the princess saves herself in this one Review
I must confess something: I usually don’t care for modern poetry unless it is set to music. Usually, I am very picky about modern poetry, so it takes a lot for me to pick up a collection. However, I kept hearing positive things about this poetry collection by Amanda Lovelace. That it was amazing and raw and powerful. In short, the princess saves herself in this one sounded like exactly what I look for in my poetry. Maybe it will be for you too.
The Poetry
When I started to read the princess saves herself in this one, the first thing I saw was the trigger warning. This lets me know right away that things were going to get dark and a little uncomfortable for a while. The next page, however, told me that it was the story of a woman learning to believe in herself and that there was a happy ending. For me, this made it better. It meant that although many of the poems would bring tears to my eyes, a happy ending was coming. I wanted the poet to escape from the awful things that had happened to her.
Split into four parts, we follow Lovelace through being a princess, becoming a damsel, finding herself a queen, and finally turning to the reader. In the beginning, we go from a girl fighting with dragons to a queen who can finally best them. The last section is broader, looking at the rest of us. This is the section where Lovelace turns her attention to the reader directly. She begins reaffirming us all and reminding us that we are powerful women. I loved the way that Lovelace used fairytale ideas, like princesses, dragons, and queens, to tell her story.
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These poems range from tragic and heart-breaking to powerful and affirming. This contrast reminded me of the different things that we all experience in life. One of my favorite poems reminded me of the tradition of repairing broken dishes with gold. With this practice, the broken piece becomes more beautiful and even stronger than before. To be fair, there were so many wonderful poems in here that it’s hard to pick a favorite. In fact, this collection made me reconsider my thoughts on modern poetry.
Final Thoughts
Because it deals with a variety of sensitive subjects, this poetry collection is extremely powerful. It feels like the author is working through some issues and has chosen to share her thoughts. This means that the princess saves herself in this one allows other people to, maybe, find the words to describe their own pain. Sometimes, it can be hard to find the words to express your feelings. Things like the princess saves herself in this one gives us a way to do that.
For people who haven’t felt those types of pain mentioned in the poems before, it provides an insight into the terrible things that happen to women and girls the world over. It is also the story of one woman’s journey and the way that she was able to slay the dragons that tried to attack her. She ends with a reminder that no matter where we are, we can all slay our dragons. That, I think, is beautiful.
Content Note: This collection deals frankly with a wide variety of topics including but not limited to, child abuse, partner abuse, sexual assault, self-harm, death, suicide, grief, cancer, and eating disorders. There are also quite a few swear words. This book may not be for everyone so you are warned.
Where to Read: the princess saves herself in this one is available as a paperback book, a Kindle book, and an audiobook.
Have you read the princess saves herself in this one? How did you feel about it? Let me know in the comments!
OVERALL RATING
“You had me at hello.”
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