I am older than the poets
and I am older than the pens.
I am older than the stars
and the ocean I crawled out of.
– Aphrodite Made Me Do It
Summary and Thoughts
Bestselling and award-winning author Trista Mateer takes an imaginative approach to self-care in this new poetry and prose collection, Aphrodite Made Me Do It. In this empowering retelling, she uses the mythology of the goddess to weave a common thread through the past and present. By the end of this book, Aphrodite make you believe in the possibility of your own healing.
I’ve heard alternating reviews of this book, which seems to be the typical response to the so called “Instagram-quote” poetry that is becoming more common these days. Though my enjoyment of these types of poetry collections is usually hit or miss, I tend to hope for the best since I find generic criticisms of the writing style often condescending (“It’s not REAL poetry” . . . you get the idea). Unfortunately though, this book did not impress me. Most poems were only a few lines long, separated by stylish illustrations or photography, making for an incredibly brisk read. Though I don’t mind short poems, I do expect them to be quite powerful in order to justify the brevity. Mateer’s writing is too simplistic and, in my opinion, cliche, to pull at my heart strings. Though there were a few poems that stood out to me, overall, I found this to be a forgettable collection of poetry made up of Mateer’s instantaneous thoughts. Before picking this collection up, please consider your own tastes.
Notable Reviews
For Those Who Enjoyed
- The Princess Saves Herself in This One by Amanda Lovelace
- Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur
- Love & Misadventure by Lang Leav
- Salt by Nayyirah Waheed
Star Rating
2/5
Skincare for Introverts 
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