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A review by monetp
The Girl and the Goddess: Stories and Poems of Divine Wisdom by Nikita Gill
5.0
THIS IS A NETGALLEY ARC REVIEW.
"It's okay to feel like you're drowning inside your own bones sometimes." ~ [b:The Girl and the Goddess: Stories and Poems of Divine Wisdom|49814602|The Girl and the Goddess Stories and Poems of Divine Wisdom|Nikita Gill|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1595209290l/49814602._SX50_.jpg|74930769]
This was my first [a:Nikita Gill|7757886|Nikita Gill|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1432646214p2/7757886.jpg] book and ohmygosh I loved everything about it! This was one of those books that I read at the perfect time. I was feeling homesick at college and the line: "I read somewhere the first month of going away to university is the hardest. After that you get busy. They don't say it gets easier" really helped me combat that homesickness. This book nourished my soul with the beautiful artwork, intriguing use of mythology, and feminist narrative.
My favorite poems in this collection were "How To Be a Revolution of a Girl" and "What I Have Learned About Sisterhood." In the first, I love the list format, the theme, and the gorgeous writing style. It spoke to my feminist writing side. In the second, every line reminded me of the wonderful girlfriends I have found in college. After reading the poem, I loved that it left me with the feeling that I should immediately text them and tell them how much they mean to me! Also the poem "If Birthdays Were Movies" meant a lot to me emotionally. It reminded me of how much I struggled as a child to make and keep friends. This poem touched my heart. The poems about Sean were lovely too - they all felt like a love letter to friendship.
Something I didn't notice until later in the collection was just how atmospheric the writing was. I love how Gill set a scene with each poem. One of my favorite instances of this was: "I laid my pen down finally and looked out of the window as the cold mist blew around the city, the roofs of buildings shadows against a soft orange-gold sky...Nothing haunts me in this silence." Like wow, I felt like I was instantly transported to London!
There is hardly anything I would critique about this poetry collection. The book's length is perfect and all the poems told a cohesive story, which isn't even necessary in poetry but I loved it here. I was confused when the different gods and goddesses were visiting Paro. It wasn't until near the end of the book that the reader got an explanation for that. I would've preferred it explained earlier, but I like that Gill explains why she waited until the end. Since Paro is confused as to why she's seeing gods and goddesses, the reasoning for these experiences isn't explained until Paro herself understands it. Overall I can't wait to read all of Gill's poetry after reading such a phenomenal book! This truly was an experience.
Some of my favorite lines:
"I see Narnia, I see a fairytale land."
"I am a storm-skinned child."
"I dreamed of a different world - one where I was allowed to be a child as long as I needed to be."
"After all, it doesn't make for a happy ending to them when a woman is able to stand up to years of patriarchal oppression with a simple phrase: 'No more.'"
"I learn that day just how someone can use their privilege to champion others and help them rise too."
"Alone has treated me kinder than lonely ever could. Alone is the comfort of libraries. The solace of Audre Lorde's poetry."
"I have no sisters. Maybe it is time you found some."
"People are most exquisite when they talk about what they love."
"...how people treat women who come forward. We are called liars and troublemakers, besmirched with wretched reputations ever after."
"It's okay to feel like you're drowning inside your own bones sometimes." ~ [b:The Girl and the Goddess: Stories and Poems of Divine Wisdom|49814602|The Girl and the Goddess Stories and Poems of Divine Wisdom|Nikita Gill|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1595209290l/49814602._SX50_.jpg|74930769]
This was my first [a:Nikita Gill|7757886|Nikita Gill|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1432646214p2/7757886.jpg] book and ohmygosh I loved everything about it! This was one of those books that I read at the perfect time. I was feeling homesick at college and the line: "I read somewhere the first month of going away to university is the hardest. After that you get busy. They don't say it gets easier" really helped me combat that homesickness. This book nourished my soul with the beautiful artwork, intriguing use of mythology, and feminist narrative.
My favorite poems in this collection were "How To Be a Revolution of a Girl" and "What I Have Learned About Sisterhood." In the first, I love the list format, the theme, and the gorgeous writing style. It spoke to my feminist writing side. In the second, every line reminded me of the wonderful girlfriends I have found in college. After reading the poem, I loved that it left me with the feeling that I should immediately text them and tell them how much they mean to me! Also the poem "If Birthdays Were Movies" meant a lot to me emotionally. It reminded me of how much I struggled as a child to make and keep friends. This poem touched my heart. The poems about Sean were lovely too - they all felt like a love letter to friendship.
Something I didn't notice until later in the collection was just how atmospheric the writing was. I love how Gill set a scene with each poem. One of my favorite instances of this was: "I laid my pen down finally and looked out of the window as the cold mist blew around the city, the roofs of buildings shadows against a soft orange-gold sky...Nothing haunts me in this silence." Like wow, I felt like I was instantly transported to London!
There is hardly anything I would critique about this poetry collection. The book's length is perfect and all the poems told a cohesive story, which isn't even necessary in poetry but I loved it here. I was confused when the different gods and goddesses were visiting Paro. It wasn't until near the end of the book that the reader got an explanation for that. I would've preferred it explained earlier, but I like that Gill explains why she waited until the end. Since Paro is confused as to why she's seeing gods and goddesses, the reasoning for these experiences isn't explained until Paro herself understands it. Overall I can't wait to read all of Gill's poetry after reading such a phenomenal book! This truly was an experience.
Some of my favorite lines:
"I see Narnia, I see a fairytale land."
"I am a storm-skinned child."
"I dreamed of a different world - one where I was allowed to be a child as long as I needed to be."
"After all, it doesn't make for a happy ending to them when a woman is able to stand up to years of patriarchal oppression with a simple phrase: 'No more.'"
"I learn that day just how someone can use their privilege to champion others and help them rise too."
"Alone has treated me kinder than lonely ever could. Alone is the comfort of libraries. The solace of Audre Lorde's poetry."
"I have no sisters. Maybe it is time you found some."
"People are most exquisite when they talk about what they love."
"...how people treat women who come forward. We are called liars and troublemakers, besmirched with wretched reputations ever after."