A review by battyaboutbooks
Persephone Made Me Do It by Trista Mateer

challenging dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? N/A
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

🦇 Persephone Made Me Do It Book Review 🦇

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

⚠️ Trigger Warnings: Abuse, Death, Rape, Sexual Assault, Toxic Relationships, Abduction/Kindapping, Grief, Trauma, Death

❝ The end of every survival story: I wasn't ready to become what I had to become. ❞

❓ #QOTD Who is your favorite goddess? OR fill in the blanks: I am ___, goddess of ___. ❓
 
❝ I was a princess until I was old enough to be a bitch. ❞

🦇 In her latest poetry collection, Trista Mateer blends together mythology, tarot, poetry, and conversation to reveal a new side of a very old story. Alternating between the perspectives of a poet and a goddess, Persephone’s lore is explored, related to modern issues, and ultimately reclaimed. Her poetry is a reminder that every woman is a series of poetic corrections. Even with flowers in her hair, a goddess like Persephone can be out for blood. This is the third book in Mateer's Myth and Magick series. 

💜 As always, Trista Mateer coveys the perfect balance of love and heartache. Her writing opens old wounds and spills shared experiences of motherhood, girlhood, survival, and self-affirmation. Each poem is emotional and raw, matched with striking illustrations (many of which are designed as modernized, collage-like tarot cards). Mateer pulls inspiration from familiar Greek myths, thereby infusing her personal experiences with magic and power. These pieces are a reminder that women--fictional figures in beloved Greek myths and the real women in our everyday lives--survive and endure so much, but never go down without a fight.

🦇 These poems are brutally honest and empowering, but they're not for everyone. Of the three in this series, I believe this one is the most difficult to swallow. Though some of the themes are universal, many readers might struggle to identify with some of the poetry's harsher themes. The collages, while attention-grabbing, are often hit-or-miss. While some enhance Mateer's poetry, others distract from the central themes. 

🦇 Recommended to fans of Nikita Gill's Great Goddesses and Rupi Kaur's The Sun and Her Flowers.

✨ The Vibes ✨
🌿 Feminist Verse
🌻 Mythology References
🌸 Part of a Series
🌷 Real and Raw
🌼 Art and Collages

🦇 Major thanks to the author @tristamateer and publisher @centavebooks for providing an ARC of this book via Netgalley. 🥰 This does not affect my opinion regarding the book. #PersephoneMadeMeDoIt #TristaMateer

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