shine your icy crown by Amanda Lovelace is an astute and powerful collection of prose that will speak to the very heart of the female experience in a world that persists in trying to diminish the unbreakable strength of the feminist spirit. This is writing, reflection, and observation that gives voice to what so many of us keep locked away in our conscious thoughts, never daring to speak our individual truth for fear of offending the status quo. This is a relevant and empowering collection that I will return to again and again. Recommended. 4.5 stars

Many thanks to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for an ARC.

*Thank you very much to the publisher, Amanda Lovelace, and Netgalley for giving me an E-ARC of "shine your icy crown" in exchange for a honest review * Another amazing book of poetry from Amanda!

Beautiful poetry that makes any woman feel empowered. Amanda is a phenomenal writer that deserves more attention for these amazing poems. You can feel the emotion beneath the words which makes this book more powerful!

"We are not defined by the love our family could or could not give us. we are defined, instead, by the people we consciously become in spite of them - the kindness we show others, the forgiveness we give to ourselves, the times we speak up instead of choosing to remain silent, & the difficult yet necessary apologies we make."

I have read and enjoyed all of Lovelace's poetry collections and this one was no different. I know many struggle to relate to the sparseness of modern poetry and here, as in every anthology, not every poetry will make you feel as intended. For me though, whilst not every single poem was perfect for my specific needs, the collections as a whole felt like being wrapped up in a big, warm hug and being told it was all going to be okay. I felt so soothed by her words that they often brought me to tears.

I feared I would relate to this anthology less so than her others, once I discovered it was centred around the theme of sisters. I do not have a sister and thought that whilst I might enjoy this I would not feel those heart-tugging emotions that her other anthologies have elicited. However, I found this to focus more on the bond between women, and the way they should build each other up, rather than the specific relationship between sisters. A sister can be found in any individual, regardless of blood or gender and the empowering message behind much of these poems attested to that.

If you've read Amanda Lovelace, you kind of know what to expect with her poetry. I like the symmetry with the different covers, if that makes sense.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this so much!!! Amanda Lovelace has done it again and has written a stellar poetry collection! Every single poem was powerful and I felt the power in her words! I think everyone needs to read this because Amanda Lovelace keeps improving her poems with every published collection (and she was stellar to begin with, so she is really perfecting her craft). I HIGHLY recommend this collection and all of Amanda Lovelace’s collection. I feel so empowered and enlightened after completing this!! I am extremely excited to get my paperback version once the book is officially published.

Another beautiful and touching poetry collection from Amanada Lovelace. I loved reading the princess saves herself in this one, and reading this collection was no different. The poems were relatable, touching, inspiring, and above all else, true to self. I would highly recommend this book for anyone looking for poetry that touches the heart and the struggles that ladies have to deal with then this here beauty is for you!

*Thank you Netgalley for sending me an arc in exchange for an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Elegant and empowering. Amanda Lovelace turns unspoken struggles into beautiful poetry. Shine your icy crown is a book most women related to in one way or another.

4.75 Stars (I received an e-arc from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review)

Amanda Lovelace never fails to write poetry that sweeps me away from the real world and has some very lovely illustrations in pink tones. I do really like the format that this series where the first couple parts of the collection have a more sad and negative theme. Then placing a positive view with a you can do it and you’re strong vibe. This collection’s main theme is sisterhood whether it is a biological or found family connection. Pink illustrations give this volume a bit more of a girly vibe, which I found adorable and really brought the fairytale theme home. Out of the two volumes in this series I would choose Shine Your Icy Crown as my favourite in the series and either my second or third favourite Amanda Lovelace collection (I don’t think anything will every top The Witch Doesn’t Burn in This One).

Amanda Lovelace has done it again. Not only is her poetry beautiful but it hits hard has meaning. I could relate to so many of the poems in this book and the journey that she went on. There were also a lot of messages for me to take away which I loved.

I definitely recommend this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Amanda Lovelace has delivered another great piece of poetry. I loved the ''big sister says'' part, I think it's the best part of the whole book. The illustrations, I must say, are beautiful alongside the poems.

Necessary poetry book, but with some filler poems. Overall, I liked it.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read this before publication date.

As a big fan of Lovelace's poetry, seeing a new book available is an auto-request for me.
I loved book 1 in the you are your own fairy tale series, and book 2 - this book - didn't dissapoint either!
I could recognize myself a lot in the poems that were written in this book. I could really identify with most of them, which made my reading experience very insightful.
Lovelace's words are so heartfelt and soothing. This book will for sure be an auto-buy when it releases!

I give this book 4,5 out of 5 stars.

As usual this book is perfect, I loved and resonated with her poems and I love the illustrations.
I really enjoyed this collection which is inspired by fairytales.

I'd like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC. In exchange, here is my honest review.

I've read many of Amanda Lovelace's poetry books, and I'm always struck by the care that goes into her words. In each of her books, there have been some poems that I can relate to, and some which I can't but can appreciate for their beautiful vulnerability.

This collection of poems felt as if it had been hand-crafted for me more than any other I have read. So many of the words she wrote spoke to me on a very personal level, and reading them felt like an act of self-care.

I absolutely loved this collection. It felt like magic and witchcraft.

Also, the illustrations were a lovely touch.

I think I just found my all-time favorite poetry collection. I swear there was not a poem in this one that I didn't relate to. It was spooky actually, how all of these poems resonated with me, brought light to my inner truths and fears. I was crying throughout the whole of part 1 and now my family is looking at me all weird lol. But I was not prepared for how much I found in the poems of part one specifically. The poems on depression, anxiety and the effects they have on our relationships with our loved ones gutted me. I had to take breaks because I was crying so much. There were 2 poems about friends who leave us when we need them the most and about how it is okay if you can't be there for your friends when you can barely be there for yourself. Those two poems destroyed me emotionally. While reading them I had to relive some painful moments of my past. But then I remembered that in order to heal from something you have to confront it and be at a breaking point. And boy,was I broken after those poems. But then, once I got a chance to breathe, I had to except some truths about myself and my past. I realized that I need to stop blaming myself when some things were even my fault to begin with and I will be forever grateful to Amanda Lovelace for allowing me a chance to finally heal my trauma. I think everyone should read it. I wish I had this book when I was younger, then I wouldn't have to come to some realization by myself. Reading this felt a much needed hug after so many years of being alone and misunderstood. From the bottom of my heart, thank you, Amanda.
Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a beautiful book. Rather than ignoring the social political context within which we all exist, it leans into the curve & provides a beautiful argument in favor of body autonomy, inclusive feminism, and unconditional love.

Another fantastic poetry collection from Amanda Lovelace. Her poems hit me deep and I really relate to them. I love the artwork in this series which is done by the same artist as her oracle deck (which I am obsessed with!) The witchy bits and tarot sprinkled within makes it even more magical to me. TW: abusive relationship, misogyny, depression, suicide. She never fails to disappoint and I eagerly await the third and final installment in this poetry series. *ARC provided by NetGalley for review.

I read a few poetry collections this year that just didn't work for me.. they were either too pretentious or just a bunch of random everyday thoughts. Lovelace hit it right though!

I could relate to the poems and topics and her mix of style and media worked very well. It did get a bit repetitive with the girlpower theme halfway through but I didn't mind too much.

A great collection of poems with a strong message for any woman out there feeling like she's never enough on her own. You are.

Beautifully written and laid out. Self hope, self love, anxiety and depression mixed with self doubt. I felt like this book was speaking to me and for me. It was so beautifully written and resonated to my core. Highly recommend. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I've read a few of Amanda Lovelace's poetry collections, and they're always gorgeous.

Firstly, I have to say that the art in this book is absolutely incredible! It fits the vibe of the poetry so well.

I really enjoyed a lot of the poems in the collections, especially in the second half. Amanda Lovelace always does a great job discussing feminism and mental health in a way that makes progress feel achievable, and not like some out of reach fairytale.

My only issue with this collection is that some of the poems just felt a little similar to those in past collections, which I think is par for the course when discussing so many similar topics.

You may think what you want about modern poetry, you may like it or not, but this book definitely has several messages that NEEDED to be said.
For all those who have followed the author for a long time, they will not be disappointed with her new collection of poems, and those who have never read it before will be able to realize the messages and the style of the author, in which for me it is one of her best books.
I LOVED it, thanks to #NetGalley for the opportunity to read #shineyouricycrown and remember that although everyone may or may not, the style of the poems, the most important thing, at least for me, is the feeling during and after read it what matters most.
A feminist collection of poems, which encourages self-love, self-respect, and more.

***I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***

Lovelace’s conclusion to the 'you are your own fairy tale’ series does not disappoint. I really loved the overall theme of this collection; self-love. Lovelace makes many references in her metaphors to princesses and fairytales in a modern and realistic way. She encourages you to be your own person, your own role model & love yourself. She uses the overall theme of self love to remind the reader that you are more than what people think of you/tell you to be. She encourages the reader to stand up for themselves and not lose their voice. This was a strong collection that I would recommend to anyone who has fallen in love with any of her books. This is a strong ending to this series and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.

I am still loving Amanda Lovelace's writing. Additionally, Shine your Icy Crown has beautiful art work! The poetry is empowering and magical. I finished it really quickly and as usual, her poetry leaves some food for thought.

“the princess who wore a crown of her own making...”
Another gorgeous and empowering collection by Lovelace. I was particularly thrilled with the structure of this set, made even better by the beautiful illustrations found throughout. The alternative fairytale endings and strong princesses speak to what we all need to hear. Some of these poems will be sticking with me far beyond this first reading.
Thank you for the ARC, Netgalley!

This was incredible. As a baby sister, the first half of the poems really resonated with me. I could hear my sister saying all of these things to me, and I found it extremely moving - to the point of tears. The second half was empowering. I want all of my female high school senior students to read this. I want ALL of my female students to read this. We need more empowerment. We need to support each other.

I really liked this one. It is about empowerment, feminism, being authentically you. It talks about self-care, anxiety, depression, feeling out of sorts, losing yourself to your mental illness and how that can be okay sometimes as long as we can get ourselves out of that place.

I’ve read Amanda Lovelace’s poetry before and I had some favorites and some I disliked, in this collection I loved all of them.
I want to start by saying I really appreciate the trigger warning list at the beginning of the book, and I still defend that all books should do this.
Also I adored the art work in this book, it is very fall, and it seems the perfect book to ready at this time of year. I related to a few of the feelings expressed in this book, and I appreciate this collection so much.
I believe this is one of my favorite poetry collections

The latest installment in Amanda Lovelace’s poetry collection, shine your icy crown, is absolutely stunning. The collection glitters with beautiful art, short and sweet poems, and an elegant balance between the voice of a younger vs bigger sister. I like that you can really interpret the voice of the big sister however you want: a friend, sister, kind inner voice? My favorite poems were the ones which encouraged bravery, kindness (to yourself and others), and independence. This would be an excellent collection for someone looking to learn more about poetry or for a Lovelace fan. Shine your icy crown releases on January 26, 2021. Thank you to Amanda Lovelace, Andrews McMeel Publishing, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For the publisher: My review will be posted on the publication date and I will publish it on Instagram, Goodreads, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble etc.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this work of poetry. I have read everything from Lovelace and I was very excited to see she had a new book coming out! Just like her others, I LOVED it. It is all about the reasoning that a princess does not need a prince. I really like the messages coming from this one. Definitely recommend.

This is a beautiful poetry collection highlighting feminist topics and learning to love yourself as you are. The art in this book is beautiful and I think all of the poems flow together really well within the fairytale theme. There is a warning at the beginning that certain sensitive topics will be discussed, which I also appreciated greatly.

I loved this book so much! I loved telling the story through a fairytale and a big sister. I am a big sister and have told my sister so many of these things. I kept sending them so many of these poems because they resonated.

This is not the first collection I have read by Amanda Lovelace, and it will not be the last. I own previous volumes and enough of the content in this one made me go "oh yeah", or want to write it down as a daily motto, that I may even purchase a physical copy of this collection too.

The structure follows a modern twist on a fairytale, with bits of "big sister" (think female to female) advice and motivation interspersed throughout.

It made me think and made me feel empowered.

Yes, some of it is stating the "obvious" but women often need reminded of things like our independence and worth.

It is also not what you'd maybe consider "classic" poetry, but more in line with the popular instagram poetry movement, and also includes prose. In that sense, it is almost like a collection of micro-essays/letters to uplift and motivate.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my eARC of this latest collection.

This collection of poems, like the others that I have read by Amanda Lovelace, has a message of female empowerment and self-love that comes very close to me.

It speaks to us of loving oneself, of not depending on the affection of others, of not allowing what others think to affect us. It tells us that it is okay to want to have a fairy tale without a prince, that it is okay not to want to reproduce it, that we should not judge each other but support each other regardless of the decisions we make.

I'm dying to keep reading more than Amanda writes and I can only say THANK YOU.

I can’t express how much I love reading Amanda Lovelace! I’d like to say this one is her best so far, but they’re all just always so good.

This collection of poetry is completely relatable and exceedingly empowering for women everywhere. Every women and girl should read these poems, because they hold strong messages that we need to know and be reminded of. This is one that I’ll go back and reread a lot!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early arc of this one! I will be purchasing it to ass to my collection.

A beautiful work as always! Lovelace has a knack for writing words to empower women. Her mix of prose and modern fairytale elements is what every woman needs when they are not feeling like their true warrior self.

Amanda Lovelace has done it again. I loved this installment of poetry. The illustrations were perfectly placed and not to mention gorgeous. I have to go back and read the 'prequel' to this poetry book. I overall really enjoyed it. Although much of this is very repetitive and obvious, it was very nice to read and reaffirm the values that this collection illustrates. It is okay to be alone. To have self care and more importantly it is okay to not be okay and move on from it. This was just the think that I needed to clear the pallet and bring enjoyment to what has been a rough year. Highly recommend.

I really enjoy amanda lovelace's poetry, and the You Are Your Own Fairy Tale series is my favorite of her work. This is a lovely retelling of Cinderella that isn't cliché or predictable at all. It has a lot of good "big sister advice" that I could see being especially useful to younger readers. And the illustrations make the whole thing so much more fun to read.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me an eARC in exchange for an honest review. I was so excited to get this one early!

Having read all of Amanda Lovelace’s previously published works, I eagerly awaited this one. shine your icy crown is another gem of a poetry collection and did not disappoint. Through these poems, Lovelace uses the beloved theme of fairytales to craft empowering messages of hope and encouragement. The accompanying drawings are gorgeous and perfectly fit the whimsical and uplifting (though at times melancholy) mood of the poems. even though some of the poems are quite short, Lovelace does a wonderful job of capturing what it’s like to live with mental illness and trauma, as well as struggle with self doubts/identity and the process of healing, Though I have no sisters myself, this collection conveyed a beautiful and powerful sense of the depth of a sisterly bond. I found comfort and belonging and hope in these words, and I look forward to more of Amanda Lovelace’s work in the future. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this ARC.

A moving and wonderfully fairly tale like exploration of women and social plights. Would recommend in particular to younger girls who might need a shove in the right motivational direction.

Amanda Lovelace continues to leave me speechless. In Shine Your Icy Crown, we watch the princess struggle and grow and transform from a timid girl into a turbulent emotional maelstrom and then emerge as a woman who owns her power and commands respect.

I am consistently amazed at how clearly Lovelace captures the cracks in our humanity, the tender places, but in the same breath creates space for healing and wholeness.

Wildly, unapologetically feminist, this collection of poems is a love letter to the little girl inside all of us who just wants to be loved—and it reminds us we can love ourselves wildly and unapologetically.

I always love ladybookmad poems! This was a beautiful, sisterly read! I loved that there was a big-sister relationship that was consistently referenced.

God I love this book. If I could I'd paint its words all over my walls to remind myself of my power as a woman. The artwork is also beautiful.

**E-Arc provided by the publishers, through NetGalley. All opinions are my own***

I have been keeping up to date with everything Amanda Lovelace puts out so I was so excited to get an arc of this. I especially loved the first part with the younger sibling saying what they feel and then the big sister responding. It really hit me in the heart as a younger sister and as someone who has dealt with anxiety and depression. And as someone who has been in toxic relationships, something about Amanda's writing has always connected with me. I think that this is one of her best poetry collections. The writing is stunning as well as the artwork. I would recommend this to anyone, but please look at the trigger warnings first.

Amanda Lovelace never disappoints. I absolutely love all of her poetry books. This one was really great.

Amanda Lovelace continues to inspire with the newest of her poetry collections. I don't think there will ever be a book from her that I won't enjoy.

Once again, Amanda Lovelace hits it out of the park. Readers are once more transported into a world of their own fairy tale, and the traditional tropes of masculinity and women pitted against one another are shattered with ease. Concise but emotionally expansive, shine your icy crown is a perfect addition to Lovelace's catalog.

Every time Amanda Lovelace releases a collection of poems, I'm anticipating it and I never fail to read each of her publications.
No surprises there, I loved "Shine Your Icy Crown". Much like her previous works, her words tend to resonate and it was as if she spoke to me specifically.
This new series of collections is highly enjoyable and I very much appreciate the care that was put into the editing, such as the amazing illustrations which accompany some of the poems. The overall aesthetic is very pleasing.
I thoroughly enjoyed the poems titled "Big sister says"; they were meaningful and incredibly beautiful, they delivered powerful messages and mantras that can be useful in the everyday life.
I was particularly sensitive to the poems that dealt with the ideas of sisterhood or those about the mind of an introvert. Some of my favourites were also those dealing with toxic relationships and how to deal with uncomprehending friends.
You can also come across themes such as patriarchy, woman empowerment, domestic abuse, bullying, eating disorder, depression & anxiety and self-harm.
Amanda Lovelace has always been my favourite poet and she, once again, secured her place in my heart.

This was brilliant. It was the best book I've read so far from this author, her writing keeps getting better and better. It talks about feminism, loving yourself and how it's perfectly okay to not follow the crowd and I thought it was great! The 'big sister says' element was also interesting and I'm assuming this book was inspired by Frozen as three previously one was inspired by Cinderella but the author says it's her own experiences too! Overall this was the perfect read for winter and I loved it!

Shine Your Icy Crown by Amanda Lovelace - 5⭐️⁣
This is a modern poetry book which includes some beautiful illustrations 😍 also awesome for Amanda Lovelace to include a full list of trigger warnings. ⁣
Honestly, this book could not have come at a better time. I’ve been struggling by a bit lately with working full time and living away from home during a pandemic, and this book was exactly what I needed to hear!⁣ I love reading these books as they only take around an hour out of your day, but it really is like self care.

I have rarely felt so seen as I am by AL’s work. And this collection, centering finding power in yourself as well as the bonds between sisters, is no exception.

These pieces are short, surgical strikes of discarding the stories that people write for you. And instead, a call to action of finding your own voice, creating your own crown.

And as the eldest of 3 sisters, each piece titled “big sister says” felt pulled from my own past.