Book Review: The Princess Saves Herself in This One

Title: The Princess Saves Herself in This One

Author: Amanda Lovelace

Publisher: CreateSpace

Publication Date: April 23, 2016

Source: Amazon Kindle Store

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"ah, life-
the thing
that happens
to us
while we're off
somewhere else
blowing on
dandelions
& wishing
ourselves into
the pages of
our favorite
fairy tales."

a poetry collection divided into four different parts: the princess, the damsel, the queen, & you. the princess, the damsel, & the queen piece together the life of the author in three stages, while you serves as a note to the reader & all of humankind. explores life & all of its love, loss, grief, healing, empowerment, & inspirations.

My Review

The Princess Saves Herself in This One, stylized as the princess saves herself in this one, by Amanda Lovelace is one of those books that had me hooked when I first saw the title. How could any strong and independent woman not want to read something with a title like that, right? So I picked up a copy for my Kindle, and quickly got to reading it.

I immediately realized that this poetry collection is anything but ordinary. It's full of poems and experiences that many readers will be able to relate to - loss and grief - but it's also about overcoming abuse and being a survivor.

I really enjoyed how Amanda Lovelace writes her poems in The Princess Saves Herself in This One. Some of them are visual, and some elongate words, making the reader slow down as he or she is reading. It's quite a visual treat. 

I know I didn't struggle when reading Ms. Lovelace's collection, but that's because I remember being taught how to read poetry. I know a lot of people who want to read The Princess Saves Herself in This One might not be familiar with poetry, and that's okay. Just remember to take your time while reading to find the rhythm that Ms. Lovelace writes in. (And it's not always the same, so just feel it out with your heart.)

Overall, The Princess Saves Herself in This One is one of the most surprising books of 2016. It's powerful and empowering. I felt like I was able to relate to Amanda Lovelace at times, but there were other times when I was able to feel immediate empathy for everything in this nook. I cried while reading this, but I also came out of it feeling like I could do anything if I just set my mind to it.

Amanda Lovelace is a poetess & storyteller whose words have been shared in her local coffee shop & her Tumblr blogs. She currently lives in New Jersey with her fiancé. She received her A.A. in English Literature from Brookdale Community College in 2014. As of 2016, she is working toward her B.A. in English Literature & Sociology at Kean University. What she will do next, nobody knows - not even her. For now, you can find her reading anything she can get her hands on, writing while she should probably be paying attention in class, thinking about writing but not actually writing, drinking an inordinate amount of coffee, & blogging about books. On top of all this, she is a lover of all things cat-related as well as a staunch mermaid enthusiast. She considers herself to be a feminist & a social justice advocate. You can also find her as ladybookmad on Twitter, Instagram, & Tumblr.