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Someone Somewhere Maybe
For fans of Rupi Kaur, Cleo Wade, and Amanda Lovelace, Someone Somewhere Maybe speaks to the joys and sorrows of finding your way as a young woman today.
Poignant and beautifully written, TikTok fan favorite Sophie Diener’s debut poetry collection takes readers on an introspective journey through first love, first heartbreak, first loss, identity, and self-worth. Filled with honesty and warmth, each poem reveals something new about the human condition, and brilliantly captures what growing up feels like, in a way that is both relatable and affirming.
Someone Somewhere Maybe is the perfect companion for a rainy day, curling up in bed with a cup of tea, sitting on the porch with a glass of lemonade, or lying on the beach watching the waves. It offers readers hope, healing, understanding, and the certainty that they are not alone.
Poignant and beautifully written, TikTok fan favorite Sophie Diener’s debut poetry collection takes readers on an introspective journey through first love, first heartbreak, first loss, identity, and self-worth. Filled with honesty and warmth, each poem reveals something new about the human condition, and brilliantly captures what growing up feels like, in a way that is both relatable and affirming.
Someone Somewhere Maybe is the perfect companion for a rainy day, curling up in bed with a cup of tea, sitting on the porch with a glass of lemonade, or lying on the beach watching the waves. It offers readers hope, healing, understanding, and the certainty that they are not alone.
176 pages, Paperback
Published September 26, 2023
79 people are currently reading
7049 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 322 reviews
September 17, 2023
3.5 Stars
It’s been a while since I read a book of poetry, and I went into this one somewhat blind, since I don’t spend a lot of time online, I am on goodreads more than the others combined, so I had not been aware of Sophie Diener’s poetry, all I knew was she was a poet who shares her poems online.
These poems encompass a variety of topics, although the majority seem to revolve around the complexity of relationships, the aftermath of the end of one, or looking back on one, as well as recalling the highs of giving her heart to someone and having it returned, if only for a time. The heartbreak of the loss also infuses her writing, as well as the heartbreak of having to say goodbye to someone, even if it is a temporary time.
As with most poetry collections, some of these poems will reach into the hearts of other readers differently, some will be relatable, some possibly less so. Some will be memorable, and some will not, but overall, I loved her message of being kind to yourself, holding on to hope, and finding the person that you can call home.
Pub Date: 26 Sep 2023
Many thanks for the ARC provided by St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin
It’s been a while since I read a book of poetry, and I went into this one somewhat blind, since I don’t spend a lot of time online, I am on goodreads more than the others combined, so I had not been aware of Sophie Diener’s poetry, all I knew was she was a poet who shares her poems online.
These poems encompass a variety of topics, although the majority seem to revolve around the complexity of relationships, the aftermath of the end of one, or looking back on one, as well as recalling the highs of giving her heart to someone and having it returned, if only for a time. The heartbreak of the loss also infuses her writing, as well as the heartbreak of having to say goodbye to someone, even if it is a temporary time.
As with most poetry collections, some of these poems will reach into the hearts of other readers differently, some will be relatable, some possibly less so. Some will be memorable, and some will not, but overall, I loved her message of being kind to yourself, holding on to hope, and finding the person that you can call home.
Pub Date: 26 Sep 2023
Many thanks for the ARC provided by St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin
September 30, 2023
To me this is a perfect book. Sophie’s TikTok’s are what encouraged me to start reading poetry, and I’m so happy to have her poems in my home now.
***
Pre-ordered this so fast!! I love her poems on TikTok!
***
Pre-ordered this so fast!! I love her poems on TikTok!
August 8, 2023
The author has a big social media presence (mainly TikTok and Instagram, I believe), with videos of her reading her poetry, and that, presumably, has led to this book of her poems being published. Diener is still a young woman but her poems, she says in an introduction, were written “to remember how it felt to be 17 and 23 - heartbroken and in love and in between.”
I really enjoyed this peek into her mind over the years. It made me think back to my own late teens and 20s, and the insecurity we all probably felt at those ages. Her poems touch on romantic relationships, mental health, body image, and other subjects. They are easy to read. Some are very short and some are much longer, but they are all very readable and reveal deep emotions that I could relate to.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for the opportunity to read an advance readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
I really enjoyed this peek into her mind over the years. It made me think back to my own late teens and 20s, and the insecurity we all probably felt at those ages. Her poems touch on romantic relationships, mental health, body image, and other subjects. They are easy to read. Some are very short and some are much longer, but they are all very readable and reveal deep emotions that I could relate to.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for the opportunity to read an advance readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
October 10, 2023
A collection of poems that you can see yourself in as you read. I really didn't expect the emotional pull that these created. Perhaps it's the things I've been going through lately and so many of these words I felt on a deeper level. It's hard to put yourself out there to be loved by others and at times even harder to love yourself.
Love and heartbreak, self-discovery and self-love and how acceptance, in many forms, can be a healing process and of course self reflections.
Don't Be a Stranger:
"You smile weakly and say to me, 'don't be a stranger,'
and I nod my head knowing that's what I'll become.
Still, there will always be something between us-
a quiet recognition of what once was."
I have always believed that we can't change the way someone loves. We see the way they love and determine whether it's a way we can accept.
Love and heartbreak, self-discovery and self-love and how acceptance, in many forms, can be a healing process and of course self reflections.
Don't Be a Stranger:
"You smile weakly and say to me, 'don't be a stranger,'
and I nod my head knowing that's what I'll become.
Still, there will always be something between us-
a quiet recognition of what once was."
I have always believed that we can't change the way someone loves. We see the way they love and determine whether it's a way we can accept.
September 27, 2023
This is my favorite book of poetry I’ve ever read! 5 billion stars!
May 1, 2023
A very simple and straightforward poetry collection that was just really not up my alley... The poetry I find myself drawn to the most has evocative, strange language and playful turns of phrase that can catch me by surprise and make my perception of the world around me, even for just a moment, shift. Sophie Diener's poetry is serviceable, and her aim seems admirable, but there was not a poem in this collection that left me surprised for even a moment, or particularly compelled at all. These poems felt very explicitly aimed at a younger audience perhaps just dipping their toe into prose, as well as having a slant toward self-help/positive thinking mantras. I genuinely am happy to hear of anyone drawn to poetry for any reason whatsoever, but still felt a bit patronized by the extremely banal tone and trite life advice filling the pages of this collection. This will definitely work for some people, and in its defense, the marketing seems to recognize this in proclaiming Diener an apparent TikTok sensation - I unfortunately skipped reading that descriptor and so was expecting something a bit more incisive, and less moralizing/cliche.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for early access to this title for review.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for early access to this title for review.
April 20, 2023
I find it a disgrace that this book was compared with Rupi Kaur.
And why?
because this book was a thousand times better than Rupi Kaur could ever write.
Rupi Kaur is an overrated tik-tok famous “poet” who’s poems consist of random words with a lot of gaps in between them.
but this.
THIS.
this is real poetry. real, soul-wrenching, tear-jerking, heartfelt poetry.
When reading this, it feels like the author is standing right beside you the whole time, hugging your shoulders with each little revelation.
I read through this in 30 minutes, engulfed in the words. Then I went back and reread. And reread again.
I think I could read this a thousand times before getting sick of it.
Case in point, this shouldn’t be compared to Rupi Kaur. This author should be getting the attention that Kaur does.
it’s embarrassing that kaur is more well known than her.
And why?
because this book was a thousand times better than Rupi Kaur could ever write.
Rupi Kaur is an overrated tik-tok famous “poet” who’s poems consist of random words with a lot of gaps in between them.
but this.
THIS.
this is real poetry. real, soul-wrenching, tear-jerking, heartfelt poetry.
When reading this, it feels like the author is standing right beside you the whole time, hugging your shoulders with each little revelation.
I read through this in 30 minutes, engulfed in the words. Then I went back and reread. And reread again.
I think I could read this a thousand times before getting sick of it.
Case in point, this shouldn’t be compared to Rupi Kaur. This author should be getting the attention that Kaur does.
it’s embarrassing that kaur is more well known than her.
May 18, 2024
3.5/5 Stars.
A lot of the poems had really good meaning to them but there’s a handful where it almost comes off as “nonsense” and falls off of the main theme of the book, otherwise pretty decent poetry from Sophie Diener.
A lot of the poems had really good meaning to them but there’s a handful where it almost comes off as “nonsense” and falls off of the main theme of the book, otherwise pretty decent poetry from Sophie Diener.
September 27, 2023
I enjoy a good collection of poetry, especially on audio read by the author themselves like this one is. So when I was sent a gifted copy of this debut collection of poems by a new to me author I had high hopes.
Unfortunately this one hit a little too YA/New Adulty to really connect much with where I am in life. I can definitely see this being more popular with the younger TikTok crowd though. A few poems were fun and fall-ish but overall just not a book I'll pick up repeatedly.
Many thanks to St. Martin's Press for sending me a finished copy and Librofm for an ALC in exchange for my honest opinion!
Unfortunately this one hit a little too YA/New Adulty to really connect much with where I am in life. I can definitely see this being more popular with the younger TikTok crowd though. A few poems were fun and fall-ish but overall just not a book I'll pick up repeatedly.
Many thanks to St. Martin's Press for sending me a finished copy and Librofm for an ALC in exchange for my honest opinion!
February 29, 2024
I absolutely loved this collection of poems! So many of them really speak to me - especially in this season of my life. I will end up rereading these many times! Highly recommend.
January 2, 2024
I adored this poetry collection, and finished it in one sitting. It felt like the author scooped the scrambled thoughts from my brain and turned them into the most beautiful poems. I found her words to be emotional, nostalgic, relatable, and hopeful. Though this collection largely speaks to being a woman in young adulthood, I think it could be a meaningful read for people of all ages.
Almost every poem spoke to me in some way, and I can’t wait to re-read them all again and again. :)
Almost every poem spoke to me in some way, and I can’t wait to re-read them all again and again. :)
January 18, 2024
“I hope you look at yourself and you are kind.”
I see a lot of myself in these poems, and I think that’s the point.
Diener perfectly encapsulates what it is to be constantly growing; changing into the people we will become through the good and the bad.
I especially loved her poems on love. One in particular that stuck out to me was “Patient Love.”
“I’m relearning how to love and that is brave.”
Loving in your early twenties when you are trying to learn who you are is no easy feat, and Diener lets the reader know they are not alone in this.
She takes the good, the bad and the ugly of being a twenty-something and turns it into words that speak to the soul.
Some of her poems make me wish I had written them; those are the best kind.
I see a lot of myself in these poems, and I think that’s the point.
Diener perfectly encapsulates what it is to be constantly growing; changing into the people we will become through the good and the bad.
I especially loved her poems on love. One in particular that stuck out to me was “Patient Love.”
“I’m relearning how to love and that is brave.”
Loving in your early twenties when you are trying to learn who you are is no easy feat, and Diener lets the reader know they are not alone in this.
She takes the good, the bad and the ugly of being a twenty-something and turns it into words that speak to the soul.
Some of her poems make me wish I had written them; those are the best kind.
September 27, 2023
Beautiful poems, musings, and lots of good reminders of self love and strength.
Not every beginning has the intended ending and we grow from the doors we shut and the new ones we open
I will be buying this for my poetry collection. Excited to see the illustrations and I look forward to her next published work.
Not every beginning has the intended ending and we grow from the doors we shut and the new ones we open
I will be buying this for my poetry collection. Excited to see the illustrations and I look forward to her next published work.
January 2, 2024
This is the first book of poetry I've ever read. I follow Sophie on tiktok and several of her poems resonated with me so I was excited to read this book. The first half seemed to focus on lost love, which I couldn't relate to much. The second half felt increasingly optimistic and comforting. It had much more basis in self worth and finding joy in life. An easy 1 day read, and a book I may just carry around in my bag from now on for reminders and grounding.
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June 23, 2023Review coming on PUB DAY 🥳 September 26 2023
March 19, 2025
I want these poems injected into my veins. if I could highlight every single word of this book I would.
November 20, 2023
I think I read this at the right time in my life. Given my recent life experiences, this was a nice little reset and reminder that negative emotions are not necessarily bad or scary. Some poems I didn’t relate to, but that’s just the nature of poetry. And I still appreciated them all the same.
July 10, 2023
5/5 🌟
Thank you to Sophie and NetGalley for this ARC 💕
I love poetry that makes me feel things I didn’t realize I had hid from myself. I saw myself and my mind reflected in Sophie Diener’s writing.
I can’t wait to see what she writes next. I know it will make me feel just as much if not more than Someone Somewhere Maybe did.
Honorable mentions to my favorite poems:
Eighteen
Feelings
Between The Lines
Seasons
Expectations
Highs and Lows
I Hope You’re Happy
Birthdays
Homebody
Idyllic
Ones that I want included in my wedding vows:
Patient Love
I Do Not Need You
Vows
Home
How Do You Know?
I would gift this to someone even if they didn’t typically read poetry. You will still connect to it.
Thank you to Sophie and NetGalley for this ARC 💕
I love poetry that makes me feel things I didn’t realize I had hid from myself. I saw myself and my mind reflected in Sophie Diener’s writing.
I can’t wait to see what she writes next. I know it will make me feel just as much if not more than Someone Somewhere Maybe did.
Honorable mentions to my favorite poems:
Eighteen
Feelings
Between The Lines
Seasons
Expectations
Highs and Lows
I Hope You’re Happy
Birthdays
Homebody
Idyllic
Ones that I want included in my wedding vows:
Patient Love
I Do Not Need You
Vows
Home
How Do You Know?
I would gift this to someone even if they didn’t typically read poetry. You will still connect to it.
September 11, 2023
I enjoyed reading SOMEONE SOMEWHERE MAYBE by Sophie Diener! These poems focus on young love, first heartbreak, self identity and the ups and downs of being a young woman. It’s really cool that there’s illustrations throughout this book by Chloe Purpero. My fave poems are I Hope Today Is Kind to You and Lose Something. I also listened to the audiobook narrated by the author and it was nice to hear her read her own poems.
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for my advance reading copy!
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for my advance reading copy!
October 22, 2023
"I hope today you remember that the sky is not humiliated by its vastness, and the mountains remain unashamed of their height [...] the sun is not concerned if someone has to squint their eyes–it will shine. And it will not apologize for its light."
Absolutely gutting and gorgeous–this highly anticipated debut collection of poems from TikTok's favorite spoken-word poet is worth the wait. ❤️
Sophie's poetry was a lifeline for me during the pandemic–to this day, I still repeat lines from Be Kind to Yourself to myself like a mantra. This collection brings us several of her most popular (and hardest-hitting) poems from TikTok, but it also expands on themes of heartbreak, healing, and growth with many poems you have not yet heard. Somehow both deeply relatable and deeply personal to the author, you'll find comfort and hope here. I immediately pre-ordered after finishing and I am so excited to have a physical copy on my shelf.
Absolutely gutting and gorgeous–this highly anticipated debut collection of poems from TikTok's favorite spoken-word poet is worth the wait. ❤️
Sophie's poetry was a lifeline for me during the pandemic–to this day, I still repeat lines from Be Kind to Yourself to myself like a mantra. This collection brings us several of her most popular (and hardest-hitting) poems from TikTok, but it also expands on themes of heartbreak, healing, and growth with many poems you have not yet heard. Somehow both deeply relatable and deeply personal to the author, you'll find comfort and hope here. I immediately pre-ordered after finishing and I am so excited to have a physical copy on my shelf.
September 18, 2023
How dare Sophie Diener write these poems that made me cry my own tears. I’ve never related and loved this many poems in a single collection before. I received an electronic copy of this, but have already pre-ordered a physical copy so that I can re-visit these poems on a regular basis. I truly fell in love with these poems and can’t wait for more collections to be published.
Poems that made me want to cry (relationships): Something So Real, Even After, Don’t Be a Stranger, Meant to Be, I Hope You’re Happy, To Move On
Poems that made me actually cry: Have Hope and This is How Love Works
Poems that made me reflect on my life: Eighteen, Run, The Life I Dream Of, and You are Growing.
Much love and appreciation to NetGalley and the publisher St. Martin’s press for placing this book in my life through an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Poems that made me want to cry (relationships): Something So Real, Even After, Don’t Be a Stranger, Meant to Be, I Hope You’re Happy, To Move On
Poems that made me actually cry: Have Hope and This is How Love Works
Poems that made me reflect on my life: Eighteen, Run, The Life I Dream Of, and You are Growing.
Much love and appreciation to NetGalley and the publisher St. Martin’s press for placing this book in my life through an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.
August 3, 2023
I received an advanced reader copy of this set of poems via NetGalley and this is my honest review:
I was not familiar with the author, and did not know what to expect. I found her poetry one-dimensional, lacking imagery, and just generally lack-luster. Nothing surprised me or made me think, and the lack of form was disappointing. Nothing about this book made me think Diener is a trained poet or writer in general.
If you're a poet or love poetry, this book is not for you.
I was not familiar with the author, and did not know what to expect. I found her poetry one-dimensional, lacking imagery, and just generally lack-luster. Nothing surprised me or made me think, and the lack of form was disappointing. Nothing about this book made me think Diener is a trained poet or writer in general.
If you're a poet or love poetry, this book is not for you.
October 4, 2023
Overall, I didn’t relate to much in this book only because I’m past that time in my life. Not at all the author’s fault, but the reason I didn’t give it 5 stars for me personally. This book did have some of the best poetry I’ve ever read, and now holds my favorite poem of all time- Reflections. That alone made it worth the read. Loved her style and will definitely continue reading her work!
February 26, 2024
I found the poems very lackluster in this book and very one note.
September 28, 2023
(Book review published on LitShark.com, alongside an exclusive interview with the author)
Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's for an advanced copy, as well!
Full Review and Author Interview Here: https://litshark.com/someone-somewher...
Whether it’s poetry by Walt Whitman or Edgar Allan Poe, children’s poetry by Shel Silverstein, or poetry by singers like Jewel and Halsey, everyone can agree that poetry is meant to make you feel something, whether it’s deeply vulnerable, beautiful, or side-splittingly funny. But in the past few years especially, vulnerable and confessional poetry has become increasingly more popular as readers take comfort from poems about love, loss, and identity amidst lovely images of flowers and more—and the latest to this family of poets is TikTok sensation Sophie Diener.
Her debut collection, Someone Somewhere Maybe, will be perfect for anyone who enjoys personal poetry, confessional poetry, and poetry that encourages emotional reflection, perhaps even for journaling. Fans of Rupi Kaur, Amanda Lovelace, Cleo Wade, and honestly, even Taylor Swift, will absolutely feel at home among Sophie Diener’s poems.
The collection proves to be relatable (in the best way) as Diener broaches familiar topics like the experience of first love, a relationship ending, grief, identity, and self-worth. It’s a beautiful reflection of not only the human condition but the importance of showing ourselves, and those around us, grace.
What really struck me throughout the collection were subtle repetitions that I know were deeply intentional: ghosts, haunted houses, or the transformation of a house. A ghost is something easy to remember, so it creates an echo for the reader of an earlier poem that may have also mentioned a ghost or something like it. These moments were important to me, as they also mimic how our minds work and how memories echo back through other things. While we may not always be consciously thinking of a past loved one or how we lost them, we remember them through other, smaller things. We’re called to remind lessons that we’ve learned, and how we’ve grown, through the site of a certain flower or a distinct smell of bread. Our memories are surprising and can come up at any time, just like the echoes found in these poems, which I found to be both an enriching feature and an endearing one.
Moving away from the content of the collection, I also loved Diener’s control in this collection through her visual elements. Poets generally have a very distinct idea in their mind of how they hope their readers will read their poems in the sense of pacing and pauses. Diener managed to control these through her succinct use of white space and asterisks to break up the moments in her poems, as well as intriguing choices in her enjambment. Her visual selections were fascinating to the eye, but they also assisted in the reading of the poems, like someone leading us expertly, if delicately, through a dance.
The overall message of the collection was powerfully rooted in grace, self-love, and our defined worth. Rather than placing our meaning in our appearances or how much money we make, the size of the beautiful house our ex ended up living in compared to our own, or how we imagined our lives going differently—it’s better for us to show ourselves grace and to practice gratitude through the little, beautiful, and kinder things in life and in nature. It’s fitting, then, referring back to how Diener controlled her poems through their presentation on the page, that in an entire collection of poems that were written in italics, the only moment in the collection where italics were not used was for the words, “You are loved.” Not only is this a point delivered over and over again throughout these poems, by various means and messages, but the reader, too, has to face it in standard text.
Sophie Diener’s Someone Somewhere Maybe is a beautiful and raw examination of the human condition, and it’s easily related to by all readers. Those in need of a warm hug, a good listening ear, and someone who understands them would love this book. Poets and those who love poetry will love this book, Diener’s turns of phrase, and her use of the page. And again, those who love Rupi Kaur and Taylor Swift, as well as Cleo Wade and Amanda Lovelace, and we’ll throw in the nostalgic fans of poetry by Jewel and Halsey, too—they’re going to absolutely love Someone Somewhere Maybe by Sophie Diener.
Full Review and Author Interview Here: https://litshark.com/someone-somewher...
Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's for an advanced copy, as well!
Full Review and Author Interview Here: https://litshark.com/someone-somewher...
Whether it’s poetry by Walt Whitman or Edgar Allan Poe, children’s poetry by Shel Silverstein, or poetry by singers like Jewel and Halsey, everyone can agree that poetry is meant to make you feel something, whether it’s deeply vulnerable, beautiful, or side-splittingly funny. But in the past few years especially, vulnerable and confessional poetry has become increasingly more popular as readers take comfort from poems about love, loss, and identity amidst lovely images of flowers and more—and the latest to this family of poets is TikTok sensation Sophie Diener.
Her debut collection, Someone Somewhere Maybe, will be perfect for anyone who enjoys personal poetry, confessional poetry, and poetry that encourages emotional reflection, perhaps even for journaling. Fans of Rupi Kaur, Amanda Lovelace, Cleo Wade, and honestly, even Taylor Swift, will absolutely feel at home among Sophie Diener’s poems.
The collection proves to be relatable (in the best way) as Diener broaches familiar topics like the experience of first love, a relationship ending, grief, identity, and self-worth. It’s a beautiful reflection of not only the human condition but the importance of showing ourselves, and those around us, grace.
What really struck me throughout the collection were subtle repetitions that I know were deeply intentional: ghosts, haunted houses, or the transformation of a house. A ghost is something easy to remember, so it creates an echo for the reader of an earlier poem that may have also mentioned a ghost or something like it. These moments were important to me, as they also mimic how our minds work and how memories echo back through other things. While we may not always be consciously thinking of a past loved one or how we lost them, we remember them through other, smaller things. We’re called to remind lessons that we’ve learned, and how we’ve grown, through the site of a certain flower or a distinct smell of bread. Our memories are surprising and can come up at any time, just like the echoes found in these poems, which I found to be both an enriching feature and an endearing one.
Moving away from the content of the collection, I also loved Diener’s control in this collection through her visual elements. Poets generally have a very distinct idea in their mind of how they hope their readers will read their poems in the sense of pacing and pauses. Diener managed to control these through her succinct use of white space and asterisks to break up the moments in her poems, as well as intriguing choices in her enjambment. Her visual selections were fascinating to the eye, but they also assisted in the reading of the poems, like someone leading us expertly, if delicately, through a dance.
The overall message of the collection was powerfully rooted in grace, self-love, and our defined worth. Rather than placing our meaning in our appearances or how much money we make, the size of the beautiful house our ex ended up living in compared to our own, or how we imagined our lives going differently—it’s better for us to show ourselves grace and to practice gratitude through the little, beautiful, and kinder things in life and in nature. It’s fitting, then, referring back to how Diener controlled her poems through their presentation on the page, that in an entire collection of poems that were written in italics, the only moment in the collection where italics were not used was for the words, “You are loved.” Not only is this a point delivered over and over again throughout these poems, by various means and messages, but the reader, too, has to face it in standard text.
Sophie Diener’s Someone Somewhere Maybe is a beautiful and raw examination of the human condition, and it’s easily related to by all readers. Those in need of a warm hug, a good listening ear, and someone who understands them would love this book. Poets and those who love poetry will love this book, Diener’s turns of phrase, and her use of the page. And again, those who love Rupi Kaur and Taylor Swift, as well as Cleo Wade and Amanda Lovelace, and we’ll throw in the nostalgic fans of poetry by Jewel and Halsey, too—they’re going to absolutely love Someone Somewhere Maybe by Sophie Diener.
Full Review and Author Interview Here: https://litshark.com/someone-somewher...
August 20, 2023
I LOVED this poetry collection. Direct and to the point, you won’t find a ton of metaphors and underlying meanings in this volume. Of course there are some, but this feels very “what you see is what you get” and I absolutely love that. It leaves room for interpretation and application from your own experiences, and still reads smoothly and beautifully; but I love that I don’t have to scratch my head at the end of each line and wonder what the heck I’m supposed to get out of it.
It explores first love and loss, navigating anxiety, and the process of self love. It felt so relatable to my own life experiences thus far. I couldn’t stop highlighting!
Some of my favorite pieces are below, in no particular order:
“It isn’t all golden and good and beautiful, but you’d be surprised by how much of it is.”
“I think a lot about what I might say to my younger self, but not what my older self might say to me.”
“May I never love who I could be (in theory) more than who I actually am.”
“Allow yourself to be loved as you are, both in the light and in the dark.”
“Rest in this: what you’re feeling is not permanent.”
“…abut anxiety is a liar whose very favorite pastime is to spin me into spirals.”
“…and I plant my feet so that I don’t get swept up in September breeze.”
“I also hope you don’t forget that life is not about to begin; it’s happening.”
It explores first love and loss, navigating anxiety, and the process of self love. It felt so relatable to my own life experiences thus far. I couldn’t stop highlighting!
Some of my favorite pieces are below, in no particular order:
“It isn’t all golden and good and beautiful, but you’d be surprised by how much of it is.”
“I think a lot about what I might say to my younger self, but not what my older self might say to me.”
“May I never love who I could be (in theory) more than who I actually am.”
“Allow yourself to be loved as you are, both in the light and in the dark.”
“Rest in this: what you’re feeling is not permanent.”
“…abut anxiety is a liar whose very favorite pastime is to spin me into spirals.”
“…and I plant my feet so that I don’t get swept up in September breeze.”
“I also hope you don’t forget that life is not about to begin; it’s happening.”
August 17, 2024
3 stars for a somewhat average poetry collection.
As someone who has read a lot of poetry and is a bit of a self proclaimed snob about it, I’m wary of the Target shelf poetry: the “poems” that take up a small portion of the page and don’t add any real feeling aside from a positive affirmation about self love or healing. But I decided to risk it and go for this book, not knowing the author was a “TikTok poet” or what this book was about. The cover was cute and from a quick flip through it looked promising. I have to say I was slightly disappointed. This book was fairly mid and while there were some okay poems and some fairly decent lines sprinkled throughout, it felt so repetitive and lacking in any imagery. The author uses rain and passenger seats as metaphors far too often, and aside from that there’s no real visual aids. A sad 3 stars for me. I was really hoping to enjoy this.
As someone who has read a lot of poetry and is a bit of a self proclaimed snob about it, I’m wary of the Target shelf poetry: the “poems” that take up a small portion of the page and don’t add any real feeling aside from a positive affirmation about self love or healing. But I decided to risk it and go for this book, not knowing the author was a “TikTok poet” or what this book was about. The cover was cute and from a quick flip through it looked promising. I have to say I was slightly disappointed. This book was fairly mid and while there were some okay poems and some fairly decent lines sprinkled throughout, it felt so repetitive and lacking in any imagery. The author uses rain and passenger seats as metaphors far too often, and aside from that there’s no real visual aids. A sad 3 stars for me. I was really hoping to enjoy this.
April 4, 2023
Thank you St. Martin's Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honet review.
I don't think I've ever seen poetry written in a way that is raw and real and for lack of a better word, "ugly''. Not to say that Sophie Diener's work is ugly, I think her poems are rather beautiful but what she writes about is so delicate and sensitive and the issues she takes inspiration from are real issues we face and the way she handles them is with such care.
Mental illness, body image issues, heartbreak, these are things I hadn't read in mainstream poetry but I am so glad that I have now. It's not everyday that you get to say you've read a classic in the making but I think today, I have.
I don't think I've ever seen poetry written in a way that is raw and real and for lack of a better word, "ugly''. Not to say that Sophie Diener's work is ugly, I think her poems are rather beautiful but what she writes about is so delicate and sensitive and the issues she takes inspiration from are real issues we face and the way she handles them is with such care.
Mental illness, body image issues, heartbreak, these are things I hadn't read in mainstream poetry but I am so glad that I have now. It's not everyday that you get to say you've read a classic in the making but I think today, I have.
April 14, 2023
Someone Somewhere Maybe is about love and heartbreak, self acceptance and hope.
I think the author had interesting things to say, but she could have pushed the ideas further.
I really enjoyed the first section of the collection and how vivid the imagery of the different relationships and break ups were, and I particularly love two of the poems, Haunted House and The Last Thing You Have Left to Let Go, that answer each other and give us both sides of this love story.
I'd love to read more by Sophie Diener.
I would recommend for people who enjoy Taylor Swift.
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this ARC.
I think the author had interesting things to say, but she could have pushed the ideas further.
I really enjoyed the first section of the collection and how vivid the imagery of the different relationships and break ups were, and I particularly love two of the poems, Haunted House and The Last Thing You Have Left to Let Go, that answer each other and give us both sides of this love story.
I'd love to read more by Sophie Diener.
I would recommend for people who enjoy Taylor Swift.
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this ARC.
September 6, 2023
I was provided an ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.
This was a lovely poetry collection. I found the poems to be relatable and easy to follow. I don't read poetry often, but when I do I prefer that it be something I can easily follow and understand. Deiner's poems are just that. You know what she is saying and you can feel the emotion behind each of them which is exactly what I want from a poem.
This collection really leans into the author's own experiences with love and heartache as well as other topics.
Overall, I enjoyed this collection and look forward to reading more from the author in the future.
This was a lovely poetry collection. I found the poems to be relatable and easy to follow. I don't read poetry often, but when I do I prefer that it be something I can easily follow and understand. Deiner's poems are just that. You know what she is saying and you can feel the emotion behind each of them which is exactly what I want from a poem.
This collection really leans into the author's own experiences with love and heartache as well as other topics.
Overall, I enjoyed this collection and look forward to reading more from the author in the future.
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