I actually liked this one more than The Princess Saves Herself in this One. This was empowering and found myself relating to so many of the poems. I loved that it dealt with so many topics going on today. I found myself sometimes saying "wow" with some of the poems that really made me think and reflect or delivered a powerful punch.

This one is a little bit different from the first book in this poetry series [book:The Princess Saves Herself in this One|30075802]. Differently from the first one, this one deals more with feminism than the previous one did, basically the whole book is about that, and so I ended up loving every single moment of it. I still don't know how to review poetry very well, but from the short amount of books that I have read from this genre, this one is definitely my favorite poetry book. I'm for sure going to buy and re-read this one when it comes out in March, so I can mark my favorite poems.

I feel like some of the poams are a bit too similar to others cussing it to feel repetitive but overall I really liked it. There were some poems that are beautiful and I’m sure they’ll stay with me a while. I really love the overall messages, of Woman supporting women, self love, and burning down the patriarchy. It has many inspiring messages and I’m definitely glad I read it.

When I read The Princess Saves Herself in this One, I went into it with no expectations. I absolutely loved the result. Now I'm reading the sequel, and I went into this one with high expectations.

First of all trigger warnings, taken directly from the book.

this book contains sensitive material relating to:
child abuse,
intimate partner abuse,
sexual assault,
eating disorders,
trauma,
death,
murder,
violence,
fire,
menstruation,
transphobia,
& more.

While I'm not exactly sure why menstruation needed its own trigger warning, that was definitely some of the content in the book. Other content included the standard fairy tale analogs that I've come to expect as normal in one of Amanda's books (and I will always love!), references to Hunger Games (which I also loved!!), and a whole bunch of women's rights rhetoric.

As much as I am for the power of women, the second half of this collection read as a treatise or a how-to guide on how to be powerful as a woman, how to help shape the resistance. It referenced a bunch of things, from Salem witch trials across to the recent Trump presidential election.

I am sorry to say that, although some of this poetry was clearly informed by her past, much of it read as her own self-empowerment. So much so that I felt excluded from it. It didn't read like it was meant for a reader. Or, at least, it didn't read like it was meant for me as a reader.

Another thing I'm going to mention was the red text, at least in the edition that I read (although I'm sure that at the release date there will also be a copy released with an option of black text). I've seen alternate colours of text used occasionally with various books in various genres and it is always incredibly difficult to read. This book was no different in that regard.

As with The Princess Saves Herself in this One, there were a mix of great poems and plenty that just left no mark whatsoever. I think the prose poems, with the exception of one, were some of my least favorites. I also felt that the poems that showed the evolution of un-spelling words until they turn into a different word were too cheesy so I'm glad there were only two.

But there were also lots of poems I did really like that I'm looking forward to quoting once the book is out. And the thing is, when I read a poem that doesn't impress me, I just move on to the next one. It doesn't feel like it held me back, you know? I linger over and reread the ones that strike me, and just sort of forget the ones that don't. So it's not that the book is part bad and part good — it's part forgettable and part good.

If you enjoyed The Princess Saves Herself in this One, absolutely read this one. If you weren't a fan of Princess's style, then no, this one isn't much of a change so you probably won't like it much more, but I liked it. Personally, I don't think these collections are amazing but I think they have enough good things to offer that I'm interested in reading any of Amanda Lovelace's collections. I'm glad she seems to have a lot of them planned.

Yet again I find myself deeply moved by Amanda's words. When I finished The Princess Saves Herself in this One I was crying, tears staining the notebook I was writing in and convinced that somehow this author knew me personally because she understood so much of how I felt.

The Witch... is different. Because while Princess filled me with understanding, Witch filled me with rage. It made me want to stand up and fight for a cause I love, made me want to turn back time and fight for myself when I didn't.

it turned my blood to fire lit by the sparks those who have wronged me left in my eyes

This poetry collection is a homage to women. It's about us in all the ways that matter. But most importantly, it's about us in the ways some people don't want it to matter. This book will talk about the abuse —both of power and physical —about violence, about lies and omission, about the way women all around the world suffer from the standars and limits society has placed on us. That we as women have placed on us, too.

I finish this book filled with rage. Filled with fire, not a destroying fire but one to rebuild, to reborn from. And like the Phoenix does, women need to burn themselves to be reborn as who we want to be. Without limits, without judgement, only love and support for ourselves and those around us.

After all, women are some kind of magic, don't you agree?

I loved her first collection of poems and I loved this one as well. It’s geared towards women and is a very important read for the current state of women’s rights. It was powerful and empowering!

“warning II: no mercy ahead.”

** Trigger warning for violence against women. **

misogyny
/m ‘säj ne/
noun
1: the power-driven hatred of women.
2: just the way things are.

misandry
/mi ‘ sandre/
noun
1: the reactionary, self-preserving hatred of men.
2: somehow this is going too far.

###

our
very being

is considered
an inconvenience,

our bodies
vacant homes

wrapped in layers
of yellow tape,

our legs
double doors

for one man
(& one man only)

to pry open so
he can invade us

& set down his
furniture,

never once
asking us

how we feel
about the curtains.

– they love us empty, empty, empty.

###

in this novel
the woman protagonist

claims she’s not like
those other girls,

not because she finds
their femininity

to be an insult or
a weakness, no—

it’s
because

she knows
all women have

their own unique
magic

that cannot be
replicated by her

or any other
woman.

– the plot twist we’ve all been waiting for.

###

It pains me that I didn’t love this book more than I did.

I credit Lovelace’s first collection, THE PRINCESS SAVES HERSELF IN THIS ONE, with reigniting my love of poetry. Accessible and invigorating, it showed me that I could both enjoy – and understand – modern poetry. Based on the strength of the first book, and the fairy tale promise of the follow-up’s title, my expectations were really quite high. Maybe unfairly so.

If you read THE PRINCESS SAVES HERSELF IN THIS ONE, many of the pieces here will feel familiar to you; this is not necessarily a bad thing. Lovelace’s words have the same fierce intersectional feminist spark that drew me to PRINCESS. There’s a lot to love here – but there’s also quite a bit of repetition. I was also hoping for a more obvious connection between the poems and fairy tale villains; maybe a retelling here or there. Mostly though the poems just draw on imagery of witchcraft and witch hunts. Again, this isn’t a bad thing, especially given the current backlash against the #MeToo campaign. I was just hoping for something … more.

That said, there are some really wonderful and memorable poems within these here pages. The topics are timely AF, and I love that Lovelace takes care to embrace all women under the banner of sisterhood (say it with me: all women are authentic). If you love women and love poetry, THE WITCH DOESN’T BURN IN THIS ONE is still a pretty solid pick, and I look forward to the next title in the “Women are some kind of magic,” THE MERMAID’S VOICE RETURNS IN THIS ONE.

Link to the review of this book to be added when published.

I have been dying to get my hands on this book since I had heard Amanda was writing it. I absolutely fell in love with her first collection of poetry, and I am constantly praising it. This book was just as powerful and so inspiring. I felt completely empowered while reading it, and I couldn't put it down. Each poem is so accurate and emotional. You can really see Amanda's confidence grow in this book and each piece of art she chose to include was for good reason. I can not wait to get my hands on a finished, physical copy. If you have a chance to pick this up, please do. (I received an early copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review).

This book could not have come at a better time. It filled me with rage, inspiration and hope. It is a battle cry.

I don't know what peoples problems are with this book, because I enjoyed it so much more than the first book in this series of poetry. But then again, I tend to be the black sheep, baaahh.

Some of my favorites were "Expectations vs Reality" and "Women, we can spin gold out of dirt"!

I received an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I gave this book a 2 star rating and I am probably in the minority with my opinion on this book. It was an okay read for me but I didn't love it. I did, however, enjoy the first book more than this one. Some of the poems within this book were great and really stood out, but for the majority it really didn't seem that refreshing or new to me. I think that many people will enjoy this book, especially if you like this style of poetry. So, definitely give it a try if you think it is something you would enjoy.

Trigger warnings: abuse, sexual assault, eating disorders

www.turningthepgs.wordpress.com

Man oh man! I loved this so much. Thank you to Netgalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for giving me the opportunity to read an e-arc of this amazing book. wowza. 2017 for me, was the year of poetry. I hated poetry growing up so in the past year, with modern poetry, it brought back a love for it that I once had. Modern poetry has such an impact on me and Amanda Lovelace is such an amazing poet. I can't wait to see what we get from her next.

I was really excited about this second collection of poetry. I wasn't entirely let down. There were pieces that made me feel angry, righteous, and like I could burn down the patriarchy. There were also pieces that made me feel strong, empowered, and tender. I'll read it again, if/when I feel like society is letting us down.

Actual rating: 4.5/5

Last year, I fell in love with Amanda's The Princess Saves Herself in this One. Hard. Her poems rang true to me in a way not many other poems ever had. So it wasn't a huge surprise that I couldn't resist the opportunity to read it early.

Even though I wasn't bewitched like I was for her first book, I once again fell in love with her words and poems. In them, she talks about feminism, rape, girl empowerment and self-love among other subjects. And as a girl, they did speak to me. You could feel that she meant every bit of every word used in her poems.
I particularly liked the fact that she wrote some poems in homage of some books/musicals that I absolutely love.

Amanda Lovelace proves once again that though her poems may seem 'simple' to some, she is capable of writing powerful poems which can only make you feel something.

Continuing her same powerful, spare style from her debut, the princess saves herself in this one, Amanda Lovelace is back with another collection of feminist poetry. Angrier than princess, I feel like Lovelace is coming into her voice more with each book and I can't wait to see where she goes from here.

Amanda Lovelace has done it again! This collection of poetry was amazingly well written…I felt so many emotions while reading it. I teared up, I got angry, I felt shattered and then inspired. The collection, much like her previous one, touches on a variety of topics, including feminism, violence against women, rape, self-love and abusive relationships. Her words have so much power, each one carefully chosen and formatted for effect. I’m always amazed at how much she can say when only using a limited number of words. I can’t properly describe how reading this book made me feel. I simply don’t have the words.

I know this is a collection that I’ll come back to again and again. It’s a stunning companion to her debut and now that it’s part of a series…well I can’t wait for what Ms Lovelace will release next! This is most definitely, without a single doubt, a poetry book that everyone needs to read!

I have to say, I’ve been a fan of Amanda’s work since her first collection, the princess saves herself in this one. I read it and appreciated it and loved what the poetess had conveyed in her story. It was so beautifully done. I really liked it.

Now, her last book, that felt like more of a cellphone novel to me than a poetry collection, especially with the formatting used, but this one felt more like poetry. Whatever the format, the story that was told in the book was just as compelling as the first one. More so here. The way that Lovelace has described what women go through all around the world and her inner most thoughts about such behaviour left me spellbound.

She talks about so many different things in this novel, each one as important as the other. The basic theme of the story is how women bow to no one, anywhere at anytime. It really brings out the fight in you. The theme of self love and acceptance that was abundant in the book made me love it even more.

Lovelace’s words are beautiful. They’re absolutely phenomenal and they’re gorgeous. They’ll make you think, they’ll make you want more for yourself than what you’ve been pitifully given and they’ll make you question the society you know. It really is a good awakening. I thoroughly enjoyed everything in this book – all the problematic issues called out, the importance of standing up for yourself, the importance of self love, but most importantly, not letting others treat us like trash because we don’t deserve that.

So, yes. I love this collection. It is powerful and enigmatic and it absolutely needs to be on your TBR because everyone in the world needs to read this book.

This book of poems cut through to my soul. From the first page, the words hooked me in with their sharpness and the vivid imagery they evoked. I was surprised that this book wasn't a fantasy or supernatural. I took witches literally. They are cleverly and powerfully used as metaphors.

I did feel empowered and better after reading. It isn't just about women facing misogyny, it's about rape culture/abuse, trauma and low self-esteem among other things women are forced to endure because of patriarchal societies. And the book guides you to rise above all that. So it's also a confronting, but important read, a guide to self-healing and development of resistance.