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becoming.
Everyone understands that life is hard, but self-love and dedication will always be the key.
becoming. is a beautiful debut collection of poetry centering around themes of feminism, sexuality, race, and mental health. Renaada Williams’s 100+ poems are short, personal, emotional tributes to the things that make us different and a celebration of all the things that make us the same. A journey through life, love, and loss, becoming. reminds the reader that there is always a light at the end of the tunnel.
becoming. is a beautiful debut collection of poetry centering around themes of feminism, sexuality, race, and mental health. Renaada Williams’s 100+ poems are short, personal, emotional tributes to the things that make us different and a celebration of all the things that make us the same. A journey through life, love, and loss, becoming. reminds the reader that there is always a light at the end of the tunnel.
130 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 13, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 165 reviews
January 5, 2020
Think I've acquired a new skill in 2020: Finding good poetry collections to read on KU! Becoming is full of short, sweet but poems that get to the point. I felt very relatable to some of the content included. Some of the grammar at times was a little hard to read. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it.
May 22, 2020
While the themes of heartbreak and redemption and self-acceptance are good, I don't tend to be a fan of instagram-style poetry like this example:
some say
if it doesn't hurt
it can't be love
but
if it does
you
shouldn't want it anyway
Can't argue with the sentiment, but not my favorite style of poetry, and if the language of the poems doesn't move me, it's not likely the message will either. Just not for me.
some say
if it doesn't hurt
it can't be love
but
if it does
you
shouldn't want it anyway
Can't argue with the sentiment, but not my favorite style of poetry, and if the language of the poems doesn't move me, it's not likely the message will either. Just not for me.
October 20, 2020
"you
were the definition of
what a man
father
and a friend
should be.
you
always make something out of nothing possible"
I just got lost in this collection.
It's genuine.
It's heartwarming.
It's emotional.
It's liberating.
I just felt that this collection ended too soon.
I am always going to read whatever this author writes in the future.
Thanks NetGalley for the copy.
were the definition of
what a man
father
and a friend
should be.
you
always make something out of nothing possible"
I just got lost in this collection.
It's genuine.
It's heartwarming.
It's emotional.
It's liberating.
I just felt that this collection ended too soon.
I am always going to read whatever this author writes in the future.
Thanks NetGalley for the copy.
May 26, 2020
I think poetry is a genre you either love or hate and for me, this book was a simple yet beautiful collection everyone should read.
It consists in 6 chapters: acknowledging, message to you, love never lived here, matter over mind, everything BLACK, and my favorite, save yourself.
"the thing about art
about magic
is that some people will get it
it’ll move them in ways they could never imagine
and for some
they won’t understand
they’ll have more reasons than a few
to make it seem as though
this
as though you
aren’t as beautiful
and powerful
as though you
aren’t as realistic as they would want you to be
and you
have to know
that you don’t require an explanation."
The style is easy to follow and if I’m being honest, there were a lot of poems that I bookmarked because they resonated within me. Recently I’ve learned that some words stay with us because they mean the things we cannot say aloud, or the things we wish someone would tell us. These advices, these poems that are like looking through a crystal clear glass: everything is easy, yet we complicate it.
"I was never looking for the light
at the end of the tunnel
I didn’t go into the belly of the beast
thinking it would be something pretty left over for me to
grasp
I knew inside there was a jungle
I knew I had to
be hungry enough
strong enough
and passionate enough
to surive"
Like I said, save yourself was my favorite chapter because it talks about strength, self-love, self-worth and all the positive things that help me motivate myself on a daily basis. To learn how to love yourself is a slow, worthy process. You can learn so much about yourself when you give yourself time to appreciate the little things you are, your abilities, your values, the things that make you simply you.
I would totally recommend you to check this out! I’m sure I’ll be picking more books from this author! Also the cover is beautiful, so kudos to the designer for that.
I received an e-book copy in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley.
It consists in 6 chapters: acknowledging, message to you, love never lived here, matter over mind, everything BLACK, and my favorite, save yourself.
"the thing about art
about magic
is that some people will get it
it’ll move them in ways they could never imagine
and for some
they won’t understand
they’ll have more reasons than a few
to make it seem as though
this
as though you
aren’t as beautiful
and powerful
as though you
aren’t as realistic as they would want you to be
and you
have to know
that you don’t require an explanation."
The style is easy to follow and if I’m being honest, there were a lot of poems that I bookmarked because they resonated within me. Recently I’ve learned that some words stay with us because they mean the things we cannot say aloud, or the things we wish someone would tell us. These advices, these poems that are like looking through a crystal clear glass: everything is easy, yet we complicate it.
"I was never looking for the light
at the end of the tunnel
I didn’t go into the belly of the beast
thinking it would be something pretty left over for me to
grasp
I knew inside there was a jungle
I knew I had to
be hungry enough
strong enough
and passionate enough
to surive"
Like I said, save yourself was my favorite chapter because it talks about strength, self-love, self-worth and all the positive things that help me motivate myself on a daily basis. To learn how to love yourself is a slow, worthy process. You can learn so much about yourself when you give yourself time to appreciate the little things you are, your abilities, your values, the things that make you simply you.
I would totally recommend you to check this out! I’m sure I’ll be picking more books from this author! Also the cover is beautiful, so kudos to the designer for that.
I received an e-book copy in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley.
March 11, 2018
Be brave, be bold and remain beautiful no matter how bad you feel..
April 14, 2018
I enjoyed the collection and will be checking this poet out again. However, I must admit it took me a while to really get an emotional connection with the work. A lot appeared said before by other poets, but every now and then there were some true gems that made me stop and think. For that I will definitely by this poet again.
April 24, 2018
I liked the overall message of the book, however I give it 2 stars because:
1. There is nothing about this book that stands out and captures my attention. It seems just like most of the other "modern poetry" books I've read lately, and they have mostly been disappointing.
2. I understand the story is about "becoming" and the author's journey to get to where she is now, however the transitions from one subject to the next was not seamless or at least obviously separated (perhaps as different chapters or with titles). The author goes from writing about her great example of a grandfather, to the adults who discouraged her, to the love that was cruel to her, to the depression and therapy sessions, to her anger of how African Americans are treated, to learning self-love, and to encouraging you (the reader) to love yourself. All of this was written with no capital letters, no chapters, no titles, and line breaks that made no sense at times.
I think with a little bit more organization, this read would be more understandable and enjoyable.
1. There is nothing about this book that stands out and captures my attention. It seems just like most of the other "modern poetry" books I've read lately, and they have mostly been disappointing.
2. I understand the story is about "becoming" and the author's journey to get to where she is now, however the transitions from one subject to the next was not seamless or at least obviously separated (perhaps as different chapters or with titles). The author goes from writing about her great example of a grandfather, to the adults who discouraged her, to the love that was cruel to her, to the depression and therapy sessions, to her anger of how African Americans are treated, to learning self-love, and to encouraging you (the reader) to love yourself. All of this was written with no capital letters, no chapters, no titles, and line breaks that made no sense at times.
I think with a little bit more organization, this read would be more understandable and enjoyable.
March 30, 2020
Becoming is a simple yet powerful little book of modern poetry. Ranaada Williams collection is very personal and touches on subjects such as depression and self-love. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital copy of this book.
December 31, 2017
"don't stay
feeling sorry for me
i've been in so man pieces
enough times
to know
how to put myself together again".
- pity
feeling sorry for me
i've been in so man pieces
enough times
to know
how to put myself together again".
- pity
March 1, 2018
Awesome!
I love this beautiful collection of poetry. I only gave it three stars due to some some grammar errors. Other than that, beautiful piece of poetry.
Xo,
Rach
I love this beautiful collection of poetry. I only gave it three stars due to some some grammar errors. Other than that, beautiful piece of poetry.
Xo,
Rach
May 2, 2020
This review also appears at The Keysmash Blog
I love poetry in every shape and form. Free verse, contemporary poetry is my favorite form of poetry, because of the strong emotional appeals they contain, their turn of phrase, their rhythm and their distinct dissonance.
So when I got my hands on becoming by Reenada Williams, I was truly excited.
Unfortunately, and I don't know what euphemism to use here, William's short poems were more like tumblr entries and Instagram captions than actual poetry. To be perfectly honest, they were rather generic. Here's one short quote from the book.
i
cried myself to sleep
while you
lay next to me
unbothered
unaware
and
uninterested.
Modern poetry is relaxed and has plenty of freedom. Modern poetry often involves breaking sentences into phrases or stanzas. I know all of this. However, good modern poetry uses that particular style to create dissonance--something that, when overused (as was in this book), just feels like lazy writing.
It's such a shame, because one of the best things about modern poetry is its potential to be unique--there are little to no restrictions, so you have the freedom to turn your words into art in a million and one different ways.
Just like when writing a novel, poetry comes to life with the poet's clever use of metaphors, similes, narration styles, alliteration, rhythm and rhymes (or occasionally, the lack of rhymes). Without the use of at least one or more of these writing techniques, there's no life to poetry--or any form of literature for that matter. Take a look at some of Amanda Lovelace's works--though I am not her biggest fan (I am more of a Phil Kaye or Brendan Constantine kinda girl), some of her poems are truly breathtakingly beautiful, and nearly all of them attempt to connect with the reader's emotions or stimulate the reader's imagination with vivid imagery.
Furthermore, the poetry book is essentially about growth, about transformations and learning but because of how unorganized the book is, it's hard to see any of those things. There's virtually no story, no start-to-finish narrative. Now this wouldn't have been a problem if the individual poems had a message, or a story or any kind of point to them at all. Take Sarah Kaye's No Matter The Wreckage for instance; the book itself has no story but the individual poems inside do. At the very least they are able to properly touch on the topics the poet wanted to talk about. But sadly, because of how short and generic the poems in the becoming are, very few of them managed to properly touch on all the interesting themes the synopsis had promised.
Anybody can write sentences about pain and heartbreak and growth. But not everything they write can be classified as a poem. As contradictory as it may seem, even with the abundance of freedom in free verse modern poetry, there are still a few rules and tools you will need to write a contemporary poem.
Perhaps readers who are absolutely new to poetry will enjoy Renaada Williams book. Fans of Rupi Kaur might enjoy them too. Regardless, I still cannot bring myself to recommend it to anybody, even those who are exploring the genre--I'd recommend Elizabeth Acevado , or Andrea Gibson or Aracelis Girmay instead.
Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of this book or the content of this review.
For more reviews, visit my blog at The Keysmash Blog
I love poetry in every shape and form. Free verse, contemporary poetry is my favorite form of poetry, because of the strong emotional appeals they contain, their turn of phrase, their rhythm and their distinct dissonance.
So when I got my hands on becoming by Reenada Williams, I was truly excited.
Unfortunately, and I don't know what euphemism to use here, William's short poems were more like tumblr entries and Instagram captions than actual poetry. To be perfectly honest, they were rather generic. Here's one short quote from the book.
i
cried myself to sleep
while you
lay next to me
unbothered
unaware
and
uninterested.
Modern poetry is relaxed and has plenty of freedom. Modern poetry often involves breaking sentences into phrases or stanzas. I know all of this. However, good modern poetry uses that particular style to create dissonance--something that, when overused (as was in this book), just feels like lazy writing.
It's such a shame, because one of the best things about modern poetry is its potential to be unique--there are little to no restrictions, so you have the freedom to turn your words into art in a million and one different ways.
Just like when writing a novel, poetry comes to life with the poet's clever use of metaphors, similes, narration styles, alliteration, rhythm and rhymes (or occasionally, the lack of rhymes). Without the use of at least one or more of these writing techniques, there's no life to poetry--or any form of literature for that matter. Take a look at some of Amanda Lovelace's works--though I am not her biggest fan (I am more of a Phil Kaye or Brendan Constantine kinda girl), some of her poems are truly breathtakingly beautiful, and nearly all of them attempt to connect with the reader's emotions or stimulate the reader's imagination with vivid imagery.
Furthermore, the poetry book is essentially about growth, about transformations and learning but because of how unorganized the book is, it's hard to see any of those things. There's virtually no story, no start-to-finish narrative. Now this wouldn't have been a problem if the individual poems had a message, or a story or any kind of point to them at all. Take Sarah Kaye's No Matter The Wreckage for instance; the book itself has no story but the individual poems inside do. At the very least they are able to properly touch on the topics the poet wanted to talk about. But sadly, because of how short and generic the poems in the becoming are, very few of them managed to properly touch on all the interesting themes the synopsis had promised.
Anybody can write sentences about pain and heartbreak and growth. But not everything they write can be classified as a poem. As contradictory as it may seem, even with the abundance of freedom in free verse modern poetry, there are still a few rules and tools you will need to write a contemporary poem.
Perhaps readers who are absolutely new to poetry will enjoy Renaada Williams book. Fans of Rupi Kaur might enjoy them too. Regardless, I still cannot bring myself to recommend it to anybody, even those who are exploring the genre--I'd recommend Elizabeth Acevado , or Andrea Gibson or Aracelis Girmay instead.
Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of this book or the content of this review.
For more reviews, visit my blog at The Keysmash Blog
December 2, 2020
you
are the prettiest bouquet
of dying flowers
i
have ever seen.
are the prettiest bouquet
of dying flowers
i
have ever seen.
May 21, 2020
becoming. by Renaada Williams is a lovely collection of poetry to fill your TBR shelf with!
The poems are short, sweet and simplistic. They are the type of poems I want to read on a rainy day where I can stare off into the distance with my tea and ponder their meaning. It's quite lovely, to be honest. They aren't too long, they aren't full of weird metaphors that leave me confused, and I found them to be even put in interesting designs. I quite liked them!
Even the acknowledgements were in a poem, and I found that to be super cute!
I'd highly recommend these if you want some poetry and want a quick read. These are beautifully written and make for a quick read.
Three out of five stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for giving me a free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.
The poems are short, sweet and simplistic. They are the type of poems I want to read on a rainy day where I can stare off into the distance with my tea and ponder their meaning. It's quite lovely, to be honest. They aren't too long, they aren't full of weird metaphors that leave me confused, and I found them to be even put in interesting designs. I quite liked them!
Even the acknowledgements were in a poem, and I found that to be super cute!
I'd highly recommend these if you want some poetry and want a quick read. These are beautifully written and make for a quick read.
Three out of five stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for giving me a free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.
November 29, 2017
Beautiful
She gives words to feelings I can't always express. Can't wait to read more from her. I recommend to those into modern poetry.
She gives words to feelings I can't always express. Can't wait to read more from her. I recommend to those into modern poetry.
April 5, 2020
I received an advanced reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley.
'Becoming.' is an incredible poetry book. Renaada Williams writes about black lives, heartbreaks and how to overcome them, and it just felt as if she was talking directly to me. It's such a wonderful poetry collection and I just wish it was longer. This book really spoke to me. Rating 5/5 stars.
'Becoming.' is an incredible poetry book. Renaada Williams writes about black lives, heartbreaks and how to overcome them, and it just felt as if she was talking directly to me. It's such a wonderful poetry collection and I just wish it was longer. This book really spoke to me. Rating 5/5 stars.
February 4, 2018
Now, I'm not really a poetry person. I didn't even have poetry as one of my reading genres because it's something I'm usually not even tempted to pick up. A friend of mine told me she really enjoyed this book and said it was a quick read. So, I figured why not? Now after reading it, I want to purchase a copy for myself. I found that a lot of the poems were inspirational for me and also made me feel like my life story has been understood by someone else. I didn't rate it 5 stars because I didn't think it was the best thing ever, BUT I would recommend it to others for sure. I think I read it in a half hour, so it really is a quick read :)
March 26, 2020
becoming. by Renaada Williams promises light at the end of the tunnel, and what message could be more relevant in today's world? This is a lovely collection that is powerful in its simplicity, and personal, while at the same time addressing the universal themes of love, feminism, and belonging. These poems provided a lyrical escape and a much needed reminder that whatever your individual experience, we are all in this together. I must add that I was initially drawn to this collection by its gorgeous cover.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for the opportunity to read this ARC.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for the opportunity to read this ARC.
June 21, 2018
Very Encouraging Words
Reading through this book made me feel like the author was talking directly to me. Many of the poems spoke to my current and past situations. Providing clarity on cloudy feelings and thoughts that I have struggled with. This is something I wouldn't mind reading in the mornings for encouragement before starting my day.
Reading through this book made me feel like the author was talking directly to me. Many of the poems spoke to my current and past situations. Providing clarity on cloudy feelings and thoughts that I have struggled with. This is something I wouldn't mind reading in the mornings for encouragement before starting my day.
February 3, 2019
Meh. It was one of the weakest poetry book I’ve read lately.
Quotes:
i
cried myself to sleep
while you
lay next to me
unbothered
unaware
and
uninterested.
don't stay
feeling sorry for me
i've been in so many pieces
enough times
to know
how to put myself together again.
Quotes:
i
cried myself to sleep
while you
lay next to me
unbothered
unaware
and
uninterested.
don't stay
feeling sorry for me
i've been in so many pieces
enough times
to know
how to put myself together again.
Read
May 2, 2017A lot of the poems in becoming. struck so many chords that I had to take a moment to let some of the words fully resonate. I read this book twice and it's so raw and honest. I'd recommend this book to anyone who's ever had the blues about anything they are or have gone through.
January 14, 2018
simplistic and lovely.
July 9, 2018
Simple, yet powerful, affirmations & reminders 💙. A good way to spend some downtime
March 10, 2021
Book: Becoming
Author: Renaada Williams
Genre: Poetry, Feminism
Review:
"Being broken is a matter of opinion"
Beautiful, at the same time aesthetic cover. The cover has the same feelings which the poem conveys in this book.
"some say
if it doesn’t hurt
it can’t be love
but
if it does
you
shouldn’t want it anyway"
Becoming is a simple yet powerful little book of modern poetry. Williams' poetry collection is very personal and touches on subjects such as depression, abuse, self-help and self-love.
My Opinion:
This book is simple, but it doesn't stand out much. Most of the elements in her books are repeated and similar themes can be seen in many modern poetry.
This book loses its essence with grammatical mistakes and unnecessary spaces and sentence are broken to give emphasis, but in this book, it is too much.
A good book for amateur or new reader's. I would say this book needs some editing and some more creativity. There is a potential yet to be discovered.
Author: Renaada Williams
Genre: Poetry, Feminism
Review:
"Being broken is a matter of opinion"
Beautiful, at the same time aesthetic cover. The cover has the same feelings which the poem conveys in this book.
"some say
if it doesn’t hurt
it can’t be love
but
if it does
you
shouldn’t want it anyway"
Becoming is a simple yet powerful little book of modern poetry. Williams' poetry collection is very personal and touches on subjects such as depression, abuse, self-help and self-love.
My Opinion:
This book is simple, but it doesn't stand out much. Most of the elements in her books are repeated and similar themes can be seen in many modern poetry.
This book loses its essence with grammatical mistakes and unnecessary spaces and sentence are broken to give emphasis, but in this book, it is too much.
A good book for amateur or new reader's. I would say this book needs some editing and some more creativity. There is a potential yet to be discovered.
September 22, 2022
I didn't care for hardly any of it. A lot of the poetry just sounded like affirmations she tells herself. All-in-all, the poems aren't profound, just dull.
Highlights:
"believing that you can fly
is only the beginning"
"i decided
i didn't want to be a pawn anymore
but
how else would i win
if i didn't sacrifice
pieces of myself"
-love in the name of chess
"you
do not feel this bad on your own.
learn to hold people accountable for how
they make you feel"
"create your own meaning
understand what feels good to you
recognize
what doesn't
don't give in
this
is not it.
love
is not meant to be
this exhausting"
"we are created in the darkness
and
forced into the light"
-new life
Highlights:
"believing that you can fly
is only the beginning"
"i decided
i didn't want to be a pawn anymore
but
how else would i win
if i didn't sacrifice
pieces of myself"
-love in the name of chess
"you
do not feel this bad on your own.
learn to hold people accountable for how
they make you feel"
"create your own meaning
understand what feels good to you
recognize
what doesn't
don't give in
this
is not it.
love
is not meant to be
this exhausting"
"we are created in the darkness
and
forced into the light"
-new life
May 10, 2020
Beautifully written. This book makes an impact. Becoming is about the process of becoming. It is about the process of learning, moving forward, affirming the truths about oneself, and throwing away the fodder. I think the world needs to read this book.
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and, Renaada Williams for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and, Renaada Williams for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
April 22, 2020
I received an advanced reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.
This is a beautiful and touching book of poems that are truly heartfelt. I could feel the authors pain in afew of these poems and so many in the first 1/3 of this book were so relateable to me they could have been my experiences.
This book is deep and meaningful and many of the poems are only very short but very well done.
This is a beautiful and touching book of poems that are truly heartfelt. I could feel the authors pain in afew of these poems and so many in the first 1/3 of this book were so relateable to me they could have been my experiences.
This book is deep and meaningful and many of the poems are only very short but very well done.
April 7, 2020
Becoming is a collection of short poems by Renaada Williams. The poetry she's written has themes of heartbreak, mental health issues, being a person of color in America, feminism, and self-love. I can resonate with some of the poems, and I had a few favorites as well. I liked how she broke up the poems into different sections. I'm a huge fan of these types of poems. When I worked in a bookstore they used to shelve them into 'internet poetry'. It was a fast read so you can definitely finish it in half an hour or less. I felt and understood every poem. Below are 4 of my faves from the different sections in the book.
Heartbreak:
It's funny
how easily the monster in my head
can cuddle me
so softly
while laying in bed
Mental Illness:
I know what hands clenched to the chest
from crying all night feels like
and I think you do too
-normal
Being Colored in America:
I just want to live in a world
that I'm not afraid
to be alive in
Self-love:
You
have to stop customizing yourself
to fit someone who doesn't even deserve
you
Thank you to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Heartbreak:
It's funny
how easily the monster in my head
can cuddle me
so softly
while laying in bed
Mental Illness:
I know what hands clenched to the chest
from crying all night feels like
and I think you do too
-normal
Being Colored in America:
I just want to live in a world
that I'm not afraid
to be alive in
Self-love:
You
have to stop customizing yourself
to fit someone who doesn't even deserve
you
Thank you to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
August 19, 2020
I received this from the publisher, so thank you Andrews McMeel.
Let me preface by saying, I am more inclined to classical poetry versus the free verse format of this collection of contemporary work. That being stated, some of these did moderately touch me in the feels. "New Bae", "Starting Over" and "New Life" to name a few, I related to emotionally while others like "modern-day feline", "the power of melanin gods" and "broken hearts", missed the connection. The topics covered in these verses are somewhat generic and tired but the overall message is empowering and fearless. I would recommend reading this book as it's fairly short and has some excellent mantras for those that want/need a little boost to help beat back those mental beasts that so thrive and enjoy stirring negativity.
Let me preface by saying, I am more inclined to classical poetry versus the free verse format of this collection of contemporary work. That being stated, some of these did moderately touch me in the feels. "New Bae", "Starting Over" and "New Life" to name a few, I related to emotionally while others like "modern-day feline", "the power of melanin gods" and "broken hearts", missed the connection. The topics covered in these verses are somewhat generic and tired but the overall message is empowering and fearless. I would recommend reading this book as it's fairly short and has some excellent mantras for those that want/need a little boost to help beat back those mental beasts that so thrive and enjoy stirring negativity.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 165 reviews