Review: Who I Was

I am so impressed by each volume of poetry that Julia Rose has released so far and am not-so-secretly hoping for more collections from her in the future.

Who I Was is a deeply vulnerable look at what it means to feel grief over our sinful nature while desperately clinging to God's promises. It laments how we love ourselves in all the wrong ways, and it redirects our focus back to what it means that God loves us. Combining each poem with a Bible verse and devotional, this book can be read over time in bite-sized pieces or all at once while painting a beautiful picture of our identity in Christ.

Many thanks to the author for providing a complimentary copy of this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Book Synopsis

A collection of poetry and devotionals that reclaim the idea of "self-love" by pointing to the One Who is love. Can we truly love ourselves in a way that glorifies God? And if so, how? Who I Was dives into the concept of self-love and what it means to be made in the image of God through personal and theological reflections. In a world so wrought with selfish and egotistical intent, journey with Julia into the truth and wisdom found in God's Word to navigate the lies of a movement often misinterpreted.

Source: Amazon

Book Thoughts

I'm grateful I had the opportunity to read the second collection of poetry from Julia Rose as her words resonated with me just as much as her previous collection did. Focusing on the themes of identity and self-love, her words pack a punch when she relives the past and writes about the need for a Saviour. It's as if she was able to reach into my mind and pluck the perfect phrases to express the fears and doubts I feel when confronted by sin before the Father.

Brilliantly capturing the swirl of thoughts that can echo in believers during the process of sanctification, Julia makes sense of human depravity, God's saving power, and His redemption as they ebb and flow over the course of our lives. If you find yourself struggling with sin, discouraged by feeling like a disappointment, or disliking yourself after receiving God's grace, this book is both a mirror and a beacon of hope by showing that you're not alone while pointing to the One who completely shapes and molds who we are as a result of who we have been.

Book Summary

Format of book: 📱
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Recommendation: 👍

Comments

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Christian Book Review Programs

Over time, I've been on the hunt for Christian book review programs that readers can join. As a result, I've been able to compile the following list which may be of interest if you are seeking review copies of Christian books. This list mostly applies to print and ebooks, although some publishers offer audiobooks as well. If further information is available for any of the publishers below (or any missing publishers), please let me know as I am happy to update this list—thank you! Please note that you can also search for these publishers on NetGalley and other review sites in case there are no review programs available or you don't qualify for one 😊 List last updated: June 4, 2026 Christian Publishers 10ofThose Availability: US, Canada, and UK residents Format: Only books published by 10ofThose qualify for review requests so as to avoid impeding with other Christian book review programs Genre: Christian non-fiction, children's books Email for availability and eligibilit...