Member Reviews
This is one of those things that I wish I had loved more than I did. Now, I must preface this with the fact that I loved the first instalment of this series. I found it enigmatic, charming, inspiring and epically moving.
It is not the poetry style that put me off in this, but it was the topics of the poems themselves. I didn’t find the topics to be particularly relatable to me personally, and I struggled to really understand the feelings that were trying to be put across. I understood the direction that was attempted to be taken but I just didn’t feel it. I didn’t feel anything for these whilst reading them which much dampened my enjoyment. Normally with poetry my empathy shoots through the roof and I feel everything the author feels but this time around I honestly felt like the poems had no direction. But it is just one of those things — I didn’t resonate with them and so they couldn’t strike a chord with me.
That being said, I do find the style of poetry to be inherently powerful, refreshing and true. The topics are not glazed over or romanticised — it Is a frank account of an individuals struggles, thoughts, feelings and experiences. The poems themselves are clearly written from the heart and I admire that immensely and to put it out to such a large audience. The poems definitely have a strong feeling behind them and even though this book does pale in comparison to the first, I really did think it was good. Many people will find a benefit from these poems and as such I recommend them wholeheartedly. I am simply rating this so lowly because I myself didn’t find anything in particular, other than enjoyment of the prose, from this. But I absolutely recommend this collection and others that Amanda Lovelace has penned.
Raw & magical.
The Mermaid's Voice Returns In This One is the third and final installment in the poetry series by Amanda Lovelace, Women are some kind of magic. Unfortunately I haven't read the previous collections, but have heard so many positive reviews about them that when I got the chance to receive an e-arc of this one, I didn’t even blink before getting it.
Every time you have high expectations for something, there’s this underlying concern that the work will not live up to your expectations, but from the very first page of this collection, I had no doubt It’d live up.
I loved Lovelace's writing style and poetry. And I really liked that poems by other authors were included.
Disclaimer: I received an arc copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is the third installment in Lovelace’s Woman are Some Kind of Magic series.
The series is filled with empowering and emotional poems. I was surprised to see the book feature poems from other female poets as well.
I’m not a huge fan of her writing style, and some of the poems didn’t resonate with me, but there were some powerful messages mixed in.
The Mermaid's voice returns in this one is the third installment in the poetry series by Amanda Lovelace, Women are some kind of magic. I found this just as powerful as her previous collections. I identify with her struggle and pain, and her path through it all. I am a fan of her poetry style: poignant and to the point. I love how she weaves fairy tales into her poetry. Plus there are bonus poems at the end by other authors.
Inspired heavily by the #metoo movement, this final book in the poetry memoir trilogy takes us into the experiences of a woman suffering abuse and surviving the aftermath. I especially appreciated the ode to "Blood, Water, Paint" by Joy McCullough (a fantastic story) and the poems by other survivors at the end. I'm so blessed to be married to an amazing, selfless, and respectful man. My heart goes out to those who have found villains when they're meant to have princes (or princesses).
Oh gosh, I just finished this and it was just so damn beautiful. Seriously. This is the first Amanda Lovelace poetry that I have read (I have 'the princess saves herself in this one' at home, but I haven't picked it up yet but I totally will do that SOON).
Her writing is beautiful. Of course not every poem worked for me or touched me the same that all the others did. BUT MAN, everything was just beautiful and so heartfelt and just everything!!!!
As soon as it's out, I'm going to buy the book and highlight the shit out of it.
This was mY first poetry by Amanda Lovelace (and others) but not my last. This was a powerful read, heartfelt and poignant. I felt like a bystander, powerless to help but willing to witness.
I loved the way the author was able to interweave the hideous hurt with restoration, healing and positivity, in just the right amounts. Nothing about any of the prose was flippant, even the healing better times were impactful.
I would call this inspirational but real. I was moved, I felt the emotions and I enjoyed reading it. I can definitely see myself re-reading this.
I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.
Amanda Lovelace’s poetry is really hit or miss for me. Some of them just bore me, but some of them really hit home, which is why overall I do enjoy reading her poetry books. Plus, I love the empowering titles! I feel like she’s really trying to show the srength and fluidity of what it means to be a woman. I hope you enjoy this book too!
these poetry books have been hit or miss for me and i liked this one a lot more than the previous ones. i'm still not sold on the format of them but i think the subject matter is important and i'm glad it's resonated with a lot of young woman even though it's not my favorite.
Amanda Lovelaces’ Women Are Some Kind Of Magic series is an amazing and truthful, emotional and capturing series of poetry collection that can make you sad, but also lift you up with a mix of harsh reality and vivid imaginary.
For me, it is really worth it to buy those books as paperback, because the color schemes they are made with and the way the poems are composed on the pages is amazing.
The words not being capitalized, the word constructs on the pages transport both pictures and reading rhythms, the last lines feeling like they are both the last word and the title – all of it.
I actually love the idea of putting titles at the end. While I was curious in some cases after I started reading a poem and skipped to the end of it to know what it is about and then rereading it, in general I feel like the metaphors have more impact when the title/meaning/last word/summary is at the end.
Still I have to mention that I liked The Mermaid’s Voice Returns in This One least in comparing with the first two books in the series.
The reason for that is for one that I feel like the metaphorical side of it wasn’t as strong with the mermaid imaginary as it was with the Princess, Queen and Witches.
And the last chapter has a lot of 'guest poems'. Since the chapter has the title 'surviving' it makes sense and is a great concept to have different voices of survivors in there alongside the main perspective. I applaud that decision, but I still have to say that I would have liked it more if the collection had stayed with Lovelaces’ work, since that was the ‘voice’ and most of all the aesthetic I signed up for when reading this book, so to say.
I always love Amanda Lovelace’s poetry books. She’s one of my favorite poets and her poems always have that real edge to it. Like she’s not trying to be trendy she’s just literally expressing herself through her poems. I love the mystical fairy tale elements that she adds. Really creative. Very beautiful.
This was my first poetry collection and my first book by amanda lovelace. I adored it. I read it in one day, though I had to take some breaks to process what was written between the lines in this book.
I loved how the title added a new dimension to the poem itself.
I loved the topics, it is so important to speak about them.
I appreciated the contributional work of other poets and how they tied in with the overall topic.
I obviously loved the writing style.
I love how strong and empowering and powerful the poems are, how lovelace tells the story with all it's up and downs.
Thank you for writing this.
**Thank you Netgalley and Andrew McMeel Publishing for a digital copy in exchange for an honest review**
nobody
has
the right
to lure
your voice
out of
you-
not
even if
they’re
a sea witch
looking
to make
a bargain.
-rip this page out & keep it with you
I know I’ve said this in my previous reviews of Amanda Lovelace’s works, but it always amazes me how much emotion she manages to pull out of me. This collection of poetry was much gentler than Witch, in a way that I loved. It was none of the anger while still keeping with the inspirational message Amanda Lovelace puts into her poems. This collection will make you sad while also giving you hope for your future. I feel that the theme of losing and then finding your voice is one many women can relate to, even if you can’t relate to the types of abuse worked through in these poems. Often women are told to be quiet and one of the things I love so much about this series of works (and the title for Mermaid in particular) is the constant reassurance that your voice deserves to be heard. Which is something everyone needs to be reminded about sometimes.
I especially loved that other poets were included in the last section. I liked that not only was the mermaid finding her own voice, but also helping other voices be heard. Plus, it gave me some new poets to look into.
Going back and reading all three of these collections together, I think Mermaid was the perfect ending to the Women Are Some Kind of Magic series. Princess feels like the start of a journey into yourself, Witch is finding the strength and the will to be angry at the injustices you’ve had to endure, and finally Mermaid is learning to embrace your voice and the path you choose to find it.
As always, I love love loved this newest poetry collection by Amanda Lovelace. I will read anything this author writes. Her poetry is always so impactful and emotionally hard-hitting. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an E-ARC of The Mermaid’s Voice Returns in This One.
I liked the concept and the women-empowering themes, however, the writing style disagreed with me and I found it too jerky and disjointed which affected my enjoyment whilst I was reading.
I was expecting more fire and empowerment towards the feminist movement with this novel but felt like I got just another Instapoet; which is way more than what Amanda Lovelace is capable of.
This book is about women, about life, about childhood, about the unspoken. This collection of poem is made to be savoured and will linger with you for a long time. I read it, come back to it, annotate it, I use it when I need a little bit of hope and clarity. Should you decide to read this book and should it connect with you, it might end up being part of your story, a companion along the way.
I never read poetry, mostly because I don't usually like it. But I know that Amanda Lovelace's other two books in this series were Goodreads Choice Awards Winners, so I really wanted to sample her latest book before it is released.
All I can say is that I am amazed. Considering how few words are really contained therein - the power they tell is astonishing. I felt all the highs and lows and doubts and uncertainty surrounding a victim of sexual violence. I want to weep for any woman who has had to deal with these too frequent assaults.
I'm glad the mermaid found her voice in this one, and I hope it encourages more women to find their own voices.
I’m not a big poetry reader but found myself picking up The Princess Saves Herself in this One and really enjoyed it. I then moved on to the second one which I felt wasn’t as good but I still thoroughly enjoyed. When I saw that the final book in this series was coming out I needed to read it immediately. Upon finishing I do have mixed feelings. The entire middle of the book was powerful and emotional but I did not get that from the beginning or end. Overall, I still enjoyed.
Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for my copy in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a digital copy in exchange for an honest review.
I found this difficult to rate, as I don't often read poetry, and when I do, I'm very picky. As other reviewers have pointed out, poetry is so subjective, and it's not often that poems speak to me or resonate with something I've felt. I had a couple of issues with some of the ways the poetry is presented (I'm not a fan of some of the very short, choppy lines, and the lowercase letters for everything a la Tumblr), but for certain poems it does work well, and it makes sense, given Amanda Lovelace was first known as ladybookmad on Tumblr anyway. Despite these minor reservations, I think this book deserves four stars.
Amanda Lovelace's poetry—and the poetry of the other contributors to the book—is so accessible and so beautifully written. Everything oozes feeling and sincerity. I liked the fairy tale themes and the storytelling (so whimsical and lyrical), and there's so much deeper meaning behind every word and every story. It's a beautiful way to tackle a difficult theme like sexual abuse/assault. There's something to relate to in every poem—even though I haven't been through sexual abuse, many of the messages and themes of the book reminded me of other struggles, such as coping with a mental health problem, or feeling like you've lost or missed out on something because of circumstances/life events that were outside your control. It's a book that can really speak to everyone—it's both sad and comforting, and one of those books that makes you feel less alone.
I'd really like to give the first few instalments a try now, as I never got round to it before, and I've surprised myself by enjoying a collection of poetry for the first time in years.