I’ve read a bunch of poetry collections written by men this year, and each one attempted to adress sexism and feminism, and failed. They upset me, and made me angry. So of course I wanted to read Amanda’s new collection. I’m damn glad I did.

Amanda’s poetry style is the short, free form poetry most contemporary poets use. But unlike her first collection, this time her poems vary in length and slightly more in style. It helped make the collection balanced, and also carried out her specific themes and sections nicely (especially when she had parts I and II of poems).

I really appreciate the content of this collection, and the tone. It’s angry, it’s empowering. It seeks to expose or yell about all the shit women face in day to day life. It celebrates women, and condemns the men who treat us like were less than. It’s a collection on behalf of women and all the we haved faced throughout history. It’s also intersectional; in more than one poem it discusses different relgions, cultures, and sexual orientations (including transgender). These poems tell the world, especially men, that we’re taking up the mantle of our mothers and standing up. That we’re humans. End of story. We deserve respect.

I can’t properly put into words how much I enjoyed this poetry collection. It’s full of feminist rage and empowerment. We need all the empowerment we can get. Sexism is bullshit and rape culture is bullshit. Some of the poems come across really strong, and that may not be your cup of tea. But there is a trigger warned at the beginning of the book for rape, and other sensitive topics which I appreciated. Also, Amanda has a poem that says some women wear makeup because they want to and that it’s nobody’s business. Compared to a similar poem by a male which completely missed the fact that some women enjoy wearing makeup, Amanda’s poem is perfect.

"The Witch Doesn’t Burn In This One" is the feminist contemporary poetry collection we all need. If you’ve been reading countless male poets lately like me, please please please pick this up next. Men oversimplify things and are writing about feminism from a privileged perspective. So read more female poets. Definitely read this collection.

The first collection of the women are some kind of magic series has been on my wishlist since forever, so I was really excited when I got to read this one. Unfortunately, it didn't live up to my expectations.

I have heard people talk about how empowering Amanda Lovelace's poetry is, and I definitely enjoyed many of the poems - I loved the little references to the way women survive and support each other, the body positivity, and the confidence in every poem. Still, there were almost none that really shook me to the core the way I expected.

Truthfully, many poems in this collection felt repetitive and redundant, repeating sentences I've heard many times in feminist circles. Make no mistake, it's still incredibly important to say these things! But it simply didn't feel as revolutionary as I expected based on what others said.

I did love how the formatting of the poems varied, and there were some unconventional ones I loved, e.g. "how to prevent getting sexually assaulted". I also loved some others, e.g. "confidence isn't egotism" and "confidence isn't healthy".

Still, poetry for me is mostly about emotional response, and this collection simply didn't awake those emotions in me. Somebody else might like these poems more than I did and get more strength for them, though.

(note: This poetry collection deals with heavy topics such as abuse and rape, as well as misogyny, fatphobia and a long list of other things. There is a mostly-complete trigger warning list at the beginning, which is pretty useful.)

This collection is a love letter to the women who resist. It's a rallying cry for pushback against the patriarchy, against misogyny, and against the current administration. It's a reminder that women can go through trauma and come out of it stronger. Amanda Lovelace's poems are feel-good and fiery and feminist. They are also very accessible to those that may be a little scared of poetry. Lovelace is among the important poetic voices of a generation that are bridging the gap between traditionally published poetry and social media poetry. She's definitely a writer to watch.

2 out of 5 stars 

I was really really hoping to like this more than I did. Unfortunately I was disappointed. There was really only one poem in this 200 page book that stood out to me and that's unfortunate but like anything else poetry is subjective. I don't generally like one word per line poems and that was present a lot during this collection. I also didnt like some of the subject matter. Also, there is a trigger warning at the beginning of the book if you are affected by things easily please heed that warning.

I’m not a huge fan of modern poetry... but when you relate to someone’s writing, to their experiences, to their message... you can’t help but love their words. 💕

If you loved her previous book, you will love this one EVEN MORE! It’s relatable, empowering, and completely amazing!

Overall rating: 4.0 stars

This second book to Women are Some Kind of Magic poetry books was a slight letdown compared to the first one. The Witch Doesn't Burn in this One follows the first book and the content goes deeper, but at the same time it doesn't. Here Lovelace writes poems about the power of women and how we shouldn't let anyone bring us down, which is awesome of course. The problem is that the poems are scattered and don't follow the themes the way the first book did. It's divided into parts too, but the content doesn't follow them all that well and the repetition is boring and basically eats away the pleasure of reading. 

Lovelace's poems aren't your typical poetry, but more like manifestations and thus the fact that they keep offering the same thing over and over again makes the book weak. I'm not saying that the poems are bad, but more like sporadic and out of focus. I wish the book had a better pattern and the poems would be gathered around the themes better and this could make the book better easily. The other thing is the repetition and mostly it's because there's no real aim in the book, the thematic core is too wide and should be toned down. I do hope there won't be a continuation, since like this it won't go anywhere, unless Lovelace comes up with something totally different. A totally new approach perhaps, but would it fit with these two books then?

Lovelace's newest book of poetry covers a myriad of very difficult topics ranging from rape, incest, domestic abuse, self-care, women supporting women, and these just name a few. I really wanted to love this book of firey poetry, but I honestly just liked it. There were a large number of the poems I genuinely felt moved by, but there were also some that seemed to just make me want to put the book down and not pick it up again. I admit, this is not written in a style I usually prefer, but that isn't what made me not want to keep reading. I can also admit that many of the poems made me uncomfortable, but not in a negative way, but simply in a way that made me stop and think about the world around me. Maybe, and don't hate me, the things in the poems I didn't like kept raging and is what made me just like rather than love this collection of heartfelt and timely poetry. Overall, I would recommend this to a variety of readers, and I thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.  a solid 3 stars...

This is Amanda’s second book, the first being The Princess Saves Herself in this One, which I haven’t yet read even though I do own it. 

A beautiful collection of poetry that addresses tough topics (rape, eating disorders, and abuse among them) and feminism. My favorite things that came out of this poem collection was addressing self-love, how that’s not always easy and you’re not always going to like everything about yourself and it’s a process that needs to be nurtured, and women supporting women. This poetry is not for everyone but I’d suggest giving it a go.

Oh. my. word. I am so empowered, so motivated, so desperate, and this book is utter art. The language is incredible, the messages are invincible, and I have never been prouder to be a woman and to stand by my sisters.  This book speaks of the importance of women standing up for each other, for women accepting each other, for women fighting back, for women speaking up, for women of all sizes, cultures, sexualities knowing THEY ARE WORTH IT AND THEY ARE WORTH EVERYTHING. To the women who've been hurt, who've been abused, to the women who've survived. And to the men, who've dared to poke at our fire: YOU WILL BE BURNED.  

I feel so empowered. This is a love song to women from women. It is beautiful. 

I read this book in one sitting with my heart clenched against my chest and sobs building in my throat. Please just read it.

I have mixed feelings regarding this book. I agree with a lot of the book in regards to how society a forced us to see ourselves and the view of rape culture. But at the same time, it was hard to relate to this book because the personal experiences I have with men and how they have treated me are completely opposite of this book. It was hard to put myself in the place of people who have experienced harsh treatment from men, and therefore, kept me from fully enjoying the book. Although, that being said, I still feel like this is an important book for women to read.

An emotionally draining though uplifting and enraging read. Absolutely wonderful.

Caution warning: from the author: "sensitive material relating to: child abuse, intimate partner abuse, sexual assault, eating disorders, trauma, death, murder, violence, fire, menstruation, transphobia, and more."
 
Amanda Lovelace renewed my love of poetry with her first collection of poems, The Princess Saves Herself in This One. The amount of Post-its I used to mark up the meaningful parts baffles the mind. When I saw that her second book, The Witch Doesn't Burn in This One, was available on NetGalley I leaped at the chance to experience more of her intense, personal, beautiful words.

"haven't you

ever wished

you could

dance

in the ashes

of everyone who

ever doubted your worth

& scoffed at

your words?"




There are a lot of topics covered within the pages of this book and it's done so eloquently. Amanda knows words and her craft is executed well. There are poems where the meaning is deeper, some where it's surface level. There are lines that jump out at you for the accuracy they give.



"they don't even know what's coming. how cute."




I found a strong feminist voice coming through on the page. It faced off against toxic masculinity, against societal expectations; for women, for yourself. The content isn't only about the here and now. The Witch Doesn't Burn in This One reaches back in time and traces the path that women have carved out of history to the modern day and offers a view of how the present, the future, can be.



"they scratched it

out the history books,

but on all the

great innovations

you will find

scorch marks

in the shape of

a woman's

magnificent handprint.

do not forget:

we need to be

the history books

now.

- women are libraries about to burst"




There are moments that could be difficult to read and more than could be impactful, that will remind you that there is magic within, a fire that can ignite and inspire, consume, and empower.



"burn whoever tries to burn you."

                                - coven rule #2

"The Witch Doesn't Burn in this One" is a collection of poetry that any woman will be able to relate to.  Through her poetry, Amanda Lovelace discussed topics such as love, accepting oneself, woman's rights, and other feminist topics.  Each of these poems is very relevant in today's world.  One thing I wish there was more of was personal stories.  While I got a sense of the author's feelings on these topics, I do not feel like I got a look inside the author's head.

Wanted to read this but my kindle doesn't support this format.

Feminism is on the point. Provocative. Strong opinion of a woman. I love this so much because these poetry can inspired women to stand tall similar to men. To stand mighty and high like men.  Keep producing these kind of poetry. No problem on a very simple and plain poetry, Anyone can read easily without needed any literature knowledge background.

Poetry usually isn't my thing at all but after a bunch of people whose taste in books I really trust kept recommending "the princess saves herself in this one" I finally bought the book and am so glad I did. I loved it and  have been looking forward to this second instalment in the "women are some kind of magic" series ever since.

And luckily "the witch doesn't burn in this one" is great! It's intense and raw, full of important things and feminist thoughts and while it didn't resonate with me as much as PRINCESS did, I still loved WITCH - a lot! There is sooo much great stuff in here, so many of these poems are timeless and relevant and inspiring.

Amazing book, awesome poetry and a definite recommendation! And now I can't wait for "the mermaid's voice returns in this one" …

We are what we’re born, and we become what we cultivate. This is nothing to be condemned for, and yet it happens each day.

A witch to me is a paradox – transgressive yet natural. She is only controversial because as a people we have separated ourselves so far from natural wisdom, so what is perfectly human now seems inhuman. A power we could easily have seems terrifying, because it’s been smushed underfoot for so long.

Like a lot of poetry, The Witch Doesn’t Burn in This One is a bit of a mystery bag – the dip into the next page may give you something beautiful. Some was a little clichéd. Lovelace’s books get a lot of high praise, so I can sit with the cool kids now because I’ve finally read one and agree that it’s deserving of most of it.

What I love is the prose of course – the metaphor of a witch-burning for so much unnecessary pain and burden given to women throughout history, it’s very powerful. It’s angry but not damning, it’s more a sense of liberation. Like, we can get past this and we can evolve, but don’t forget the sacrifice of these women. We are blessed with so much now because of them.

What I don’t love… and you can take this as traditionalist nit-picking, which it is, because you may personally enjoy these things… I’m not crazy about the Hunger Games references, and think that body size as a feminist issue could’ve been handled better. The later prose talks about loving your faults, or accepting them at the least, but also assumes that not being thin (ie – what society wants) is a rebellion against it. Like I said, we are what we are and we’re all different sorts, and that’s what is important to accept.

The Witch Doesn’t Burn does but shouldn’t have a content warning – it does talk about sensitive topics but we need to. Shoving them under the carpet will only create lumps. These lumps have no warnings and they will trip you without fail.

Like her previous book, there are some poems which I think are really strong, with feelings which are identifiable. However, as a whole it just doesn't hit the mark. I found I was wanting for a bit more substance and complexity.

Full disclosure: I received The Witch Doesn't Burn in This One from NetGalley  in exchange for an honest review.
 
4 Stars 

Amanda Lovelace’s writing has improved dramatically since The Princess Saves Herself in This One. Or at any rate I enjoyed it a great deal more than Princess.

Things I loved:
-The message: WOMEN ARE COMPLEX HUMAN BEINGS LIKE ANYONE ELSE. We can be rageful and vindictive too. 
- The homages to classic like Christina Rossetti’s Goblin Market, Laurie Halse Anderson’s Wintergirls, and Lin Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton.
-The eating disorder representation was well - done and realistic.
-The emphasis on sisterhood and women strength
-That there is an included list of triggers

Things I wasn't crazy about:
-Amanda Lovelace’s style is a bit repetitive for my taste 

Bottom line: I liked it and would recommend it

Thank you, NetGalley, for the review copy!

I don't read poetry very often but I had read The Princess Saves Herself In This One by Amanda Lovelace before and loved it which is why I am grateful to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book! These poems are so empowering I literally got goosebumps reading some of them. Absolutely loved this collection and I would recommend it as a must-read for everyone.