Artemis Made Me Do It

Myth and Magick #2

by Trista Mateer

Bestselling and award-winning author Trista Mateer returns with another magical approach to self-care in her newest goddess-themed poetry collection,  Artemis Made Me Do It. 

Using the framework of tarot and conversation, Mateer approaches myth through a witchcraft-inspired lens and uses it to explore timeless issues like burnout, survival, trauma, and the restorative power in taking control of your own lore.

Artemis speaks to what is wild and untamed in all of us, and in this new collection, she asks for a moment of calm.

Genres: Poetry, Mythology, Feminism, Greek Mythology, Queer, LGBT, Adult

176 pages, Paperback

First published September 6, 2022

About the author

Trista Mateer is the bestselling author of multiple poetry collections, including Aphrodite Made Me Do It and Honeybee. She is a passionate mental health advocate, currently writing in South Carolina. Connect with her on Instagram and Tiktok @tristamateer or at tristamateer.com.
​
Her newest collection, Artemis Made Me Do It, is available for preorder now and releases in September 2022!

Reviews

[shanayaa · Rating 5 out of 5]

➳ 4.5/5 stars

"For the lost girls.
After all those years spent looking back, may we move forward together."

I randomly picked up this book during a slump, hoping for solace in poetry, and it unexpectedly became one of the most profound reads I've encountered lately. The prose, the execution, the themes, everything was simply perfect. Saying I adored it doesn't do justice to how deeply it resonated with me.

This book serves as a luminous exploration of female empowerment, rage, abuse, toxic relationships, and trauma. Each theme is masterfully depicted, resonating with profound emotional depth. Unlike other poetry I've encountered, which often felt uninspired and failed to evoke a response, this collection moved me to tears with its poignant and evocative portrayal of these complex subjects.

The author's portrayal of female rage and empowerment resonated deeply with me. Despite all the talk about women's empowerment and safety, the reality is starkly different. Women still feel unsafe walking alone at night, often resorting to carrying weapons for protection. We constantly remain vigilant about our surroundings and live with the fear of being followed and what's worse is that we still have to fight for our rights even in this modern era when is this world going to improve for us women?? PROBABLY NEVER

And you know what the sad truth is that many dismiss all of these concerns as just part of life and just say that all women go through this and you can't change everyone but that's not what we want, all we truly desire is to be left alone without feeling threatened or unsafe.

A simple "no" should be respected without being seen as an opportunity. It's no wonder some women humorously claim they'd prefer encountering a bear over a man, as the bear would perceive us as a threat rather than an opportunity.

And i absolutely loved loved how the book beautifully captures these feelings of rage and longing for empowerment.

➳ Overall, if you're seeking a literary experience that resonates deeply and lingers in your soul, this book promises to be an exquisite find. 💌


౨ৎ — QUOTES —

⚘ "The question is not whether you will be hurt by this life.
You will be hurt.
The question is: What will you do in the aftermath?
Will you swallow grief or will grief swallow you?"

⚘ "I have a brutal history with men. I won’t shy away from that.
Every woman eventually has a brutal history with men."

⚘ "I supposed eldest daughters never really get to be children for long. Domestic life became a burden to me before it ever had a chance to be anything else."

⚘ "You have been taught to hush the voice inside of you, when it calls for rest, when it calls for better, when it calls for justice, when it calls for more
and the less you listen to it, the quieter it gets."

⚘ "He says he loves feminine women.
Not too much makeup though.
Sexy but not too sexy, you know?
Not funny, but she laughs at everything.
Comes when she’s called but doesn’t call too often. Not too bitchy.
Submissive.
Subservient.
I tell him he has mistaken obedience for femininity.
I suggest getting a dog instead but I caution that both bitches bite back."

IM ON MY KNEES 🛐

⚘ "I refuse to make myself small enough to fit inside the cramped box of your desire."

⚘ "Not too loud, girl. Keep your head down, girl. Stay safe, girl. They only want one thing, girl. You better not give it to them, girl. Keep your legs shut, girl. Keep your mouth shut, girl. Why so timid, girl? You’re so boring, girl. Such a tease, girl. Don’t be basic, girl. Don’t be like other girls, girl. Learn your cues, girl. Laugh on command, girl. Smile, girl. What did you think would happen, girl? What were you wearing, girl? Learn faster, girl. Keep up, girl. Forgive and forget, girl. Accidents happen, girl. Take the blame, girl. Try less makeup, girl. Cover up, girl. You’re too forward, girl. You’re asking for it, girl. Why don’t you dance, girl? Why don’t you leave the house, girl? Lose some weight, girl. Fix your face, girl. Beauty is pain, girl. Anticipate needs, girl. Sacrifice, girl. Don’t stand out, girl. Don’t fit in, girl. Please everyone but yourself, girl. Grin and bear it, girl. I told you to smile, girl. Don’t be rude, girl. Don’t be needy, girl. Don’t want too much, girl. Don’t eat too much, girl. How’d you get so thin, girl? How’d you get so quiet?"

⚘ "Teach your daughters to say no. Teach your daughters to raise their voices. Teach your daughters to make waves. To value safety over politeness. To yell fire instead of help. Teach your daughters to feel comfortable in their own bodies. Teach your daughters to live without shame. Teach your daughters to hit first. To bite back. To burn the world down when they are mistreated. Teach your daughters to out their abusers. To be deadly serious. To be dangerous. To be sure. To know what they want. Teach your daughters to take a stand. To be bold. To be brave. Teach your daughters to believe in a better world.

And then tell them they deserve one."

-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈

ᯓ pre-read review

the last poetry i read was honestly a bit dull, but i’m really hoping this one is a lot more enjoyable 🥺💗

[aksh ✮ · Rating 2 out of 5]

➻❥ 𝟐 ★

𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘴𝘦𝘹𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘶𝘭𝘵, 𝘭𝘨𝘣𝘵𝘲+, 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘶𝘦𝘴, 𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱𝘴, 𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧-𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘦𝘮, 𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘵𝘤. 𝘐𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘧𝘧 𝘴𝘰 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘢𝘴 𝘐 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥. 𝘐𝘵 𝘳𝘪𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴. 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥, 𝘐 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘵 𝘦𝘹𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘥𝘦𝘵𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘯𝘰 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘮𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘮 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘐'𝘮 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘴 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘴 𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘐 𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯'𝘵 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘥𝘰. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘱𝘵 𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘐 𝘣𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘬 𝘨𝘰𝘥𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘩𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘐 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘵 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘺 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘈𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘴. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯'𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘢𝘴 𝘐𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘦𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘦𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘱 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘱𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘯'𝘵 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘖𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯, 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘴 𝘐'𝘮 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘪𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳. 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘐 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘵 𝘥𝘦𝘵𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘸𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘢𝘺.

[Marci · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of my favorite lines…

Here I am knowing the difference between honey and the bee, still chasing what stings.

Welcome to life. Here is the arrow. Here is the bow. You won’t have to wait long for the blood.

The wolf caught me in his jaws but when I cried out, others only said: I have seen the wolf many times and he has not bitten me.

I’m done being sad about you in a big way but I’m still not done being sad about you in small ways yet, okay?

Girlhood itself is a thing you must be brave to endure.

[tappkalina · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was okay. More Artemis content would have been nice.

[destiny ♡ howling libraries · Rating 5 out of 5]

Forgive me if I unlearn pretty
and learn vicious
in its place.

Trista Mateer has been cemented as a favorite poet for me, thanks to this collection. A mix of poetry and multimedia art, Artemis Made Me Do It takes life experiences for so many women—harassment, assault, insecurity, toxic relationships, having her queerness questioned and erased—and melds them with the infamous tale of Artemis, the goddess of the hunt.

I AM THE GOLDEN ARROW.
I AM ANGER CAUGHT IN THE THROAT.
I AM WHAT PROWLS THE WOODS AT NIGHT.
I AM WHAT WANTS AND DEVOURS.
I AM THE HEART ON FIRE.

There is so much pain, and grief, and anger, and vengeance in these poems, and it both soothed and stoked the flames of a primal rage that I, like so many others, live with every day. Have you ever tried to review a piece of media that hit so close to home, you can't fully express your thoughts on it without flaying yourself raw, too? That's how I'm feeling right now.

The question is not
whether you will be hurt
by this life.
You will be hurt.
The question is:
What will you do
in the aftermath?
Will you swallow grief
or will grief swallow you?

If you enjoy angry, emotional poetry with a focus on trauma, grief, and healing, this is for you. If you enjoy feminist rants and a fiery need for a better world, this is for you. If you enjoy tales of deities, both kind and unkind, and the ways in which their stories still continue to shape the world around us and how we view it, this is for you. I adored this collection and cannot possibly recommend it highly enough.

✨ Representation: queerness, sapphic relationships

✨ Content warnings for: trauma, grief, sexual harassment assault, implications of rape and abuse, erasure of queerness, anxiety, depression, rage, misogyny

———
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[Boston · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. I’m so sad I didn’t enjoy this as much as I did the first one. I think this kind of poetry just isn’t my thing anymore. I didn’t like a lot of the artwork and the way my eARC was formatted made it very difficult to read. I did enjoy some of the poems, however, but just a handful. If you like simplistic feminine poetry, you’ll really like this, it’s just not really for me.

*thank you to the publisher for sending me an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

[aashi · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25/5 🤍✨

𝔽𝕚𝕣𝕤𝕥 𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕕 𝕠𝕗 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕪𝕖𝕒𝕣:

„𝓑𝓾𝓽 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝓲𝓼𝓷’𝓽 𝓳𝓾𝓼𝓽 𝓪 𝓫𝓸𝓸𝓴 𝓸𝓯 𝓶𝓪𝓰𝓷𝓲𝓯𝓲𝓬𝓮𝓷𝓽 𝓹𝓸𝓮𝓽𝓻𝔂. 𝓣𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝓲𝓼 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝔀𝓲𝓵𝓭𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮 𝓲𝓷𝓼𝓲𝓭𝓮 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓱𝓪𝓿𝓮 𝓯𝓸𝓻𝓰𝓸𝓽𝓽𝓮𝓷. 𝓣𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝓲𝓼 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝔀𝓸𝓵𝓯 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓼𝓮𝓽𝓼 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝓮.”

Starting the year with such a great book is so fulfilling. I loved and devoured it.
I am currently hating on men in the real world with every fibre of my human being. This book brought my female rage out and I am so grateful that I read it.


Especially cuz this year I’m on my self healing, self improving ❤️‍🩹 and self obsessed journey.
And after reading this book it gave me more reasons to stay focused on my goal and don’t lose track of it.

(っ◔◡◔)っ ♥ „𝙄 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙗𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙙𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙖 𝙢𝙖𝙣. 𝙄 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙖𝙣𝙨𝙬𝙚𝙧 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙮𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛.” ♥


„When I need to remember
who I am and what I stand for,
I do what all women
must eventually do:
I go out
into life’s wilderness
to find myself.”



(っ◔◡◔)っ ♥ „𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙡𝙛 𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙢𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙟𝙖𝙬𝙨 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙄 𝙘𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙙 𝙤𝙪𝙩, 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙨𝙖𝙞𝙙: 𝙄 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙨𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙡𝙛 𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙮 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙗𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙣 𝙢𝙚.“♥


(っ◔◡◔)っ ♥ „𝘾𝙍𝘼𝙕𝙔 𝙈𝘼𝙉-𝙃𝘼𝙏𝙄𝙉𝙂 𝙁𝙀𝙈𝙄𝙉𝙄𝙎𝙏 𝘽𝙄𝙏𝘾𝙃

𝙨𝙢𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙨. 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚. 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙣 𝙞𝙩’𝙨 𝙬𝙖𝙧? 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙧𝙚 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙨𝙪𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙣𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙢𝙮? 𝙢𝙚𝙣 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙢𝙮 𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙢𝙮 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙗𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙮 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙚 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣.“ ♥


(っ◔◡◔)っ ♥ „𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙢 𝙤𝙛 𝙨𝙖𝙛𝙚𝙩𝙮, 𝙤𝙛 𝙥𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙚, 𝙤𝙛 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙚. 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙛𝙞𝙩 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙞𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙛𝙪𝙨𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙖 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪. 𝙁𝙞𝙣𝙚. 𝙈𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙚. 𝙈𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙖 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙨𝙤𝙪𝙡 𝙩𝙤 𝙡𝙚𝙩 𝙞𝙩𝙨 𝙜𝙪𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝙙𝙤𝙬𝙣. 𝙇𝙚𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙙𝙤𝙚𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙨𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪. 𝙇𝙚𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙙𝙤𝙚𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙘𝙤𝙖𝙭 𝙟𝙤𝙮 𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙪𝙥 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙛𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚. 𝘼𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙬 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛 𝙧𝙤𝙤𝙢 𝙩𝙤 𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙖𝙭. 𝙇𝙚𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙗𝙤𝙙𝙮 𝙘𝙧𝙖𝙬𝙡 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙞𝙩𝙨 𝙘𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙘𝙝. 𝙇𝙚𝙖𝙣 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙡 𝙘𝙮𝙘𝙡𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚. 𝘿𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙬𝙖𝙡. 𝙒𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜. 𝙒𝙤𝙧𝙠 𝙩𝙤𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚, 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙩. 𝙂𝙤 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛. 𝘼𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛. ♥

[Jessi ❤️ H. Vojsk [if villain, why hot?] · Rating 5 out of 5]

You called me a girl,
but I am a portrait
of the world on fire.

You called me a girl,
but I am a bruise
that refuses to heal.

You called me a girl,
but I am a knife.

[Danai · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you net galley for providing me with a free arc of Artemis made me do it in exchange for a honest review.

An absolutely magnificent book. After reading Mateers " Aphrodite made me do it" I am pleasantly surprised by the clear progress in her writing. The themes of woman hood are extremely well explored, and by adding Greek mythology the book becomes even more interesting. Overall a great read I'd definitely recommend to everyone, especially fellow non men.

[Rissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to go out and bite things now.

Also I will not apologize for what I turn into after the Persephone book now that its been teased

[Morgan Boyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Prepare to be SICK OF ME! This was phenomenal. Literally have no words to describe how amazing this was.

[kendall · Rating 4 out of 5]

powerful as hell. i would recommend this book to all survivors and people who enjoy reading about themes of pain, girlhood, greek mythology and more

[Bandit · Rating 2 out of 5]

Seems like a trend lately. All these young women who confuse poetry for journaling. Just recently I read a book of poetry just like it, although this is a step up. Not as self-important or self-helping in tone. Still very much a feminist empowerment message delivered in art, poems, and tote and t-shirt-worthy aphorisms.
Stand strong, sisters, and all that. No rhymes, not much rhythm. All message. With a heavy confessional tone. Apparently, Artemis made her do it. Though I do like the Greek mythology angle. Best part of this entire production. So, some myth, not much magic. Quick read. Thanks Netgalley.

[Aliki (semi hiatus) · Rating 5 out of 5]

For the lost girls.
After all those years spent looking back,
may we move forward together.

That is what Trista Mateer brings to life in Artemis Made Me Do It. Through verse that sings war songs as well as moon songs, the Artemis in these pages challenges and encourages. She lifts you out of despair and into fierceness. There are poems in here that will wound you and poems that will heal you, with an elegance that glows through every word.
But this isn’t just a book of magnificent poetry.
This is the wildfire inside you that you have forgotten.
This is the wolf that sets you free.
— Nikita Gill
celebrated poet and
author of Great Goddesses

Couldn't have described better this book

[Tarryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mateer mixes mythology with personal whimsy, art and heart in Artemis Made Me Do It.

There were a few moments at the beginning that I feared Mateer was going to succumb to the popularized bite sized poetic platitudes that I see far too often in popularized modern poetry. Thankfully, she had only just been gearing up and proceeded to provide the skill I've come to know her for.

It was no Honeybee but it's definitely something I want to own a physical copy of. It's just a lovely piece of art, overall.

[Shameless.bookslut · Rating 2 out of 5]

the idea of channeling inner thoughts with greek legends sounds too interesting isn't it? love how the author knew we needed this series. here's some of my favourite lines from the book..

♡ 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙖 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚
𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙄 𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙛𝙡𝙖𝙜𝙨
𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙧𝙤𝙨𝙚𝙨,
𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜.

♡ 𝙄 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙙𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙖𝙣 𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙡 𝙄 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙯𝙚𝙙 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙨𝙞𝙘𝙠 𝙤𝙣 𝙗𝙖𝙙 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚.

♡ 𝙍𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙢𝙗𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙪𝙢𝙖 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙧𝙪𝙞𝙣. 𝙀𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙞𝙩 𝙙𝙤𝙚𝙨𝙣’𝙩 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙞𝙩.

♡ 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙡𝙛 𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙢𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙟𝙖𝙬𝙨
𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙄 𝙘𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙙 𝙤𝙪𝙩,
𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙨𝙖𝙞𝙙:
𝙄 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙨𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙡𝙛 𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙮 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙨
𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙗𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙣 𝙢𝙚.

♡ 𝙄 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙝𝙤𝙥𝙚
𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙨 𝙞𝙩 𝙖𝙘𝙧𝙤𝙨𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙤𝙖𝙙
𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙨 𝙞𝙩 𝙖𝙘𝙧𝙤𝙨𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙤𝙖𝙙,
𝙄 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙝𝙤𝙥𝙚
𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙨𝙖𝙛𝙚𝙧.

♡ 𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙛 𝙄 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙡𝙚𝙚𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙬𝙖𝙠𝙚? 𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙛 𝙞𝙩 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙨 𝙨𝙖𝙛𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙖𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙚? 𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙛 𝙄 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙖𝙘𝙩 𝙤𝙠𝙖𝙮 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙄 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙤𝙠𝙖𝙮 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣? 𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙛 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙪𝙣𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙣𝙤𝙬?

knowing Persephone's next, I'd still go with Aphrodite made me do it as my go to pick until or unless..

[Dreamcatcher (HIATUS)]

I tell him he has mistaken
obedience for femininity.
I suggest getting a dog instead
but I caution that both bitches bite back.

[Sara Jovanovic · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

This is the first time I read a poetry collection by Trista Mateer, and I'm actually quite content with it. The theme is really interesting, intertwining Greek myths with tarot cards was done in a compelling way, and I also really liked the images that accompanied the poems. I haven't read the first part about Aphrodite, but after this I know that I will definitely reach out for it, among with Trista's other collections.

The topics explored are moving and powerful, and the poems I like the most are poems about surviving trauma, the way men's behaviour is often excused without adequate reason, and exploring female anger and roles in society. I think the author did an excellent job depicting these ideas, with constant switching between the poet and the goddess Artemis in the narrative, and I know that I would definitely love to read more by her in the near future.

Thanks to Netgalley and Central Avenue Publishing for providing me with eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Gabbie Pop]

A stunning, visceral exploration of the most human emotions through the lens of mythology. Equal parts hard-hitting, tender, melancholy and empowering. I loved it.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I’m in love with my anger/my war-won body/ tense and vicious.”

[LesbianBarista · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh. Wow.

Feral, angry, and powerful. The flow is phenomenal and it pulled forth raw emotion. Through Mateer's words I felt heard, I felt seen, I felt held tenderly and told that it is okay to be a human, I felt loved. I could quote this entire book to you, show you each poem that meant the most, the ones that drew forth feelings I preferred stay hidden, but I think I'll leave it to you.

"I write poems for you the way other people bring flowers to graves."

**Thank you to NetGalley and Central Avenue Publishing for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.**

[Karina · Rating 2 out of 5]

The concept is really good but the writing is mostly meh.

Similar to the author's other work, Aphrodite Made Me Do It, I like how Artemis was painted. It gives us a different point of view. It's trying to answer the question: Who is Artemis in the eyes of Artemis?

Its strength really lies on its concept, its relatability, and the messages it's trying to convey. But the execution, especially the writing? Nothing special. Some are even cringey. It was underwhelming at most times. It was just okay because the messages and concept are still those I can appreciate.

[gabi · Rating 2 out of 5]

(2.5) there were some good poems in here but a lot of it was giving shallow girlboss feminism and idk i wanted something deeper, something new… i definitely liked and connected with the first one much more

[manu · Rating 5 out of 5]

I rarely purchase physical copies of books.. but after the first 15 entries of poems I ordered the physical copy not just for myself but my closest friends. I’m our field of work/ chosen paths we have encountered both first hand and witnessed the disregard of females, mental health, abuse, cultural trauma - really I could go on.. my point is - this book touched on every subject that a woman can endure and allowed you the space to feel the words and meaning within your soul.

I don’t like to cry and I especially don’t like crying when I read because I use reading as an escape - the poetry within the pages quickly turned into the most therapeutical emotional releases I’ve had.

I’m just a nobody, my reviews have no true impact but if you’re a female and you have the safe space - read this and soak it in.

I’m speechless. And next time I am helping any victim or sharing any of my own personal traumas - this book will be with me through it.

So thank you to the author, thank you to whoever was on my page and had left a review which lead me to read this.

[thewoollygeek (tea, cake, crochet & books) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunning, absolutely beautiful and gorgeous poetry, full of emotion, raw and open, this may seem strange to say about poetry that covers surviving trauma, (trigger warning for sexual assault, rape, domestic violence) explores rage, problematic mother-daughter relationships and misogyny, but I think we also think beautiful and gorgeous mean girly (in a patriarchal ideal) we should see beauty and gorgeous-ness in the strength of women, in the beauty of self-acceptance, self-love and identity. So much of this poetry is difficult to read at points, but I realise because it made me look at myself and who I am, who I want to be isn’t who I am currently. I loved this more because I have always felt more drawn to Artemis than the other Goddesses, I love her ideals and what she represents. I thought the use of mixed media art really supports the work so well, this is an inspiring and thought provoking book of poetry, one to inspire the strong women we want and need to be, the ones we are.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

[Jessica Gleason · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

***

I read the blurb for this book and needed to read it. I'm a lover of poetry and ancient polytheistic religions.

The illustrations are wonderful. I loved that there was a visual component to accompany the verse.

I think there was some interesting imagery here and the writer has a strong voice. Though, I wish that force wasn't conveyed with all uppercase letters in parts of the book. Using language might be more effective with this genre.

"My Mother Married A Man Who Yells" stuck with me most.

I almost wish this was two separate collections, one about the poet any one centered more on myth and cards.

Understanding that this may not be a final version of the book, I did notice several typos and errors in the text. It was enough to interrupt my reading and it took me out of the text.

The formatting was off as well which maybe has to do with it being an ebook? I'm uncertain there.

I'd rate it at 3.5* overall.

[Dede Yocum · Rating 5 out of 5]

y’all already know that artemis is my girl so when i saw this poetry book combining artemis’ lore with tarot and magick i lost my mind. it is soooo good and relatable. i love how the author switched back and forth between her story and artemis’ because it really emphasized just how similar the experience of girlhood is regardless of time or circumstance. i also cried but what else is new??? def going to be checking out her other goddesses now!

[mike f. · Rating 5 out of 5]

the fact i got to read this early has me screaming, first of all. second of all, this collection is the definition of perfection. when i can get my hands on the physical copy, i will be the first buyer hands down.

[Kaylee Woodring · Rating 5 out of 5]

there are no words to adequately describe how much i love trista mateer’s writing.

[m. · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5