a single perspective, knowing that they are still something that many young girls still experience. There's even a helpful and prescriptive "How To Survive Your Teen Years" poem. The end of the book is filled with poems paying tribute to some of the women in recent years who were killed in horrible and racist incidents, like Breonna Taylor or Renisha McBride. The verse is accompanied by Holmes' beautiful and colorful paper collage artwork.
This is a good choice for readers who liked the history in Grimes' Legacy, the girl power themes in Naomi Shihab Nye's Amaze Me, or the mix of art and poetry in Reynolds and Griffin's Ain't Burned All the Bright.
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