Official Review: Hear Me Roar by Sandra Leon Gonzalez

shannonkate8 · Post by **shannonkate8** » 30 Jun 2020, 06:31

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Hear Me Roar" by Sandra Leon Gonzalez.]

3 out of 4 stars

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Hear Me Roar by Sandra Leon Gonzalez is a collection of poems that speaks to the heart of the reader and debates the root cause of many issues. The author addresses topics such as love, sex, gender, bodily autonomy, religion, and judgment. This is by no means a comprehensive list but showcases a few of the topics in the book. Additionally, while it was written in 2019, the author also discusses some topics that are painfully apparent in 2020. Amidst the chaos, many of us are searching for love, strength, acceptance, and unity. These themes are present in many of the poems, specifically in "We Are One." Here, the author urges readers to not focus on color, religion, status, birth order or right, or even politics, but to focus more on our commonalities. This idea of acceptance thoroughly permeates this piece of work.

I found many of the poems to be powerful and uplifting. It was amazing to read and I loved it. As a woman, I found I could relate to much of what the author discussed and I enjoyed the book the further I got through it. In particular, I loved the poem "My Choice" that talks about saying no and how one's body is their own. It reinforced many thoughts and feelings and was representative of an issue many women face. I liked how the author was able to discuss an important subject in just a single page. Perhaps many of these issues are that simple.

I also enjoyed that the author really seemed to dive deep into these topics. She has clearly thought them through and tried to present them in an easy and understandable format. Her messages shown through and touched me.

In all honesty, I couldn't find a thing I disliked about this book, aside from the occasional grammatical errors. That said, at times, the author does mention God which may turn some people away. However, the author is not forcing this on readers. Generally, she mentions God in relation to herself. In fact, in one poem, she even says, "I respect your choice of how to believe." So, for those that are leery of religion- and spirituality-based books, it appears to be unfounded here.

Overall, I give this book 3 out of 4 stars. This book of poems did not get the full four stars given the grammatical errors found, but they did not overwhelm the book. Another proofread could easily eliminate the issues. I would also recommend this book to those who enjoy poetry or an easy read. I had no trouble getting through the book and quite liked it. That said, readers should be aware of the potentially sensitive nature of some of the topics (i.e. sex and gender, race, religion, etc.).

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Hear Me Roar
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Chinelookeke · Post by **Chinelookeke** » 06 Jul 2020, 06:11

The book sounds quite interesting and the review was very well explained. I like the fact that the poems were powerful and uplifting. Nice one to read.

Topsey · Post by **Topsey** » 06 Jul 2020, 06:40

This sounds like an intriguing collection of poems. I’ve been looking for some new poetry to get into so I might give this a go. Thanks for a superb review.

Sakura5 · Post by **Sakura5** » 06 Jul 2020, 08:06

Usually, I am not the kind of person who enjoys reading poetry, but from this description and review, I think I would be interested in this book and could give it a try, especially for the themes touched! Nice one!

InventorT · Post by **InventorT** » 06 Jul 2020, 08:31

I am not a fan of poems but from the subtopics that’s was talked about in the review like sex love religion, I might give this book a go because I see myself relating to these poems.

HusainNecklace52 · Post by **HusainNecklace52** » 06 Jul 2020, 11:15

This is a great review! It makes me want to grab the first copy of this book I could get my hands on! It also exudes your opinions and thoughts regarding the book and that's what I really liked.
Thank you for sharing.

Elvis Best · Post by **Elvis Best** » 06 Jul 2020, 16:02

A wonderful books of poems that touches on so many topics.I'd love to read this one. Thanks for the review.

shannonkate8 · Post by **shannonkate8** » 08 Jul 2020, 15:13

Topsey wrote: ↑06 Jul 2020, 06:40 This sounds like an intriguing collection of poems. I’ve been looking for some new poetry to get into so I might give this a go. Thanks for a superb review.

I was glad to get my hands on this. It was a quick and easy read but remarkably deep and relatable.

shannonkate8 · Post by **shannonkate8** » 08 Jul 2020, 15:16

InventorT wrote: ↑06 Jul 2020, 08:31 I am not a fan of poems but from the subtopics that’s was talked about in the review like sex love religion, I might give this book a go because I see myself relating to these poems.

Sakura5 wrote: ↑06 Jul 2020, 08:06 Usually, I am not the kind of person who enjoys reading poetry, but from this description and review, I think I would be interested in this book and could give it a try, especially for the themes touched! Nice one!

If I'm honest, I don't often read much poetry because it just goes over my head much of the time. That said, I'm always willing to try it. This collection, however, was easy to read and very relatable. I would really even recommend it to those who dont often read poetry because of how short and easy it was.