Review by Booklist Review
The pages of this anthology run the gamut of emotion and experience. The authors, representing a diverse selection, share 21 poems of joy, rage, sorrow, and defiance that are both beautifully illustrated and printed on standalone pages, letting readers see how the words can be shaped on their own. Artists provide artwork that illuminates the narratives and emphasizes the mood and tone of the accompanying words. Themes of femininity and womanhood are presented in many ways, such as the straightforwardly named poem, "[You know what living means? Tits out, tits in the rain. Tits]," and the hopeful "To the cherry blossoms on 16th and Wharton." Back matter includes an extensive study guide, useful as a teaching tool and for anyone curious about influences and references found in several of the works. Many of the questions encourage active reading, asking readers to consider their positions, their politics, and their own creativity. Recommended for those who would appreciate a thoughtful and vibrant dive into the art of cis female, trans, and nonbinary poets.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
This ambitious anthology of feminist comics poetry aims high, and soars in some selections. Each chapter opens with a short comic, which interprets a poem, which is replicated as original text following the comic. Every talent assembled, from the poets to the illustrators to the letterers, identifies as a woman or as nonbinary, and the ground they cover is vast, touching on the exhilaration of childbirth, the alienation of immigration, and the timelessness of great art. There are successes here: the "University Toxic" comic by Kaylee Rowena uses vibrant color to drive home the realities of workplace harassment as portrayed in Laura Hinton's poem, while Y Sanders's comic "Drown" packs eroticism into intricate inking that expresses a fulsome narrative arc with a mere handful of panels, representing the poem by Venus Thrash. But in other pairings, ironically more prosaic visual interpretations of a poem's dominant images elide their textual complexity (Maggie Smith's "Good Bones" is interpreted literally in the comic by Carola Borelli as a real estate transfer), while meter, text alignment, and deliberate use of letter case disappear when poems are adapted into comics panels. The artistic fusion, when it works, offers a theatricality akin to a slam poet playing on stage. These moments could serve to pique the interest of comics fans in poetry--or perhaps vice versa; it's a curious experiment, in any case. (May)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 10 Up--Focusing on sexuality, gender, identity, and nature, this graphic novel anthology of 23 feminist poems also explores related mature or emotionally heavy topics: sexual harassment, pregnancy and parenthood, miscarriage, and the implied violence of war, racism, or political upheaval. The artwork features some nudity in various poems, including at least one depiction of an explicit sexual act between two consenting adults. The lines of poetry are included in narrative boxes strategically placed throughout the illustrations, and are also shared immediately afterward as plain but intentionally formatted text. Though the illustrations are by different artists, the styles nevertheless complement one another through often cool palettes, occasionally relying on watercolor and colored pencil. The crisp blue of large bodies of water shows up in multiple poems, as do deeper-hued blues as they begin to approach the darker indigo depths of the night sky, occasionally punctuated by the warmth of a desert scene or a setting sun. The complexity of the artwork varies greatly, from simple loose, sweeping lines in front of color block backgrounds to intricate pieces with details that draw the eye to every inch of the imagery. Study guide questions and creator biographies can be found in the back matter, alongside samples of the process art. Creators and characters depicted are diverse in race, gender, and sexual identity. VERDICT Given the combination of topic and format, this likely isn't one most teens will pick up on their own. Still, this varied collection of illustrated poetry has depth to both words and illustrations. High school collections where poetry is in demand, or where educators need texts for poetry units, will find it useful.--Alea Perez, Elmhurst P.L., IL
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