Diener's poetry collection is beautifully written with a variety of poems that can appeal to a multitude of readers. This seems like a great book to have on your bedside table to read a little bit each day or consume all in one night. Reflecting on youth, first loves, lost love, growing and finding self-worth, self-care, and numerous other themes that are universal and necessary the poems made me cry, reflect, and remember many points in my own life that the words brought to life and sorted out vividly & clearly.
I look forward to reading more of what she publishes in the future.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the eARC of this work in exchange for my honest review.

So I think maybe I was a little too old for this one and a lot of the poems about young heartbreak and finding your place didn't really resonate for me. I did like some of the poems about mental health and positive thinking! I would have loved this book in my late teens and early 20s, and definitely would be a great graduation or birthday gift for the "new adult" folks in your life!

This was a nice collection, and I expect her work will come into more as she writes more. I liked many of the poems.

Sophie Diener does a beautiful job taking us through her journey of loss, love and finding yourself. Initially I wasnt so sure if I would enjoy a book of poem as this is a genre I dont usally seek out. Sophie did a great job on her debut novel!

this was meh. i picked it up without knowing that it was tiktok poetry and tbh it doesn't have a lot of the imagery and rhythm that i look for in the poetry that i read. it's more like short vignettes of relationships and her life in prose form but with line breaks lol. i didn't enjoy it as much as i thought i would. kind of aggressively mediocre but since she's still young i hope SD evolves out of her tiktok phase and becomes more confident and mature i her storytelling!

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 of 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.

(An exclusive interview with Sophie Diener was also posted on Lit Shark's website.)

This was a sweet collection of poems. I was not familiar with Sophie Diener prior to reading this collection. I was intrigued on NetGalley and so I requested it.

It was a touch slow for the first third or so but the middle section picked up. There’s a lot about loss and heartbreak; healing after a break up. I didn’t find it depressing. Mostly I just felt sympathy for the person writing. They’d obviously lost love. The last little bit is a lot more hopeful. The collection ends on a happier note.

My one complaint was that I didn’t love the pacing of many of these poems. I’m not an expert, though, so perhaps the fault rests with me. The middle section was by far my favourite and I liked the rhythm best on those poems.

If you like poetry, this is a nice collection from a young person’s point of view. Sometimes reading about something we’re experiencing helps us to feel less alone.

3.5* rounded up.

Sadly I was pretty disappointed by this collection of poems. They felt boring and cliché and so surface level. Maybe I would have enjoyed it more if I was aged 13-21 but even then I think it still would have fallen flat for me. It was not like the writing was horrific, just boring.

I received a free copy of Someone Somewhere Maybe: Poems from Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.
A beautiful, comfortable read, full of powerful ideas and relatable emotions. I enjoyed working my way through this collection with a cup of tea.

Poetry feels like connecting with another despite many possible differences, and Someone Somewhere Maybe by Sophie Diener gave me that much needed kinship.

I love poetry as an audiobook since it feels like you're at a live reading, and that's exactly how listening to this felt. Diener reading her own passages added even more depth and emotion to her words. I loved the added music behind the narration, how it changed with each work, and how each piece of instrumentals seemed to correspond to the tone of each poem.

This poetry took me back to a younger version of myself, to that adolescent version that only age and nostalgia can remember. This poetry met me where I currently am, to what I am currently feeling, this transition I am on the cusp of. This poetry made me project into the future to what I want our daughter to be, to know, and to always remember.

My favourite poems were:
Feelings
Don't Be A Stranger
Have Hope
October 5
I Try My Best
Expectations
Know And Love
The Next Five Minutes
A Poem For The People I Love
The Life I Dream Of
Be Kind To Yourself

There is angst and love and longing and yearning and sadness and mental health struggles and optimism and rain... and each poem was so beautiful.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin and Macmillan Audio for the complimentary copies to read, listen to and review.

Beautiful collection of poems. Bold and sincere description of love, relationships, heart ache. The nuances of thinking like a woman. I just hope the finished book comes with beautiful drawings too.

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.

I don’t read poetry often but I follow Sophie on Instagram, and have for awhile now, so I was excited to see her collection on NetGalley! And as I digested this collection, it also made me want to read more poetry.

This collection reads like a story in which you’re following the narrator through a tough and, somewhat, unexpected breakup of a long distance, and what feels codependent, relationship. And then you take a journey with the narrator as they heal, experiencing how that relationship triggered anxiety and depression and how the breakup marred the memories of the relationship. It feels as if it truly broke the narrator. Then we see how she confronts the anxiety through her healing and then, eventually, finds love again.

As she finds love again, we can also see the manifestation of her growth during that healing phase, as this love is more organic and healthy. She confronts her urge to pull away from the love so it can’t be taken away from her again, like her previous relationship, and allows herself to love in a healthy and trusting way.

“But I’m choosing now to stay, / because I see the way you love me. / Though I know that things can change, / it’s okay– / I’ll be okay. / I’m relearning how to love, / and that is brave.”

But this collection isn’t focused on how she loved, lost, and then loved again–it’s about how she grew throughout the experience and became better equipped to be vulnerable and maintain her sense of self, her confidence, and trust in others. And there’s also themes of self-acceptance, nature, and kindness throughout the collection that are powerful and inspiring.

Diener’s poetry is simple yet beautiful, compelling, and so, so relatable. In the preface she says: “I’ve always loved to write, and I’ve also loved to read. Over and over again, my heart has been soothed by art that has moved me to whisper, ‘You, too?’” and I found myself saying this many times while reading this collection.

Some of my favorites include:
“A Heart with Legs”
“October 5”
“Run”
“Finding My Balance”
“Vows”
“Reflections”
“Be Kind To Yourself”

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and St. Martin's Griffin for the opportunity to read this amazing story ahead of publication in exchange for an honest review.

I love reading and writing poems. Every time I get my hands on a new poetry collection, I feel very curious to see what new writers/ authors are bringing to the table. Sophie Diener did not disappoint.

What I liked the most about Someone, Somewhere, Maybe is that even though each poem touches on very personal topics, however, they are topics that a lot of people can relate to.

I like the familiarity I felt while reading this book, and that I could see myself in these words, and knowing that I am not the only one who has gone through certain situations gave me some sort of relief.

Thank you to St. Martin's Griffin and Netgalley for the Advanced Free Copy in exchange for an honest review.


Wendy

This was stunning!

I'm not normally a poetry person, but these were so beautifully written.

We get a glimpse into Sophie's life, including her heartbreaks, finding more love, and learning how to love herself again through her struggles.

There were quite of few of her poems that actually made me cry. I could relate to almost every single one she wrote and it was simply amazing. If you like poetry of any kind, or was something simple and beautiful, please grab this book!!!

The biggest thank you to #netgalley, St. Martin's Press, and St. Martin's Griffin for an eARC of this book. All opinions are my own!

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.

Beautiful. Simple and powerful. Reading these poems was like talking with your best friend if your best friend was a brilliant poet. Pick this one up - you’ll love the experience of reading feelings we have all felt in an artful way. Thanks to St Martin’s Press for the advanced copy. Loved it.

I really wanted to enjoy this but ultimately don't think I am the right audience! The poems are fairly simplistic in their execution and ideas, and I had a hard time connecting to the work.

Have you guys ever read a book and been so grateful for it because what you are going through at that moment is exactly what the book is describing and it just feels like a hug to you? WELL, I have been hugged guys, I've been hugged with words if that makes any sense hahaha. This book was so beautiful and I can't wait to purchase it when it comes out!

Special thanks to St. Martin's Press / St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this poetry collection, however I had problems reading it with the way it was formatting on my device but that may just be a me problem.