"Poets are always writing about stardust,
but I spent most of my life feeling like dirt.
I hated that until I realized
dirt is where things have to be planted
in order to grow."

This Trista Mateer collection didn't grab me as much as Aphrodite Made Me Do It did, but I still really enjoyed the mixture of poetry and artwork throughout the book. And the overall aesthetic and cosmic theme is definitely up my alley.

TW (as given by the author): alcohol/drugs, body image, death, eating disorders, emotional abuse, mental health, sexual assault, suicide

This book is written in verse. It is a compilation of poems, many of which may bring about feelings or thoughts that many of today’s young adult readers may have on their minds.

This poetry book is a beautiful tale of resilience and triumph through trauma. It was one that will stay with me for a long time and I will return to again and again.

I've never really read a poetry book, and im so happy I started with this one. its absolutely amazing, and the art-wow! everything is beautifully written, and I definitely think some of these poems deserve to be posters, because damn! if you read books like “milk and honey” and are looking for something more down to earth/ inspiring, this is DEFINITELY A MUST READ!!

I love Trista Mateer and was so excited to see she had another book. Her poems ring so true to me in a way that is clear, precise, and jarring. I appreciate that there are not extended metaphors that take immense effort to follow, but instead feel so rooted in truth & emotion that they make you feel something. Excited to continue to follow Trista and her poems!

This is a journey of healing as a woman processes traumas like suicide, eating disorders, body image, and assault Blending art and raw, minimalistic poems, the reader follow this journey out of darkness into light and strength.
Merit: This is poetry as an art form at its finest.
Shortcoming: There are emotional triggers that educators need to take into consideration.
Verdict: I would still purchase this book for our older High School grades as well as adding copies to the bookshelf of our school mental health counselors.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the e-Arc.

When the Stars Wrote Back by Trista Mateer, 187 pages. POETRY. Random House, 2020. $15.
Language: PG (6 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG13
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
Mateer creates poems from words in common and uncommon poetry form as well as through word art. The focus of these poems are on love for self and not needing a partner. Wanting and having a partner is great too, but know that you are happy with yourself as you are.
In these words combined with the simple and beautiful illustrations, self love for the narrator grows until you come to realize that you are worthy of your own love, too. The simplistic style of the entire collection invites readers to put themselves into the emotions and words expressed. I was surprised when a couple of these poems helped heal pieces of heartbreak I thought I had resolved. The mature content rating is for drug and alcohol use, mention of rape, and sexual assault. The violence rating is for mention of suicide.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

This was extremely touch and motivating. It struck home in many places that I wish it hadn't. For those who can't imagine a light at the end of the tunnel, take an hour or two and devour this book. Fill yourself with its hope and know that the light will come.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Trista Mateer hits it out of the park again. This is a beautiful collection that is suitable for older teens and adults as there are sensitive topics. I found many pieces hit right in the heart and I believe everyone can find a relatable piece.

Thank you so much to net galley for sending me a copy of this poetry book. I don’t typically like poetry books but I really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend this book to anyone!

Different than I expected, but overall was a beautiful collection of poetry! Intended for an older YA audience, (mature themes, trigger warning topics) very powerful in the material Trista covers.

I enjoyed this. The poems all worked but they didn't hinge on each other. A perfect "coffee table book". Overall, mostly sad so don't look to this to brighten a day. Enjoyed the illustrations and poems that had illustrations although it was hard to read some (believe this is because it is an ARC). Worth checking out if you are interested in poetry.

These poems will speak right to the hearts of YA readers who have struggled with unhealthy relationships with others, their own parents, and themselves.

The artwork is beautiful and I could easily see lines from these poems becoming mantras for readers. I appreciate the trigger warning at the beginning because some of the poems certainly deal with sensitive topics.

This was a beautiful, blunt, and honest collection of poems that came together to offer a heavy and inspirational message to the reader. I loved the art throughout and the purple color scheme with the astrological elements. I loved the development and confidence of the author. I liked some of the poems more than others; some really resonated with me. I think that it’s brave and beautiful for an author to share their life experiences and this one didn’t disappoint.

A huge thanks to PRH international for the eARC. All the following opinions are my own.

When The Stars Wrote Back is a poetry collection that is written in the style of poetry popularized by the likes of Rupi Kaur and Amanda Lovelace.

And it follows the themes that are often explored in collections like these as well - neglect, trauma, sexual abuse/assault, heartbreak, love, addiction, body image issues, mental illness, etc.,

I honestly don't have much to say because the book was…fine? But it didn't leave an impact on me at all. I sped through the book in under an hour and I really didn't find a poem that I resonated with deeply. It was just…words.

I don't deny that this poetry collection can become a very important piece of literature for someone else, but that just isn't me.

I do think that this poetry collection will definitely benefit an audience of people who are younger than I am, and are always looking for pieces of themselves in the words on page - I know they do because I've done it, too, and there's nothing wrong with being that way!

I'm really sad I didn't enjoy it as much as I would've liked to, but I will definitely not discourage you from trying it out because you can never really tell with books like this. *shrug*

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

In this collection Trista Mateer artfully balances vulnerability, lyricism, activism, & empowerment. Through her beautiful writing she shares experiences that many can relate to & learn from. With all that is going on in society today (& throughout history), she beautifully highlights both the gruesome & illuminating parts of building yourself up from a past that was designed to repress. Please find my extended feedback below...along with some potential spoilers (beware).
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Things I Liked:
-I was grateful for the trigger warning at the beginning of the collection. I think it is a genuinely kind aspect to include & shows just how much the author/publishing team cares about the readers. Thank you!
-There are some very tough topics covered in this collection. While things like mental health, self-worth, sexism, ingrained expectations, & self-image can be difficult to discuss...it is all too important that we do! I appreciated the way in which the poet covered these topics with honesty but did not do so with any lack of empathy.
-I also really admired the poet's way of balancing the confusion she felt during certain parts of her life with the lessons that she learned from those experiences. That genuineness made it easy to relate to the words & the emotions behind them.
-I loved the messages about empowerment, not allowing others to define your life, living life in your own way, & overcoming difficult experiences.
-The illustrations are stunning.

Things That Didn't Sit Quite Right With Me:
-My only concern was that it was tough to read certain parts of the collection in the E-ARC version. Sadly, some parts were cut out & I had to fill certain words in to try & make sense of the writing. While it was slightly disheartening, it still didn't take away from the overall enjoyment of the collection.

Overall, I gave this collection 4 stars. I think it would be a fantastic read for those interested in poetry, hearing stories of empowerment, reading about how perspectives develop across time, & for the beautiful illustrations.

Overall, I liked what the author was doing here. You could clearly see she was processing, healing, and learning. Exactly what I used poetry for when I was much younger...around 17-20. I think if I had read this at a younger age I would have enjoyed it a bit more.

I liked that the topics were about body image, healing from heartbreak, and finding solace in books and writing. I feel like that described me to a tee when I was a teen...or hell, even now really.

The artwork was pretty and meshed well with the writing. I liked the handwritten look of some of the quotes or lines...but I'm not sure if it was because I was reading an e-arc or what, but some of the words on those pages were blank or hard to decipher.

Overall, I think this book would work well for young teens. For one, because they can relate to most of the topics written about. But mostly I like the idea of young people reading this because Trista's poetry seems to exude a message of hope. It's like yeah, this bad thing happened...but things will be better. Or yeah, I feel really depressed...but not all days are like this. I think that's an important message for impressionable people to take away after reading this. We heal. We find good days. We make new memories. Things wont stay this bad.

Mateer is a master of many styles of poetry. This collection felt really different compared to her previous collections, yet at the same time, her familiar voice and style shined through. If you are a fan of short-form, relatable quotes (and beautiful artwork to accompany them), this is a great read for you! Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for providing me a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

I haven't read a book of poetry in such a long time that really touched me. The rawness of the authors words resonated with me- I get that. I feel like this book helped heal me in a small way, from heartaches of the past. I read this is one sitting. I hope to read more from the author in the future. I also enjoyed the illustrations- though the ARC copy I received did not have the illustrations complete yet. I wish both the author and illustrator the most success.
Thank you for letting me read this in exchange for an honest review

4.5/5

As a preface, I’d like to thank NetGalley and Random House Children’s for approving me for an eARC of this collection!

When I read poetry, I usually try to spread it over a few days, even if it’s just two. Or even a few separate sittings, at the very least, so I can think about it.
I finished this in an hour.

When the Stars Wrote Back is the latest poetry collection from Trista Mateer. It centers around ideas of love, self-love, and family. There are some darker images in here, so definitely beware the trigger warnings for drug abuse, rape, etc.

This book was beautiful. I found myself wanting to highlight a line in nearly every other poem, if not more. The way Mateer weaves the stars slowly into her poems really blew me away. The sections worked perfectly, and I felt like I was going along the journey of healing with her. It felt like a true dive into the deepest parts of the poet, like we were reading straight from a journal. All the images I’ve added on this page are screen grabs from the book itself, as they were too beautiful alongside the work not to share. They really enhanced my experience.

Given that my copy was an ARC, some of my drawings were incomplete, and this makes me want to rush out to find a physical copy and write all over it. I might be reading this again right after I post this.

The strongest parts for me came from the longer, almost prose poetry. One that really sticks out is Cherry Coke Zero, as it feels like an introduction that weaves you through the ideas of body image and the tangled relationship Mateer has with her mother. Seeing how this played out through the rest of the collection was truly beautiful; following as Mateer wished she was enough and began to learn she could be enough if only for herself.

I gave this 4.5 only because it is not dissimilar to other collections out now, moving through trauma and love to find self worth. The central theme of the stars adds a perfectly braided narrative through the collection, keeping all the strings of ideas Mateer has tied together. The titular poem turned the whole book for me, as she clearly came to grasp what it is to live and to love with the help of the stars.

Overall, this may not be a classic poetry book that will last decades, but it made a difference to me today, and probably will continue to make that difference for at least the near future. Isn’t that all that matters - that your words speak to someone? I think this collection is far better than any of the young adult ones I’ve read recently, and I hope readers of this genre will be picking this one up as soon as they can.

(A slightly extended review is available on my blog here: https://meganehandley.wixsite.com/nerfienotes/post/when-the-stars-wrote-back-poetry-review )