Diving into "Persephone Made Me Do It" by Trista Mateer, I found myself swept away by a symphony of words that echo with the power of mythology reimagined. Mateer's poetry is a fierce blend of the ancient and the contemporary, redefining self-care through the lens of the formidable Persephone. Each poem resonated with an emotional and reflective intensity that often veered into darker realms, yet never strayed from inspiring moments of empowerment and self-reclamation.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC! Reading these poems, written by Trista Mateer, was so moving. She evokes emotion in to her reader and then draws it out. You will be having feelings once the book is over.

ARC provided by Author in exchange for an honest review.

I would like to give a huge thank you to Central Avenue Publishing and Net Galley for a copy of this eARC. Where Artemistackled my place in the world, and feeling too small and like we never matter or are worth listening to, Persephone tackled my thoughts of feeling I overwhelm others or am "too much".

Elyse Myers once said "If I'm too much, go find less." and within the first few pages I read the line from Mateer that said "I am too much and somehow I will still never be enough".

This book tackles such deep emotions just like the ones before it. While there were certain poems I adored, I didn't connect to this installment as much as the previous, which is why I settled on three stars. Regardless these as a series work cohesively and cannot wait to see what the author does next.

"Persephone Made Me Do It" found its way into my life at just the right moment. The poems within this collection are nothing short of stunning and powerful, resonating with the complexities and experiences of the modern-day woman. Each verse seemed to speak directly to my soul, touching on themes of empowerment, resilience, and self-discovery. It's a remarkable work of art that not only captures the essence of womanhood but also offers solace and inspiration to anyone navigating the intricate dance of life. This book was a beautiful and timely companion during a significant chapter in my journey of life.

I loved this. Poetry is pretty hit or miss for me. I either get pulled right in, or do not connect at all, with very little middle ground. But I loved this one from start to finish. I loved the mix of myths and real world. I loved all the cut n' paste style artwork. It made the book not just a poetry collection, but an entire work of art. Now I definitely want to read the other books in this collection and own all the physical copies, because I can only imagine they look so much better in-person, rather than on a screen.

I normally don't read poetry, it mades me sad and, somehow, poetry books always finds me in bad moments in my life. But I like the cover of this one and, by chance, life is being great right now, so I decided to give it a try... and I really like it. Probably, the fact that I love greek mythology has something to do with it... but I think, more than anything, it's the fact that it felt real. Please, keep writing like this.

4 stars

I did love the pomegranate themes, but some of the art integrated was cheesy and was a CHOICE. I love the story of Hades and Persephone, but this poetry collection focuses more on the themes of parents and the abandonment they sometimes leave children feeling when their children need them the most. I did enjoy this collection quite a bit, but it wasn't life-changing. I need to go back and read the second book in the series, but I appreciate Mateer's poetry and creative eye.

This was not as strong for me as the rest of her collections and as always had a few poems and writings that really spoke to me

I loved this, beautiful prose and hard hitting truths about womanhood. Also the cover is beautiful and gives a haunted side to poetry that is not so common.

A collection of beautiful and powerful poems relating to themes connected with the goddess Persephone.

What a stunning collection of poetry. If I was still in college, I would have photocopied so many of these and hung them up on my dorm room walls (this is a huge compliment). I love the conceit of the POV of Persephone, but it allows for such a sharing of universal experience that (unfortunately) so many women and girls face. Highly recommended.

Persephone Made Me Do It was such a beautifully written collection of poetry. I read it in one sitting and found myself going through all of the emotions, I was crying at one point, and smiling at the next. I am very excited to read her backlist of poetry!

I would like to thank the Publishers for providing me a copy of this book for my honest review.

I went into this poetry book with little expectation. I have read the first two books which I purchased with my own money, and I found that those books were just average. I would like to look at two aspects of this book.

The format and the Art:
I found that the art in this book gave off the vibes that it was a dairy that Persephone was keeping like a teenage girl which is good if you are into that type of feeling. Personally, I would like for it to feel a tad more mature since Persephone is a goddess and has been known for eons.

The Poetry
I enjoyed the poems a lot more than I thought I would. I can tell the Poet has done her research and has grown into her style. There were lots of typos in which made it different to want to keep pushing through. the journey the poetry took me on was different and unique. I loved the difference between Kore and Persephone which is able to portray that Kore was naive and childlike while Persephone is in her goth girl era. The poems were well written and easy to understand the layers underneath it. As you read on the angrier and the more intense the poems get. As someone who was raised by a single mother and have had traumatic experiences with men, I understand the anger that has been portrayed.

I enjoyed this book the most out of her series. Would recommend it if you want a poetry book that has a depth of the parental trauma and feminine rage.

‘Persephone made me do it,’ was my first poetry collection by Mateer and I couldn’t put it down. She creates a beautiful balance between vulnerability and power within the feminine experience. I love the way she draws upon Greek mythology and tarot cards to not only structure this collection but also to draw strength from the women who came before us.
Mateer draws inspiration from the complications between mothers and daughters and for me she juxtaposes these relationships with the infamy of goddesses who forged their own paths. There are some themes of abuse within ‘Persephone’ and although Mateer focuses on female empowerment she does write with gut wrenching emotion, providing moments of safety within darker themes.
I enjoyed the arc within this collection and how the poems are interspersed with collage illustrations and verses; Mateer’s style feels very current and I’m intrigued to look into her previous works. A brilliant collection which celebrates the power that we can harness from our worst days; a celebration of the full scope of feminine strength from legendary goddesses to the modern woman.

This whole series is such a great collection of poetry. It ignites something deep within and intertwines the myths of the paths with the reality of our present. It evokes big emotions and is so eloquently done. I really enjoyed this.
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this gifted copy.

Loved the first couple of poems, then it kinda lost me. Overall it was okay, but it started so good that I got hyped up and when the following poems didn't live up to that hype it was a little diappointing.

I really like the idea of these poetry collections incrporating greek goddesses, I think it works really well. And like I said, some poems I really enjoyed and could relate to and other were just meh.

wow.
Every single line of this book touched my soul.
I read it in one sitting and the only word I can use to describe this is beautiful.

Every single one of her collections speaks to a different part of us. This one was no different. It caressed our flaws and told us to still keep trying. She beautifully takes us through a journey of how to still walk through life even with people there to make us cower. It was a fantastic read!

Beautifully written, insightful, emotional, and empowering.

Written in the prospective of Persephone, highlighting her thoughts and feelings as a victim of kidnapping, betrayal, and assault. Gathering strength, being smart, and obtaining power over her circumstance. It was masterfully done.

I felt empathy, anger, and peace.

I read this in one sitting and I will definitely read it again. It felt empowering and beautiful yet brutal (but in a good way). I could have highlighted the whole book.