RaveTatler... a powerful collection of poems that discuss identity, grief and nature in times of uncertainty ... Throughout the book, Gorman delicately delivers the sentiment, struggles and grief faced in a post-pandemic and racially unjust society. Her descriptions of struggle are emotive and tender and her words are, at times, self-aware. Gorman often examines language, questioning the meaning of certain words, their uses and her relation to them. She also questions grammar, exploring how we carry language, and are shaped by our understanding of words ... Amanda Gorman’s debut proves that she is poetry’s brightest young thing.
Sally Rooney
PositiveTatler (UK)... an affectionate portrayal of love and friendship that sees Rooney dive deeper than ever before ... While the lengthy emails appear strange and old-fashioned at first, it’s where they discuss complex ideas from sexuality to climate change and identity, all the while giving the reader an insightful view into how Rooney responded to the realities of her own literary success ... what’s captivating about Beautiful World, Where Are You is how Rooney successfully writes about the mundanity of the everyday. The characters are ordinary and not particularly likeable, the plot doesn’t lead up to any big event, there is no climax and the romance is not glamorised. And yet, following four characters on their journey of self discovery is entertaining, even with Rooney’s deliberate avoidance of punctuation—a personal pet peeve.
