3.5 ⭐️

Small Ghost is a searing exploration of depression, loneliness, and being chronically online, with stunning photography by @laurenzaknounart. This collection blends humour with the realities of mental health, poking fun at how we cope without making light of the pain. I smiled in parts ("small ghost writes a poem" felt like a personal attack, in the best way), and in others, I just wanted to reach out and hug the author.

It reminded me of my younger self. The version who hadn’t started healing, who didn’t realise how much she needed to. I wish I’d had this poetry collection then - I’m immensely glad that it exists now.

Trigger warnings: this collection explores depression and su*cide ideation. If you are struggling with your mental health please prioritise your wellbeing - books will always be here when you’re ready for them 🫶🏼

Thanks to @netgalley and Michelle Halket at @centralavenue for providing an ARC of this collection for review.

"it's strange
all the things
you forget about
when you can't find
the scars
to prove they happened
anymore"

Here’s a fun fact about me: I don’t like 21st-century- “tumblr-style”-poetry. Miss me with your Rupi Kaur’s and Amanda Lovelace’s please… Yet Small Ghost is an example of very rule having its exception. I actually really enjoyed this little ghostly collection.

Trista Mateer explores themes of depression, mental health and coming of age in our modern world filled with wonders and challenges. Depression has been explored through many metaphors throughout fiction, and Small Ghost is a simple but striking one. I’ve lived part of my life as a Small Ghost, and maybe you have too. In that case, you will for sure find something to relate to in here.
Trista Mateer has something that many other “Tumblr-style” poems lack for me; there’s sense of rhythm to them and they paint a picture in my mind. That picture is supported and enhanced by the beautiful layout of this new publication. The poems are surrounded by little drawings and surrealist pictures of our titular ghost. While the drawings in the original 2015 edition were just cutesy, the pictures in this collection give off a bit of a vintage-gloom-vibe, that matches the poems well.
It will depend on the person which version you prefer. For me, the new images really worked wonderfully and made this collection a feast, both verbally and visually.

Many thanks to Central Avenue Poetry for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Small Ghost explores the exhausting reality of struggling with mental health. Mateer’s conversational style, infused with vulnerability and thoughtfulness, transforms mundane experiences into wistful musings. Panic attacks at the grocery store and days spent wasting away in bed are met with humor and care.

A difficult peek into what depression can look and feel like but an important one as discomfort is where growth happens, empathy is where understanding starts, and compassion is how we can show up for one another. This spoke to parts of my soul still very much healing from my own brushes with depression, anxiety, and burnout. It’s a reminder to feel but move through, seek help from therapists and supportive friends, and remain steadfast on the hope for better days and years to come because you are enough.

This is for those going through difficult times or those that want to try to understand mental health issues more deeply.

Beautiful illustrations, flows very well, and very relatable poems (I bookmarked more than 5). Already thinking of all those that I can buy copies for. Highly recommend.

There are not many poetry books I can read cover to cover in one night - this was not one of them. I absolutely loved the writing and prose, the illustrations and photography, the words and sentiment. It made me feel deeply, gave me hope, made me feel seen. Wonderful collection.

Loved this poetry collection. Mateer embodies depression and anxiety as a Small Ghost. The art by Zaknoun adds poignance to the feelings of loneliness and despair. A beautiful collection to make you feel seen. My favorite poems were: "small ghost haunts her own apartment, small ghost will be your server tonight, small ghost retraces her steps, small ghost collects things, small ghost binges friends (again), small ghost plays animal crossing, small ghost downloads Sims4, and small ghost stands in a sunlit kitchen" I will definitely be picking up this collection.

Thank you Central Avenue Publishing and NetGalley for the e-arc of this poetry book!

I am so grateful for receiving this e-arc. As I have mentioned before, Trista Mateer is my favourite poetry writer. Her way of writing is unique. And this poetry collection was no exception. Even if it was a little different than her other works I have read from her, it was really relatable. I really hope everyone tries her poetry at least once. I will definitely talk about her to everyone who will listen.

Small Ghost is part poetry collection and part art collection with contributions in collage, painting, and photography by artist Lauren Zaknoun. The art and poetry combine for a peak “scrolling Tumblr in 2010” vibe, which as a woman in my 30s I absolutely love.

This collection deals heavily with the topics of depression and suicidal ideation so it shouldn’t be entered lightly, however the message is clear and overwhelmingly hopeful in the end. I related so much to the ways Mateer described depression, especially in the poem about taking care of a Sim better than taking care of yourself.

I’d recommend this collection to the tumblr poetry fans and fans of poets like Andrea Gibson.

3.5 stars rounded up

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
It was sweet but nothing spectacular and my least favourite poetry anthology of the author’s so far

This is so beautiful.

It feels so honest and unfiltered. I don't think there's many people who wouldn't relate to at least a part of this book. Being human is having to deal with feelings and sometimes they're not easy to understand or talk about. I feel like this book really manages to capture that.

I liked how it was all broken down into smaller parts, individual obstacles and thoughts and moments in time. It's so easy to read and so beautiful, especially the way that it slowly gets more hopeful as it progresses. The tiny actions we take to make it through depressive episodes or anxiety attacks are so important and I love the way this books talks about and celebrates them.

I'd recommend this to almost anyone. I think it would be a very useful reminder during dark times, that you're not alone and that you can make it through because you've done it before.

Trista Mateer is an incredible poet and I knew I would love this collection. I had previously read Aphrodite Made Me Do It and I was not disappointed with this selection either.

Small Ghost was a very real and personal look at depression/mental health through poetry and graphics. It is so well thought out and takes the reader from the pits of depression, through the apology stage and on through to recovery. A well thought out book and such a unique storytelling method.

Thank you NetGalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review

Repetitive with an underwhelming style. I thought it would be an interesting read, a different one, but it just got repetitive and empty.

"𝒊 𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒖𝒏 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒐𝒏 𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒎𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒅"

Small ghost is a deeply relatable poetry collection about feeling like the ghost of who you once were. I can somehow see myself in every pages and there’s something so comforting about that.
The art and photography between the poems are a nice touch too!

𝙈𝙖𝙣𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙉𝙚𝙩𝙜𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝘼𝙡𝙘𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙡𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙞𝙣 𝙚𝙭𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙖𝙣 𝙝𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬!

I love Trista Mateer’s poetry but this one was hit and miss for me. I enjoyed some of the poems but found others not to my liking. I did love the exploration of emotions with the ghost but I didn’t relate to this as much as they’re other work.

I’ve never felt the need to highlight an entire book.
I want it all permanently tattooed into my brain.
I felt every piece of this, every verse, every poem, every word.
The author dug into my soul and found my small ghost and wrote about her in these pages.

Small ghost is a collection of poems, with themes of depression and mental health issues, grief and loneliness. I connected with this author’s story, with the small ghost that replaces us during rough times, the difficulties of everyday life for a ghost. This read felt personal, raw, emotional. I loved the message the author leaves you with, the hope for better days, the encouragement to not give up just yet.

This read made me feel human, made me cry and smile. I don’t feel so alone anymore.
I feel seen.

This was a very emotional and evocative collection. The format was intriguing and created an interesting reading experience that added to the journey that the reader goes on with the small ghost.
I found the metaphor of the ghost really evocative and felt that it gave interpretation for many different readers. The image of ghost and the idea of dissociating from one’s body and own mental health is something that I valued about this anthology.
The mixed media added another level to the collection, I enjoyed how the images not only reflected the poems but also stood alone as messages to the reader.

Small Ghost is a wonderful poetry book, and it showcases the beauty and terror of navigating mental illness. I personally found much of the poems relatable throughout my read. Both the poems and gorgeous artwork ranged from bleak tragedy to hopeful despair.

A heartfelt collection of poetry that I could really relate to and appreciate. The artwork goes really well with the words and I loved the direction the latter part took.

I'd recommend this to those recovering from mental illness as a message of hope and inspiration.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC

Ⓑⓞⓞⓚ Ⓡⓔⓥⓘⓔⓦ

"𝑰 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏, 𝒊𝒕'𝒔 𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒂𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒔𝒐 𝒔𝒂𝒅, 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒔𝒐 𝒘𝒆𝒂𝒌, 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒔𝒐 𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒌𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆."

𝘚𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘎𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘵 is a heart-breaking, honest and raw collection of poems where Trista Mateer is completely vulnerable and transparent within its pages.

In 2015, Mateer published a brief collection of poems under the same title, and this new book serves as a beautiful expansion of that original work. The previous cover is woven into this book's artwork, which I thought was a nice touch.

This collection explores heavy themes and comes with a 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 at the beginning. Some of these themes are mental health issues, desperation, the overwhelm of consumerism and struggles with finding purpose in life.

As someone who lives with mental health troubles, I found Mateer’s words deeply resonant and validating. While these poems might be triggering for some, which is completely understandable, I found them to be therapeutic.

I love the use of the ghost and to me this represented feeling stuck or left behind when battling mental illness. Mateer highlights how there is still a stigma surrounding mental health issues, despite us being told otherwise, and how doctors don’t seem to understand continuous disorders that cannot be alleviated by going for a walk.

Despite its heavy content, there are also endearing and nostalgic moments and the author's note to the readers at the end is very sweet.

There is so much more to this book but I don’t want to spoil the reading experience and recommend you go and read it for yourselves.

Release date: 24th September 2024