A review by gl4dness
Make Believe: Poems for Hoping Again by Victoria Hutchins

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.