Reviews - Make Believe: Poems for Hoping Again

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196 reviews for:

Make Believe: Poems for Hoping Again

Victoria Hutchins

4.43 AVERAGE

I took my time with this one. Is it short? Yes. Could I have finished it easily in one sitting? Also, yes. Did I want to take the time to read and sit with the emotions that Victoria felt and how I felt about her writing things that made me think about my own life? Definitely, yes.

This collection of poems is largely about being a millennial, heartbreak of all kinds, healing, truly discovering God, and seeking humanity in people.

I definitely resonated more with the first chunks of the book but also was intrigued by how Victoria is learning about God and who the person of God is to her.

Thank you to NetGalley and Convergent Books for the ARC.

mrssmeds's review

4.0

emotional funny hopeful

gl4dness's review

4.0

this book?? highlight-worthy as heck. i swear i was fighting for my life not to underline every other sentence. victoria hutchins has this way of making you feel like she’s sitting next to you, reading your mind, and putting your exact emotions into words. it’s not the kind of poetry that tries to be all deep and complicated—it’s simple, raw, and relatable in a way that hits straight to the chest. like, ow.

what to expect:
✔️ nostalgia & childlike wonder
✔️ soft existential crises (but in a hopeful way)
✔️ poetry that feels like a hug
✔️ themes of healing, self-discovery & joy

the poems feel like diary entries—sometimes messy, sometimes repetitive, but always honest. there were a few that confused me, a few that felt like they were saying the same thing in different ways, but honestly? i didn’t mind too much.

if you’re in a weird place in life, feeling lost, or just need a little reminder that hope still exists, this book is for you. nothing extravagant, nothing overly profound—just simple, beautiful words that remind you to believe again.

thank you to netgalley, the author, and the publishing team for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

letsbebookpals's review

5.0

hopeful inspiring lighthearted

I read two of these poems on Pinterest (“you can work when you’re dead” and “don’t save joy for last”) and went out to buy the book immediately.

Sapient and sparkling, these poems really are helping me hope again. My favorite book of the year so far.

“There’s an idea: A faith you don’t have to find. A faith you can just keep.”