Some of the rawest, impassioned, and brutally honest poems I have ever read. ( )

Stunning. I especially loved "A Starless Sky is a Joy too," but If They Come For Us is full of clever twists and evocative language. ( )

This was so hard to get through, but I'm glad I did. There was a lot of focus on the Partition of India, which I only know a little about. I may look into finding a book or something on it to learn more about it. ( )

If They Come For Us
by Fatimah Asghar
2018
One World
4.5 / 5.0

Emotionally deep and moving, the poem collected here are very powerful, about identity, sexuality, race and growing up a Pakistani Muslim in America.
The beauty of her words, the rawness of her emotions, Asghar is a truly brilliant mind and a beautiful poet.
Wonderful....Recommended. ( )

Promising. Which means I look forward to this author doing much better things than this not-so-good thing. The poems here are just fine but they feel very young, like someone newly flexing their writing muscles. Several poems read like they may have started as class assignments. The poems feel formulaic, expected, predictable, as if you've read them before, but they were better then.

Part of the problem may be that I've seen Asghar grouped so often with Danez Smith, whose work is breathtaking; my expectations were high. Asghar does have a lovely ear for language and, like Audre Lorde or June Jordan, an acute way of blending the personal and political. I hope she continues working at her craft; I'd like to see where she goes next. ( )