I love Shelby's previous poetry collection Girl Made of Glass, but this book unfortunately didn't hit me in the same way. I found a strong lack of depth, feeling and imagery. While there are hidden gems within this poetry, a lot of it feels surface level and like rewrites of generic quotes anyone can find online. It feels rushed and as if it's lacking creativity.

Reading "From Sand to Stars" by Shelby Leigh was like receiving the warmest hug! Her poetry beautifully captures the ups and downs of life, making me feel completely seen and understood. Each poem is a gentle reminder that even our broken and insecure parts can find light and hope. Shelby's words are encouraging, uplifting, truthful, and sometimes challenging, urging us to embrace every part of ourselves.

This collection resonated deeply with my own experiences, and I found solace in her reflections on love and growth. It's a heartfelt journey that reminds us we're all worthy of love and capable of blooming even in our darkest moments.

If you're in need of a big hug and a boost of self-love, "From Sand to Stars" is a must-read. Shelby Leigh's poetic brilliance will leave you feeling inspired and cherished. 💖✨

"We try so hard to forget the ugly parts of life, but without them, how would we know what is beautiful?"

A book about learning how to live in the present moment, nurturing yourself, feeling lost, but also trying to find yourself and have confidence (on yourself and regarding the future). This is yet another pretty honest and personal poem collection that spoke volumes to me. Will definitely read more from the author. :)

A thoughtful collection of poems that will make you feel so much in a single sitting. Would definitely read more from the writer now that I’ve read this one!

(Thank you, Central Avenue Publishing and NetGalley, for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.)

Before I managed to get stuck into this poetry, I found myself worried that this wouldn’t really be for me and it would take me a while to get through.
However, I was wrong!

This was written so beautifully and it was quite thought provoking. I particularly resonated with the first chapter ‘Sand’ and a quote that stays with me is “it feels like centuries since I’ve felt worthy of taking up space”.
I feel like that all the time, and sometimes the enormity of that feeling is quite isolating. To know that someone else can communicate that feeling so beautifully reassures me that we are not all quite alone as we lead ourselves to believe.

The rest of the book is amazing too but that is a part that stays with me the most :)

The journey to finding oneself is often long and full of missteps. This collection of poetry honors that journey and offers praise for the times we move forward and grace for the times we regret. Some of the poems are gentle, lyrical things that just make you want to stop and be. Others are quick to give soft advice and quotable couplets. I personally prefer poetry that gives me a chance to feel rather than telling me what the poem is supposed to mean, so a lot of the more advisory pieces didn't make much impact on me. But still, nearly half of these poems gave me a chance to pause and experience living in the world, and I'm grateful for that.

Thank you to NetGalley and Central Avenue Poetry for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

This Book felt like a big Hug. I love books like this that make the reader feel seen and understood. In a pandemic of loneliness books like this makes one remember that they are not alone.

Very quick to read- a book that you would read over and over again.

Yes yes yes! I read this book in one sitting and could not put it down. It reminds me of Blythe Baird with how real and relatable these poems are, how they're simple in their expression of things in life that we often don't find poetic.

From Sand to Stars by Shelby Leigh was a lovely collection of poetry. Beautifully woven to make you think about how to love yourself and all the challenges that you can face.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this gorgeous poetry book.
Thanks to NetGalley and Central Avenue Publishing for the arc

It is a wonderful poetry collection, venturing through different emotions and moments. “From Sand To Stars” is really beautifully written. You can read it all in one go or read one poem at a time. I think, anyone can find something in it which offers either help or simply phrases, the reader finds themselves in it.

I rated this book 4 stars because I loved how the author built this book. It was immaculate the way Shelby Leigh wrote this book. Really really good. I recommend everyone to read this book.

"you don't have to have it all figured out,
today or in a month or in a year.
and when you do figure it out,
then you can figure it out again.
you can change your mind,
change your passion,
learn something new,
let something go.
there is no right age to finalize your life.
there is no timeline on your happiness.
life is not one puzzle to solve-
it is endless pieces that fit together perfectly
some days
and the next.
it is making mistakes and learning that it
was exactly what needed to happen to
find your next path."

I really enjoyed reading this book and I think it could help anyone.

I loved the title of this book. Unfortunately, for me, there was more feeling in the title than in most of the poems. I found most to be simple feelings written down without much depth. I thank NetGalley and Central Ave Publishing for the advance read.

This was a good little collection of poems, covering all sorts of relatable topics. I related to the words, some of which could have been more metaphorical and less direct, but I enjoyed it nonetheless and would recommend this to friends.

I absolutely love this collection of poetry from Shelby Leigh! The words that she put on those pages were absolutely beautiful and I didn't want it to end. The poetry was very relatable, and I just wanted to keep reading more from her. The collection was definitely empowering to those readers who may need a confidence booster or reassurance like me, and it warmed my heart so much! Shelby Leigh is one of my favorite poets thanks to this collection!

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for a review.

This best part about poetry is that there is something for everyone. It's so subjective and even if you don't love the whole collection I guarantee you'll find something in this book for you. This collection is, at its heart, about self love, who you are and the beauty in your life. I really enjoyed a lot of these poems and this was my first Shelby Leigh collection, but I was moved by a lot of the imagery and beauty in the poems.

Ever feel like you’re running out of time? Feel lost thinking about the future? From Sand to Stars provides a reminder that every day is a new day to find joy and self-acceptance, no matter where you are in life’s journey.
Exploring the concept of time and how it affects our mental health, From Sand to Stars will make you feel heard and seen, while inspiring you to embrace all life has to offer.
Sand, section one, represents the hourglass—how time gets away from us and causes overthinking and anxiety. Soil, the second section, represents self-care, growth, and the joy that surrounds us when we look for it. Finally, Stars provides an uplifting final section on finding hope and healing around us.

This is a heartfelt collection of poetry about self love. I prefer poetry that is richer in language, imagery, metaphor, alliteration, word play and depth so it was not a great fit for me. I won’t be publicly reviewing it since poetry is so subjective and I would not want to dissuade other readers.