3.75 stars

Thank you to Central Avenue Poetry and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This collection of poetry highlights the debilitating and maddening of mental illness. It can be really difficult to explain to people the feeling of depression and suicidality when they’ve never experienced it for themselves, and this gave a good view of what it feels like in the midst of dark and deep parts of someone’s journey.

The art throughout the book was also very beautiful.

CW: suicidal thoughts, mental illness

I think the main thing stifling my enjoyment of this novel for me was that I actually thought for most of the story that the Small Ghost and the other character in poems not titled with 'Small Ghost' in it were two different characters. It kind of skewed my read a little bit.

But yeah, okay, this is a poetry collection about mental illness when it gets to its worst. Like, the point of view character just doesn't wanna be here anymore and feels as disattached from the world as a ghost itself.

I think, if I hadn't have finished this book all the way to the end, I would have felt very differently because it was the last quarter where psychology began to work, meds began to work and things started to get better. It wasn't an easy fix so much as an acknowledgment of an uphill climb back normalcy and finding out where her life is at now.

And that was cathartic as hell, not at all simplifying mental illness, yet still showing that healing can come.

A very real and raw collection of poems with a focus on depression and isolation. As someone who has dealt with my fair share of mental health hurdles, reading this felt like reading an old diary. The first half was a bit difficult to get through, but the second half allowed for a bit of hope. I'd recommend this for anyone who's felt like giving up, as a reminder that you are not alone and you are worth trying for.

absolutely adored this. phenomenally written and so incredibly real and raw. had to take pause a few times to let what was said really sink in. the additions of the photographs and graphics really added to it, it felt like i was reading a very person journal/scrapbook.

Reading Small Ghost is like sipping tea with a melancholic Casper—endearingly gloomy yet surprisingly comforting. Trista Mateer tackles depression and anxiety with a soft, ghostly touch that somehow makes your heart both heavy and light. The mix of heartfelt poems and vintage-spooky art gives this collection a Pinterest board come to life vibe. And there’s a dog at the end? Sold! A must-read for anyone who’s ever felt like a spectral introvert wrapped in a bedsheet, searching for a little warmth.

4.25⭐
Big thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read "Small Ghost". I had a lovely time with the book, I'm currently in a reading slump so I did struggle with Ms. Trista Mateer's work a little.
It was extremely relatable to read and that's something I really enjoy and appreciate, I highly recommend this short book, Small Ghost feels very much like a friend now that I've finished the book.

Once again- thank you Netgalley and Trista Mateer for the chance to read Small Ghost.

In “Small Ghost” by Trista Mateer, she reveals her raw, open, bleeding heart through her poetic and profound words. Through her poetry, you can feel her intense sadness and pain that’s experienced through depression and the isolation found in anxiety.

I was not prepared for the emotions I felt with a few of the poems that I found myself connecting with. Many of the others left me sad and empathic for the author’s suffering. However, I think I understand the meaning behind Mateer's “Small Ghost.” Depression and anxiety are not seen by others, but they are there following us around, like a small ghost, frightening us at times or showing up when we least expect it. And the ghost images throughout the book are wonderful!

Thank you, #NetGalley, #TristaMateer, and #CentralAvenuePublishing, for the ARC in exchange for my honest review of #SmallGhost.

This collection is a visceral insight into dark topics people find hard to face on a daily basis. Told through beautiful lyrical verse, these poems were relatable making them memorable and easy to refer back to when one feels like they need visual aid for how they are feeling. The poetry goes hand in hand with the images to create a book of life struggles that every reader can relate to.

This was one of the better poetry collections I've read. I also always love a theme throughout so I was really ahppy to see the commitment to this one.

These poems are for anyone who has felt depressed, alone or isolated - so almost everyone. There is a trigger warning in the beginning which is helpful for anyone who may not be ready to examine those emotions. These poems show that mo matter how much you feel like you're the only one feeling a certain way, you are not alone.

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐨 𝐟𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬. 𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐚 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐬𝐨 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐚𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬, 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐨𝐫 𝐮𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝. 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭, 𝐈 𝐬𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐚 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐟𝐭 𝐭𝐨𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐚 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐞, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭, 𝐈 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐦𝐢𝐱 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐩𝐨𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.

𝒯𝒽𝒶𝓃𝓀 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓉𝑜 𝒯𝓇𝒾𝓈𝓉𝒶 𝑀𝒶𝓉𝑒𝑒𝓇, 𝒞𝑒𝓃𝓉𝓇𝒶𝓁 𝒜𝓋𝑒𝓃𝓊𝑒 𝒫𝓊𝒷𝓁𝒾𝓈𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔, & 𝒩𝑒𝓉𝒢𝒶𝓁𝓁𝑒𝓎 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒜𝑅𝒞! 𝒜𝓁𝓁 𝑜𝓅𝒾𝓃𝒾𝑜𝓃𝓈 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝓂𝓎 𝑜𝓌𝓃.

i loved how deep, personal, and raw this poetry was. it spoke levels and hit deeper than others. just the style of poetry i like to read. thank you net galley!

I have always and will always love Trista's work. I originally read this when it was self published and the published copy has only made it better. A beautiful collection about depression and finding yourself again.

Read on September 22nd, 2024. Written on September 24th, 2024.

Excuse me while I go cry in a corner over this book.

It's beautiful.
It's captivating.
It's got amazing photography and collages.
The poetry is enchanting, raw and powerful.

I am honestly in love with it. Hats off to the author. I felt seen.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this before it came out, I hope more people find this book and find solace in its pages.

Signing off.
B.

(Free ARC from NetGalley and Central Avenue Publishing | Central Avenue Poetry that I chose to review after reading - Cross-posted on Goodreads on September 24th, 2024)

This is a beautifully uplifting group of poetry. You may not think so when you are first getting into it, but it is all good.
I adored this collection.

This is one of the shortest reads I’ve picked up in a while but it’s probably had the most impact whilst reading.

Small Ghost is a collection of poems and wonderful illustrations that really grabbed every fibre of my anxious and depressed body. So many of these felt so raw and relatable, I could have easily said they were written about my own thoughts and feelings.

I would say if you’re ready to address depression, anxiety, grief and loss then this may just be worth picking up and taking your time to read and really give yourself the space to feel everything you need to. An outstanding collection, I will likely read these again in the future

Again, poetry <3 Trista Mateer knows exactly where to hit ya', I love it. I'm at a loss for words to describe the ultimate love and place Trista holds in my heart.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC to review

4 stars!


I really loved this, it was different to what I'm used to by Trista Mateer, but it was stunning nonetheless. Some lines really struck me and I'm just so happy to continue reading her work!

A connected to a few of the pieces but overall I felt like this wasn’t for me. I was expecting to connect with much more of this collection but unfortunately it fell flat for me.

It’s kinda freaky how accurate and SPOT ON this poetry is for depression and anxiety.

I’ve dealt with both for decades and that small ghost just never seems to go away. Always hovering around you and giving you a hard time when things feel like they’re going well.

You can tell on a deeply personal level that the author has experienced both anxiety and depression for herself. Only someone who’s felt it can explain it, so while some may find these poems chaotic and confusing, for those of us with our own Small Ghost, what a wonderful companion to have by our side when we need some comfort and to remember we’re not alone.

𝙄 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙖 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙮 𝙘𝙤𝙥𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙖𝙪𝙙𝙞𝙤𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠. 𝘼𝙡𝙡 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙢𝙮 𝙤𝙬𝙣.