i gave it a four stars - mateer is a beautiful writer, and she conveys herself so wonderfully. this is definitely a special poetry collection for those with 'mummy isses' or just a complicated relationship with mothers in general, which was so heartwrenching to read!

As a big fan of Aphrodite Made Me Do It this book was in my TBR as soon as I heard about it. Trista Meyer blends visual and prose in an artistic way, taking you on a journey with Persephone that will make you question and learn more about womanhood, motherhood and power.

The long repeated story of Persephone's kidnapping and rape takes on a new light in this collection with the poet and Persephone getting to air their differences, seeing their similarities and finally driving to a close with contentment. The poems circle around the themes of girlhood, female divinity, power and the constant struggle of mothers and their daughters.

This is truly Trista Mateer's best work yet. Her voice is so strong in all of her works, especially Persephone Made Me Do It. It's so raw and full of emotion and passion while also being beautifully written. The juxtaposition of art and poems is perfect; each art piece seems so thoughtfully chosen. I love the way she's connected her story to the goddesses in her other books in this series; this one hits especially hard because it's not romanticizing Persephone, it's telling her real story. It's such a nuanced take on mother and daughter relationships that's so universally true. I hope she continues this series (I'd especially love to see Nyx and Hestia), but if this is the finale, it's a very good one.

This collection of art and poetry was very thought-provoking and interesting. It’s very short and seems to focus more on the art than the poetry, which I wasn’t expecting. The poems are seemingly through the lens of a conversation between the poet and the Queen of Hell, which makes for an interesting dynamic.

There were some lines that absolutely stuck out but overall the collection was a bit too avant-garde for my tastes.

Thank you to NetGalley, Trisha Mateer, and Central Avenue Publishing for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

In my last review of Mateer's second installment of the Myth and Magick series I hoped that her poetry would not fall down the path of (for lack of a better term) instagram banality. After finishing Persephone Made Me Do It I think I have to realize that this type of poetry is no longer something I vibe with because it just doesn't hit the same as Aphrodite Made Me Do It or did. There are bits of the collection that shine through the generic self-help prose that make me want to keep trying to enjoy this series.

The beginning verse:

My mother kisses
my cheek and says
I look just like her.

Then she stands
in front of the mirror
and destroys herself.

is so POWERFUL that I was immediately hyped. The letdown of not getting that same weight through her words for almost the entire collection was deeply felt. The art and collages were a delight and powerful and were honestly probably my favorite part.

Overall, not a bad collection...but not anything groundbreaking.

Profound and pierced me through the heart. This felt very different from other Persephone retellings/reimaginings and I loved it!

As a lover of Greek mythology this book was great. Persephone is a story everyone knows but this story felt different than the other re-telling's out there. Loved the flow from poem to poem; really painted a beautiful story. So many beautiful phrases throughout the story telling. A lovely reminder that there is a duality in everyone, and it needs to be embraced.

I love Tristas books but I knew this one was going to win me over. This is the third book in her Greek Goddess installation. I have always had a soft spot for Persephone and this book did her justice. Trista does very well at relating subjects together. This book has both personal themes as well as modern injustices that intertwine with Persephone's story. It is written from an interesting point of view switching between Persephone and the writer. I don't read much poetry anymore but Trista is an automatic read! The visuals in this book are also stunning and tie into the story she is telling so well. Im so happy I got this ARC and preordered the physical copy for my bookshelf already... read it.

ARC review 💙

“Every woman goes through Hell and comes out again changed”

I’ve been wanting to get back into reading more poetry, like I did when I was younger, and this was perfect for me.
I think every woman I’ve talked to about Persephone loves her and can relate to her story in some way, shape, or form and the same goes for this collection.
And the art is also gorgeous!
Very emotional, lots of feelings, over all a very good read.

There was some formatting concerns but I’m hoping that was just from the ARC document and won’t show in the published version 😅

Thank you to NetGalley and Central Avenue Publishing for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review!

3.75⭐️ - rounded up to 4

This is my first time reading poetry and Trisha clearly can write emotional, and beautiful poems that encapsulate the stages of feelings women experience. A lot of women will connect with this book, and maybe find empowerment from it.

I did find that the pictures catered to teenagers and sometimes felt a bit superficial. I did enjoy this book, although I found that only some poems truly engaged me.

I was so happy to receive an eARC of this on NetGalley, so thank you!

It did not disappoint for the 3rd book in Trista Mateer's Myth and Magick series, but in fact exceeded my expectations.

As someone who struggles with mommy issues, DV trauma, religious trauma, etc., this book was very therapeutic to let me cry my eyes out on this journey with the poet and Goddess.

This book really spoke to me and inspired me as well since we are finally seeing more femininity in pop culture with having the world see WOMEN (INCLUDING TRANS WOMEN) for the duality beings we are and have always been, but the society we live in has made that our weakness. Well! It is part of our strength and endurance to keep fighting to change that once and for all.

I am especially thankful that the original myth of Hades kidnapping Kore is used here as some modern retellings side step Demeter and her role she played to mold Kore and Persephone, whether good or bad mothering choices.Trista also laments how Kore grieves herself to Persephone as their innocence is lost too soon as the origin story is Kore a YOUNG GIRL taken by Hades. Not even a woman yet and as a woman who also lost her girlhood and had to grow up at a young age is a loss hardly anyone should have to endure.

This meditation on family and sexual assault feels familiar. It matches a lot of social media/pop-psychology discourse on self-worth, reparenting, and womanhood. Mateer's voice is clear and direct, but this collection offers little new.

I am DYING inside. This was everything and more. These poems are healing, and empowering. Trista Mateer does it again and again, and this one is no different. Seriously 20/10. This new installment of the Myth and Magic series is beautiful, horrible, heart wrenching and just pure emotion. This is my favorite of the three so far. I will be thinking about this one for a long time.






I am honored to have gotten this ARC from the wonderful @netgalley

"i am too much / and somehow / i will still / never be enough."

In the third installation of Trista Mateer's Myth and Magick series, Persephone's story is retold through the lens of girlhood and motherly love. Tackling trauma and the familiar story Persephone, Mateer weaves poetry and prose reflecting on life and what it means to be a woman throughout history.

I'm a huge fan of this series and have been since the first book released about Aphrodite. I knew this entry would be no different! All of the poems and prose gave me pause, but one of my favorite things about Mateer's work is that often, the art is just as reflective of the content as the plain pages. There were quite a few art collages and pieces in this book that I just loved looking at.

My favorite poem was by far Give Me Back My Hometown, which felt personal and robust. I think it shows the strength of Mateer's understanding of storytelling and prose, while also invoking a lot of complicated emotions. I'm so excited to have this on my shelf with the other two books in the series, and as always, I'm hopeful we'll get another entry - maybe for Hekate.

Thank you to NetGalley and Central Avenue Publishing for providing me a copy of this book for an honest review.

Content warnings: abuse, death, fire, rape/sexual assault, kidnapping

Trista does it again! The new headline. Every time I go into Tristas works I have expectations and they are ALWAYS better than I expected.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was such a beautiful book of prose and poetry. Using the tale of Persephone to describe the tale of Woman. Of how we have been stripped of our power and made to seem naive and submissive.

It's raw and meaningful and really hit home. I'm definitely going to be reading the other 2 books in this series.

If you love poetry or even Greek mythology, you should read this book. Mateer has a unique way of using the myth of Persephone to write about her experiences as a woman in a very poetic way.

“Persephone made me do it” Is a purposeful extension of her previous work, again taking us into the depths of mythology. It’s youthful and aggressive and a great short read.

I really enjoyed this collection of poems!

A healthy mix of poems that are more direct to the myths of Persephone and her story, but also plenty of more generic poems that can be applied to a variety of different events in life.

I enjoyed the structure/breakup of the poems and their different categories as well.

I think my least favorite part of this (and this is something that I would have known going into “Persephone” if I had read the others in this series) was the collage pages. Some of these collages fit really well with the topics and vibes of the section. Others definitely felt a little out of place though

In this poetry collection, Trista Mateer takes us on a journey through the underworld to understand the relationship between mothers and daughters and the ways in which we have to leave ourselves behind.

I wholeheartedly loved this collection. The artwork was stunning, and as a huge fan of tarot, I loved the way the cards were designed and how they informed each section of the collection. I understand why the book is being pitched as 'self-help' as it does encourage self-reckoning and re-parenting, but I think calling it 'self-help' sells the book a bit short. It is a beautiful collection of art and poetry, and I think it can stand alone as such.

While I enjoyed every poem, the ones that hit me the hardest were the ones about mothers and daughters. I can't quote here, but there were one or two stanzas that had me tearing up on the subway to work. I can't recommend this collection enough.

This has been my least favorite Trista Mateer, Myth and Magick installment. Where I have found her previous poetry collections inspired and moving this one just didn't hit me the same way. Though the themes and overall message of this book are beautiful and necessary and painful, the execution fell flat.