Amazing. An unusual style of writing poetry, still relatable and something for everyone who had a hard time at some point, wanting more, wanting something different.

This is by far my new favorite of this poetry series, and for good reason. Persephone's story is told in a way that positions her relationship with her mother above all else. Growing up raised by a woman dealing with her own trauma only to become, much to our horror, exactly like our mothers is something a lot of young women can relate to in today's western world. Generational trauma is such a heavy, disapproved of topic in a lot of families that it leads to many turning to others that only hurt us worse. Mateer hits on being viewed as only a victim and twists it into how powerful we come through the other side being, even if we're still healing and that healing is what made us stronger, not the trauma itself.

Mateer also touches on the idea of viewing your younger self as outside yourself, or as another part of you beyond who you are today. Her poetry stresses that mothering your inner child is just as important as growing stronger and more powerful in your right. So much of who we are today is because of what that little girl dealt with, and it's important to remember that. She's not weak. If anything, she's just as strong as we are just for surviving what we're still remembering and healing from. It's okay to miss her, but don't ever forget her.

A beautiful collection of poems from the point of view of Persephone. They were thought provoking and the pictures spready throughout matched perfectly.

There is a few spelling errors and missing letters in words which did at times make this quite difficult to read but it was nothing really in comparison to the contents. I just wanted to mention this as my reason for 4 stars.

I really liked the layout of this collection of poetry - the scrapbook pages - and I liked the handmade look of the chapter pages that are tarot cards. I was really excited about the first poem, but then I didn't connect with the rest as much as that one - and they were good, it was just that I was always searching for the one I would love as much as the first...it just spoiled me, lol!

I want to start by saying I do love poetry that plays with poetic conventions and brings something new to the table. Therefore, I expected to like this collection more than I did.

There are lines that are particularly beautiful in their lyricism however, they are rather superficial which dampens the overall impact of the work. I do appreciate that the poet chose to represent the relationship between Persephone and Hades as one of kidnapping and abuse but still managed to give Persephone agency by showcasing that she ate the pomegranate seeds as a power play. Turning their relationship into a love story where Persephone seeks to escape her mother has never sat right with me - I have always viewed it as a myth that shows the bond between mother/daughter and a great motherly love.

The integration of photography/art and the prose quality of the poems should have excited me. However, this collection felt like Instagram poetry (poetry that looks good but says little) and, as such, fell flat. The topics of the collection: girlhood, abuse, relationships, self-actualisation are all important. Yet poems feel like rehashing of poems seen on social media overlayed on stereotypical artsy photos. Nothing new is said and there is nothing happening beyond the words on the page. No nuance, no references that expand the poems, or opportunities to read between the lines.

Another great one written by Trista!

I adored the artwork. Like seriously, the artwork is gorgeous, and it fits so well into expressing what is being written in the surrounding poems.

This one felt darker than the Aphrodite one, but I loved the direction that it took, and its prose was meaningful and powerful. I think I could always read poetry by Trista and even though we do not have the same experiences (no one truly does), she gets her point across easily if you're open to it. I can feel the hurt and female rage throughout the entire collection.

Thank you to Trista Mateer, Central Avenue Publishing, and Netgalley for a free advanced reader copy of "Persephone Made Me Do It" for an honest review.

I have unabashedly loved, raved, and passed out copies of Trista Mateer's 'Myth & Magik' series. This book is the third in the collection, and I continue to be as blown away by this one as both of the ones before it.

I love the pieces written from the goddesses' point of view. I was absolutely gobsmacked by the choice not to name Hades ever, because this is her book/her story/her trauma/her life/her healing/her regain of power and very much not his. I loved the parallels we saw with the author and her own life, mother, loves, lostness, and climbing out of the darkness. The across the book also left me in such awe, ripe and riveting with the color, the images, and the words.

The third book in the Myth and Magick series, and for me the best one yet. I’m sure many women find some find of sisterhood with the story of Persephone- a Queen of both hell and spring, a divine feminine who is capable of kindness and fury, who is not the quiet victim that some stories may want you to believe.

The author harnesses this powerful voice alongside her own musings to Persephone to create an anthology that is healing, comforting and cathartic — it has a focus on self-love and care that felt deeply personal but also harnesses the power and rage of a goddess who has suffered at the hands of men.

Mixing striking artwork with eclectic prose that spans storytelling, disjointed verses, poignant one-liners and traditional poetry that follow different themes for a true journey, this collection tells the untold stories of Persephones lore and gives a voice to stories women have been telling for as long as time. It blends in the old mythology with magic, tarot, spirituality and feminism to create something truly special.

Even if you haven’t read the other parts of this series, I can’t recommend enough that you find the nearest copy of this book and get lost in it like I did it.

I absolutely LOVED this new installment in Trista Mateers Greek Goddesses anthology!! It was beautiful and horrible and heart-rending, things only truly good books are. The art!! The prose!! What more is there to say? My only issue was that the copy I received seemingly had numerous typos? This is likely only because the copy I received was digital and therefore things may have been skewed during the data transfer, but worth mentioning nonetheless. Thank you to NetGalley and Central Avenue Publishing for giving me the opportunity to read this in advance!! <3

My favorite aspect of this collection is the use of mixed media/collages as well as the beautiful poetry. Trista Mateer is one of my favorite modern poets and this was an enjoyable collection. I feel like Persephone is the IT GIRL at the moment so this collection fits right in.

I love poetry and I especially love poetry that’s free from any kind of restrictions. This reaches the heart and sings with my soul. Beautiful words and sentences. It grows stronger with every poem. It’s beautiful. Thank you NetGalley and publishers for an eArc!

"For who we were, and who we had to become"
Maybe its just the timing of the book, but this might be my favourite book of poetry I've ever read. It might be my favourite piece of literature, period. The tying together of real life, mythology, and religious trauma was perfection.

"The end of every survival story: I wasn't ready for what I had to become"
I found myself highlighting nearly every page from the very beginning, until the very end. I wasn't ready for it to end when it did. This book spoke to and soothed parts of my soul that I didn't even realize were needing it.

"Loneliness has always been kinder to me than men have been"
The way that Trista laid out the book, beginning and ending it with similar poems that tied together, and with the trauma happening at the beginning and the attempts at healing happening throughout, but still the recoginition of the trauma, and the residual feelings and anger... words truely cannot describe what Persephone Made Me Do It made me feel.

"You dont get to go through Hell and come out the same"

This is my first book I've ever read from Trista Mateer, but it certainly will not be my last, and I absolutely plan on purchasing this one when it becomes available.
"I refuse to make myself palatable, I will not go down easy"

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read an ARC in exchange for an honest review

Thank you Netgalley and to the publisher for sending me this earc.

This was a good collection of poetry, but it didn’t live up to Aphrodite Made Me Do It for me. There were quite a few beautiful poems though and definitely some quotes I wanted to tattoo all over my body.
I think my favorite part is actually the art pieces with short pull quotes on them. I would love a whole collection of just those!

'Persephone Made Me Do It' is as equally heart wrenching as its predecessors.

One thing I know for certain, Trista Mateer consistently delivers.
The lyrical writing will have you begging for the emotional rollercoaster to continue.
I joined for the greek mythology, stayed for the heart break.

"I wonder if all women must try not to be hurt by the men they love. And how is it love if it's so tinged with fear?"

The art work on this piece is interesting, well done but not usually my preferred style. Occasionally it was a tad disruptive but I feel if it was being viewed in book form and not digitally it would blend nicer and feel that it adds to the story.

I was gifted a digital copy of 'Persephone Made Me Do It' in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Thank you Net Galley, Trista Mateer and Central Avenue Publishing.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC digital copy in return for my honest review.

As little girls we cannot wait to grow up. To be fuller, more beautiful, more desired. As grown women, sometimes we ache to go back to our youth. To be smaller, less criticized, more free. Or at least maybe we still dealt with all of those things as a child, but our colored glasses shrouded our view. Now we must cover our anger, hide it, smile, be sweet. Persephone reminds us that we can be feminine and vengeance. We can feel joy and rage. Women must not always be soft and smiling in the face of what calls for boldness and heart. She reminds us that we can have one foot in spring, one foot in the underworld and *chose* how we want to feel.

This is definitely my favorite of this series so far. Perhaps since I'm most familiar with Persephone's story. I really loved how Persephone was both someone who faces an unfortunate situation, but also made the best of the situation. I found that it nicely handled the historical story of Persephone while also balancing a more modern interpretation.

Firstly, I’d like to say thank you to Netgalley and Central Avenue Publishing for providing me with an eARC of this book in return for a honest review.

Trista Mateer once again has found a way to comfort all my biggest wounds. Showing us that even when the world tries to make us small, tries to make us a victim, tries to make us prey, we can become a God. This collection of poems was empowering to the part of me who needed that reminder but a comfort for the inner child in me who needed soothing as well. I’ve been told that I’m “too much” my entire life and it was so nice to read something that basically said “Yeah, you are too much. So what? Be loud. Take up space. Be as much as you need to be.” and I am so grateful.

And as a person with her fair share of mommy issues, this was a much needed reminder that I’m not alone in these feelings either. Strained relationships with your mother where you love her but she’s also hurt you so much are not talked about enough and reading this made me feel validated and less lonely.

Persephone’s story in all its interpretations means so much to me and hearing things from her point of view, hearing her tell her own story, was so powerful.

A beautiful collection of poetry.

You know what?
The sad summer girlies
(meant gender neutrally)
really fucking won with this one.
perfection
5/5
*chef's kiss*

Hi! So this one was so fun! I am so thankful to Central Avenue Publishing, Trista Mateer, and NetGalley for granting me advanced digital access to this gem of a poetry collection. I love how it was just page after page after page of prose, yet there were photos and artistic illustrations as a bit of reprieve for the reader.

Persephone Made Me Do It is set to hit shelves on September 12, 2023.

In the third poetry collection of her Greek Mythology series, Trista Mateer writes in conversation with Persephone, exploring trauma, sexual violence, mother-daughter relationships and more through weaving hers and the goddesses story together. Honest and at times a little painful, the poems and art featured in this collection encourage self-love, acceptance and female empowerment. Mateer never shies away from the tough stuff, and this collection is no exception. Take care when reading and be aware of the content warnings.