A review by cxrx
Heavy is the Head by Sumaya Enyegue

challenging emotional slow-paced

2.0

[TBA: I received an ARC of the book from Central Avenue Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.] 

I’m very sorry to be giving this book such a low rating. From its title and the blurb (a poetry collection about girlhood, sexual assault, racism and mental health, celebrating blackness), I had very high expectations and went into it thinking I would love it. 

However, as is always the case, poetic style and substance is highly subjective - and I’m afraid Enyegue’s just didn’t work for me. 

While I’m sure that the author poured her heart and soul into these poems, she couldn’t get through to me. With the exception of a few lines, I didn’t feel this collection imparted anything new or outstanding, nor did it convince with exceptional literary prowess. 

A lot of the poems read like an unformed stream of consciousness, which is a form of writing that I don’t enjoy. The collection was also quite long, when a smaller (and more edited) selection of poems would have worked better in my opinion.