Book Review of The Princess Saves Herself In This One by Amanda Lovelace

The Princess Saves Herself In This One by Amanda Lovelace came out a few months ago, but I haven't been in a poetry mood since its release, so I didn't check it out until now. It has been on my TBR since I heard the title, which is simply irresistible, and I finally got to borrow a copy and see what Lovelace's debut poetry collection was all about. On her website, she says of this volume,  "i explore a wide variety of topics relating to child abuse, intimate partner abuse, sexual assault, eating disorders, self-harm, alcoholism, death, suicide, cancer, grief, and others." So, yeah, it felt pretty heavy at times. But, she also balanced out her adept reflections on traumatic experiences and difficult feelings with poems that celebrated her love of books in general, and Harry Potter specifically. I appreciated the minimalist cover design.

As someone who would rather do pretty much nothing more than read, but struggles to build friendships, this poem echoed through my mind long after I finished reading it.

And I enjoyed these two poems because they both made me smile. I loved the simple truths they conveyed about how girls are made to feel versus how they should be free to feel. Strong feminist overtones tinged the whole book--even its darkest parts--with a sense of hope for the future. ...if not the writer's own hope for herself, then her hope for the next generation of women.

Sometimes, Lovelace's voice is light and sarcastic. Others, like when she talks about her mother's abuse, the eating disorder that stemmed from her doctor telling her mother that Lovelace was overweight and the resulting over-restrictive diet she was put on, and her journey through the deep waters of grief, as family member after family member died around her are dark and velvety. Still, no matter what she's writing about, her treatment of the subject matter is perfectly balanced between relatable and profound. Highly recommended.