Powerful poems, modern writing style and sensitive topics; Lovelace delivers once again both emotional and sincere poetry that mends the reader's heart.

Empowering, healing, brutal.
What an amazing reading. I had to stop sometimes and just process what I had just read.
I really appreciate the warning the beginning.

From the start, Lovelace weaves a story of female defiance with the opening warning 1 and it never stops. The topics are dark but as a sometimes lover of poetry, there wasn’t a poem that didn’t entice me. The metaphors were well crafted and in some cases general enough that they could apply to a range of situations for a variety of readers the daunting “you” in the poem could sometimes be an ex, a parent, a mental illness, or an addiction; giving new meaning with each reread. Others gave a look into the inside Lovelace’s head during a specific time in her life, focusing heavily on sexual assault. I loved the use of contributions from other poems as it rounded out the power of the collection.

I don’t think I’ll ever get over her ability to craft sad and beautiful poems from fairytales and a love of books.

I have read all of Amanda Lovelace's books so far and was very excited to have the opportunity to read this one two months before publication. I greatly enjoyed this third installment of Amanda's "Women Are Some Kind of Magic" series, especially the collaborations with other poets in part four. Definitely a must read for all fans of modern poetry. Four stars.

Amanda Lovelace wraps up her Women Are Some Kind of Magic series with a beautiful and heart-wrenching collection of poetry, "the mermaid's voice returns in this one". Lovelace's poetry packs a punch, in large part due to her ability to write pain and strength succinctly. This collection focuses on sexual violence, rising from the ashes, and getting your voice back. She asks readers, "Victim or Survivor?" and eventually lands on the answer, "Both." The back cover of this book reads "and she tore the stars apart". This collection of poetry is an empowering and important read.

This is such a perfect conclusion to the ‘women are some kind of magic’ series. So many moments that feel just like a perfect strike to the funny bone... you’re laughing but it also hurts like hell. I already know I’m going to wear out this book from flipping back to my favourite pages.

Amanda Lovelace wraps up the Women Are Some Kind of Magic series in spectacular fashion. It lives up to the evocative and exceptional language of the first two books. And as always with her poetry, I'm left feeling cleansed and calm.

I loved that she included poetry from other writers in the last section of the book. It's given me a whole list of poets to check out.

What a moving book of poetry. But I'd expect nothing less from Amanda Lovelace.
This book, I feel is targeted towards bookworms and shows us that it is okay to want to dive into our fictional worlds as an escape. But there is the point of knowing when we aren't using it as an escape anymore, when we are using it to cope, to hide how we are really feeling. Knowing when to seek help.

Incredibly written as always. A great read.

"when I tell you i'm still waiting for my hogwarts letter, what i mean to say is i never meant to be here for so long"

Firstly I'd like to thank Netgalley for the oportunuty to read this amazing book by Amanda Lovelace, with amazing poems by amazing woman as well as hers about abuse, recovery, and loving it's self. Would like to thank Amanda and the other's that participated in this gorgeous book of poems for bringing this story to life with a few poems but that speak so much.

"can't
a prince
a princess
a n y o n e
just
come along
& gaze
upon me
with such
adoration
it's
as if i'm
the gem
of the deep,
not the rubble
of pompeii?"

It's not the first I hear about this books of poems from Amanda Lovelace, 'the witch doesn't burn on this one' was such a big name in 2018, even in Brazil, everyone was talking about. But this is the first one I'm reading. And now I'm for sure having to go and find the first ones.

the mermaid's voice returns in this one is separated in parts, all very moving, all very touching, with great poems that all together bring forth the story of abuse and slow recovery, of struggle. all with beautiful and well written little poems.

"today, i love the way i look in my sundress & its not because someone else convinced me too"

The first part is the start, how it all began, how she feels, the second is the aftermath, then we have the struggle of the recovery, of the trying to recover, and then we have the return of the mermaid voice.

It's not a easy read, and at the same time it is a easy read. the writting, the how the book was made, makes it easy and smooth to read, but it's the story behind that makes it hard. The fact that so many mermaids lost it's voice and still didn't recover it, the fact that it's really quite possible as how the world is that so many will lose it still. But it speaks of being strong, of being the Ariel of your own story and getting your voice back from Ursula, of the villain. Not to say it says it's easy, that it will be Disney and in a snap of fingers it will all be happily ever after. Oh no. But it speaks to you, even if you haven't been through it, and it moves you. And I think it's a very recommended read for sure.

"be stronger then than the villains.
be every storybook heroine come to life"

The third installment is as beautiful, heart-breaking and empowering as Amanda's first two poetry collections.
What a treat Netgalley!
All about finding your voice again after horrible things happened. Trigger warnings at the beginning of the book (which I think all books should have) for abuse, assault, gun violence, eating disorders and more.
If you like Andrea Gibson and Roxane Gay, please pick this up. You won't be disappointed.

I haven't read the two previous in this series, but now I think I'll go check them out! This book was able to stand on its own, but also feels like the final chapter of a series.

I can only offer a lay[wo]man's perspective on poetry, but once I got use to her style, I found the collection quite moving. It starts off especially heavy, heavier than I thought it was going to be, but we're broken down so we can be built back up by the author. The additional works by other contributors really added to the solidarity of Part 4. I appreciate the confessional quality of Lovelace and I enjoyed this glimpse into her personal journey thus far!

I absolutely love Amanda Lovelaces poetry collections. They are so beautifully written. She is raw and brutally honest about the struggles that women face. It is absolutely heartbreaking but done so well. It has made me feel empowered as a women. I would highly recommend this and all of her poetry collections. I have already pre ordered this to add to my collection.

I read and really enjoyed Amanda Lovelace's first two poetry collections. While I hardly ever read poetry, these collections really spoke to me. I know these might not be for more 'classical' poetry lovers but I think these types of poetry can open up the genre to a whole new audience. And with topics like the one's Amanda is discussing I think these are so important to young people.

I liked the different types of formatting we got in this third collection. This was a bit different compared to the first one, as I only listened to the second one as an audiobook I'm not sure how the formatting was there. But here we not only get the 'enter after a couple of words' format, but also one where the whole poem is written like a paragraph without any enters.

In the last part of this collection there are some poems by other people included. The font for these is a bit different so you can easily tell which ones aren't by Amanda. Unfortunately I wasn't as interested in most of these. I think there were two I really loved but the others weren't really for me. I do like what the author tried to do there.

While reading the mermaid's voice returns in this one I am once again amazed at me not liking Rupi Kaur's work as I think most people will either like or dislike both authors. They have a similar poetry style, but while I find Amanda's work so heartfelt and it really resonates with me, I just don't click with Rupi's work. Or at least not when I listened to Milk and Honey (did I see a little reference to that in one of the poems here? or was that just me haha?), I might give her work another shot after once again enjoying this one.

I also just had to share one poem, because it brings together a heartbreaking message and my greatest fandom <3
"when i tell you i'm still waiting for my hogwarts letter, what i mean to say is i never meant to be here for so long.
-forever wandering lost & wandless."

once again, Amanda has outdone herself. She is someone I look up to a lot in the poetry community, and I loved every second of this collection. She's the type of poet that makes you think, "I wish I wrote that." Each book in the "Women Are Some Kind of Magic" series followed the same pattern, but each brought something new to the table. I was so enchanted the entire time I was reading this. It is definitely something everyone should read. I wish to be at least 1/4 of the poet Amanda is <3

I will admit that before I started this book of poetry, I already knew it would speak to me. Amanda Lovelace’s mermaid voice has sung throughout her books in this series and each one has found a different part of my soul and spoken directly to it. I am lucky enough to say I haven’t experienced some of the worst of what Amanda writes about, but that doesn’t stop it from being impactful. This book will make you think of your broken parts in new ways, and I left it with a determination to sing my mermaid song in ways I am able. This book had poems by additional authors and some of them spoke to me, others were not my style, but all built themselves into Amanda’s story and helped to make the tone universal and broader than even her other books. Overall, I recommend this to fans of this series, to those who have ever been hurt, who are healing, who need hope, who want to help others find their voice, and most of all to the princess/witch/mermaids inside us all.

Thank you NetGalley for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I’m not always a poetry person, but I have really enjoyed all three of this series. The Princess Saves Herself in This One is still my favorite, perhaps because it was most relatable to me, but perhaps because I listened to the audiobook and got a better understanding of how it was meant to sound. To feel.

I’ll try to remember to pick this up as an audiobook when my library gets it.

I have always been a fan of Amanda Lovelace and have read every single one of her poetry collections. I find that she provides an intimate portrayal of womanhood, in it's raw, real form, the one that's irrevocably beautiful and utterly damaged by society.

Each of her collections has a different theme, and this one was based around the mermaid analogies and sexual abuse. Her narrator, presumably herself, experienced a great deal of violence and abuse in her relationship with a man who can be assumed deceased, based on her narration. It was as if she took to paper and wrote her experiences and poured onto what she had not yet dealt with internally. It was painful to read, but gave a voice to victims of all abuse and will hopefully spark social change.

I was surprised to see this come after "To Make Monsters Out of Girls" because I felt as though this was a painful reveal that should come BEFORE her more empowering novel to show the optimism moving forward. However, perhaps Lovelace had other intentions, and far be it from me to criticize someone who is clearly more in touch with femininity and vulnerability than myself!

This book has a very storybook feeling, but for adults. It has many darker themes, as there is a trigger warning in the beginning. It definitely resonated with me and made me feel like I didn't have to guess the meanings. It was relatable with pop-culture references, like Harry Potter and fairy tales. Sometimes it felt romanticized and starry-eyed, and other times it felt hopeless and helpless. It is definitely worth reading.

Amanda's writing always evokes a certain feeling in me. There's vulnerability and strength, hurt and healing, rawness and beauty in it. She opens up herself honestly and tells her personal story bravely. Not every poem speaks to me, but as a whole, this book reminds me about healing, hope and better days ahead.

Thank you for NetGalley and the publisher for providing a review copy.

This eARC was provided through NetGalley from Andrews McMeel Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

When I saw the third installment of Lovelace's "women are some kind of magic" collection, I squealed. A high pitched, girly, super exited squeal. I loved the first two of the collection- (read my reviews here and here) and I was pumped to find that NetGalley had the third, ready to download, no request required. It immediately jumped to the top of the TBR line, which I figured was perfectly fine because I knew I'd devour it in a day.

In The Mermaid..., Lovelace (as usual) starts the collection with a trigger warning, which moves on to a forward from Lang Leav that introduces the rest of the collection. Leav mentions what power the voice has, and sets the preface for what is to come while reading. Next, Lovelace tosses in a few "from the poet" stanzas that grab the reader's attention. Then, the collection is broken down into four parts: the sky, the shipwreck, the song, and the surviving.

The Sky kicks off with some powerful poems of what I interpret to be Lovelace's past traumas. There are poems of abuse, rape, and childhood molestation, which transition into how she escaped there terrors as a child with books and fairy tales. Though clearly affected by the past, the author still finds solace in the idea of love, of the fairy tale endings, even when she is struggling to believe in their true existence.

The Shipwreck is a continuation of The Sky, but progressing into adulthood and relationships. Still dealing with abuse, still trying to find solace in fairy tales, still trying to find love but only finding the heartache. I felt this section is where Lovelace is showing her loss of voice. She knows she should have spoke up, but wasn't able to find her voice to do so.

The Song is the return of the voice. It is where Lovelace calls out those that have done wrong, and stating that they will never take from her again. There is also forgiveness and closure, which I've noticed as a trend in Lovelace's work. The reader can see the therapy in the poetry and the power behind it.

Finally, The Surviving starts out:

"a chorus of mermaids cried out to her then, "DON'T BE AFRAID TO SING..."

Lovelace calls upon her fellow poets and together, they compose the last section of the collection, sharing poems from Caitlyn Siehl, Clementine von Radics, Trista Mateer, Gretchen Gomez, Noor Shirazie, Jenna Clare, Ky Robinson, Yena Sharma Purmasir, Morgan Nikola-Wren, McKayla Robbin, Sophia Elaine Hanson, Orion Carloto, and Nikita Gill. It's a strong roll call, and every other page is from Lovelace, filling in with "morals of the story"-style poetry.

Lovelace has yet again nailed it. At first, I wasn't sure if I enjoyed The Mermaid... as much as I enjoyed The Witch... because the latter was such a strong battle cry, but the more I read into the poetry, the more I understood that even though it's a quieter voice, it is still extremely powerful. I will be purchasing a finalized copy for my collection, and I encourage others to do the same.

Expected Publication Date: March 5, 2019

(This review will be posted on my blog (www.thelexingtonbookie.com) at a future date.)

There are not enough words in the world to explain how much I adore Amanda Lovelace! When I saw that she had written another book, I was ecstatic!

The Mermaid's Voice Returns in This One was an absolutely stunning ending to her trilogy. Her poetry detailed some serious subjects, much about abuse, consent, and violence, and it was poetic genius. I am so lucky to have read this book. It is a keeper for sure.

While this book can be read on its own, I HIGHLY recommend reading the previous two books that she has written. It really ties everything together. Amanda Lovelace writes powerful, deep poems for everyone living in the 21st century. She is the voice we need!

*I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.*

Content Warning - Please refer to one of the first pages of the book for a full list.

"She didn't kiss frogs... She kissed great white sharks." - The Mermaid's Voice Returns In This One (Amanda Lovelace)

I think that this book was the best in the Women Are Some King of Magic series. I am a male teenager, and I think it's important for both males and females to indulge in this book. (There is a trigger warnings page in the front of the book) I think Amanda Lovelace is an amazing poet and writer of out time, and she expresses the empowerment of women in this series beautifully and creativity while also telling her own story. Personally... This was my favorite of the series.

Please read this book. Please. While I only gave it 4 stars as opposed to 5 I think it has so many amazing aspects, and the 4 was just for my personal enjoyment level.



I received an ARC of this book/poetry collection from NetGalley. I was not forced to review this. All opinions are my honest thoughts.

A noble ending to the astonishing and groundbreaking predecessor books. I was a bit disappointed that this felt more like an analogy, though, since Lovelace is entirely capable of sustaining the narrative solo.

3.5 stars.

There are still striking images and important messages of recovery and self-care, as with the previous two books in this series, but as a collection it felt scattered. Part of it might just be the different voices (part IV features several other poets), and various literary references are made throughout, and while the effect is far from unpleasant I was a tiny bit disappointed.

The Princess Saves Herself in This One remains my personal favorite of the series, but I have simultaneously enjoyed following Amanda Lovelace's journey through each installment; based on the afterword she seems to be in a good place now — and to have told her story in a way that rings true and brings peace to her — and so for that alone I love this book just for existing.

Amazing book. loveLace’s poetry spoke to me unlike any other poetry I’ve read before. Her poetry was real and not over used. I felt so many emotions while reading this. I can’t wait to read her other books.

This is a wonderful conclusion to Amanda Lovelace’s Women Are Some Kind of Magic series! The Mermaid’s Voice returns in this one seemed more intimate than Witch, but still with the burning emotion laced through it. The parallels to fairytales we all know and love are woven through seamlessly and the book was a fantastic read. There were also poems from other poets laced through that added a new layer to her collection. 4.5 stars.

I received a copy of this book from netgalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

What a fantastic way to end this series of poetry collections. I have been a fan of Amanda's writing ever since I first encountered one of her poems on tumblr. Her words resonated immediately with me - her struggles so familiar to way too many women out there. I loved how Amanda found her way out of the apathy and rage, and this collection is no different.
Told in separate parts, it is the story of survivor and victim, someone scared and someone able to heal nonetheless.
Amanda has created something truly powerful that will resonate with readers who need to hear that, in the end, they can save themselves.

I can safely say that I finally understand the hype around Amanda Lovelace's books.  It wasn't that I thought her undeserving--the total opposite.  I'd just never read her poetry before.  The way it's organized, compiled, the design choice, the themes.  It's all resonant of today's contemporary emotional minefield.  

In this book, through using mermaid imagery to tell her story of survival, she discusses the dichotomy between victim and survivor, analyzes it, comes to terms with it.  It's a heavily weighted dichotomy, yet she deals with this topic in a satisfying and respectful way.  Not only that, but she also includes poetry from guest poets, showing how supportive she is of other women in similar shoes not only in theory but in practice, too.  

This was a great book filled with beautiful poems.  I'm so excited to read the first two of her series, and more so understand the sheer wondrousness of Lovelace and her mind.

Thank you to Netgalley and Andrews McMeel for sharing a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Once again, Amanda Lovelace has blown me away. This is the third book in this series, women are some kind of magic, and it's a fantastic conclusion. Both stylistically and linguistically beautiful, this book features both Lovelace's original poetry as well as thirteen guest poets and some homages to other works of literature.
⭐⭐⭐⭐​⭐
Amanda Lovelace is one of my favorite poets for a reason. Her imagery surrounding abuse, violence, and mental health speaks to a scary truth for women, but is also empowering and encouraging. Women are often subject to objectification, assault, and then disbelief from others, which can quickly overwhelm. Lovelace's poems are hard to read sometimes, and should be, but I often marvel at her intense focus on growth even when it could be so easy to sink instead. I always come out feeling inspired, and I am so grateful for the bravery Lovelace infuses into these tales.

Some of my favorite poems focused on escapism, and the role of books and stories in growth. I feel that extensive reading is beneficial in self-discovery and exploration, so I was glad to see that echoed in this collection. My favorite is Lovelace's homage to Blood Water Paint by Joy McCullough, which I read last year. That story became one of my favorites, and I'm not surprised that Lovelace connected with Artemisia. Both are incredibly powerful women who use their voices and stand up proud.

In summary, the mermaid's voice returns in this one is a hauntingly beautiful collection and a fitting end to the women are some kind of magic series. I highly recommend these stories and urge you to read all of Amanda Lovelace's work. You will not be disappointed. 5/5 stars.

Once again I've been left without words while reading Lovelace's poetry. I read it in one sitting as I couldn't look away. Honestly cannot wait to have a physical copy of this book. As always Lovelace's book starts with trigger warnings, she deals with massively difficult topics throughout her poetry. It hits you right in the feels, and is very important topics.

The final book to join Amanda Lovelace’s collection Women Are Some Kind of Magic. I’ve read the previous two books and if I’m being honest I didnt enjoy them as much as I wanted to. This one on the other hand I liked more. I love how she includes trigger warnings in the beginning of her books, and I really appreciate how she deals with different themes. I loved the guest poems that she had included in this collection too.

This collection spoke to me in a way a collection of poetry hasn't for years. I'm glad there was a trigger warning because some of these poems were difficult to read, despite not being explicit. The poems have a great way of leading you in a little bit and making you take yourself the rest of the way. It's a really powerful reading experience. Playing with fairy tales and existing fictional characretrs isn't new but this is is doing something different by playing with the lightness and the darkness in those characters and texts.

This collection feels hopeful. There are some poems that absolutely don't fit that description but as a whole there's an optimistic hopeful current there. This is the kind of collection that upon finishing I'm making a list of the people I want to recommend it to. Gifts I want to give to show people I see them and they see me. This made me feel seen.

This is a great wrap up to the women are some kind of magic series. I've enjoyed the whole collection. Amanda's poems are so raw with emotions, and relatable.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

I recently read the other two books in this series and I just had to request this next book of poetry. I haven’t read a lot of modern poetry but I find Amanda’s to be full of heartfelt and heartbreaking meaning.

Loved this one just as much as the first two poetry collections by AManda Lovelace. The poems are so full of feelings that resonated with me a lot.

This book of poetry is themed around taking back control and healing after abuse. It uses fairytale imagery, especially from The Little Mermaid. I didn't always understand what was going on, but I did enjoy reading it. It is sad and beautiful and optimistic all at the same time.

I'm a Amanda Lovelace Fan, so the minute I saw this book I knew i had to read it. The book is called“ the mermaid’s voice returns in this one” from the “women are some kind of magic” series which includes “the princess saves herself in this one” and “the witch doesn’t burn in this one” books

Amanda’s voice returns once again with a lot of pain a resilience. For those who had read one of her books before you can spec to find a similar style which creates this beautiful, heart-breking book. it's a MUST REED for sure.
I'd like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing a review copy and give me the opportunity to read this amazing book by Amanda Lovelace

Soy una Fan de Amanda Lovelace, por lo que en el minuto que vi este libro sabía que tenia que leerlo. El libro se llama "la voz de la sirena vuelve en este" de la serie "las muejeres son una clase de Magia" que incluye los libros "La princesa se salva sola en este" y "la bruja no arde en este".

La voz de Amanda vuelve una vez mas con mucho dolor y resiliencia. para aquellos que ya han leido uno de sus libros antes, pueden esperar encontrar un estilo similar a los anteriores que crea un libro hermoso y desgarrador. de serguro es un MUST REED.
Quisiera dar las gracias a NetGalley y la editora por darme una cipia avanzada para hacer una review y darme esta oportunidad de leer este maravilloso libro de Amanda Lovelace

Cages (Jaulas)
are (son)
still cages (todavía jaulas)

even (incluso)
when they’re (cuando son)

designed (diseñadas)
to (para)

look (verse)
just like (igual que)

castles (castillos)
- Illusionist. (ilusionista)

As a fan of Amanda Lovelace this collection of poetry did not disappoint. It was very moving and made me think. I could relate to some of her words and feel her hurt and healing in others. I really appreciate the beginning with Lang Leav doing the forward as well as the other poets who had snippets that were added. Cannot wait for next book.

This was the first poetry collection by Amanda Lovelace (and others, in the third part) that I've read, but based on my enjoyment of this one, I plan to check out the first two! Not having read a lot of poetry, I was unsure what to expect. I feel like this walks a fine line between the "Instagram-poetry" that I do not typically want to read in book form and true free verse, however the words and imagery are so power and beautiful and deeply personal. She wrote of her past experiences with abuse and the strength needed to persist - it was shocking how clearly she could convey these reflections in so few words! Highly recommend.

5 stars!!!
I was looking forward to this collection of poetry! I'm really happy to have read it. He was extraordinary, beautiful. The words were touching and powerful!
Thanks to Netgalley for this e-arc in exchange of my honest review

The trigger warnings at the beginning of this book let me know that I was in for a potentially emotional time while reading this book. While those trigger warnings are well deserved, I am happy to say that the overall message and tone of the book is one of empowerment and strength and identity recovered. Every page makes the reader stop and think, while the inclusion of pieces by other writers besides Lovelace shows the unfortunate commoness of their experience. Brief but beautiful, this book had an impact on me that will not fade any time soon.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

First of all, the purple theme in this collection is absolutely gorgeous and my personal favourite compared to the red-theme and black-theme from Amanda Lovelace’s earlier collections.

I’ve always appreciated the format of Amanda’s poetry collections, with the storybook format of a beginning, middle, and end. I feel like she has always been able to paint a story with her words and this collection does not fall short of this.

I love the how much thought goes behind every single word and the placement on the pages, which allows the reader to feel every single word with Amanda.

Like the two collections before, the mermaid’s voice returns in this one is filled with such raw emotion and heartbreak. Although this may be my least favourite from the series, that is at no fault of this book. I love the relatable poems, and the ones you can connect with, even if you cannot personally relate.

I have loved everything Amanda Lovelace has written, and look forward to many more collections in the future.

Wow What a way to end this series of poetry.
I’ve loved all the other books in this poetry series and this one was no different.
This book was full of very serious topics which Amanda Lovelace writes about exceptionally well about in all 3 books from the series and they are so hard hitting and gets u all in the feels that they are so important to read about in this day and age.
Amanda Lovelace is in my opinion one of the best poetry writers in our generation and it just shows throughout her writing.
My favourite things about this poetry collection is that she incorporated poems from other well knows poets into this piece of work and also what I loved was Amanda Lovelace writing poetry based on poetry that has been around for a while and getting inspired by that peice.
Overall for the whole series and this book on its own this is a 5/5 stars for me.
Can’t wait for more Amanda Lovelace poetry collection to come our way.

Having read all the three books of "Women are magic" series, I felt this book was somewhat between a 3.5 - 4 for me.
The fantasy element in this one is beautifully placed and I loved all the three other parts except the first part ie. "the sky" as I couldn't connect with the pieces at all.
But,I am certainly awed by AMANDA LOVELACE 's words once again.

#themermaidsvoicereturnsinthisone #netgalley

This was my most anticipated poetry book of 2019 and it definitely did not disappoint.

Such a magical collection of poem exploring themes like abuse, healing, finding yourself and fighting back. It also gave small tributes to readers and books like Chronicles of Narnia which was really sweet :)

I definitely recommend it to everyone and I'm so sorry to see this series end. As usual, please read the trigger warnings before reading the book and as Amanda Lovelace says, practice self-love before and after 💖

I  received a free digital copy of this book from Netgalley for an honest review.

This is the third installment in Amanda Lovelace's "Women Are Some Kind Of Magic" series. I was not disappointed. Another great work by Amanda.

I don't usually read a lot of poetry, but this may be the book that changes my mind! It's the third in a series, but the first one that I've read. I'm sure it won't be the last. The poetry style had a modern flair with topics that focused on recovery, loss, and other sensitive subject matter. I cannot wait to read more by this author.

Another empowering and beautiful poetry collection from Amanda Lovelace that once again made me feel a lot of feels. I will forever of her honestly, and the raw vulnerability she brings with each poem. The imagery was once again fantastical, but perhaps not as strong as her past works. I really enjoyed the inclusion of various contributors each bringing their own voices to the table. Though, I think this my least favourite in the trilogy, mostly due to me not being able to personally connect to it as much as to her other collections. It was still an amazing read that I would of course recommend if you're a fan of Lovelace's other works.

Have you ever felt like you've been stabbed by a book, and the poetry is written in your lifeblood? Do you want to? Cool. Buy this book.

Believe me, no one is as surprised as I am with this rating. I strongly disliked Lovelace's first book of poetry, finding the verses generic, shallow and just all around uninspiring; the second one I found better on the aesthetic part, but resented the strong misandric undertones; this one, however, was just up to my liking.

The calmer tone of this one, combined with themes of sexual harassment and self-acceptance woven through the poems in ways both subtle and not so subtle, suited me just fine. I was skeptical when I came to the part with contributions, but although different in both technical and writing style from the rest of poems, I thought they were fitted in rather well. Also, I really appreciated how Lovelace did less of splitting a word into six lines and more of actually putting a message behind those words.

So I would recommend trying Lovelace's poetry out, as this is a most welcome departure from her Tumblr-like works to date, yet would like to dissuade people from reading the first two in the series. Writers need some time to develop; this is what, for me, feels like Lovelace reaching her full potential.

Thank you for an ARC!

Review to be posted at the end of February to all sources mentioned on my profile.


I read the other two books by this author not that long ago and I was excited for this book. So, when I saw it on Netgalley I couldn't resist requesting it, it meant I could read it immediately and not have to wait a few more months.

First up, I love the content page: The Sky, The Shipwreck, The Song, The Surviving.

This was for me the weakest book of the three. Which also has to do with my own comfort levels. I saw the warning at the beginning (thank you for that), I knew what would happen, but as a year resolution I wanted to push my boundaries a bit more. Now I am kind of crawling back and wishing I hadn't done it. There are just a few things that I truly cannot read, never will be able to read. Child abuse. Rape.

There were still other poems/verses/whatever you want to call it that this was, and while I did like them at points, they didn't strike an emotional chord as the second one did so so much. Which is a shame, I was kind of hoping that would happen again.

I did like that not only were these poems about things that happened (in childhoods or through the years), but also about healing, about getting better, about getting stronger.

I adored those Romeo and Juliet stories though. I loved those various worlds, various situations.

I loved the (broken-up) poems/verses/etc. more than those lumps of text without much punctuation.

This book also features work by others on the theme. I did like their messages, but... and how to explain this, it just didn't work for me. Poems/verses/etc. are still hit and miss to me, and with Amanda Lovelace I found someone whose poetry I liked, she writes in a style that is perfect for me, however the guest writers just didn't have that spark, or at least most of them. That feel. Maybe someone else will love them, and again, I did love their messages, but the poetry just missed something.

All in all, I still was fascinated and in awe of this book, it is an important one to read, and I am sure that, while it didn't strike such a chord with me, it will for someone else. Someone else will be able to use the words written down in this book.

4.5
I was sent this book as an advance copy by the publisher via NetGalley for reviewing purposes, but all opinions are my own

The Mermaid’s Voice Returns in This One is the conclusion to Amanda Lovelace’s series of poetry collections, Women Are Some Kind of Magic. I had read the previous two books right at the beginning of last year (I had also read the second volume as an advance copy), and I absolutely loved the both of them and this one was no different.
This finale manages to end the series fantastically, it brings back themes, phrases, ideas of the original two books in a brilliant way that manages to leave you satisfied after finishing it. Because of that, I think the best way to read the series is to binge read all of them at once, it would end up being an incredible experience, I will definitely be trying that when I manage to get a physical copy on March 5th.
The Mermaid’s Voice in This One also does something new compared to the other books in this series. In the final part of the collection, alongside Lovelace’s poems are poems from new authors. That was by far my favorite part of the book, it gave a fresh air to the collection, I loved all of those poems and as I was turning the pages I got more and more excited to read each one. I can’t wait to read more of those authors in the future.
My favorite book in the series is still Th Witch Doesn’t Burn in this One but this one came close.

OMG!OMG!OMG! Amanda lovelace is my queenn🖤. She's written these poems with so much care,love and admiration for her readers. Few poems were so exceptionally written, i had to stop for a second and collect myself for the selection and string of words😍. Im going to read every book of amanda lovelace and im sure as hell going to buy the book.Thanks alot for writing such a masterpiece

This is my first time reading Amanda's work in its entirety and though I don't frequently read poetry, I was totally smitten with her style and message, how she easily flitted between the autobiographical and the general, and between the passages that made me want to tear my heart out with startled grief and those that brought out a small smile and a warm nostalgia. She alludes to mermaids and princes/princesses but also book lovers, and how escaping to books helped at least one little girl (herself?).

Among my favorite passages:
"sometimes
she cannot
tell the
difference

between

the days
she's walked
this earth
as herself

&

the days
she's walked
through paragraphs
as someone else.
-no one noticed & she liked it that way."

Another good collection of poetry in Amanda Lovelace's final book in her "Women are some kind of magic" collection.

Powerful poetry by Amanda Lovelace who is such an amazing poetess mending hearts with her words. This is a fantastic end to the Women are some kind of magic series. Her collections are always very pro-woman and make me feel empowered and proud and so good in a ferocious way. There's sadness too and this has a lot about abuse, both from herself and from others, and it's a very emotional read.

This was my first time reading Amanda Lovelace’s poetry collection and I must say I really enjoyed it. I never enjoyed poetry back in school as it did not relate to me in any way and at times I found it tedious. However with this poetry collection I found that I could relate to a lot of the poems in one way or another and could interpret them in a way that could relate to myself. I love how all of the poems were connected through similar themes which flowed really nicely throughout the book. I’m definitely inclined to go back and read the first two books in the collection.

Well, one of my new year's resolution was to read books outside my comfort zone. And hence this. I am not fond of contemporary poetry or free verse poetry, and from what I can think of, it's because of my need for long verses and flowery language.

The Mermaid's Voice Returns in This One is the third book in the Women are Some Kind of Magic series and this particular book talks about the Mermaid who had been a witch who had been a queen. A story that has themes of survival and longing, healing irregularly but hearing whatsoever.

My favorite bits were the verses told by these women from fantasy land and the ode to some famous poems and novels.
The verses are about raising your head and continue living because healing is a slow process. The verses also talk about the importance of speaking up or how toxic life can get. It is important to find one's voice and not lets others walk all over you.
I will definitely be picking the first two books up. Amanda Lovelace is a strong voice, and I am sure she has helped a lot of people through her stories.

I've read a lot of Amanda Lovelace's work but I never connected with her words. This is the first time, her work got me excited and I couldn't be more thrilled. I got this book from NetGalley in the hope that I'd love it and I did. Some poems are so beautifully done, it makes you want to re-read them.
I'm going to buy the book for sure and gift it too.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Andrews McMeel Publishing through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
The Mermaid’s Voice Returns in This One is the last book in Amanda Lovelace’s poetry collection. This book deals with very difficult topics and also includes guest poems from other poetry writers. This book was definitely a page turner. I have not read the first two books because I didn’t know it was the last book in the series, but after reading this copy, I can’t wait to read the others.

This is a beautiful conclusion to the Women Are Some Kind of Magic Series. The style is the same as her previous works. I appreciate that Lovelace's poems aren't wordy. Her power lies in the exact words she chooses to use, since there aren't many. The tone here is slightly different from the other two in that it's a bit calmer, there's more focus on healing and moving forward. Also, in the last section, there are poems from other poets which fit the theme of recovery.

As I've I said about Lovelace's previous two books in this series: To witness any form of art which is so obviously part of the creator's healing process is a gift. Any reader will likely find something in each of these books aide in healing and foster a sense of belonging.

What I have loved about Lovelace's poetry since day one is the way that she finds ways to write about some of the ugliest and most awful parts of life in ways that are so beautiful and inspiring.  She genuinely finds a way to turn what has happened to her into words and pure feelings to be shared among readers.  That, in itself, is a true talent.  There was never a moment when reading the mermaid's voice returns in this one where I was bored or over it.  The pieces are so engaging and packed with emotion that it is hard to turn away or leave it. 

Something that I really enjoyed was the short letter at the end to the readers that described the journey of this series of poetry and connected the pieces together.  The fact that this poetry collection, while it has its own parts and pieces, fits into a larger storyline is so much fun to read.  I admired that she put this letter at the end of the book to make this connection clear.  One thing that I would have liked better is if this was at the front of the book.  I know that putting it at the end probably helps to leave the poetry collection without preconceived notions about the larger storyline between the three pieces, but for me, it would have helped me see the connection in the beginning.  At first, I was slightly confused because I was expecting mermaids, but there were a few of them.  Because of this, the beginning and first section were a little confusing.  It wasn't until getting into later sections that I realized that this collection is broken into its own story of hurt, healing, and becoming.  This set up is brilliant! 

Along with this, the final section, which is about finding your voice, is even better because between poems written by Lovelace are poems written by others!  It truly works as it shows the transformation of the author from the beginning of the book and then her later transformation and discovery of not just her voice, but of others who have overcome some ugly hand being dealt to them in life.  It is in this final section that the mermaid allusion is clear; it is not about leaving the water and being human, but about finding your voice after it has been taken from you.          

Speaking of pure aesthetics, I really like the plain cover with just the text and then the back cover.  I think that, while it is plain, it makes a strong statement as there is nothing else to look at besides reading the words.  The message is clear, there are no frilly pieces of art or pops of color.  This text is about poetry and its messages.  The writing inside is very colorful and imagery is rich and lush.  Lovelace has honed the ability to use such strong adjectives and nouns to describe intangible things.  Being able to paint these poems with your mind is a work of genius and creates a bond between writer and reader.  In the end, there were several short poems that I literally wanted to copy or rip out and tape all over the walls to make sure that I read the words every day.  Words can be powerful, especially when written like these.          

On Goodreads, I gave this one four stars just because the beginning could have been a little more clear about what was happening and I really think that for me, perhaps reading the back letter in the beginning or having something up there first would have helped tie the piece together more quickly for me.  I did love reading this and falling back into Lovelace's world of beautiful writing, strong imagery, and connections to the soft and beautiful places from fairytales and childhood.

I have absolutely loved these poetry collections and I’m sad this is the final one! Beautiful poetry. Definitely a future reread.

A solid follow up to her other poetry, This is a quick and thoughtful read. It made me think. I love her approach to twisting fairy tales into feminist messages

The third book in the poetry collection by Amanda Lovelace is written in the vein of modern poetry. Personally, the final section of survival was the best part of the collection.

Thank you for the early copy.

It is hard for me to assign a star rating or review poetry because it can be viewed differently with each reader. It was a solid collection.

Lovelace's third and final book in her "Women are Some Kind of Magic" collection serves as a satisfying ending, overall improving my opinion of the collection as a whole. I enjoyed the first book immensely and found the second somewhat lacking. "The Mermaid's Voice Returns in This One" seemed to fill in those gaps.

Short poetry books like this basically deliver what you expect, and there were as many poems that landed for me as poems that decidedly did not. Overall, it was a quick read. I breezed through it, but the poems that ended up getting me had me holding my breath.

Lovelace's depiction of various harsh issues wrapped in fairy tales and hope hits hard when it does manage to hit. She writes candidly about various issues, such as abuse, eating disorders, and self-harm. The format depicts growth in parts, moving away from abuse and towards hope. Empathy and simple human experience made me ache while reading, in a good way.

The book includes poems by several different guest authors, and while the poetry itself was fine. I didn't particularly enjoy it. I felt there was a bit of dissonance between Lovelace's voice and the voices of the other writers involved. However, there were some guest poems that I enjoyed.

Overall, this is poetry about healing, hope, and survivorship. Even if things aren't okay right now, it will leave you feeling like they will be someday.

This was such a powerful, compelling read that puts words to Lovelace's deeply personal and traumatic experiences. As a reader unfamiliar with Lovelace's earlier work, this collection definitely made me want to read the first two in her "Women Are Some Kind of Magic" series. I so admire and respect the way that she chose to share her stories with this work and believe it will resonate with any woman who has ever felt that her voice or her agency was taken away. I particularly loved one of the poems in which Lovelace said that her experience is not mine, and mine is not hers, but we can pull out shared pieces from each other to make a sort of stained glass pattern. I found that to be a good depiction of the many stories of the #metoo era and how each is unique and different yet there is still a sense of community found in the sharing. I will definitely recommend this book to all of the poetry fans and women in my life.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I was able to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
***
I like Amanda Lovelace. I enjoyed her second book and when I finished that I grabbed her first off my shelf and read that too. I thought, I really enjoy her writing. After finishing the mermaid’s voice returns in this one I need to amend my statement to I love Amanda Lovelace’s writing.
Mermaid’s voice is a very personal collection, all of her writing has been personal, and I have always felt it in reading her work but I really felt it in this one. I find her to be incredibly brave to write the things she does and share that part of herself with her readers.
The poetry isn’t for everyone, I know there are some people who don’t enjoy the style in which has become quite popular the last several years and don’t think of it as poetry still. I love it though, I think it allows a different form of expression and I love how it gets played with.
The work that makes up mermaid’s voice is short, sweet, beautiful, painful, and just so incredible. It tells a story of healing, overcoming, and surviving. I love the use of fairytales and othe stories inside the poems, and the last section of the book that includes other writers work that helps further highlight what this collection is about is wonderful. I recognized some names but others I wasn’t sure about but you can bet I want to see if they have more out there.
I’m sad that this will conclude Amanda’s Women Are Some Kind Of Magic series but I can’t see what else she comes up with and shares in the future.

I have always enjoyed Amanda Lovelace and her amazing writing. This book falls in perfectly with all of her previous books. Something that was very special about this book is that there were many other poets that contributed to this book. This was amazing because the poems fit flawlessly in the books but also because this exposed the reader to even more wonderful poets. I love how Lovelace writes poems that make woman feel strong. She gives them strength in any situation. Thank you to NetGalley and Amanda Lovelace for the chance to read this wonderful book.

t is very rare to find poetry books that do not make me cringe and I relate to mostly. This is one of those rare ones. Amanda Lovelace and her feminist poetry collections is one of my favorite collections ever to had stumbled upon. They were easy to read for me and easy to understand, but they really sunk deep. There is not much to say aside from this was also my favorite out of her Women Are Some Kind of Magic series. This was the least cliche, it was cohesive, and ultimately the one that made me feel the most nostalgic while sticking to me long after I have read the passage.

The Mermaid's Voice Returns in this One is the final book in Amanda Lovelace's Women Are Some Kind of Magic series. It was a powerful end for a powerful series.

These poems, inspired by the #metoo movement, are haunting and invoke such anger and fear and hope from the reader. It's a collection of poetry about healing and relearning to love yourself and how you are worthy of love from others.

I really enjoyed the inclusion of poems from other popular poets. Their poems brought me to tears, and I think each writer dealt with trauma and survival in different & unique ways.

i don't write
what i write
to hurt you.

- i write what i write to heal me

Disclaimer: I was granted an e-ARC of this book by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Amanda Lovelace did it again. I've only read a few poems from her previous poetry collections (making a mental note to read other books in the Women Are Some Kind of Magic collection), but I would say that the mermaid's voice returns in this one is a culmination of all the past two books -- powerful, heart-wrenching and full of hope.

This book doesn't only tell Lovelace's story, but it is a collective effort of women who wanted their voices to be heard. It's so beautiful to see that even mermaids who lost their voices can find serenity from words they've been longing to speak. Recovering from the past may be a long process, but talking about it is one step closer towards self-healing.

I couldn't recommend this book enough. I hope you pick this up once it's released on the 5th of March. Pick up the other books from the Women Are Some Kind of Magic collection too. Because poets like Amanda Lovelace will change the world, one poem at a time.

This is the final installment to Amanda Lovelace's Women Are Some Kind of Magic series, and I freaking loved it. The author poured her heart and soul and her voice into this one!

I don't know about you guys, but I *always* used to pretend that I was a mermaid when I was younger - whether it was in the pool, at the beach, bath time, the living room floor (wait, I might of been doing the worm). Anyways. Somewhere along the way many of us lost or had our voices weakened - we lost our fearlessness to just be ourselves. We've become so heavily weighed down with the burdens of society nowadays and what is and isn't considered acceptable. We're told not to speak up, voice our concerns/opinions, to act our age (me: nevaaaa), or we're told to just "forget about it." So, often times (and I don't think this applies to just me), I would immerse myself in books to escape reality. Cuz let's be honest, I'd rather be living a world full of elves (oh heyyy, Legolas).

star light,
star bright,
first star
i see tonight;
i wish i may,
i wish i might
flee my skin
for but a night.

- bibliophile

Amanda Lovelace reminds us that it's okay to trust (again), it's okay to speak up, to be yourself, and it's okay to escape reality and pretend to be a mermaid, too. So, if you're looking for an inspiring collection of modern poetry, then give this a try <3.

PS. Please practice safe reading. This book contains triggers of sexual assault, abuse, depression and suicidal thoughts.

Thanks a million to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC. Quotes are subject to change upon publication.

Amanda Lovelace is my queen and she has yet again slain my soul. Her prose is so powerful that I feel truly vulnerable while reading her words but at the same time so very seen. I can’t wait to have the physical copy of this title to add to my collection.

I love that she had other poets write their own story and the road to healing in this. Added just a little something extra. A good way to end this poetry trilogy.

I never really know how to react to Amanda Lovelace's collections yet every time I see it on NetGalley I can't help but pick it up. I read this collection while currently in a women's voices in literature class and it's honestly been such an interesting experience to analyze the conversations in class in relation to the poems. Amanda Lovelace has a very fiery style of writing that cuts and highlights all the truths in a way that can be very inspiring from some readers. Personally, it's a bit too harsh but that's just personal preference and sometimes people need that slap of reality. As always with poetry, it's hard to really form a judgment because the genre is so subjective. I just picked this up because I was interested to see how the poetry trilogy would conclude but if you've been a fan for a while there's no reason that you wouldn't love this.

The writing in Lovelace's collections is so beautiful and "the mermaid's voice returns in this one" is absolutely no exception. I knew as soon as I saw this on NG that I had to request it and I'm so glad I did! I think this was my favorite of her three fairy tale-type medlies so far. Her words are like the waves and they are so beautiful. The only thing (and I have said this about the other two books as well) is that I wish she would write a full book in verse rather than a series of poems put together. But alas, not my book. Not my publishing. Still beautiful.

I adore Amanda Lovelace and will continue to read and suggest everything she puts out to all the women I know.

Amanda Lovelace is back with another collection of very brave, personal poems that rival that of her previous collections in this series. This is the final collection in her Women are Some Kind of Magic series and I have to say, it might be my favorite. It handles very dark topics such as sexual assault and self-harm. I absolutely adore the collaboration with her fellow poets on the topic of healing and overcoming. Mermaid gets a spot on my favorites shelf!

I received my copy of The Mermaid's Voice Returns in This One from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. It releases March 5, 2019.

I could still not relate to the poems in this collection at all. However, the positivity of the majority of the poems was really inspiring. What I did not like about this collection at all was the poetry from other writers. Those poems were usually longer than Amanda Lovelace's and they actually distracted me. Still, I think this collection was a beautiful ending to the Women are some kind of magic series.

I enjoyed reading the first two poetry bundles last year, so it was an easy decision whether to read the third and final bundle of the Women Are Some Kind Of Magic series. Where Amanda Lovelace's poetry might lack in style, complexity and elaboration, it outshines other poetry with its overwhelming and powerful emotions and strong messages. It's actually combination of the simplicity of the words and the overpowering message they are able to communicate that turns her work into something special for me. I admire her for being able to speak this openly about the past and what happened to her. The bundles talk about the three stages she had to go through (the princess, the witch and finally the mermaid) to be able to start healing herself and keep working on the future. As someone who has been in an abusive relationship herself, it's really easy to relate to her words and those who have had or are having a more recent experience will find comfort. What made The Mermaid's Voice Returns In This One stand out from the others is that Amanda Lovelace mixes fantasy with reality this time, using not only poems but also short paragraphs with odes to famous stories by other authors. And that is not all: in the final part of this bundle you can find thirteen guest poems by other poetry writers with a similar topic mixed in between her work. An original touch and something I could really appreciate. I think the second bundle is still my favorite, but The Mermaid's Voice Returns In This One is without doubt a wonderful addition.

Thank you to NetGalley and Amanda Lovelace for the opportunity to review this poetry collection.

I thoroughly enjoyed/loved Lovelace's first two collectuons; The Princess Saves Herself In This One, and The Witch Doesn't Burn In This One.

The Mermaid's Voice Returns In This One is another hardhitting inside to the healing peocess of one traumatized by horrible hands. While I did not love it as much as the first two, I still thoroughly enjoyed it, and anyone who's had their dark days, or are going through their dark days, should open this collection and let the words speak to you.

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.

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.

**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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

As always, Amanda Lovelace does not disappoint! I loved this book as much as the previous two in the series and I'm sad this series is over. Her writing is powerful and gripping. A few poems brought tears to my eyes too. I look forward to other books by the author. I will definitely recommend this title.

Lovelace has a way of creating simple, yet evocative poems. I like this third installment way better than the previous two. You can see that she is mastering the craft of poetry writing.

This is simply amazing. This was the first time I have read Amanda Lovelace and she definitely lives up to the hype. I can't believe I haven't read her previous two books. I loved the stories that followed each poem, I loved the retellings of the fairy tales we know, the feminist twist to them were amazing. I loved to nods to book lovers everywhere. Lovelace is able to deliver poetry that truly resonates with a depth of feeling that is sometimes hard to translate into words. I am in love with this book now and I am definitely going to go back and read her other two books.

you
don't
get to say
it's
my fault
for
staying.
it's
his fault
for
making me
afraid to
stay
or go.

After how much I struggled with the middle book in this 'trilogy', I wasn't sure I wanted to read this newest and final installment, but friends' reviews were so positive that I finally decided I had to give it a try, and I'm glad that I did. I still feel like Lovelace's poetry lost its luster for me after the first collection and none of the rest have quite lived up to it, but I do appreciate that this one isn't as repetitive as Witch was (and doesn't feel as heavily borrowed from mid- to late-2000s emo band lyrics as that one did, either).

Mostly, this collection is about surviving sexual assault, and it's got a lot of good stuff going on in that regard; it wasn't the most powerful or empowering thing I've read as a survivor, but it was comforting and nice regardless, and had a few poems I really appreciated. Otherwise, there are some happy pages to give you that soft, soothing hug after the painful bits, and overall, it feels like a very natural and well-done ending to the series.

he exists.
therefore,
i know
for a fact
that
humanity
is not
dissolving
before
my
eyes.

All quotes come from an advance copy and may not match the final release. Thank you so much to Andrews McMeel Publishing for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This might be the hardest to read of the three collections in the "women are some kind of magic" trilogy. With a well-deserved trigger warning at the front (thank you for including that), it shouldn't be a surprise that these poems are heavily tinged with sadness and pain, but there is also hope and support for those who have been sexually assaulted. The mermaid has found her voice, despite everything.

Really enjoyed this, I find Amanda's style of poetry is really powerful. Lived up to the previous two in the series, not necessary to have read those first but reading in order gives a lovely journey through emotions and experiences.

Amanda Lovelace returns in yet another haunting poetry collection. This one is definitely on my recommended list, along with anything else you can find by this author/poet. Soak it up and enjoy it - rich, delicious poetry!

Another incredible, moving journey from Amanda Lovelace. Will be perfect to add to library poetry collections.

Lovelace does it again! I love her words, and this was another wonderful collection. I didn't enjoy it quite as much as the previous two books, but it is still an enjoyable and worthwhile read.

[Review will be posted on Reader Voracious Blog on February 21, 2019.]

"you are sad now
you are not sad forever"

There are some books that take you by complete surprise. That make you feel a wide array of emotions, make you feel seen. They seem to find you when you need them the most. the mermaid's voice returns in this one was that book for me.

I honestly feel like I went through an emotional purge through reading this collection of poems and feel a sense of peace that I realize now has been missing for months of my life. While the poems were written as amanda's way to process and regain her voice following sexual assault, I found comfort and power in her words as I struggle with depression and my own trauma.

"the
only way
i can
foresee
surviving
you
is by
finding
that place
between
forgiving
& forgetting,
if it even
exists.

- this is how i choose to douse my fire"

Friends, I honestly cannot recommend this collection enough. I feel like it found me when I needed it the most, and I am so incredibly thankful for it. This was my first time reading anything by the author, and I look forward to reading the prior two books in this "trilogy." If you have ever been made to feel powerless, this collection will speak to you. What does it mean to be a victim and a survivor, and what lessons can we learn from princesses?

I, too, believe in endless worlds.

<i>Many thanks to the publisher for sending me an eARC via NetGalley for review. Quotations are taken from an uncorrected proof and may change upon publication.</i>

Amanda Lovelace will forever be apart of my favorite poets list. Her words are always gripping, raw, and powerful--and this poetry collection is no exception. Unlike previous collections in the series, this one felt more...everywhere--like their wasn't a set direction we were heading but rather it was jumbled and all over the place. I am not sure if this was intentional and a way to imitate how life can be jumbled and messy; but I don't think I was a huge fan of this aspect. Lovelace also incorporated poetry from other poets within this collection which is also a new aspect within the series. I didn't mind this integration of other's works as it brought a fresh and different perspective to the heavy topics that Lovelace tackles in her poetry. Overall though I really did enjoy this one and found several of her poems that spoke to me on a deeper level than others.

CW: child abuse, gun violence, intimate partner abuse, sexual assault, eating disorders, self-harm, suicide, alcohol, trauma, death, violence, fire.

Another great collection of poetry by Amanda Lovelace. The poems are accessible and reads with ease without losing their impact.

"will I have to spend the afterlife
finding ways to hide from you? "

I have recently started reading poetry and I can't seem to stop. I was able to relate to this book and couldn't stop reading (I read it and then reread it in one sitting...yes it's that good).

Amanda Lovelace seems to capture my innermost thoughts without me knowing they were there. She was able to put words to feelings I didn't know how to describe. It is unfortunate the number of people that will be able to relate to this book, but none the less they will be able to relate.

*I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

#TheMermaidsVoiceReturnsInThisOne #NetGalley

3.5/5 stars
As always, amanada lovelace’s poetry brings vivid imagery to the page, and continues to tell a similar story to Princess and Witch. Some of the major themes were harder to relate to than others because of my experiences in life, but that can be found in most poetry. This book is about staying strong and healing after trauma; that is okay to let yourself feel the pain and grow through it. Unlike the other two books in this collection, didn’t develop a strong connection to many of the poems. I did like that she had other authors cameo in Mermaid, but I just wished that they had been better spread out. It seemed like 85% of the cameo poems were in the last of the four sections, which threw off the flow of the writing for me. Overall, I think this is a good conclusion to a collection that has helped so many people acknowledge their trauma and heal from it.

"she didn't kiss frogs.
she kissed great white sharks."

Thanks to Netgalley I am voluntarily reviewing this book after receiving a free copy.

When I first saw that this book was coming out I was excited but sceptical because I really enjoyed the first book in this series but I didn't enjoy the second book. I am really happy that this book was as good as the first one. It flowed so well as we read through an Amanda we haven't read before. She expresses each emotion flawlessly and has such a tactful way of writing about dreadful topics.
I love how as I read through I could see that different poems related to other books and films, such as Othello, Tangled, Maleficent, Sleeping Beauty, Romeo & Juliet etc. It really showed me how well read the author is and to use such great authors in her own work just showed how much she appreciates good writing.

"will i have to spend the afterlife
finding ways to hide from you?"

On page 53 she writes a poem relating to Tangled the Disney film. I have a special place in my heart for this film and to see poetry about it really made my day.
I also enjoyed the fact that to last chapter was filled with other poets' poetry as well as Amanda's. All the pieces were brilliantly written and related to the topic of the book exactly.


"i'm deciding my firsts from now on."

Overall, I found this book incredibly engaging and one that I will probably read again. Amanda Lovelace has done a brilliant job on this trilogy and I wish her every success when this book is released in a couple of months.


"you are sad now.
you are not sad forever."

The final chapter to Lovelace's poetry anthology and this one just gets deeper and darker than before. A great set of poems dealing with various personal issues that are relatable to many of its readers. I will definitely be on the look out for a box set of this anthology to purchase for my home library!

This was one of the many anticipated reads I had for this year. It wasn't until early last year that I've come across this authors poetry and has been devouring her work as well as her opening my eyes to poetry. I will admit I was never into poetry until this author reading her captivating words and getting that feeling of being understood.

This is the final book the Women are some kind of magic trilogy (Not even sure if that's the right word for it?) If you loved the first two books you'll love this book as well as much as I did. But there is the bonus feature of getting a couple of other authors which surprised me and I was pretty pleasantly surprised how seamlessly all the poetry worked together from different artists. It even now got me wanting to know more and branching out to see whats out there. I was already becoming a fan of Nikita Gills work but there was a couple of other names I was unfamiliar with that I'm now going to look out for. Back to the book I just loved it not much to say without spoiling it but it is in connection with the previous books but could be read as a standalone if you are new to this series or author. But I do recommend reading this book but even more so pick up the first book to it. This series is heart breaking, uplifting, and empowering an your not going to want to miss it.

(please please PLEASE Read the trigger warning before starting this book)
The Women Are Some Kind of Magic poetry series is one ofmy absolute favorite collections. This was probably my least favorite of the three. It's a very good collection however it's VERY dark. This was not the empowering and uplifting collections I was used too. The Mermaid's Voice Returns in This One deals with child abuse, violence and self-harm. It's a hauntingly beautiful collection of poetry that will stay with you for a long time.

I received an e-ARC of this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I already heard a lot about amanda lovelace and her poetry, so I was really excited when I received an e-ARC of this beautiful book - and it didn't disappoint me. Instead, lovelace's poetry left me speechless. I especially liked the fairytale metaphors! But be careful: please read the trigger warning before starting this book. Some of the poems are very dark and emotional, but I liked that a lot.

I really want to buy amanda lovelace's other books now, and I'm looking forward to reading them!

This book was so powerful. Keep in mind of the trigger warnings and practice self care when involved with any of her books. They are moving, powerful, and thought provoking. 5/5 every time!

While I know I should have picked up the other two before this one, I noticed it was available for me to read via Netgalley (Thank you♡), so I decided to try out poetry.
I loved it.
Not the best poetry I've read but still impacting and beautiful.
I liked how Amanda let other people put a poem in The Mermaid's Voice Returns In This One, such as Jenna Clare and many others.

"can't
a prince
a princess
a n y o n e

just
come along
& gaze
upon me
with such
adoration
it's
as if i'm
the gem
of the deep,
not the rubble
of pompeii?"

I haven't read the previous two books, The Princess Saves Herself in This One or The Witch Doesn't Burn in This One, although when Princess was released I was dying to get my hands on it. Now after reading more poetry, this one included, I'm even more likely to pick up books 1 and 2.

Wow. In the amazing conclusion to the “women are some kind of magic” series you get a powerful ending to a powerful series. Amanda delivers strong poems that honestly take your breath away. Whether she is packing a punch or making you cry, it is delivered beautifully. She includes a chapter with poems about survival by a powerhouse collection of female poets that alone make the book amazing. Each poem made me fall in love with her writing all over again.

“she didn’t kiss frogs
she kissed great white sharks.” - Amanda Lovelace

This was my first Amanda Lovelace poetry collection and definitely not my last! the mermaid’s voice returns in this one is the third book in the Women Are Some Kind of Magic trilogy. I will be picking up the first two collections after reading this one.

Amanda Lovelace has a gift and I am so immensely grateful that she is sharing it with the world. Each poem feels like it’s written for the reader. There is something magical about connecting with poems. This kind of poetry is what keeps the genre alive and breathing. the mermaid’s voice returns in this one centers around finding one’s voice. The title referencing to the Little Mermaid made me smile. It was like having my younger self gift me with a new voice. Reminding me how much my voice matters. The emotion I felt while reading the collection stayed long after. My favorite piece in the collection made me SO nostalgic.

“when i tell you i’m still waiting for my hogwarts letter, what i mean to say is i never meant to be here for so long.” - forever wandering lost & wandless.

My eyes watered after this piece. I grew up with Harry Potter and all its magical goodness. It made me sad, yet also carried so many possibilities. Growing up in a small town, not leaving has always been one of my biggest fears. Reading this, I knew I was not alone. It’s such a grateful and satisfying feeling.

I 100% recommend this poetry collection if you like modern poetry or liked previous collections by Amanda Lovelace. It’s going to take you on a journey of self-acceptance and finding your voice.

* Thank you NetGalley for providing me with this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Getting to read this book early was really special for me. I don’t remember how exactly I stumble across “the princess saves herself in this one” but I was hooked from the very first line of the dedication. Amanda’s writing had a great impact on the writer I am today. It opened a door for me into a world of poetry I didn't know I belong to. I’m honored for the opportunity to watch this little princess fights dragons and grows up into a series of empowering books. This isn't a book that shies away from hard topics. Taking courage from the #metoo movement, The mermaid’s voice returns in this one is a story about finding the strength to tell your story. In her own, unique, fairytale-like style, Amanda is not only talking back her own voice she also encourages her readers to do the same. This book is for every (not so little) girl who still dreams of the day she would claim back her kingdom. It’s for everyone who struggles to find their voice. To tell their truth. To write their story. Whatever it is. The book also includes many poems from other contributors that make it even more special and deserve their own shout-out.

This compilation of poems by @ladybookmad is about women who have gone through abuse, women who are suffering heartbreak and women who are healing. It's what you'd call minimalistic poetry. It is the last in the series, and how I wish I could read the other two!
I really enjoy this genre of poetry, while the debate of how poetic it is stays. It is wonderfully written and appeals to the sad, broken part of us that is tucked away somewhere. We often just push our broken pieces aside and instead of focusing on healing, we just go on with life assuming everything will be ok. Perhaps, it's books like this that remind us that we still are broken, parts of us remain unhealed. If you enjoy this genre of poetry, pick this one up!
Overall, a book that I enjoyed reading and would recommend you pick it up too! I

I loved This! Amanda's poetry is so so powerful and amazing! This poetry collection is something I feel like everyone should read.

Amazing! Amanda Lovelace does it again! Heartbreaking, real life, so vulnerable, but yet so good. As good/even better than her other two works. Would definitely recommend. A few triggers nodding to rape.

So,this is third book in Women Are Some Kind of Magic series,and it is still on powerful course.
This one is a little bit complicated cause the main theme is sexual assault. And if you ever experienced that this could be little pinch on the skin when you go into reading.
Verse is good,on point. It is simple but still says so much.
I personally didn't liked the homages to some classic works of prose and poetry. For me,it was cute but maybe it should have been saved for something else.
For some,thing poetry could be hard to swallow,because we all have different tastes.
I enjoyed it cause it is real,it is about how you can survive so much,and continue with your life. It is about how that defines you and about it doesn't at the same time.

While books of poems are not usually my thing, the themes Lovelace uses speak to me.
Not your traditional poem book. It certainly works for me.

This was pretty similar to her other two previous books. I see this one hitting the bestsellers list like the two previous in the series. While it may not be my cup of tea, I see many teenage girls and young women loving this. Especially those drawn towards the mermaid theme, however I do wish it had a tiny bit more mermaid theme included and not just Ariel. A few of the poems were a sentence long and very basic and I’m not sure why they were included into the book but despite that I overall enjoyed the poetry and some spoke to me personally. I will be recommending it to those looking for a title in this genre for sure.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟/5

I was provided with this arc by netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was my 1st experience reading Amanda's work and I really connected with her poems. Some of them felt like a real punch to the gut and often I had to take a moment to process what I had just read. It was raw and powerful and empowering. I will deffinatly be getting my hands on her other works.

"I am magic
all the days I am
a woman
& I am magic
all the days I am
not."

Tw: abuse, sexual assault, selfharm.

<b>Lovelace Is Helping to Lead a Poetry Revolution</b>
Friends- a revolution is happening in the poetry community and writers like Amanda Lovelace and Lang Leav (who writes the forward for this collection) are helping to lead the way. For years, poetry has been the dominated by white men (the Western cannon is decidedly and resoundingly male), but Amanda Lovelace is helping to break down those barriers. Her “women are some kind of magic,” series has helped to inspire an entirely new generation to read and write poetry. Any writer who inspires young people to read and write is a star in my book.

Lovelace continues to help to lead the poetry revolution with her final installment in the series, “the mermaid’s voice returns in this one. This book is a heartbreaking and beautiful conclusion to groundbreaking series.



<b>Amanda Lovelace Inspired Me to Write My Own Chapbook</b>
I absolutely love Amanda Lovelace. I can honestly say that her first book, the princess saves herself in this one, had a significant impact on my own life and my own writing. Lovelace’s straightforward and direct style inspired me to pick up my pen once more and to allow myself to explore my love of poetry again.

As a young person in college, I had an encounter with ableism and racism that silenced my pen for years. I knew that I could never write like Shakespeare, Chaucer or Milton. “Why,” I thought to myself, “should I bother writing poetry if I can’t write good poetry? What point is there in writing at all if I can’t write like one of the greats?”

Then, I stumbled across Amanda Lovelace’s the princess saves herself in this one. In the poetry section at Barnes & Noble. I was amazed by Lovelace’s style and deeply moved by her words. In that book, and each book in this series, Lovelace writes in a way that is unabashedly and unashamedly herself. She takes the reader on a journey from brokenness to hope. Then, she invites her reader to pick up their own pen and start their own story. “This is the sign that you’re looking for,” writes Lovelace.

I”m so glad that I listened to her.



<b>Lovelace Does Not Disappoint</b>
I eagerly awaited the mermaid saves herself in this one the way some people wait for the next Star Wars movie. In fact, this little purple book is a big part of the reason I signed up for a Net Galley membership a few months ago. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this book, and Net Galley offers readers the opportunity to preview advanced copies of books in exchange for an honest review.

I thought that I would breeze through this book in a day. I devoured both of the previous book in this series in one sitting. But in her final installment, Lovelace hits hard and she hits fast. She pulls no punches. Her writing left me in tears within only the first few minutes of reading this book.



<b>A Chorus of New Voices</b>
I was so moved by Lovelace’s story and her words that it took me four days to read this book. It’s not long- but it’s full of feeling. It was a stroke of brilliance for Lovelace to invite other poets to join with her in writing this closing book to her series.

Throughout the first two books, Lovelace encourages her readers to the hero of their own stories. Now, she shares the stage in this final act and invites a chorus of other sirens to sing with her. Their song will continue to haunt me. I can’t wait to read more of their work.



<b>I Would Eagerly Read Amanda Lovelace’s Grocery List</b>
Thank you, Amanda Lovelace, for your beautiful poetry and for your writing. I don’t care that people call you a hack (a cruel accusation that she addresses in this book). I love you, and I would eagerly read even your grocery list.

If it wasn’t for Amanda Lovelace, I wouldn’t have had the courage to write my own chapbook. I’m so glad that I found the courage to share my own story and I hope that many others find the courage to reclaim their own narratives. May we all be warrior mermaid star queens together.

I hope that Amanda Lovelace goes on to write many more books filled with many more references to Disney, Pixar, fairy-tales, Shakespeare, and mythology. I will happily read them all.

Don’t let the haters get you down, Amanda. You really are some kind of magic.

I strongly recommend this book to EVERYONE!



Note: I received a free digital copy of this book from Net GalleTy in exchange for an honest review.

Amanda Lovelace's third book in the Women Are Some Kind of Magic series is just beautiful. I loved The Princess Saves Herself in This One, and I have The Witch Doesn't Burn in This One (though I haven't read it yet - soon!), and I can't wait to read To Make Monsters Out of Girls. Amanda's poetry is gorgeous and heartwrenching - filled with both pain and hope, despair and love. I particularly liked that she had some guests write a few poems that she added into the collection, including poets such as Nikita Gill (who I also love). I definitely foresee myself reading this again in the future.

This is one of the most beautiful collections of poetry I’ve read. The journey from losing yourself to finding yourself is beautifully written in this book. Everyone who’s ever lost themselves because of someone else needs this book.

I've loved Amanda Lovelace's poems way before I read the collections. I've known her from Tumblr and Instagram. I was extremely happy wen I got approved for this one and it did not disappoint.

So this was just as much about selfdiscovery and self care and choosing for yourself after a really hard time (or times) as the two other books. While I did love that this books featured other poets, it felt less personal, which is logical since you know. It's someone else. But what I loved most about this book, and the other ones, is that it's an immense journey of getting to a place where you're happy, despite the things that happend in the past, or maybe because of them. From tho book and the things I see online, Amanda seems to be happy. And I'm glad that she has found a way to voice her feelings, not just for herself, but also for the readers. Maybe it can bring the some peace like it seemed to bring her.

I have really enjoyed reading the first two poetry collections by Amanda Lovelace, so when I saw this third collection for review on NetGalley I knew that I wanted it right away.

I really enjoyed seeing how Lovelace's voice and writing has changed over the three collections and how all three gave different views of using your voice and taking control of your life. While these poems can be hard to read due to their nature dealing with sexual assault, rape, power, and self harm they also paint a picture of hope and finding one's voice.

I can't relate to everything that is said in these poems but I can't relate to the feeling of powerlessness that she writes about and working to find the voice that we all have inside of us.

Poetry like hers is not for everyone, but I really enjoy the experience I have from reading her words.

I received an ARC copy of this book from NetGalley in return for an honest review. All thoughts feels and opinions are my own.

After reading all three books in her Women Are Some Kind of Magic series, this would have to be my second favorite. I was definitely hesitant going into this book since her last installment I was not the biggest fan of. Yet this book exceeded my expectations. The parts I enjoyed most were two and four and I liked that Amanda Lovelace brought in guest poets as well. To me, I could relate to those poems on a personal level and it made me stop and think about that time in my life. I only found a few bland poems or ones I didn’t necessarily care for which made for a great read. Overall I would give this ⅘ stars.

I saw this poetry series all over the social media. I didn't read the other books but when i saw this on Netgalley i wanted to give a chance. It was definitely worth to hype. This book was full of beautiful and powerfull poems. I really enjoyed reading it. I will read the other books too.

As the third part of the Women Are Some Kind of Magic collection, this stands as a work that makes the exploration of abuse, violence, and survival come full circle. It not only features brand new work by the author, it also includes poetry by a handful of contributors who all have written about victim/survivor issues that complement the author's work.

Since I have read all three books, I still think that the second in the collection is the strongest, but it also may be because it contains harder imagery than this one or the first one. I think that anyone who enjoyed reading the first two will also enjoy this one.

While I have never been a particularly huge fan of poetry, for some reason I can’t stay away from Amanda Lovelace’s books and they are ALWAYS 5-stars reads for me! “the mermaid’s voice returns in this one” was no exception. I requested, read, and reviewed “the witch doesn’t burn in this one” last year and so just could not help myself when I saw this up on NetGalley. One of the most exciting parts about these books for me, is finding out who the dedication is for. The first one was to Harry Potter, the second one was to Katniss Everdeen, and this one is dedicated to her younger self, as “the little bookmad girl,” and thanks her past self for surviving everything she experienced. This finale largely centred around the Me Too movement and it’s release feels like exactly what 2019 needed. It deals with heavy but IMPORTANT topics like abuse, sexual assault, the symptoms of surviving trauma, and learning to speak up for yourself. If you liked Amanda’s works in the past, then I am sure you will fall in love with these final words.
(Bonus: I loved the Forward by Lang Leav and am thinking of picking up some of her works in the future).

I enjoyed the poetry and the references to other books and characters in the poems. Everyone will find a poem he/she can relate to in this book.

It’s been a hot minute since I read The Witch Doesn’t Burn in This One, the second poetry collection in Amanda Lovelace’s Women Are Some Kind of Magic series. While I’ve still yet to read the first book, The Princess Saves Herself in This One, and therefore don’t have the full picture of this journey of growth, The Mermaid’s Voice Returns in This One still delivers on Lovelace’s trademark poetic voice in all its vulnerabilities and harsh truths.

I’ll go ahead and say now that The Witch Doesn’t Burn in This One ranked higher for me simply because I related to its anger, ferocity, and zeal more than I did this collection’s emphasis on trauma and healing. I also enjoyed the former’s greater usage of imagery more, since here, the imagery surrounding mermaids and their returning voice held more of a subtle place than downright literal usage. (I actually felt there was more imagery used with stars than anything else.) But that’s because this collection’s imagery was more figurative, and it encompassed the entire journey, namely that of a woman (or any reader) reclaiming their voice and at last speaking openly about the traumas of their past and how tough the healing journey is.

As the trigger warning at the beginning indicates, Lovelace’s poetry continues to deal with heavy subjects: eating disorders, intimate partner violence, sexual abuse, self-harm, gun violence, and much more. What’s important to note, too, is how these can all transcend genders and traditional expectations and also how the healing process itself can be intensely traumatic.

That latter realization struck me hard as I continued to read through the poems. So many of us view healing as the breath of relief, the sudden calmness after the thunderstorm. Healing is that moment where we let our dark pasts go and start fresh, like a blank canvas bereft of any paint or ink. The truth is, we often don’t realize how ugly and awful healing can be. We don’t think about the regressions, the self-flagellation, the scars made out of reopening old wounds again and again. We don’t think about the lies we tell ourselves that masquerade as healing, so we don’t have to face our pain, and we certainly don’t think about the depression or anxiety we experience because of it.

I’m glad Lovelace was so honest about her healing journey and the many faces it can take. That’s why I can still appreciate this entire work, even though I’m not currently struggling with something so heavy and consuming of myself. Because I know someone who has or is currently going through something terrible. Because I know the history of violence women have had to experience as a collective over the centuries. Because I know that violence extends to other genders, and as a result of that, healing cannot go down easy.

However, the situation is not all doom and gloom. There are plenty of empowering moments, too, and this is one that particularly resonated with me:

the
first person
who touched me
was not my
first.

– i’m deciding my firsts from now on.

The symmetry of this poem alone is beyond pleasing. Reading it from the top down, it takes us somewhere we didn’t expect, almost to a shocking conclusion. If we’re looking at this sideways pyramid from the bottom up, we can view each line as a stepping stone of sorts. It will obviously be harder to climb these stones if you started from the bottom, just like it was hard for Lovelace to embrace the idea that her so-called “first” doesn’t deserve that honor, that whoever they were didn’t touch her the way she as a human being deserves to be touched: with love and without abuse of any kind. Once she’s discovered this idea, though, that she doesn’t have to conform to society’s definition of “first,” that she can decide that definition instead with all her agency, then the steps become easier to climb, the idea easier to adopt and apply.

For my part, I think it’s a shame that I found “i’m deciding my firsts from now on” to be such a powerful, radical declaration, but that’s the trapping of society, isn’t it? So much emphasis is placed on firsts: first kiss, first date, first anniversary, and then that tired saying, “You never forget your first,” as if the first time you have sex with that one person should matter so exponentially more than any other time, no matter how good or traumatic it was, that you will always remember that person. So I love the pushback this poem gives, that if something or someone wasn’t up to par, it doesn’t get added to my personal historical record. Instead, it gets struck from the record until that first comes along who actually measures up.

Readers are also in store for plenty of other surprises. For instance, I was delighted to see a poem dedicated to Maleficent, one of my favorite villains of all time–and thanks to Angelina Jolie’s performance, one who can also now be considered both a tragic and powerful figure. Lovelace pays homage to other characters and creations, too, such as Medusa, Artemisia in Joy McCullough’s Blood Water Paint, and C.S. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia.

The real standout quality of this particular collection, however, is how Lovelace also reached out to other female poets and included their words and feelings about their own lives and struggles here as well. Readers can expect to find poems, each written gorgeously and earnestly, by poets such as Trista Mateer, Gretchen Gomez, and Nikita Gill. That latter made me clap with excitement because there’s just something about the way Gill writes poetry that truly holds my attention and makes me enamored with it. (And unsurprisingly, her poem was my favorite, but I’m also incredibly biased.)

If you’re on the fence about this one, don’t be. I definitely got a lot out of it. My only suggestion would be for you to maybe not start here if this is your first foray into Lovelace. The Women Are Some Kind of Magic series is definitely a journey, one of a princess-turned-queen-turned-witch-turned-mermaid, and it’s best started at the beginning (and I’ll be taking my own advice about that soon and finally reading the first book).

Above all, I recommend this series for the same reason that Lovelace wrote it: to give victims and survivors courage to tell their own stories. The way Lovelace has chosen to do so was like broken glass: a harsh but beautiful reflection within, but it’s not the only way to tell a story, and may not even be the right way for you. Still, this series can encourage you, embolden you, maybe even help you find your voice. In the end, there’s no wrong or right way to tell a story. Only your way.

take my words,

but
expand upon them.
argue with them.
change them.
twist them.

– make them yours.

It’s safe to say I’m feeling inspired today. Thanks, Amanda.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an earc.

I gave this a four out of five stars, I really enjoyed reading this but it wasn’t a favorite of mine by the author. I still really liked it though. There are quite a bit of lines I did enjoy though. I do plan on buying myself at least one copy if not more. I do recommend you to pick up this poetry collection and the others she has out too.

Some lines I enjoyed are:

“All this time, I thought myself a motherfucking queen”

“You’re still everywhere I don’t want you to be”

“what if he just does it to another girl?”

“I. When they say ‘no.’ II. When they can’t say ‘no.’ -they’re both assault”

“the first person who touched me wasn’t my first. -I’m deciding my first from now on”

“Traveling through eras we haven’t yet seen until Romeo can hold hands with a boy & Juliet can hold hands with a girl without fear hanging over their heads.”

“Show them exactly what a mermaid-witch-queen like yourself can accomplish”

I love Amanda Lovelace and will devour everything she writes. This collection did not disappoint. It was neat that she had different contributors poetry sprinkled throughout.

This was such a powerful poetry collection, and I just flew through it. The messages in the collection are inspiring and leave me in awe every time. I always love reading Amanda’s poetry because so many of the poems speak to me. I understand her pain and suffering, and her finding her self in the midst of everything. I still think that the first poetry collection in this series is my favorite, followed by the second one, and then this one. It’s not that I didn’t like this one, it’s just that there weren’t as many poems that I just fell in love with. There were several that were frankly just repetitive or had no meaning whatsoever. I can’t say this is a bad poetry book, simply because of the trauma and healing that is shared within. Those are important stories to share, and with each poem, you learn a little bit more of the story. I just didn’t like all of the poems. I thought that the additions from other poets was a really nice touch, and I loved those poems. I will be sure to check some more of their work out. Overall, it was a pretty good poetry collection for those that liked her first two in this little series.

Thank you NetGalley for providing an advanced copy of this collection for me to read. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was gifted the first book in the "Women Are Some Kind of Magic" set and though I liked it, it didn't blow me away. In fact there was just one poem that really struck me (it involved sisters). That being said, I saw "the mermaid's voice returns in this one" on NetGalley and was interested enough to request it. So happy that I did.

Not only did more of the poems grab me but I really enjoyed that this was a collaborative effort with a couple other poets. It gave the whole collection a little extra. Poems are so hard to judge though. While some were great for me, others not so much. I also think their was a lot of missed opportunity in tying in the mermaid theme into the overall collection.

3.5 stars round up to 4

I truly enjoy reading Amanda Lovelace’s poetry and I was very excited when I was able to read this one. I admire Lovelace’s bravery throughout the entire trilogy and I found it very inspiring to hear her story and how she merges popular fairy tales with modern day reality. The conclusion to this series was very powerful and I love the inclusion of other poets. Through this book, Amanda Lovelace helped other poets find their voice, as well as her readers, find their voices. This was an amazing conclusion to the Women Are Some Kind of Magic series.

I've had a kind of weird relationship with Lovelace's poetry. I consider The Princess Saves Herself In This One to be one of my favourite poetry collections of all-time, but I really didn't get along with her second book. I like this one better than that, but it still didn't quite stand up to the first one. I really liked the inclusion of other poets—I liked seeing poets I already like such as Nikita Gill and Clementine von Radics, while also giving me a few new names to check out.

This was a great final book in the series. I think it might be my second favorite. I loved the inclusion of other poets that Lovelace chose to incorporate. While I lost myself with the second book because it just didn’t click with me, this one more than made up for it.

The Mermaid's Voice Returns in This One is the third and final book in Amanda Lovelace's Women Are Some Kind of Magic poetry trilogy.

On the surface Mermaid's Voice goes along in the same vein as the previous two books dealing with tough to talk about subjects such as abuse, assault, loss, etc. with moments of triumph on a pathway leading out of the darkness.

But as I went along I really felt like Mermaid's amped all of the emotions up tenfold. This wasn't a read I could charge through like I did with the other two books. This was one that I had to take longer breaks in between reading.

I enjoyed the inclusion of guest poets. I felt like it was almost a statement of "you're not alone" that these other authors were showing support. It was interesting and nice to hear some different voices within the running narrative.

No matter how difficult and raw I found some of these passages there's always a sense of the weight lifting off shoulders when you get to the end. Like you've poured so much of yourself out that you feel lighter. I definitely felt lighter after getting to the end of Mermaid's.

Overall this trilogy has showcased the strength and perseverance of the body and mind. How life can throw all sorts of things at you, but you can live through it and there can be happiness on the other side.

Unfortunately I can't read this because the format is not compatible with my laptop. Very sad, I was really looking forward to reading it.

I am a huge fan of amanda's work and credit her poetry for getting me into modern poetry. Despite loving the overarching narrative of the mermaid finding her voice and becoming strong, the individual poems were not as strong as some of her previous work. However, since this is a collection about healing it is hard to make critiques about it. Who am I to say she didn't present her healing the right way? But, I will say that despite feeling her pain in certain poems, I could not connect to this collection in the way I connected to her previous works.

I also was not a fan of intermixing the other poet's poems in the last section. I liked their poems, but going into this I thought they would be in a separate section. It was jarring to keep switching from amanda's narrative to another. I do like the idea of so many poet's showing different ways of healing and overcoming one's demons, but intermixing them lost some of the value of both their words and amanda's.

I also always forget that I should not read eARCs of poetry because the formatting is usually weird. The formatting of this collection was pretty good, but I still think I need to reread it to truly get meaning out of some of the poems.

The Mermaid's Voice Returns in This One is a beautiful conclusion to this Trilogy of poetry collections. It is filled with emotional poems, but also has enough positive, strong and hopeful ones sprinkled in there to not make the whole book too depressing.

I really enjoyed most of these poems and bookmarked quite a few, but overall I didn't feel a strong enough connection to give it the full 5 stars. I would still recommend anyone to check these poetry collections out. There are some very special gems in this one and I was definitely touched.

I received book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first book by Amanda Lovelace. I'd skimmed through some of her books before while browsing through bookstores but never fully committed because of how bad I've been burned by poetry books lately. I've always loved her titles though so I was excited to read this.

It held up ! I love the fairy tale vibes she emits in her work, having grown up a Disney kid and obsessed with the brothers grimm and other tales. There wasn't a lot of things relating back to mermaids surprisingly but that was completely fine. Very feminine based, very big in the metoo movement, and very relatable.

If you're familiar with her work you'll like this.

Having read the past two books in the Women are Some Kind of Magic series by Amanda Lovelace this book ranked very highly on my to-be-read list! And it did not disappoint! I read the whole of this book within two sittings, it would have been one but I had to go to work!
I really enjoyed these poems and I believe it created a nice conclusion to this trilogy. I also thought it was cool how she tied in other authors this time that wrote about similar experiences. As well there seemed to be more nods to literary works and I really like those, especially since the author is an avid reader she is going to be inspired by other works.

One of my favourite poems is "I believe in endless worlds" and man does it ever hit home. I'm excited to continue reading her work in the future!

I’ve never been a huge fan of poetry despite my best efforts. In the past few years this trauma porn/recovery genre makes me feel... something. In Lovelace’s three volume collection, vague allusions to fairy tales and their dismantling frame her narrative. I’m on board.

My complaint with the final installment is “the surviving” – the final section with a chorus of voices, but no conclusions. I’m all about giving talented up-and-comers a foot in the door but I didn’t want or need this to be a compilation. The author I wanted to read has very sparse, waterfalling prose and some of the extras are literal walls of text. The subject matter may fit but the interjecting styles are jarring and unnecessary. I rate this 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.

I received an ARC e-book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

*trigger warnings are given at the beginning of the collection, sexual abuse/harassment being the biggest theme throughout the works.

I love poetry, especially on topics that I can connect to, and these poems are amazing, full of thoughtful and inspiring pieces it is definitely heavily inspired by the "Me Too" movement, and have a few other authors works that add a nice addition to the collection.

I've read the other two in the trilogy by Lovelace and loved them just as much as this one. The poems made me think of my own life, as a woman I felt I was able to connect to what the author is saying, as I have experienced some of the things she is talking about. This collection of poetry made me feel many different emotions, while simultaneously making me feel like I could take on whatever the world throws at me. I would highly recommend.

Another beautiful collection of poetry by Amanda Lovelace in her Women Are Some Kind of Magic series. She puts her heart and soul into her words and you can feel her emotions on every page. I also really loved the guest poems that were featured in this book.

Amanda Lovelace always delivers! Again, she tells her story with grace, but this time she's added something new! She's collaborated with some of her talented contemporaries, including poetry by them in this book as well. Honestly, if you want or need more poetry about being a survivor, or are just a fan of Amanda, definitely read this. She is one of the loveliest voices in poetry out there. I'm excited to see what she does next and now I've learned about new voices in poetry to research as well!

I’ve read all of this author’s books and have never been disappointed. They always bring tears to my eyes, even sometime sobs. This one was no exception, it was extremely beautiful and moving. I looked forward to this installment for what seemed like forever and was beyond excited to get approved to read it early.

This book was so empowering and really made me want to take back my voice. I’m usually the type of person who hates conflict and kind of goes in a hole instead. After reading this one I really want to change that, I wasn’t to take my voice and actually use it.

If you love poetry or are just getting into it I highly suggest this set of books. It is very easy to follow and makes a huge impact. Another thing I love is the covers, they are perfectly simple and outstanding at the same time.

the mermaid’s voice returns in this one,

undulating with uncertainty,

the high tides of hope receding with the thoughts

that this has happened.

it can happen again.

the waves of righteous anger

a siren song

to other survivors

we can hear you

and we are singing too

In this third volume in her "Women Are Some Kind of Magic" poetry series, Amanda Lovelace revisits popular childhood tales with an adult's critical eye. She re-examines how these stories vilified or victimized the women in them, simultaneously telling the story of her own abuse. The poems are harrowing, and especially in the early parts, sometimes hard to read as the abuse takes its toll on the narrator's self-worth. But as the title of the collection proclaims, the mermaid's voice returns in this one, as the poems reconstruct those fairy tales to give their heroines the happily forever afters they deserve. Guest poets fill out the collection, and the voices gives the book a welcome solidarity and hopefulness.

So sad.. I have tried many a hundred different ways but I just couldn't open the file that I received. I was so looking forward to reading this story.

I've read the previous installments in the Women Are Some Kind of Magic series and while I enjoyed them, they weren't favorites. Lovelace was definitely one of my favored voices in modern poetry and I was willing to give anything she put out a chance. This installment in the trilogy blew me away.

One thing I love about Lovelace's collections is that she always includes trigger warnings in the beginning. This is so appreciated and valuable when it comes to the type of content being discussed. Her language is beautiful while the emotions and subject matter are very raw and real. The way she phrases and formats her poems lend to the style and the expert use of language.

Perhaps it is my own experiences, but this collection just spoke to me. The progression of the story felt like a real progression of healing and learning. The guest poems from other poets perfectly melded into the collection. While they were different voices being added in, they fit in and belonged there. It was wonderful and heartbreaking at the same time.

I definitely recommend this collection for anyone who enjoys her writing or anyone looking for modern poetry that touches hard hitting and difficult subjects.

This collection is the third and final installment in a series of poetry collections. Each one tells a story of the strength and resilience of women in a world that does not allow them the equality they deserve. Lovelace uses her own life experience and her personal story throughout the course of the collection. She truly weaves her words and themes together into a tale that is captivating and threaded with raw emotion. Out of the three collections, this one fell in the middle for me in terms of my enjoyment of it.

I absolutely adored the first one and felt such a deep connection to it. She primarily focused on her own life journey, which I found fascinating to read. In the second one, she strayed away from this and, while she did include personal stories, is felt much more general. It was a bit more difficult to connect to on a personal level. This one is a great blend of the two, mixing poems about her experiences with poems that give a broader look at women’s rights and their strength. In all three, she does a beautiful job of demonstrating these themes in a passionate and inspiring way. I really enjoy her work and I cannot wait to read more in the future.

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. These thoughts and feelings are my own.

This was another gelreat collection of poetry by Amanda Lovelace. I was so excited when someone told me her third book was available on Netgalley!

I love that the central theme in this book was hope and healing. Yes, terrible, horrific things happened, but there’s always a chance for healing. It’s such a great message that’s so pertinent today.

I did have a harder time connecting with this book, but I think that’s because the issues discussed have never happened to me. The poems were still beautifully written and I liked the inclusion of other poets. The subject matter did not take away from the book at all, even though it wasn’t something I had experienced.

This was another amazing book of poetry that empowers women to take back their lives after tragedies and gives them hope to be able to heal. I would definitely recommend this book, along with her others.

Poetry isn’t something that I read an awful lot of and it’s definitely something I want to get into more. I’ve read the first two instalments in Amanda Lovelace’s Women Are Some Kind of Magic series and was incredibly excited about reading this powerful and inspiring third book.

Much like the previous books, the poems Lovelace creates are so emotional and raw. The poems are written in a very minimal way, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t pack a punch. So many of her poems have given me food for thought and I definitely felt the same with The Mermaid’s Voice Returns in This One.

While I did really enjoy this book, it did feel a little bit disconnected from the two I read previously. I didn’t connect with this one as much as I did The Witch Doesn’t Burn in This One and for me it didn’t feel as powerful. Though still a thought provoking and timely read, I definitely preferred the first two books in this trilogy.

It’s been fascinating to read Lovelace’s work as she has grown and honed her craft with each book, It was also interesting to read the guest poems from a variety of guest poets. Some of these I liked more than others and I think this might be part of the reason I didn’t love this book as much.

Overall the Women Are Some Kind of Magic series is a hauntingly beautiful and thought provoking series and The Mermaid’s Voice Returns in This One is an excellent addition. If you’re a fan of poetry or interesting in feminist writing, this is a must read. I for one am excited to see what Amanda Lovelace does next.

i really love this series. they definitely are some of my favorite poetry collections. i first read the first one, the princess saves herself in this one, last year and i really loved it. it was this strong, empowering, feminist poetry collection that spoke to you. i really loved every bit of it. i do think my ranking of the books are like, the third one as my favorite, then the first one, then the second one as my least favorite. nevertheless, i love this series so much and i would 100% recommend it to anyone looking for a fierce, quick read!

This third collection of poetry, and conclusion, to Amanda Lovelace's Women Are Some Kind of Magic series, did not disappoint. I felt that this book was just as powerful as the first two in the series and I like the addition of guest poets. It lent different voices to important topics in society and also proved the point that you are not alone. I'm sad that this series is over.

This was a strong conclusion to the Women Are Magic series and I love Amanda Lovelace's voice. This is the pick me up many survivors could use to just face another day.

*Thank you to Netgalley for this review copy. All opinions expressed are my own"

I have read and own every single one of Amanda Lovelace's poetry books. The emotion, truth, and personal experience she transcends in every verse, sentence, word, and poem is truly magnificent.

The Princess Saves Herself in This One was my all time favorite.. until now. So much of this novel resonated with me as a female in todays society. The comparisons to mermaids was a fantastical element that added so much vision and imagery to her collection. I can NOT wait to purchase this novel and annotate/document all of the poems I loved.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me an advanced reader copy for free in exchange for an honest review.

When I saw that there was an advanced reading copy for amanda lovelace’s last poetry collection in her series “women are some kind of magic” I was extremely excited. I first found lovelace’s work through a friend of mine who kindly gifted me the first book in the series.

Her first book in the series is probably my favourite as it came to me at a time when I needed to be reminded of my own strengths and abilities. The collection of poetry is something I often return to in times of struggle and I find lovelace’s words comforting and uplifting.

Her third collection aligns with her previous works and centres on themes of self (re-)discovery, how to find your own voice again, and the struggle with remembering and letting go of the past. The four part collection (the sky, the shipwreck, the song, and the surviving) starts, interestingly, with a swan song—which comes from the ancient Greek belief that swans sang beautiful songs as they died. Whilst this is the last book in her series, I doubt that this will be the last we will here from lovelace. This swan song, therefore defies narrative norms where the end—the swan song—is actually just the beginning.

lovelace’s honesty and poetic style proffer the question again and again, How do we come to terms with the past? On the one hand, talking about the past is vital to heal, yet on the other hand it can be extremely dangerous in that the past can creep into the now and take over our present and future selves. Healing also just takes a lot of time and it isn’t easy. With poetic lines like when will it be my turn to be “the gem/ of the deep/ not the rubble of pompeii” (p36) we see the way lovelace contemplates healing, learning, and growing from the past, but also being frustrated with how long everything takes.

Throughout the collection, lovelace also twists the meanings and narrative conventions of traditional fairytales and love stories like The Little Mermaid and Romeo and Juliet. She looks for new meanings and interpretations as well as coming up with alternative endings. In doing so, she asks the reader to question the status quo and to also demand different endings for themselves. Her poetry is also helpful in the way that it reminds the reader to trust their instincts and to learn “how to/ recognize/ the warning/ flares” of toxic and dangerous people. Her new alternate interpretations of tried and true stories therefore, goes a step further by asking the reader to be aware of not just toxic people, but also toxic narratives.

lovelace slips between first and third person blurring the lines of self and other as she recounts some of her past. By doing so she distances herself from her experiences, but also takes hold of her own narrative. Her musings on the terms victim/survivor and which one is more ‘appropriate’ also ties in with the ending of her collection where she states that there is no one way to be a survivor/victim. Often times, people can be both and that is okay. She embraces the multifaceted nature of her identity and this is accentuated throughout the (re-)telling of her own stories.

In the last section of her collection, lovelace mixes the poetry of other authors with her own and creates a mini-anthology of survivor stories. By including these new voices she further reinforces the idea that there is no one way to remember, survive, or talk about assault. And in the final pages of the collection she asks the reader to “take my words,/ but/ expand upon them.” in her poem ‘- make them yours.’ (p171).

Overall, lovelace’s poetry is important in a time of #MeToo where more and more people are talking about sexual violence and stigma. I still believe that her first collection in the series was her best, but I can also appreciate the way that each poem builds on the ones from before creating new meanings and interpretations of remembering trauma.

Are you a fan of poetry? Will you be picking up lovelace’s poetry collection when it hits the shelves? As always, share the reading love.

NOTE: This novel was was accessed through Netgalley and Andrew McMeel Publishing for review purposes. Expected publication is 5th March 2019.

https://bound2books.co/2019/03/06/re-defining-survivor-victim-stories-a-review-of-amanda-lovelaces-new-poetry-collection/

I chanced upon an ARC of this book because I was browsing through the poetry section of Netgalley on the right day, at the right time. And I'm so glad I found it!

The Mermaid's Voice Returns In This One is the third book in the Women are Some Kind of Magic series, and I loved it just as much as the other two books, maybe even more.

The Mermaid's Voice was about speaking up, about getting through the pain and still continuing to live, about fighting your demons. It was a collection of poems that inspired me, at the same time bringing me face to face with the reality.

"today
i love the way
i look in
my sundress
& it's not
because
someone else
convinced
me to."

This is one of the many beautiful pieces in the book. And what's more? There are even poems by some really amazing poets, including one of my favourites, Nikita Gill.

All in all, The Mermaid's Voice Returns In This One was a power-packed collection of poems that left me breathless and in awe.

Another incredible, heartfelt collection from one of the best modern poets of this age. It's always a treat to dive into Amanda's head. There are not many poets that make me feel this seen and understood.

Wow, this was heavy. I think that’s why I enjoy Amanda Lovelace’s work so much. She doesn’t hold back. For me, that’s the allure with her entire “Women Are Some Kind of Magic” series. All three books feel so personal.

It’s no secret that I love poetry, but I don’t often find the most popular poetry books alluring. It’s personal preference, of course. But these? I adore. Lovelace’s voice and words are magical for me because they have a way of being the exact words I can’t always find for myself. Does that make sense? I think the most powerful poets are capable of pulling out emotions from you that you were unaware even really existed.

It’s hard to give a concise reason for enjoying poetry, because there are no characters or plot lines. There are just words that you either connect to, or don’t. Sometimes it’s more about you than the poetry. With that being said, this poetry (in my opinion) is fantastic. I’d like to own the entire series and I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys beautifully strung together poetry.

The third book in her trilogy, and similar to her other two books. I really liked these poems. A few pages have poems from other people which the other books don't have.

If you loved the other books in the series, you'll love this one. It's raw. It's poignant. It's a different way of talking about healing from abuse than you may have experienced before - and it's beautiful.

I knew this going in but there are a lot of guest poems. I love that she's highlighting other authors, although sometimes I felt like it disrupted the flow a little. I suspect that will depend on how you read the book - I tend to sit down and devour the whole thing at once, and then come back again to dive into specific areas/themes at a time. If you're more of the latter type, it likely won't bother you.

The mermaid theme was interesting. At times it seems to dance just below the surface and you're not sure how clear it is...and then it'll rise up and remind you that it's been here the entire time.

I can only review part of this one, since I didn't realize it never sent to my kindle and now can no longer be downloaded. I'm SO mad at myself for not noticing, because I really love Amanda Lovelace's writing - she has an uncanny ability to take the savage thoughts that sneak through our heads wreaking havoc and wrestle them onto the page, exposing them to the harsh light of day... This collection seems to continue again in that vein, although I was only able to read a sampling of it. It's on hold at the library now though, and I'll update my review when I can - although strongly suspect my feelings won't change!

The last book in the trilogy of poetry by Amanda Lovelace is The Mermaid’s Voice Returns in This One. So if you’ve been a fan of the previous two, you would definitely love this one too. This one like the others focuses a bit on folklore. This one focuses on mermaids and sirens. About how they can lose their voices and what they can do to have them returned to them. Sirens sing and to men and as such often get blamed in fairytales for luring men away from their beloveds. Victim blaming is something that goes on this world and this is what Amanda LoveLace is trying to convey. Victim Blaming happens in the most blatant of places, as it is so ingrained in our society. From facebook comments to what women wear to work. It happens a lot in this world and the #MeToo tries to combat this. And I believe this poetry could help these people understand it is not them. It is the people that rape and sexually assault people that are to blame. It is about regaining that voice from those people that steal it. I seriously love this premise behind this book but I do feel she relied on the previous themes as well a bit too much. The Witch and the Princess were mentioned much more than the Mermaid but this could be due to the fact that this is the last book in the series.

In addition to this, we got some guest poets in this edition. From Nikita Gill who is the author behind Wild Embers to Jenna Clare who some people may know from her infamous photography of the booktube community, but is such an amazing poet with her debut book out this year. Honestly, this series has given me life to move on and I will march on with the knowledge that Amanda Lovelace gave me.

#gifted

i refuse
to
believe
you took
something
irreplaceable
from me
in
that
moment.
- i still have every part of myself.

4 out of 5 stars.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Andrews McMeel Publishing and Amanda Lovelace for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are 100% my own and independent of receiving an advance copy. Rating 3.5 stars.

This is the third volume of poetry from Amanda Lovelace and 13 other guest artists and is the final offering that follow the “women are some kind of magic” theme. In this one the mermaid has found her voice…

“nobody
has
the right
to lure
your voice
out of
you-

not
even if
they’re
a sea witch
looking
to make
a bargain”

The poetry deals with heavy subjects like sexual assault, violence, death, and child abuse, but really relates to all kinds of trauma. I don’t think you have to have necessarily have to have gone through something horrendous to get these poems. Just being a woman qualifies you get it. I love taking these fairy tale tropes that we have all grown up with and turning them on their heads, challenging them. A castle or a cell - both can be cages. Some of the poems I loved, some were okay, some pulled at my heart strings, others broke my heart, some spoke to me. My favourite:

“trauma didn’t change you all at once
it carved slowly every day
like rivers do
it was patient while it hollowed you out

so it’s a sculptor or it’s a knife
you take your pain and you other it
you give it a new name
and a new face

you say this might have helped shape me
it it is not a part of me

you say i meant to break open
to make room for stars”

untitled by trista mateer

Lovelace encourages us not to stay silent and to write your own story. Find your voice and state your truth. Any way you see fit. I will add, whether you decide to share it or not. Shout it from the mountain tops or lock it up and throw away the key. It can be a valuable path to healing. That is what these women share in this volume, it might help you.

This book taught me something about myself, and though I can’t articulate quite what it is, it’s a lovely and powerful thing. Amanda Lovelace, by speaking her own story, speaks to every woman in this poetry collection. Even if you’ve never gone through similar things as she has, you can still learn and understand something by reading this book. Her poems put into words emotions I didn’t even know I had — and I can’t thank her enough for it. I want to hide these words in my heart forever. I adored getting to hear the poems from other women as well. No critiques literally at all.

Thank you to Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed reading this collection. It was the first Amanda Lovelace collection that I've read. I really loved the character of the mermaid and how she became the vessel for Lovelace to express herself as a survivor of sexual assault. The raw honesty in this collection was very compelling and her journey to healing resonated with me because it was a journey that is all too familiar to me.

My favourite parts about this collection are the references that Lovelace makes to Shakespeare, fairy tales, or whatever. I especially loved the poems in which she imagines the different worlds where Romeo and Juliet have different and happier endings.

I'm looking forward to reading more of her work in the future.

Well, I was right- these books shine their brightest when read in their physical format. There’s just something about written poems that is so much more impactful- perhaps it’s the fact that they allow the reader time to ponder over what they’ve read, how they interpret it, why it affects them.

The Mermaid’s Voice Returns in this One is the third book in the Women Are Some Kind Of Magic series, taking the Little Mermaid tale that has erupted in contemporary literature in the past couple of years and transforming it into an empowering story for women. If there’s one thing I learned when reading poems by Amanda Lovelace, it is that it doesn’t matter how other people define you- if they use diminishing or insulting words, condescending looks and patronizing smiles directed at women of all shapes sizes ages and ethicalities; it’s what you decide to make of them that matters. A word has the connotation we decide to give it. We are part of the society, but we don’t have to act as dictated; we make a choice. The only redemption arc that we are here for is ours. We redeem ourselves. We take the broken and fix it, because it wasn’t broken to begin with. The first step towards self-respect is realizing exactly that: Your self-worth is always there, untarnished and waiting for you to claim it. No one else can take it away, if you don’t let it go.

This collection also felt like a love letter to the readers that have been here for the past years, the bookworms and nerds that were called weird in high school (I dare you to tell me it hasn’t happened to you). She calls to them and tells them: You are awesome. Hear that girls, women and madams, daughters, mothers and granddaughters? WE ARE AWESOME. I also once again appreciated the trigger warnings listed meticulously in the beginning of the book, and I have to caution that sexual abuse and assault play a dominant role in this narrative, so please proceed with caution and stay safe.

Thank you to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Mermaid's Voice Returns in This One was a powerful and emotional read! The writing is very beautiful and powerful!

As usual, a beautifully written book! Poetry is becoming more and more popular and they are always such emotional, but quick reads. I was so excited to get a copy of this book because it was one of the books that I was highly anticipating this year (since the last two collections absolutely blew my mind and pulled all the heart strings). This series is one of my favorites and the poems in this book is touching and revealing of how many women face so many different situations.

I honestly recommend this book, and the series as whole, to anyone who is even remotely interested and especially for all the fans of Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur. This has a similar vibe, so it will definitely be a great read to experience a whole range of emotions!

It is hard for me to even express with words what a book like this can do and the importance of the stories shared in these poems. Poetry is lyrical, but also effective in a world where everyone is short on time! Seriously, it is so quick to read so anyone can pick up a copy and fit in poem or two even in the busiest of schedules!

I received this book in exchange for an honest review which has not altered my opinion of the book.

I have been in love with amanda lovelace's poems since I first read the princess saves herself in this one. These poems really hit deep and approach to mental health and the difficulty in recovering. This one deals with addiction and rape and there are triggers for just about everything. There is no sugar coating done, which I usually find to be terribly difficult to read, but these poems capture the feelings and justify the fact that when someone with mental illness has issues and people don't believe you, it's not you, it's them.

I really can't recommend this series enough. While I do advise caution because it is not an easy thing to read about, this collection specifically is very relevant and centers around the Me Too movement. Five out of five from me.

So powerful and right in line with her other two. If you like Lovelace's writing, then you'll love this one. Still think her first release is her best.

The Mermaids Voice Returns in This One
By: Amanda Lovelace

What a beautiful book as her final installment to her Women Are Some Kind of Magic series! Not only is the regular purple covers stunning, but if you get your hands on a target edition, it has a sparkled mermaids tail across the cover. Very stunning. I must say that I enjoyed the poems in this one more than the "Witch" book. If you haven't yet, make sure you check out my reviews of her other books.

Anyways, I just want to say that if you enjoyed her other books, then you would probably enjoy this one as well. I feel like this one is in sync with the "ME TOO" movement as I noticed that many poems centered around that.

Some may get confused by the title and how it could correlate, but this book was all about speaking up. Not cowering within yourself and your struggles. While someone may have taken something from you (dignity, confidence, "voice"), you are strong enough to get it all back.

While I felt alot of the poems in this one felt simple in comparison to her others, they sure DID NOT lack the powerfulness of them. Each word was striking and empowering. Amanda definetley went out with a bang as she ended this series. The Mermaid's Voice Returns in This One is going to fix broken hearts, souls, bodies, everywhere.

Please note that there are multiple trigger warnings in all her books, and that goes just right along with this one.

Contains sensitive material to:

child abuse, gun violence, partner abuse, sexual assault, eating disorders, self-harm, suicide, alcohol, trauma, death, violence, & fire.

So just make sure you are in the right head space to go into this book. Most are powerful and help the reader move on, but the idea of the sensitive material is still present, so just be aware.

Just know that you are stronger than what your past (or present) has made you deal with. Practice self care and talk to someone if you need to.

I did get this as an ARC through NetGalley, but am only showing photos of the finished copy I purchased.

Until Next Time,
DauntlessReading