Make Believe: Poems for Hoping Again

by Victoria Hutchins

An exquisite poetry collection from the creator of The Daily Victorian that celebrates the hidden versions of ourselves, unveiling the healing power of nostalgia, imagination, and hope

They say you can’t make yourself believe in things, and they might be right. But you can take a walk with optimism. You can hear her out when she tells you the universe is conspiring in your favor. You can keep your eyes peeled for signs that she’s right.

Somewhere in the future, the next version of you is waiting. Are you ready to stop hiding and go seek them? Viral poet Victoria Hutchins’s first book, Make Believe, is a reclamation of childlike wonder and an invitation to stop hiding from your joy. These poems pave a path of reconnection to our bodies, our past, our wanting, and our wonder--ultimately asking, how do you find hope in a world full of pain?

Make Believe is for anyone who is embarrassed about how long they've been hiding from themselves, who is one bad day away from thinking the world is a terrible place, whose body feels like an enemy to their soul, or who is struggling to stick around. Hutchins challenges readers to reimagine struggles as superpowers and uses the power of confession and nostalgia to create a world of hope. Make Believe will inspire readers to go out looking, heart in hand, for joy, purpose, and healing.

With her trademark sensory and evocative language throughout, this book contains Hutchins's viral spoken-word pieces with tons of never-shared-before writing. Ultimately pointing readers towards transformation, Hutchins asks us to dig deep and discover, what would happen if you allowed yourself to believe again--in dreams and miracles, but mostly, in yourself?

Genres: Poetry, Nonfiction, Self Help, LGBT, Personal Growth, Literary Fiction

144 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2025

About the author

Victoria Hutchins is a TikTok and Instagram poet and yoga teacher with a social media community of over 1.5 million followers. Prior to her current career, Victoria was an attorney at one of the largest law firms in the world and then at a publicly traded tech company. She holds a bachelor of arts from Columbia University and a juris doctorate from Vanderbilt University. Victoria is always seeking beauty, hope, and truth in the mess of life. Her work is an invitation for readers to join her in the search.

Reviews

[Océane Cardoso · Rating 5 out of 5]

My heart goes to Victoria for making me believe 🤍

[BONNIE SMITH · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the strangest things happened today.

My mail made me cry.

Sure, we have all cried over an unexpected bill, or a Christmas card from family, maybe a denied acceptance letter to a program. We've all opened mail and cried.

But today I received this book as a Goodreads Giveaway and was not aware I would sob after opening it casually.

Call it winter blues, or perimenopausal hormone imbalances.
Call it mental health issues, or even call it boredom.
I've got the blues, and they've stuck around for a while now.
BUT- in typical womanly behaviors, I've wrapped those blues up in an invisibility cloak and have continued to make dinners, and plan trips and pay bills- you know "being an adult woman"

So when I opened this little collection of poems and found myself untying the knot of denial in my belly, I let loose. I had one hell of a good cry, some snot induced laughing and even *GASP* dog eared a few pages to come back to.

I'm not saying a book of poetry will fix me, or you. But, today it was a nice little break from the negative in my head, and I thank the author and Goodreads Giveaways for that.

[Rachel Qay · Rating 4 out of 5]

"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!

[Mae Setrova · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is a beautiful collection. i loved the writing and the flow of every single piece. it does discuss religion (christianity) a lot and i am not christian, however the author managed to humanize god while also giving them a godly feel in a way that is impossible not to admire and be touched by. i believe that alone takes an incredible writer to pull off and that is exactly what this author is — incredible.

the audiobook is also BEAUTIFUL !!! i so recommend it.

[Sami G · Rating 4 out of 5]

“the best part of a trip is coming home.” this was beautifully written.

[shan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tell me about the weight you gained this summer.

The weight you gained slurping vodka sprites at the gay bar the last night before your friends left town. Melting into a sea of glitter and leather, tipping your head back to get every drop.

The weight you gained soaking biscuits with molasses and gravy at your mom's kitchen table. Running your fingers over your aunt's pink fingernails in between bites. Asking the name of the color. Noticing how her fingers look just like your mom's.

The weight you gained gripping a burger on a picnic blanket with the person you love. Wiping greasy fingers on the grass. Remembering when you were too scared to really eat in front of them. Feeding fries to the dog. Asking questions that used to scare you but don't anymore:
What do you think is in the secret sauce? Where do you see us in five years? Ten?

The weight you gained celebrating pregnancies and promotions and divorces.
Squeezing red icing letters onto a grocery store cake.
Spelling out SHE'S FREE.

Tell me about the weight you gained this summer.
And then tell me-would you give it back if you could?

A beautiful, moving, nostalgic, human collection of poetry.

Thank you to NetGalley for an Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for my honest review! Make Believe: Poems for Hoping Again is available March 18th, 2025.

[Katy Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dang!!! I told my hubby these were hard to read. When he asked why all I could say was that they hit hard on an emotional level. So beautifully written. It is as if Victoria was reading a majority of my own personal thoughts. Loved it.

[Natalie all_books_great_and_small · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Athena Wasko · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. This book is absolutely beautiful and nostalgic. I resonated with a lot of the poetry because of things going on in my life currently, but it did nothing but bring me so much hope for the future and why I am still here. If you are struggling, please please read this! Victoria Hutchins has become a new favorite poetry author for me.

[Katie Grenell · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked a lot of these much more within the context of social media.

[Mafalda Viana · Rating 5 out of 5]

“You can leave your perfection and piety and composure in the hallway next to your coat. It's warm in here and we made pizzas and we love you even when you don't have anything nice to say. Even when you brag. Even when you're jealous. Even when you kick and scream on the grocery store floor. No matter what skeletons live in your closet. No matter what skeletons live in your mind right now. I have a light if you need one, and a spoon if you want to check yourself out. I brag too, and the skeletons in my closet could use some friends.”

[Lenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Ria Camden · Rating 5 out of 5]

«But I came into the world hungry, and I intend to leave licking the plate.
I came into the world thirsty, and I'll slurp until the glass is taken away.»

My first poetry book, and I cried at least seven times…
(I barely cry these days.)

Victoria’s video on ready, set, don’t go. showed up on my FYP, and I immediately ran to find the whole book. I just knew it would be exactly what I needed right now. I was right.

Make Believe is a love letter to everything holy—girlhood, mental health, doubt, hope, and all the things in between. I’m standing in my corner, clapping.

«Pray to anything that feels holy.
Notice how everything feels holy when you pay attention. Open the door when pain knocks, but leave the porch light on for joy.»

I have too many favorite quotes and full on poems highlighted. I wish I could simply put them all here…

A massive thank you to NetGalley and Convergent Books for the ARC! The book is already out!

[Kat (wanderfulbooks) · Rating 3 out of 5]

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!

[Carson · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

[Riley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection makes my soul ache and my heart burst with wanting to hope.

[Ang · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read outside while camping, exquisite. 5 stars despite being a little more "godly" than I prefer. Still worth it <3

[Eden]

This is a really special poetry collection. The author and I are similar in age and childhood fixations, so it was fun to read those tidbits. But this collection also hit hard. It focuses on being a queer woman, thoughts about god, and remembering to live life to the fullest. There were so many lines and full on poems that I marked, and I will revisit them in the future.

My favorite poems were:
-primordial rage in a pink blanket
-fortune teller
-judgment day
-natural remedies
-so relatable
-whose hate did you swallow?
-same love, different language
-object permanence
-for the one you don’t know how to help
-it’s either gorgeous or devastating
-the view from the bottom of the hill we’re dying on
-don’t save joy for last
-the last day of my life

[lila wijaya]

not rlly a fan of tiktok/instagram poetry. yet, a priceless gift. the person who gave me this hand-delivered this at my door right before therapy, gave me the best handwritten note that made me sob, wrapped it with wrapping paper she made herself, and reminded me that i'm not alone in the world.

"... and i hope you let that just sit. know that while I know you are capable of great things, the people who love you so deeply only really care that you feel okay. No one expects acts of greatness, because all we can ever really hope for is that you find something that makes waking up feel okay." - a good friend, 12/12/2025

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolute perfection. Picked it up on pub day, meant to just flip through it, stood in my kitchen and read it cover to cover without so much as leaning on the counter. I wish I had these words when I was younger, and I’m so glad to have them now.

[Larissa Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Never thought I would read a book of poems front to back and cry on almost every page, but here we are. Highly recommend!

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been following Victoria for some time now. From the very beginning, I found her social media content to be deep, beautiful, and necessary.

If you enjoy her content, you will likely love this book. It has beautiful and tender moments, as well as revealing and essential ones.

Some poems may feel a bit repetitive, but overall, I think it's an excellent debut as a writer.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Much more references to god than I was expecting.

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could have copied down every line in this book. Ideal to be read together and discussed in circles of women spanning generations.

“When I was twenty-five, I wanted to sign up for dance lessons, but I thought I was too old. That it was too late. If I could go back in time, I would~ shake my shoulders and say, Listen to me-we are
only here for a second. You will be young for every moment of your life, and then you will be gone. Don't waste another second of the music wondering if it's too late to dance.”

“-welcome to the gathering of the graceless.
You can leave your perfection and piety and composure in the hallway next to your coat. It's warm in here and we made pizzas and we love you even when you don't have anything nice to say.”

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won a giveaway from NetGalley for this book. It’s absolutely beautiful. Very apt descriptions of life as a woman. Reading it felt like opening a diary I had written myself. Truly loved this and recommend it to anyone.

[Lauren | hereforagoodbook · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book delivers! Hope is hard to come by these days, and so many of these poems made me believe again :)

[Courtney Cahoon White · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of the poems were stylistically similar, but my barometer for poetry is, do I wish I had written these? Unequivocally yes.

[Emma Siewert · Rating 4 out of 5]

A reminder that even in the grey, we’re meant to keep going, keep dreaming, keep living. 🩶

[Lara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't remember why now but I had run into the book store to buy a gift for someone. On my way out I saw this sitting on the shelf. I opened it and started crying. Some of these tender words hit close to home especially the first few chapters. Last year was a hard year. I needed a good cry somedays and words with hope on others. I'll re read this one I know. 💗

[Hunter Carney · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would go 3.5 stars! I got this book because I saw a poem from it online a few months that resonated so hard with me and did indeed give me hope again (as the title suggests). The book ended up having more religious imagery than I personally would have liked, but I enjoyed it overall :)