This is a phenomenal collection of poetry that I enjoyed reading immensely. I will definitely pick up future titles by this author.

This was good. It was one of those consistent reads that doesn't let you down. I appreciate having reads like that. Kudos to the Author for writing a book that holds the readers attention.

Moving poetry novel that often made me think, and definitely made me cry more than once. Highly recommend for fans of Rupi Kaur, it reminds me a lot of that style of writing.

I’m a sucker for a book of poetry and When the Stars Wrote Back did not disappoint. There really was no story throughout, just a collection of poems about life. Some were happy and some were hard hitting. A lot were relatable. Definitely recommend for poetry lovers.

As someone who really loved Trista Mateer's previous collection, Aphrodite Made Me Do It, I want to love this one as much, but I just dont. Don't get me wrong, I still really enjoyed it, but it didn't pack the same punch as aphrodite.

"If I could,
I would hold conversations
with the moon.

I would ask Venus
about loneliness
and Mars about anger.

I would tell the black hole
that I know what it feels like.

I would write letters to the cosmos;

and when the stars wrote back,
they would say the most dazzling
and necessary things."


I am so sad to say that I was less than impressed with this one. I follow Trista on Instagram and a few of her poems struck me, so when the publisher asked me to review a PDF of her poetry collection I was so excited! Unfortunately, most of these poems were boring and felt a little uninspired. I took screenshots of the ones that I loved, which was like... four?

She has a real talent with imagery, and this collection obviously had a space theme, but I think Amanda Lovelace does the themed collections with a little more grace and originality than this attempted to. (2.5)

Thank you to the publisher for a digital copy of the collection. All opinions are my own.

✰ ✰ ✰ . 5

an enjoyable poetry collection! sweeping and touching, it is another underrated triumph that celebrates the human spirit, personal & mental issues, and what it means to love & heal.

The poems drew me in. The words made me revisit that young adult age and wish I had more of this when I was that age to help me feel less alone.

This book of poetry is a raw and emotional read. Running through the gambet of tough topics and emotional experiences, this book helps readers to know that they are not alone and that they can be strong. It is such an important book for teens facing difficult experiences. This book is unabashedly real and holds nothing back.

Trista Mateer always writes such lovely poetry and this is no exception. Happy to finallyread a book from her after years of following her on social media. I would recommend this to anyone wanting accessible but deep poems.

I’m fairly new to appreciating poetry, but I did enjoy this collection! Trista Mateer’s writing was beautiful and emotional. It definitely reminded me of milk and honey, in a good way! I really recommend it if you love poetry, because it’ll probably be 5/5 stars for you.

I absolutely love Trista Mateer's work. Once again she's blown me away with such beautiful words. I'm a massive fan and after reading this i continue to be so.

Beautiful and powerful, I can’t wait to share this book with some of the children in my life when the time comes.

I really enjoyed this poetry collection. Trista Mateer is one of my favorite poets right now, if not my favorite. This collection was especially nice because of the formatting, I liked the illustrations and handwritten sections added in. I feel like they helped the collection seem even more personal.

A timely and powerful poetry collection, Mateer's subject matter runs the gamut from toxic relationships, to mental health issues, feminism, and everything in between. Paired with beautiful artwork by Jess Cruickshank, Mateer's empowering (and surprisingly hopeful) collection is a raw nonfiction glimpse that explores surviving break ups, healing from trauma, loving yourself, and so much more.

**Thank you to NetGalley, the author, & the publisher for a chance to read & review an E-ARC of this collection!**

I haven't read much poetry but have been trying to break into hat genre. Before this book I had read all Amanda Lovelace's books, and only her books. I am excited that I now have a another author, Trista Mateer, who can penetrate my soul with only a few lines.

I often had to sit back and really contemplate what I had read at times in the best possible way.

I really couldn't recommend this book more. It was simply exquisite.

Trista Mateer fans will not be disappointed in this wonderful collection of poems. The imagery is particularly strong, and jumps off the page to steal your heart.

The artwork is phenomenal, and it adds to the emotional roller coaster of the poems, which cover relationships, love, and learning to deal with the hand life gives you.

See the world through the distinct eye of this creative poet.

In the remarkable WHEN THE STARS WROTE BACK, Trista Mateer invites us into her world: clear-sighted, open, honest, and uncompromising with the truths of her life. Illustrator Jess Cruickshank heightens, deepens, and transforms the experience of reading the book with heart stopping, perfect drawings. Mateer has suffered, exulted, built and destroyed, loved and lost and emerged with a fierce, unique voice that inspires, makes me wish I could share a cup of tea with her.

This was beautiful. I read Trista Mateer’s other poetry collection called Aphrodite Made Me Do It last year which I adored, so of course I requested an arc of this one. This collection consists of so many heartbreaking poems about body imagine, sexual assault, and abuse. It takes a lot of courage opening up about those things and I applaud Trista for creating another masterpiece.

I've read poetry and verse books and let me say that this book hit me hard. The beauty of each poem telling a story of resilience through all the trauma... These poems know how to pull at your heart strings. I found myself moved to tears with this book and am impressed with both the writing and the artowork. I definitely admired this book for it's candid writing throughout.
Thanks to Netgalley and the author for this great book!