Persephone Made Me Do It

Thank you to NetGalley for this advanced readers copy, in exchange for an honest review. Anyone who knows me, knows Greek Goddesses and Poetry are two of my biggest loves... The first time I picked up Mateer's work, Aphrodite Made Me Do It, I felt seen, loved and ached within the pages. It's no shock, that this achingly gorgeous collection is an easy five star review for me. The connection between mother and daughter is never, ever a simple tale- especially ones filled with trials and tribulations. Connecting to the readers inner child, understanding inner discrepancies in their personal truth and opening the wounds we all seemingly share as a collective, is Mateer's mastery at work. It's beautifully done. And I found myself highlighting about 90% of the collection! I hunger already for the next work of a poet such as Mateer.

3 ⭐

did not move me as much as the last one, but i appreciate the message it brings. there's a love-hate relationship between mother & daughter here, which feels like the main theme, and it hit home. i also sympathize with the acknowledgement of abuse rather than the glorification of persephone's abductor, knowing how modern adaptations of her story has been watered-down into accepting there was love. overall, it's the kind of poetry that's both powerful and vulnerable at the same time.