Member Reviews

Make Believe is an inspiring, reflective, hopeful and very emotional read. The collection is short but still powerful and speaks directly to the soul. While some poems, like reconciliation story, definitely stood out to me more than others, they all made a profound impact and i can see myself returning to this book time and time again to fill myself with hope and look at the words with a new perspective.
Thank you Convergent Books, Victoria Hutchins and NetGalley for providing me with an Advanced Readers Copy of this book.

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A comforting & insightful collection of poems that will seep into your soul. It’s nostalgic & full of truths to help you believe in yourself again. Hope again. Hutchins is not afraid to dive into deeply personal topics from body issues to bisexuality. Truly a must read

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This book was exactly what I didn’t know I needed. I’m so grateful to have received this ARC. It was written so beautifully and pulled so many different emotions from me.

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Victoria Hutchins's "Make Believe" is a nourishing, encouraging hug for every version of yourself that you've been, that you are, and that you will be. Just like her Instagram account, she will kindly help you pick up the pieces when you're down, and inspire you when you don't feel like you can be inspired. Standouts from this collection for me were "birthday cake recipe (feeds none)," "reasons to stick around for a while," "grounding exercise," "airborne," and "you're going to die, so live." This poetry collection is split into sections that represent different facets of our lives, but the entire collection has a thematic throughline of nostalgia, hope, understanding, and love in the face of all else. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and will revisit it as many times as needed between now and the end of my forever.

MASSIVE thanks to NetGalley and Convergent Books for providing an Advance Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review! Make Believe is out TODAY, March 18th, 2025!

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Victoria Hutchins’s Make Believe: Poems for Hoping Again is a beautiful collection of poetry filled with nostalgia for days past, the innocence of childhood, appreciation for the bodies we have, the power of love and hope, and embracing the one life we’re given.

This collection is short and yet powerful. I found myself laughing and reminiscing while other poems struck me profoundly and made me think about times in my life when days were hard. Millennial women, in particular, will find this collection very relatable. There are several poems I will be coming back to again and again when I need words of encouragement or to remind myself that life is short: eat the cake, do the thing, open your heart, make the most of the days you’ve been given.

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Make Believe: Poems for Hoping Again perfectly delivers from the title - imagination, nostalgia, and pure hope. This was a perfect read from start to finish. I often found myself wanting to read one more poem but also wanting to savor and digest the last one I had just read. It's a poetry collection I will come back to again and again. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

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"Make Believe: Poems for Hoping Again" (Convergent Books, 2025) is Victoria Hutchins's debut book. Better known online as The Daily Victorian, where she has over 1 million followers on TikTok and half a million followers on Instagram, Hutchins's poetry speaks to young women exploring relationships, reflecting on their childhoods, and dealing with conflicting emotions.

While many literary elite disparage anyone they deem an "Instagram poet, plenty of readers, writers, and editors feel that is snobby at best. There is plenty of room in the writing sea to enjoy a variety of poets. Hutchins excels at investigating life's magic and shifting weight in its many guises and wonders.

Before breaking "Make Believe" into five sections, she introduces her collection with the poem "how to play make believe." She writes, "befriend eight-year-old you. Tell them they were right about everything." There are also recommendations on how else to enjoy time with your younger self. My favorites include "Dig out your costume box and try on different versions of yourself" and "leave the porch light on for joy."

Each of the five sections is introduced by a beautiful, relevant quote by a poet, including Louise Gluck, Ocean Vuong, Ellen Bass, Rumi, and Mary Oliver.

The second section, A World Where Your Body Feels Like Home, comprises poems about our sense of self in our bodies and how the outside world reacts to female-presenting bodies. The weight we gain and why, how, and if we lose it. My favorite in this section is "natural remedies," which includes

"when you feel an urge to fix your body,
cast yourself into the rough of this world"

Thank you to Victoria Hutchins, Convergent Books, and NetGalley for the eARC.

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MAKE BELIEVE is just about 140 pages but I tried to make it last with just reading a few poems a day. Each one packed a punch but left me smiling. I resonated deeply with most of not all of them — they are nostalgic, potent, heartfelt. The definition of short and sweet!

I did finish reading this one on a patio with an ice cold beer and fries in front of me. So that was also pretty perfect.

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Make Believe by Victoria Hutchins is a breathtaking and evocative poetry collection that invites readers to rediscover the power of imagination, nostalgia, and the quiet healing found in hope. In this debut collection, Hutchins explores themes of self-reclamation, vulnerability, and the profound impact of memory and optimism in navigating life's struggles.

The poems in Make Believe speak directly to those who find themselves disconnected from their deeper selves or from the joy and wonder they once believed in. Hutchins offers a gentle invitation to return to a childlike sense of awe, encouraging readers to reimagine their lives and embrace the possibility of healing, even when the world feels heavy. Through her lyrical, sensory-rich language, Hutchins brings to life the transformative power of nostalgia and the quiet whispers of hope that often go unnoticed in the hustle of everyday life.

The collection is a celebration of those hidden versions of ourselves—the parts that we often suppress or forget, but which contain the raw beauty and potential for growth. Hutchins writes with a tenderness that is both comforting and empowering, guiding the reader to reconnect with their bodies, their desires, and their past in a way that is both intimate and restorative. Whether through the use of nostalgia or an exploration of personal pain, Hutchins encourages us to approach ourselves and the world around us with open eyes and an open heart.

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I thought this was a beautiful collection of poetry. It was full of nostalgia, some hard truths, and inspiring words. Thank you NetGalley for the eARC.

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It's no surprise to me that this book is a 5 star read.

I've been following Victoria Hutchins on Instagram for a while and I love how authentic, gentle, and kind she is. This book felt like her presence; it felt like a soft hug from someone you love. The way Hutchins describes death is so beautiful and loving. Hutchins entire viewpoint during this book is love being behind everything. This didn't feel like just rhymes and riddles but thought-provoking poems that gave me hope.

I highly recommend this especially if you are a sensitive person. Victoria Hutchins has got our back.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me an Advanced Readers Copy of this book.

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First off, thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me the absolute privilege of getting to experience this poetry collection ahead of time in exchange for an honest review.

I am struggling to know exactly what to say here because the only thing that comes to mind initially is; yes. Just yes, yes, yes.

This poetry collection flows beautifully. I really enjoyed the layout of the book and the different sections. I found it easy to read and yet it gave me pause a few times as I had to really sit with a few of the poems.

Initially, I was almost weary the first time that god was mentioned in a poem, as I have a different experience of god than within religion. As I kept reading though, and Victoria explored the concept of god in another couple poems, I knew I found a poet who just resonated with me.

These poems are digestible, honest, relatable, hopeful, and more. They really do explore the challenges with being human sometimes, but what is different is there's an uphill path to hope throughout them. I hadn't realized how much I needed to read a few of these at the exact moment I did, honestly.

I am absolutely going to be looking for more from this poet! I hope she continues to write and share with the world. <3

*I will be posting a review to instagram within the next week as it gets even closer to publication. Ig: @readwithbee

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"Make Believe" is a collection of poetry that you'll wish you could have stumbled upon and experienced during your lowest lows, or when you felt as if no one understood you, or you felt worthless, or believed life wasn't worth the effort. If you're in a place where you still feel this way, or there's an unhealed piece of you who brings these thoughts back to mind, "Make Believe" is the perfect book of poetry to pick up.

The section of "Make Believe" that resonated with me the most was "Part III: A World Where Hope Grows Back". I found many of the poems throughout this section to be beautifully written and illustrate deeply painful and personal human experiences that many people struggle to vocalize. The messages throughout this section are some that I would share with loved ones or my therapy clients, or just re-read for myself when I need to! Another aspect of Hutchins's poetry that I resonated with were topics related to body image and not feeling worthy.

This was one of the best collections of poetry that I have read in a long time! Poetry is so personal that it can be hard to "judge". However, the topics and experience that Hutchins writes about are so universal that I believe many women and girls will connect to this book in a variety of ways. Thank you to NetGalley, Convergent Books, and Victoria Hutchins for providing an early digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts and review!

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I cannot stress enough how worth it this book is if you love poetry. I truly believe that books find you at the right time, and Make Believe was no exception—it cut right to my heart. Victoria writes about growing up within yourself in a world that can be so hurtful, but she weaves in layers of humor and hope that make it all the more powerful.

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This was a beautiful book of poetry. Hutchins is one to watch. Her voice is easy to resonate with and her words are lyrical.
“When was the last time you were alone with your heartbeat and the sky?”
So gorgeous.
Thankful for this ARC.

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This delicious collection of poetry left me emotionally wrung out in the best possible way. It’s full of nostalgia, hope and encouragement. Hutchins’ writing wraps around you like a hug from your best friend. It’s beautiful and deep while still being simple and accessible. It’s a book that I would suggest to women of all ages. It’s truly a reminder that we can find joy in magic in every corner of life if we just look.

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I’m an avid listener of Victoria Hutchins’ podcast Soul Gum, so when I heard she was releasing a debut poetry collection I knew I would have to pick it up as soon as possible. These poems are beautiful, conjuring up images of childhood, the bittersweet nostalgia of discovering that the world is not as we thought it was — for the bad, but also for the good. I highly recommend this collection if you’re in the need of a pick-me-up.

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Make Believe is a modern "poetry" collection that just feels like all the other poetry that is getting published these days and I'm feeling over it. I would like to see something different coming out in the poetry world.

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I was unfamiliar with Hutchins before reading this lovely collection. We tend not to read poetry these days, which is too bad, Take these poems, which move through the phases of life, one at a time to savor the language and appreciate the message Hutchins is sending. Thanks to netgalley for the ArC. For fans of both poetry and Hutchins.

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I am not usually one for poetry of any kind but I adored this so much. It is so gorgeous written and I cannot wait for the book to be officially released so I can post quotes because I highlighted so much in my arc copy. I very rarely highlight in books and I was highlighted so many lines because this book was beautiful and so many lines were so impactful and I will be thinking about this book for the rest of time. It is getting bought as soon as it comes out because I need to share with the world this book. I need to get everyone I know a copy of this because of how much I loved it

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