Sentí que quizá alguien más podría apreciar este libro de poesía más que yo. Aunque me gustó bastante el trasfondo de esperanza que se transmite y cómo la colección evoluciona desde la infancia hasta la adultez, hubo algo que no logró engancharme del todo. La obra me hizo reflexionar sobre cómo la vida realmente me ha cambiado y cómo, si logro recordar toda la maravillosa esperanza que tenía en aquel entonces, tal vez podría encontrar más razones para disfrutar de las pequeñas alegrías de mi presente. Sin embargo, algunos pasajes se sintieron un poco demasiado nostálgicos o idealizados, lo que en ocasiones hacía difícil conectar plenamente con las emociones que el autor intentaba transmitir.

It has been such a long time since I related so closely to a book of poems like I did to Make Believe by Victoria Hutchins. Make Believe managed to be both nostalgic and hopeful, deep and uplifting, and beautiful and yet still dealt with ugly topics. It touches topics such as religion, body image, heartbreak, falling in love, sexuality, guilt and jealousy. Even if you don't read poetry, please read this book if you've ever questioned life and where you belong. I definitely will be going back to this book, and will be purchasing a shelf trophy once it releases.

Favorite passage: "Welcome to the world. You're going to get hurt here, and then you'll beg for seconds: Can I have just a few more seconds?"

I received an ARC from Netgalley of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a beautiful debut collection of poems from Victoria Hutchins, full of hope, nostalgia, and resolve. Several poems brought back childhood and teenage memories, and echoed many of my sentiments about love and the divine.

I liked Hutchins' writing style, which evoked the poetry of Joy Sullivan, a favorite poet of mine. I also liked how the poems were organized in the book. I wished that there was more variety in the style of poetry she wrote. Most poems were essay-style, and it would have been nice to have had the other styles sprinkled in throughout the book instead of reserved for the last two chapters. A few poems seemed a little wordy and could have been whittled down further to make the meaning more concise.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an ARC of this lovely collection, which comes out in March 2025.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was such a beautiful collection of poetry. I’m not sure how Victoria Hutchins seemed to capture the thoughts of my mind and soul, but she did.

In fact, much of it resonated so deeply that I needed to immediately share it with my husband.

In Unbiting the Apple, I was captivated by these lines:
“You know how when Eve bit the apple, she suddenly became aware she was naked and felt ashamed? What was your biting-the-apple moment? The moment when you were taught your body is something to be ashamed of.”
So many women have a love/hate of their body, so many people altogether, but where did we learn that? Someone had to tell us that.

The poems about sticking around, when all you want to do is die, were some of the most powerful. Because yes sometimes the reason to stay is an advent calendar, a package in the mail, or something small. Sometimes we have to start there to build up again.

Her poems about the bisexual experience will make so many feel seen and heard. I consider myself demisexual more than anything else, but would be inclusive of bi as well. My husband is bi. The concept of bi-erasure is so big. You painted the beauty of it.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who has felt like they didn’t belong. I’m sure you will find yourself in its pages.

This poetry collection just had me in tears throughout the read. I’ve never had too many poems make me cry. I think everyone should read this 10/10

Make Believe: Poems for Hoping Again by Victoria Hutchins is a wonderful read. This is my first exposure to Victoria Hutchins' poems, and I want more!

Hutchins is gifted at expressing the essence of emotions and self-talk. She realistically captures a wide variety of issues that we tend to struggle with and the darkness we may find ourselves in as a result. Yet as thoroughly as she puts herself into that place, she finds and shines a beam of hope for each situation. In my humble opinion, hope is something we all need more of.

Highly recommended!

My thanks to Convergent Books for allowing me to access a DRC via NetGalley. Publication is 3/18/25. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and are freely given.

As soon as I saw Victoria Hutchins was writing a book, I knew I’d need it. Thanks to NetGalley and Convergent Books for the ARC!!

Wow, wow, wow. This book pulled all of my heartstrings, and I’d absolutely recommend it. Broken into five sections, this collection of poetry explores the world with five different perspectives.

And who doesn’t love a Mary Oliver epigraph?

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

Make Believe: Poems for Hoping Again is a beautiful, sentimental, and relatable poetry collection that is relatable and offers hope when feeling left in the dark.
Each poem was almost like a balm to the soul, offering a light in the dark and hope for the future. This collection made me feel less alone and comforted and is definitely a book I want to get in physical format so I can pick it up again and again when I'm feeling alone and vulnerable. Victoria has a beautiful way of weaving her experiences, thoughts, and feelings into words and I look forward to reading more from her in the future.

I LOVEEEE Victoria Hutchins, and have been listening to her read these poems on instagram for months. I am SO SO excited to finally have this poetry collection in my hands.

Victoria has the way of making you feel heard when never having met you. She writes about incredibly relatable topics, in ways that are beautiful but easy to understand.

This collection is such a beautiful blend of comfort and reassurance, written in a way that feels like a warm hug for the soul. The words resonate deeply, offering solace during moments of uncertainty and reminding the reader that they are not alone, it is a treasure for anyone seeking comfort, understanding, or simply a reminder of the beauty in life's small, tender moments🖤

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a beautiful read. Girlhood is having its moment and this took me even further into my childhood where everything was tender and fixable and all we did was chase joy. The author put a magnificent magnifying glass on the Patriarchy. There were so many subjects she touched on relating to the human condition. These poems left me with a warm sense that it’s going to be okay.

Oh my goodness - this is the most beautiful book of poetry. I cried my eyes out so many times reading these - it is so relatable for the millennial women who still feels like she hasn't figured life out or is feeling a bit behind. It has been a hard year, but this book of poetry helped me see the light even in the most difficult situations. I will absolutely be buying myself a copy when this comes out. Thank you for sharing your words with the world, Victoria!

This really hit with me a lot. It had me crying over the pages, and the way things were worded really just made such an impact. I have so many highlights and lines I have revisited already. It goes into some heavier topics, but there is still a layer of hope that shines through.

Poetry is always very hard to rate because it feels very dependent on what kind of mindset you can have going into it, but I do think this is a collection that is worth reading.

I LOVED this one. I requested it at the perfect time after feeling a little hopeless after the election and it helped me feel good again. It was fun and was a reminder of childhood at the same time. I wish it was being released this month, it would be the perfect time.

i’ve seen victoria’s videos all over the internet and have always felt so seen by her words. i sent one of her videos to my friend this morning before I got the email about my netgalley arc. for some reason, it was until i was in tears after i finished reading this collection of poems did it click for me who victoria was.

i love her writing because of how comfortable it makes me feel. it feels like the meat of the conversations i havewith my friends. it’s the gentle reminders i need to be kinder to myself. its holding the hand of my inner child and going for a stroll.

nothing in this collection is revolutionary in the sense that it’s a new idea but it’s revolutionary in the sense that i constantly need these reminders.

I've been following Victoria on instagram for a while now and I was SO excited when she announced a book of poetry. It did not disappoint. If you enjoy her social media content, you will devour her book. I can't wait to buy it.

Thanks to the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my review.

Great book of little quick poems to distract from the world. Recommend to any forward thinking millennial woman who contemplates their life choices and how we got to this point.

I really enjoyed this collection. I thought it was very inspirational and emotional. It talked about various stages of life and love without it being too abstract or too heavy handed. I'm looking forward to this authors future works. This is one I will buying upon its release date.

I don't care who you are or what kind of poetry you like - I think you should read this.

I consider a collection of poems a win if 70% of them resonate. This was almost 100 (and only because I don't think it'll ever be 100.)

One of my favorite parts was about how we have all these different words to describe the changes of the moon (waxing, waning, crescent) but the moon doesn't care. She's never anything but whole.

I've sent a few of these poems to friends and when the book comes out I will be sending a copy to them all.

Read it, savor it, feel it. THIS is my kinda poetry, man.

It's actually hard rating poetry books because we all relate to each differently. Our experiences and current circumstances more often than not affect how we perceive each line written. What may be true for me might not be for others.

I felt like someone else might appreciate this poetry book more than me. I liked it but I felt like I am not the exact target audience for the whole collection. I quite liked the undertone of hope being doled out and how the collection when from childhood to adulthood. It relied on memories and made me look back on my own past of what I liked when I was a kid, the little things that gave me joy, the simple hopes I had growing up... it was a good walk down memory lane. It made me relieve that yes, life really changed me and if I just remember all the wonderful hope I had back then, maybe it could give me more reason to find simple joys in my present too. Nice read all in all!