Thanks to Penguin Canada for an e-ARC of this one! This is a beautiful book and I’m going to share others’ reviews of this one below to give a different perspective than mine. I think it has a lot of great messages but I came into this one expecting such a different story that it really affected my reading. This is about a friendship falling apart but whereas I was expecting a general falling out and being able to relate as someone who’s grown out of friendships over the years, this is instead about an incredibly toxic friendship where the MC’s “friend” spreads rumours, critiques her, and laughs when others insult her.

It’s a short read and fairly quick because it’s written in verse. And while it wasn’t the story of friendship I expected, I loved the ultimate message of empowerment and finding yourself, the unapologetic attitude of the MC in carving out space for herself to exist in — space that she has had to fight for as a Black person and a girl. That last poem really hit me and I’m excited to read more of this author’s writing.