Lessons on Expulsion is a brutal exploration of desire and identity. She primarily considers her Mexican-American upbringing—especially as the daughter of undocumented immigrants—and how this informed her lived experiences and perception of the world. Sánchez’s poems are multisensorial and provocative, perhaps to a point where it might be unsettling for some with her unflinching approach to things deemed unpleasant. I admit that I wasn’t expecting this collection to be as dark (and sexual?) as it ended up being, but I appreciated the brazen honesty of Sánchez’s words.

Some favorites: “Lessons on Expulsion,” “Crossing,” “The Poet at Fifteen,” “Love Story,” and “Circles”