I absolutely loved this. I don’t usually like poetry, but based on the synopsis, I wanted to read it. What she’s saying is so important! I think this book will help others see their self worth. It’s wonderful. 💜

" her precious fairy tales showed her what would happen if she found her prince, but they never prepared her for what she should do if her prince turned out to be her unhappily ever after. "

I loved the book. There were so many beautiful lines in that poem that I cannot appreciate enough and I would say it's a beautiful way to spread the message of "self care" and "self love". I loved how it said "skinny" and "fat" are just sizes and are neither compliment nor comment. There were many other sensitive issues that were covered in this book and kudos to the poet for being able to portray it with such ease.
Moreover, the book had beautiful aesthetics as well. The book was in a peculiar format - poem for what's going on in Cinderella's life and then Fairy Godmother's advice to her. Best part was : It promoted the message that no matter what if you have fallen down you can definitely rise again and it's all in your hands.
There are some trigger warnings at the beginning of the book so check that out before proceeding.

Too easy to read, can be completed in less than an hour. The title of the book can make you feel that this book is a poetic wonder which it is not. Quite straightforward with no hidden meanings as such, what the poet wanted to convey is kept is presented in simple English and there is no "I feel she wanted to convey this emotion here".

This is the first work of amanda lovelace I have read and I see the wide appeal-- it is very readable and shareable. Within the wide structure of fairytale retelling, lovelace's poems reintroduce to us the story of Cinderella, but is relatable, modern, millenial, and most importantly, more affirming to womxn everywhere than its original canon.
Though this book wasn't exactly for me, personally, I'd recommend it as a gift to young teens as an eased introduction into certain self-affirming feminist thoughts and concepts (there is some language, discretion is advised).
Her message is loud and clear-- you have innate value no one can diminish-- and worth sharing, especially with those still coming into her own.

Another collection from Amanda Lovelace that encourages self-love, positive body image and feminism to its young readers. There is also dreamy art scattered throughout making the experience even more enjoyable.

I enjoyed this poetry collection very much. I really liked how Amanda Lovelace took some of the original Cinderella tropes and changed them to put them into her own poems. I especially liked how the fairy godmother was presented as the supporter we all need in life and also how we can all be our own fairy godmothers.
The poems in this book are empowering and promote self-love. Also, the illustrations are gorgeous, especially the ones of the painted sky.
I really recommend this one!

*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for the free poetry collection.*

"Break your Glass Slippers" is a feminist Cinderella retelling in poems, which deal with fatshaming, sexual abuse/exploitation, standing up for oneself, self acceptance, healing, guilty feminism, and coming to terms with one's body. The poems are very short, yet poignant. The poems from the Fairy Godmother try to tell you that you are worthy despite what everybody else (or the mirror) tells you:

"fairy godmother says

you are limitless.

you can have the lipstick.
you can have the sword." (p. 27)

I loved the poems, but most of all I loved the message of self-acceptance, self-care and body positivity. Fairy tales and the message they send are also deconstructed: "her precious fairy tales showed her what would / happen if she found her prince, but they / never prepared her for what she should do if / her prince turned out to be her unhappily ever after. --- cinderella." (p. 68)

5 Stars

*3.5 stars. Firstly, I'd like to thank NetGalley for giving me an ARC for an honest review!

"It has never been within your duty to be pretty"

Having read all of Amanda Lovelace's books, I was excited to read this one. Being such a huge fan of fairytales I was looking forward to seeing how Amanda used this in her writing. I have to say Nikita Gill's forward is brilliantly written and also the artwork is a beautiful addition as always to the writing!

"We don't win till we're all winning"

I still find it hard consider Amanda's writing poetry. I would say it is more like inspirational quotes and pieces of prose which I still enjoyed. I found the 'fairy godmother says' a little irritating after a while and was glad when I got to the next sections where it stopped.

"My value doesn't go down when my weight goes up"

I love the girl power vibes throughout this book and how much Amanda supports women. Having put on 2 and 1/2 stone in two years (shock horror) the quote above really helped me to try and see myself in a better light. I can see how a lot of people will be able to relate to this book and how it can really help people. I liked the concept that we can be our own fairy godmother and our own prince. We are strong enough to do it for ourselves!

"I went from a single wildflower to a whole fucking meadow"

I was glad to see some pieces that celebrated men rather than slating them throughout which shows Amanda's growth. In truth there is always somebody out there that isn't going to fuck us over.

"Withholding forgiveness can be a form of self-care"

Another quote that will be forever in my mind. Sometimes you just need someone else to say it for you to truly believe it! Another good book from Amanda and I hope to read many more.

Thank you Netgalley the advance copy of Break Your Glass Slippers by Amanda Lovelace, which was provided in exchange for an honest review.

First of all, this poetry book was wonderful and magical. I love Cinderella retellings, and to actually have a poetry book inspired by fairy tales, really made this book worthwhile. Personally, I found the first part of the book to be the strongest as it correlated more to Cinderella. Each section was unique, but I still found myself loving the first part of her book. What I read was a journey to discover self-love and growth, and moving away from a toxic relationship. I have only read one of Amanda's previous work, and highly enjoyed it as well. But, personally I prefer Break Your Glass Slippers. Very inspiring poems. I wrote my favorites poems in my journal. Looking forward to Amanda's next installment for your fairy tale retellings.

“she never needed anyone else’s help to have the fairy tale she always wanted. at long last, she’s realized one of the greatest truths a person can learn during the course of a life: she is her own goddamn fairy tale.”

As always, I loved the new collection of poems from Amanda Lovelace. Her poems always hit me right in the gut and right in the heart and I adore it every time. Break Your Glass Slippers takes the story of Cinderella and turns it on its head to create a story that tells women they don’t need to impress their prince, tells women to practice self-care and, just as importantly, to practice self-love.

I really liked the set-up of poems about the princess followed by the fairy godmother advice poems. It fit so well with the Cinderella aspect, it was something I appreciated. The illustrations in this book are GORGEOUS and I absolutely cannot wait to see them in person.

This is one you should definitely read if you have ever faced a toxic relationship, feelings of self-doubt and worthlessness, and need a few reminders that you are enough and you can do anything through hard work and determination.

Amanda Lovelace's first book in her new You are your own fairy tale series is a poetic retelling or reimagining of the classic fairy tale Cinderella. Instead of the fairy godmother (FG) fashioning a gown, a coach, and fancy slippers, (in the first of three parts of the book) the FG offers the girl powerful affirmations of self-worth, strength, and the power to find the beauty that is within. The second part of the book focuses on self-care and knowing your own worth, while the third part is short and sweet--"be your own...fairy tale." This is isn't book lamenting on finding your prince or hoping for a fairy godmother, this book is about facing difficult situations and finding the magic and power within yourself to be seen, to be heard, and to shape your own destiny.
Often Lovelace's works are hit and miss for me, but the majority of this one resonated because doubt, feelings of selfishness when I practice self-care, and feeling stuck are all things I still struggle with and this book offers little gems of hope that can help to push away from those negative naggers in the brain.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the eARC of this work in exchange for my honest review.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for allowing me to read this book in exchange for a honest review.

Amanda Lovelace does it again. Her writing grows stronger every new book, and I can see the transformation before my eyes. I absolutely enjoyed Break Your Glass Slipper. One could say it shattered expectations.

Whatever Fairy Godmother says, you should listen. Those were my favorite segments in the entire book. “you don’t need to look a certain way to deserve someone’s heart. No matter your shape - no matter your size - be proud of all the space your body dares to take up”.

The illustrations in this book were by far my favorite that Lovelace has had before. The checklist, the shattered slipper, both really stood out.

Lovelace has captured different topics ranging from privilege, to comparing ones self worth to others, to heartbreak. I am thankful she puts her disclaimer at the beginning of each book. I felt like there was nod to “Women are some kind of magic” saying, “some kinds of magic just don’t call to each other”, and that truly brought a smile to my face to see it all tie in.
Overall, this has been such a great read and I’m excited to see what is next for Amanda Lovelace. 5 stars, hands down.

Another great poetry collection by Amanda Lovelace! I loved her poems about self-care and so many of them resonated with me. It was a beautiful read and I would highly recommend it!

I love Amanda Lovelace's poetry. It's accessible and has a great message. This collections takes on the story of Cinderella and brings it into a contemporary setting. I think Amanda does a great job marketing poetry to young people and making it enjoyable. She is also very inclusive and positive.

I'm not saying the poems were bad or anything- they weren't- but I enjoyed the whole aesthetic of the book much more.

TW: child abuse, toxic friendships, toxic romantic friendships, sexual harassment, eating disorders, fatphobia, suicide, & trauma.

This wasn't a necessarily bad book; I think it brings up important messages about self-love, body image and finding your self-worth, or at least some respect for your own self. As with her previous books, Lovelace always brings her raw experiences to her words and I appreciate her candor and hopefulness. It does inspire me to keep working on myself and to help my friends when I see them going through the same thing.

However, the thoughts I shared about her previous work, "the mermaid's voice returns in this one", are the same ones I feel about her newest installment. I think the setting of Cinderella or the use of her tale in order to organize these poems brought nothing to the overall enjoyment of this collection. I am constantly hoping her new book will have the same spark that I found in her first two poetry collections, and this one fell short to me.

It was another safe bet for Lovelace, and I truly hope I'll love her next ones more.

This is a collection of short empowering and inspiring poems about learning to love and embrace yourself and cut off the ties to all the negative things in your life. I only wish the poems had a been a bit longer to have more of an impact

https://bibwithblog.blogspot.com/2020/01/line-breaks-mean-something-and-shouldnt.html

Line breaks
mean something
and shouldn't be used
for artistic appeal.
-Bib With a Blog

thanks to netgalley and the publishers for the eARC I received of Amanda Lovelace's Break Your Glass Slippers in exchange for a fair and honest review.

amanda lovelace (Amanda Lovelace?) is very popular and I get why.

Typical poetry is not the easiest to read. You know there is hidden meaning there and it's hard to get at. It makes readers feel frustrated and stupid. It is hard to know when to turn the page because you are battling over whether you have sat with the poem long enough to fully get it.

amanda lovelace's poems don't have that effect. they are bite sized and easy to digest. They contain little bits of self-help that teach you how to love yourself in a patriarchal world that seeks to destroy women. The titles of her books are lovely and the poems themselves are easily quotable. They fit perfectly on an Instagram page.

If I sound scornful, I know that's petty. There is nothing wrong with lovelace's poetry and, as a mom, I have to say that when my teen daughter begged for lovelace's last volume, I was thrilled. Poetry that actually speaks to people. That people actually want to buy. That is genuinely exciting.

Follow that up with the fact that these particular poems are inspired by fairy tales and I so, so want to like them! I think lovelace is doing something fun and cool here and I don;t want to be the Debbie Downer that pees on her parade. Besides, I am not a poet. Who am I to be down on her writing?

But I just don't love it. It reads like Hallmark cards: shallow. Easy. Cheap. there's not much below the surface. While it speaks to people and addresses issues that I think are very relate-able, it does it with little in the way of artistry. Her line breaks read as particularly shallow, like she literally breaks just to turn little snippets of advice into poetry. As I so often am, I am torn on this work because I always want to be kind to works of writing that I wish I liked, even when I don't. this is one of those. It's a work where I feel like if she would just push a little more, add a bit more depth, I could like it, but as it stands, it's just too simple. By her third collection, I think lovelace could be doing more.

I've been reading a lot of long novels in 2020 so far, so I was excited to take a quick break with the latest poetry collection by Amanda Lovelace: Break Your Glass Slippers. Billed as the start of a new series and a play on the Cinderella story, it's got the usual heart of a Lovelace collection and her signature style,but definitely feels a little self-helpy at times. 

I'm the first to admit I hated my poetry classes in college. I never really felt like I fit in there, I struggled to 'get' things sometimes, and the adherence to form stressed even my Type A butt out a lot. But I do truly like Amanda Lovelace's style. She writes like we think, captures ideas and lets them stand on their own. Her poems can be heavy and dark but they don't overwhelm you with drawn out metaphors or obsessive rhyme schemes. Rather, you get to exist in the poems. And I've loved all of her collections so far--this one was good too. 

The collection started by saying it was a kind of focus on Cinderella, and I got that in a few places, but not cohesively throughout. Some segments were much longer than others in the collection, so much that I was surprised when it in. Similarly, much of it felt "self-help"-y rather than genuinely reflective, and while I did enjoy it, it's not my new favorite.

Amanda Lovelace is known for baring her soul in her work, and her newest poetry collection is no exception. Each page is filled with heartbreak, empowerment, learning to love oneself, and moving on from things and those that have caused you pain. She has such a magical way of taking thoughts that each of us have had at some point and making them real to help you heal. This might be my favorite collection of hers this far. I found myself highlighting quiet a lot of passages that felt really relatable, and I also really liked the artwork throughout. I definitely recommend checking this out if you're a fan.

As a big fan of Amanda's poems, I'm always eagerly anticipating whatever she's coming up with next. And this collection was wonderful. It's start of her new series and reimagines the story of Cinderella, with personal insights from author's life. In a similar manner to her previous works, this too touches upon topics of toxic dynamics, abuse, and how to regain self-confidence.

I loved the way Amanda balanced darker poems with positive ones fillied with encouragement and empowerment. She's able to say so much with so little words, and her writing always manages to touch me and resonate with me. This was a great opening collection and I'm extremely excited to see where this series goes.

she wants nothing more
than to be the kind of girl
worthy of standing
next to him.

- she doesn't always want what's best for her.

Thanks to the Netgalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for providing me with eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.