I’ve found reviews bashing this type of poetry, comparing it to “classic” poetry; and I’m not going to talk like these poems are really deep and intellectual… Because it definitely isn’t the same as what those people are comparing it to; but that doesn’t mean that these poems are not meaningful!

This poetry collection is divided into four parts: the princess, the damsel, the queen, and you. There were poems that got me thinking so much, I had to drop the book for the rest of the day and just think about it. So no, this was not something I could “devour” in one sitting, because it kept me thinking too much.

I’m not talking about how I interpreted the poems; because poetry can mean different things to everyone; but I did enjoy the poems and you could see how the author grows from the “damsel in distress” to an empowered woman/queen.

At times, I found myself reading the same poems multiple times before feeling ready to pass the page. While there are some poems that hit home, regarding family and self-love, my favorite poem was about our generation; the millennials.

Overall rating: 3.75 stars

This book of poetry was so emotionally connected and relatable. Lovelace talks about death and grief and abuse and mental illness and love in ways that make your stomach flip. Her ability to wield emotion in such few words is truly incredible. Please read this.

I really wanted to love it but I simply could not. It did not sit well with me. One of the reason is probably me being used to an old-style poetry instead
of lines
divided by
enter key.

I do think that the texts were good but it is not really a poetry to me. So I struggled to connect.

Amanda Lovelace's Goodreads-choice-award-winning poetry collection is a difficult one to avoid. For the past few months it has been all over the internet, being praised and categorized as one of the best reads of 2016. 'the princess saves herself in this one' is a very, very emotional collection. Hate or love the writing style, there's no shying away from the emotions pouring out of every page.

At first, I was a bit hesitant about the writing style; it was too Tumblr-inspired, too focused on the aesthetic, and , to be honest, it felt a bit lazy however authentic. When I got closer to the end of the book, I realized that this way of writing was the only way this book would ever work. Short, emotional sentences, a lyrical flow and words carefully chosen keep you bound to its pages. Again, hate it or love it, you just can't look away.

the princess

jumped from

the tower

& she

learned

that she

could fly

all along.

This book is personal as well as emotional, with its raw, unsugarcoated, unfiltered version of life striking chords deep inside you. In less than 200 pages, Lovelace manages to include a tale of abuse, love, death, self-discovery and self-love. And it takes a genius to do so, especially in such a poetic and beautiful way.

Make no mistake: this is not an easy read. The emotions, the "events" described in its pages are hard to swallow; we are talking about rage, and self-hatred and loathing, difficult, complicated relationships and journeys, mourning of lost loved ones. The catharsis that comes at the end, however, the self-love and empowerment, are worth every single tear, every single skipped heartbeat.

Amanda Lovelace dedicates this collection to "the boy who lived", which is extremely relatable for anyone in their 20's right now. A huge chunk of millennials grew up with Harry Potter; I'm sure he has inspired plenty of currently published work.

Lovelace isn't trying to be Plath or Keats in this collection; she isn't pretending to be anyone but herself, which is very refreshing in poetry when it seems like everyone is just trying to copy other people's styles. She lays herself bare: covering the pains of growing up, an eating disorder, an abusive situation with her mother, her relationship with her sister, and falling in love.
My favorite sections of the work were definitely parts I and IV, 'the princess' and 'you', respectively. Part I is all about looking back: looking at the childhood that scarred her, the mother that didn't love her in the right way all children deserve. Part IV is about us: the author and the reader. She is talking about us and about herself at the same time.

There will be a lot of critics of this work - people saying that 'hitting the enter key' doesn't make poetry, that the author is pretentious, that she is self-absorbed. To all of that I say: good. Let girls be pretentious. Let girls write poetry in a way that suits them the best. Allow girls to be obsessed with their own personal growth.

I'm in love with the idea of girls writing their own stories with them as the main character; they are the princess, the damsel in distress, the queen, their own knight in shining armor. They don't need negative reviews from cynical people on the internet who will never take them seriously no matter their skill level.

I hope a little princess - scared, confused, lonely, hopeless - will pick up this book someday and realize that she can also be the dragon.