In the third poetry collection of her Greek Mythology series, Trista Mateer writes in conversation with Persephone, exploring trauma, sexual violence, mother-daughter relationships and more through weaving hers and the goddesses story together. Honest and at times a little painful, the poems and art featured in this collection encourage self-love, acceptance and female empowerment. Mateer never shies away from the tough stuff, and this collection is no exception. Take care when reading and be aware of the content warnings.

Thank you to Netgalley and Central Avenue Publishing for a digital galley in exchange for my honest review.

Content warnings: sexual assault, incest, generational trauma, and possibly more

These poems and fragmentations demand for each word to be savoured, consumed slowly, bite marks to remember your place.

This is a story about becoming a conqueror when you were supposed to be a victim. She showed me new ways to honour my inner child. She touched my mommy issues. She reassured me that it is okay to be difficult, and I would rather not be palatable when someone wishes to consume me. She eludes definition, indeed.

The poet has grown so much since Artemis, which I rated four stars. I have never loved instagram poetry, and while it fits the mold, Persephone also transcends it. I’ve always read these collections digitally and neglected to savour them. This is the first one that I’ve read and told myself to buy a copy immediately to annotate for my best friend. I feel seen and I can’t wait to share it.

The edition of the tarot card artwork is eclectic, but a pleasant way to break up poems. Some of the other pop are is a bit tacky and dated. None of the art styles are cohesive. I’d like to see more soul in the artwork.

Gorgeous writing from Mateer as always! I enjoyed this one much more than Artemis Made Me Do It, and I’d say it’s on par with Aphrodite Made Me Do It. This is about Persephone (and women) owning her name; I liked that Hades is hardly mentioned and that their relationship isn’t romanticized. I also liked the complicated relationship between Persephone and Demeter and how Mateer tied this into real mother/daughter dynamics. The collages were beautifully done as well.

I *love* all of Trista Mateer's work, including the first two books in this series--but I think this one has to be my favorite of the three. I just couldn't stop reading it, and writing down my favorite lines, and yelling about it to my friends. It's just too good. I love the way Trista writes about girlhood, and rage, and generational trauma, and reclamation, and pain. It's incredible. I'd highly recommend this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Central Avenue Publishing for the chance to read and review this ARC.

This has to be one of the most beautiful and emotionally driving poetry books I’ve ever read. The way that Trista Mateer weaves together the mythology of Persephone as well as real life experiences is so well done, and helps to add a sense of empowerment. There were several times I had to put the book down and cry due to the subject matter, but in all the best ways. It made me feel seen, and it inspires women that they are not a product of their experiences, without undermining the severity of past trauma. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has had their choice taken from them, or who needs to be reminded that they are beautiful as they are.

5/5⭐️

Persephone Made Me Do It has to be my favourite of the three poem collections Mateer has written about Greek Goddesses so far!

As a fan of poetry, Greek mythology and powerful women, I LOVE this series and Persephone is probably my favourite culmination of the three. Persephone is not a victim or a passive participant in her own life but a survivor and a powerful God, and I loved reading her story through beautiful poetry.

This book is a story of duality between light and dark, who you were and who you’ve become, trauma, survival, the relationship between mothers and daughters, a woman’s rage, and growing into one’s own power.

Trista’s poetry collections are a must read for any and all poetry and Greek mythology readers!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for an open and honest review! All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Oh the moment I saw there was another installment in Trista Mateer's greek mythology series I knew I needed the arc. The interior graphics combined with Mateer's words were very much resonating with "give me back my girlhood it was mine first". the overarching theme of wanting to be nothing like your mother but exactly like her and the resentment but also unending love was so refreshing to see. so many depictions of persephone have her and her mother's relationship completely strained but this had those ties of love. anyway, i highly enjoyed this.

thank you to netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review

This is the third poetry collection in Trista Mateer's Greek Mythology series and most definitely my favourite.

I love this series, they are so beautiful but also so heartbreaking. I love the mixed media used and the alternating perspectives between the poet and Persephone.

Honestly, I really recommend this collection and the others in the series because the poetry in them is just raw, vulnerable and so incredibly powerful!

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

I read Artemis Made Me Do It in this series last year adored that so I knew I had to read this when I saw it and it didn't disappoint at all. I loved it more than I did Artemis if that's possible, the artwork in between the chapters are again the best part and I loved the design and the feel if them. The poems themselves are absolutely heartbreaking and thought provoking. I loved how the poems talk about how Persephone was kidnapped by Hades as often in Greek retellings that is ignored and sometimes romanticised. The poems about Mothers and daughters were my favourite and I think they spoke for all mothers and daughters.

If you love poetry especially feminist poetry this is one you have to add to your tbr

A sharp, biting collection which confronts the reality for women both past and present. With stunning artwork accompanying.

I had been anxiously waiting to read this new installment in Trista Matter’s incredible poetry series for months, and it did not disappoint.

Once again the poet is in conversation with the goddess, drawing from her experiences to try and make sense of her own relationships. The mother-daughter relationship depicted hit me especially hard, the duality of wanting to be nothing like your mother but realizing that you’re so much like her anyway is something that will find an echo in a lot of girls’ and women’s lives.

The discourse on sexual violences was both empowered and vulnerable. A lot of modern prose or poetry about Persephone choose to make hers and Hades’s relationship into a love story, and although I love those, I deeply appreciated that Mateer focused only on Persephone, never giving any power to him and refusing to even name him.

The dialogue between modernity and tales as old as time was emphasized once again by her artistic collages. Mateer’s poetry is powerful and raw, vulnerable and self-caring and it speaks to my soul to levels I can’t even put into words. Witnessing Persephone overcome her trauma, watching the tenderness with which both the poet and the goddess look upon their younger selves, seeing the unfolding contradiction of accepting who you had to become while still mourning who you were and could have been, is something that will move any reader who has ever experienced the same kind of trauma.