Rupi Kaur, the author of Milk and Honey,was the first author I had stumbled across that wrote beautiful poetry that I could relate to as a young woman. If you’re looking for something similar to Kaur’s style, then Trista Mateer’s writing is probably going to be right up your alley. She has written lots of poems, has a great Instagram presence, and has several books out already, as well as her newest book When the Stars Wrote Back.
Split up into four different parts, this collection of poetry covers the subject of love thoroughly, whether it is self-love, romantic love, or yearning for love. When the Stars Wrote Back is sure to have a poem that anyone who has ever been in love of any kind will be able to relate to. I’m not obsessed with love by any means, and this book was just the perfect read to reminisce about the relationships I’ve had. Trista Mateer isn’t afraid to look a subject in the face and really flesh out all of the emotions and experiences that come with it.
While reading this collection, I was impressed by the way the poems made me feel seen and understood. Trista Mateer makes it obvious that she believes everyone has experiences and opinions and that it is important to allow yourself to take up space and love who you are, even if you have fallen out of love in the past, or have ever felt unloved.
I had the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book, and upon reading it, realized the artwork and some of the hand lettering had yet to be completed, so I will have to get my hands on a finished copy of this book, as there were several beautiful illustrations that gave me just a taste of what a masterpiece the finished book must be.
Review of a Digital Advance Reading Copy
This book was sent to Compass Book Ratings for review by Random House Books for Young Readers
Content Analysis:
Profanity/Language: 1 mild obscenity: 1 derogatory name; 2 scatological words; 1 anatomical term.
Violence/Gore: None
Sex/Nudity: Kissing mentioned; man mentioned to touch young woman in an inappropriate way; referral to “my rapist”.
Mature Subject Matter:
Eating disorders; body image; death; mental health.
Alcohol / Drug Use:
Several instances of mentioned alcohol consumption; hard drugs referred to; man mentioned to smoke cigarette.
