Long's poetry collection is a sophisticated debut. My Darling from the Lions captures many of those nebulous feelings found in the very best bildungsroman texts with an urgency and specificity that prevents it ever seeming saccharine. Biography blends seamlessly with commentary on today's most pressing, and divisive, social issues. "I am magazine educated", she writes. This line is one to which every young woman can relate. The recollection that follows, however, offers insight into the experience of a Black girl who was unable to find representations of her body in the pages of print. The clarity and care with which she presents moments of intersection such as this are exceptionally strong.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC.

This is a great collection of poems that are often dark and twisted. Short and sweet, many were thought-provoking regarding gender and sexual identity, race, and class. There were a few short in words but left me reflecting on the meaning.

I would love to hear an audiobook of this or some spoken word.

My Darling from the Lions is a debut collection of poetry full of short, storytelling poems that are vivid and clever. Split into three sections, the topics range from family to race, sexual politics to growing up, and a range of other moments, with some hilariously sharp lines and insightful ways of phrasing things that'll make you think 'oh yeah, that's it'. Some of the imagery and comments from the poems will stay with me for a while, particularly 'Sandwiches' and 'Interview with B. Tape II'.

The poems are approachable and readable, making this a great collection to read and share, and they create a real sense of person and life even within very short poems. Powerful messages are combined with witty storytelling to bring a really enjoyable collection of poetry.

Thank you Netgalley and Picador for the ARC of My Darling from the Lions.

I have heard so many good things about
My Darling from the Lions that I had to read it.

Told in such a beautifully vivid way, each individual poem is diverse and covers topics from race, religion, sexuality, family, sickness, healing and cultural inheritance.

I cannot wait to read more of Rachel Long's work.

Absolutely phenomenal. I've long been a fan of Rachel and she absolutely deserves to have this book on shelves everywhere. Will be pressing this collection into the hands of everyone I know.,

An incredibly beautiful and powerful collection of poems that can be read again and again. My only criticism, and it really isn't a criticism, is that I wish that there were more!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review!

I adored Rachel Long's writing in these poems. She has a remarkable way with words and I really enjoyed reading every single element. The poems contained content such as sex, race, healing, femininity and many other aspects and I found that these were portrayed eloquently and beautifully.

However, at times I felt very disconnected to the characters and I wish there was more descriptions on them so I couldn't enjoy it to its full potential .I will definitely be reading more of Rachel Long's works!

My Darling from the Lions by Rachel Long wasn’t quite what I expected. A lot of it was more like flash fiction than poetry. It chronicles a young black woman’s experiences.