I could not connect with this collection at all. Which to me fair, is more on me than the writing. I have not experienced what the author is talking about. Some of the poems are gorgeous and I highlighted them. But, others...just fell flat. I also found Mateer's writing to be a bit simple and less immersive than other poetry I've read.

She does craft a gorgeous narrative and I will continue to read her work.

HONEYBEE: POEMS
Written by Trista Mateer
2018; Central Avenue Publishing (160 pages)
Genre: poetry, literary, LGBT

(Review Not on Blog)

RATING: 4.5 STARS

Powerful, raw and very readable poetry collection. It really spoke to me because the theme of letting go is something I am going through myself, and have always kind of battled with. Mateer gives words to those feelings. And, omg, love this cover!!!

***I received an eARC from EDELWEISS and NETGALLEY***

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2268512255?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

I enjoyed it but it was just too much for me. I was looking for something more empowering. Nothing against the book or the author, as said above, it just was not my personal cup of tea.

This collection of poetry was absolutely raw and beautiful.. It touches on a lot of deep, dark, heartfelt moments and thoughts and feelings that all of us can relate to one way or another. We all have dark corners of our minds, chapters we would prefer to keep closed and shut away; but this collection really shows the stream on consciousness of someone trying to wrestle with and get over a love that mattered but manifested into something toxic and harmful. The poem "leftovers" tore the heart right out of my chest and gave it a good aching squish for emphasis. I had to read this collection bits at a time, since they were so profoundly sad and some points, but hopeful in others. The author provides a disclaimer for those in the beginning of the book who may have a mental disorder like depression or suicidal tendencies, that they should take caution while reading these poems. They also provide helpful links, which I thought was an excellent touch, and really made a lasting impression throughout the entire book. I would suggest this to anyone who loves "Milk & Honey" or "The Sun and Her Flowers".

I freaking loved this poetry book by Trista Mateer. She offers something so unique and refreshing with this poetry collection. I also love the cover!!

I am very selective about the kinds of poetry I enjoy reading. Trista Mateer has compiled a wonderful collection of deeply personal poems full of love and heartbreak, in her book "Honeybee".

Trista Mateer's poetry is emotional and relatable for anyone who has dealt with heartbreak and judgment in their lives. The blurb on the book calls it a memoir in verse, but it reads better as individual poems on the topic of a breakup. Each poem is titled, helping them further stand alone. Mateer has written some fresh figurative language, and also effectively carries the extended metaphor of the honeybee throughout the book. I found myself highlighting powerful passages to return to.

This is a copy provided by the publisher and the author in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to them! 

This is a rewrite about things that really over from an honest perspective through the author. So it´s a rough position that Trista brings to us, a big step to her and, at the same time, a trustful bond that she creat between the reader. 

Her poems are essentially about the lost and how she recovers over a broken heart. The write is full of sensations like tastes and smells through comparisons with how love makes her feels. I enjoyed reading her poems, her words careless used with a strong bond in emotional feelings without a filter or rational thoughts. 

"She does not remind me of anything
Everything reminds me of her"

To me, a powerful poetry book is one that makes me feel real feelings and emotions, and I felt, I felt the pain! Otherwise, Trista writes about others issues that she had been through, such as sexual orientation, stereotypes, and love and losses. With such major issues that she compromised to expresses, I think that this poetry book is much more than a compilation of poems about love and loss, but her journey painfully and beautifully written. 

Thank you for your transparency, Trista. 

Happy readings, 

Next to a Book.

This book was written for those who have experienced heartbreak and struggle to stop thinking the people they miss. "Honeybee" also talks about the religious view of people in the LGBTQ+ community.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This poetry collection was, again, a hit or miss. Some pages were relatable and understandable while the others were just so personal to the author that there was no way I could understand or relate. I've read a good many poetry collections and they're all starting to sound the same to me. Nothing really stood out and screamed at me with this one. I did enjoy the majority of it but not enough to 5 star it.

Poetry is always really difficult for me to review because it's such a personal experience, but I'll try anyway.

I read this "collection of poems about letting go" because I was going through a break-up. Well, I still am and I will be for a long time. But the specific reason why I got this book was related to me being suddenly single, not anything else.
I started this at the end of July and finished at the end of October. I can see that I'm better than I was when I first started this.

I was expecting to be devastated while reading these poems, instead it felt very underwhelming and that's the reason why I first put it down in August.
With time, I realized that not every break-up story is the same and I simply couldn't relate. I obviously found some similar feelings but I couldn't relate to the more personal stuff.

I feel like this type of poetry, with less lyrical stuff and more skips that don't make much sense, is not for me. And I'm not being mean with the "more skips" thing, I honestly don't know how you call that technique.
Reading some poems I was like "Oh, this person has potential" and then I was thinking the opposite while reading the one after that. It just wasn't well balanced.

A bit overrated, maybe, or I simply didn't get it.

Touching story (poetry?!) about unconventional love, loss and rebound. It is quite short but very touching. The author really let us in the world of her feelings. Anyone who has ever been in love and experienced a loss will find very easy to recognize himself/herself in this love/loss story. I read it in a heartbeat, like a very light evening reading and I recommend it as one.

I wish poetry came with a genre tag. This is slam poetry, this is traditionalist, these are sonnets, this is actually a book of aphorisms, this is not for you.

I was a bit embarrassed when I realized I had already picked this book up, and unfortunately, put it back down again. I saw the title and as I am completely unable to resist sampling anything to do with bees, I requested it. I nearly didn't finish it.

First, this reads more like a journal than poetry. I certainly don't think all poetry needs to rhyme, but there should be a certain cadence, a certain appreciation of sounds to make it more than a series of quotes. This did not have that. The other side of this is that it didn't feel like the author had done any serious introspection about her feelings. You can be sad, miserable, devastated, confused, but as a reader, what can I learn from that? As is, it just feels like the author is ranting at me, which is frankly, not enjoyable.

Second, the overall book was flat. There was only one topic addressed in the whole book, that of love and ended relationships. It just got tedious reading it. I would have liked to see a series about a good relationship or a series about something completely different. I do not know if this is her first book of poems, but it feels like it. I would have loved to see her take a few of the best from this collection and just wait to publish. Work on them, practice, because there is promise here.

Now, I am not very experienced with reading and writing about poetry, but for me, Honeybee was certainly a treasure. This book centers around Trista Mateer's past relationship with someone she loved so dearly. It was visible on every page how much emotions and feelings Mateer had in this relationship. I find it admirable how she was able to translate these feelings into the poetry in Honeybee.

What I like about this poetry collection is that it feels contemporary, yet it is not shallow. It feels very honest, even if the truth is a little ugly at times.

I recommend Honeybee if you are interested in an LGBT poetry collection, and actually, people who are not so interested in LGBT poetry too, because it's never wrong to sympathize with others, and overall Honeybee is just a ride on a rollercoaster through emotions that constitute a relationship. The rating I gave Honeybee is 4/5 stars.

I really enjoyed reading this book. There were some poems that really struck a chord with me, and I really loved them. All of the poems and writings were very honest and made me feel for the author. I think that a lot of readers can relate to them. Some of my favorites were "Google Searches On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown" and "Another Obligatory Poem Comparing A Girl To Something Consumable."

Feels a bit repetitive, but still manages to convey authenticity.

I really liked a big chunk of the poems, and there were only a couple I didn't really click with.
I like Mateer's flow and her titles; I also liked the design of the book and how it felt fitting with the tone and atmosphere of the collection.

This poetry collection is essentially about the author's life after letting go of the woman she loved. It's always hard to judge the content of such personal poems so I'm trying not to go there, I'll just say that what kept me reading was the style of the poems more than the concepts. It's just, the author's feelings either will resonate with you or they won't, and for me they mostly didn't, but that's something I need to have in order to really love poetry.

My favorite poems were the ones that talked about bisexuality (even if this book is not for you, you must read the poem called "A Brief Note on Biphobia"). They meant a lot to me.

I think this is an important book for queer women regardless of your own feelings while reading it, but definitely be aware that it's very heavy on breakup and heartbreak themes as well as homophobia and biphobia.

Fans of Rupi Kaur and Lang Leav would be especially interested in this collection of poetry from Trista Mateer. She focuses on themes such as first love and lasting impressions and explores these often difficult topics with a grace and fluidity sure to resonate with readers of all ages. Superb.

I liked this book so much that I bought a copy to give to my sister for her birthday! I really liked Trista’s writing style and the subjects she chose. Great book!

A lovely little book of heartfelt poems that I read in one sitting. A nice easy read and beautifully written. Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for allowing me to read in exchange for a review.