A review by corianderwrites
I Must Belong Somewhere: Poetry and Prose by Dawn Lanuza

5.0

This collection of poetry is a raw, and visceral work that comes from the heart. A bleeding heart. These poems work through heartbreak, loss, health problems and depression. Along with carrying the weight of gender roles, sexism and growing into womanhood, the author pointedly explores the harm and digression of these rules have on young girl and women everywhere. She makes the case for how womanhood has made her feel and how she now feels that she belongs upon getting her period. She declares how uncomfortable growing breasts and changing affected how boys. looked at her at a young age, and how it made her feel like an object instead of a person.

The themes here are not heavy handed but they are not light either. The poignant way in which Dawn Lanuza writes about her experiences is what creates just the right touch for these hard hitting sensitive topics. Even the way she talks about travel, and how traveling light has informed the way she lives is captivating and makes you recess the things that make you feel like yourself. This collection is near perfect to me, it makes you think without making you uncomfortable, it quietly unloads poignant thoughts in an effective way. This book gets five stars from me.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book.