A review by inkdrinkers
Heavy is the Head by Sumaya Enyegue
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
"the goal is for us to grow up, right? boys morph into men and girls into gaping wounds" (Girlhood)
Sumaya Enyegue's debut poetry collection seeks to hurt - not heal. Tackling issues like girlhood, Blackness, generational trauma, sexual assault, and mental health, Heavy is the Head doesn't pull punches. It wants the reader to feel the collective hurt of the human experience, and to realize they aren't alone.
There wasn't a single poem I disliked in this collection. Out of the gate, Girlhood hits hard and the lyricism of Enyegue's writing is apparent with the way difficult topics are tackled. I adored the second poem in the collection and how the formatting varies from piece to piece. Each poem thereafter felt intentional and worthy of being included, which I appreciated. It felt cohesive in a way that both hurt and fit perfectly with the tone of the entire book.
I'm so happy to have received a copy of this! This is one of those poetry collections I need to have a physical copy of immediately so I can revisit it at-will and bury myself in the prose. I cannot wait to read more of Enyegue's work and will be eagerly awaiting what comes next.
Thank you to NetGalley and Central Avenue Publishing for providing me a copy of this book for an honest review.
Sumaya Enyegue's debut poetry collection seeks to hurt - not heal. Tackling issues like girlhood, Blackness, generational trauma, sexual assault, and mental health, Heavy is the Head doesn't pull punches. It wants the reader to feel the collective hurt of the human experience, and to realize they aren't alone.
There wasn't a single poem I disliked in this collection. Out of the gate, Girlhood hits hard and the lyricism of Enyegue's writing is apparent with the way difficult topics are tackled. I adored the second poem in the collection and how the formatting varies from piece to piece. Each poem thereafter felt intentional and worthy of being included, which I appreciated. It felt cohesive in a way that both hurt and fit perfectly with the tone of the entire book.
I'm so happy to have received a copy of this! This is one of those poetry collections I need to have a physical copy of immediately so I can revisit it at-will and bury myself in the prose. I cannot wait to read more of Enyegue's work and will be eagerly awaiting what comes next.
Thank you to NetGalley and Central Avenue Publishing for providing me a copy of this book for an honest review.