I’ll be brief. Lovelace’s ‘poetry’ is not for me. I am a poetry enthusiast, from the very classical to the more experimental. The sheer discipline of encapsulating a huge concept or emotion in very few words has fascinated me since I was seven years old. So it’s not that I have massively conservative taste or don’t like anything after the 1800s. But I do subscribe to the opinion that merely hitting the return key after every other word doesn’t make it poetry. I read Lovelace’s first collection and while I didn’t love that, I did see flashes of something that might, with maturity, blossom into real skill. This is the third book in this poetry series and I’m still waiting for that to happen. The author’s willingness to speak about horrific events such as sexual abuse and eating disorders is laudable and I can see how it might help someone wrestling with similar problems, but it’s expressed in so trite a manner as to be almost disingenuous. I don’t feel any real emotion behind these poems which at least the first collection had going for it. Instead Lovelace seems to be now harping on one theme like a minstrel who knows but one tune. Not for me, as I said.

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.

I don't normally rate poetry because it doesn't feel right to rate a person's soul spilling onto paper. However, I had the opportunity to read an advanced reading copy and always take the time to rate and review. This book is broken up into sections and the poetry within the section is themed. The first few sections started off strongly but I struggled 'getting' the poetry in the last section. Sometimes I wasn't sure what was being written about, maybe I wasn't understanding because I wasn't relating to what was being said, which doesn't make it bad, it just makes it unrelatable to me (and I wish more women couldn't relate). I enjoyed the letter from the author at the end. It made me go back and flip through and skim parts of the book again. I appreciated it more the second time through. 3.5 stars.

Lovelace's work feels a little redundant by her third installment. Though lovely and easily digestible, her poetry lacks the luster of a her more formidable peers--Jenny Xie, A. E. Stallings--and her message gets lost in too many lacy aphorisms. It seems unfair to relegate her to the strictly Tumblr poetry corner, but if the glass shoe fits.

"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

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

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.

Generally a solid collection of poetry, but the reason that I didn't rate this higher mostly comes down to the fact that I don't feel like the poems in this collection really say or add much to the ideas Lovelace dug into in the previous Women Are Some Kind of Magic collections. The strongest of the three volumes, The Witch Doesn't Burn in This One, could honestly stand on its own without the other two books, so a third return to these kinds of themes, though certainly valid, just loses some of the impact already experienced. With that said, I did like that there were other poets who contributed to the final section of the book, allowing Lovelace's voice to be supplemented by others without being overpowered. That was a smart move.

[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>

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.

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

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!

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.

I was disappointed...Maybe I expected many things from this collection . I liked some of the poems but I didn't connect to them . The style of writing that loved in the first book lacked from both this one and the other one . I will overall give this series a 3/5 stars

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.

Feels like déjà vu.

** Trigger warning for violence against women, including rape, as well as depression and self-injurious behaviors.**

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.

###

you are sad now.
you are not sad forever.

###

this is me
pressing
my finger
to the sand,

delicately
drawing
your name
there,

& then
stepping back
so i can
watch

you
as you’re
finally
carried away.

– goodbye.

###

The third and final poetry collection in Amanda Lovelace’s WOMEN ARE SOME KIND OF MAGIC series, THE MERMAID’S VOICE RETURNS IN THIS ONE engages with many of the same subjects and themes as THE PRINCESS SAVES HERSELF IN THIS ONE and THE WITCH DOESN’T BURN IN THIS ONE: rape and sexual abuse, interpersonal violence, depression, self-harm, eating disorders, mental health, and sexism and misogyny. The result is both biting and beautiful, if a little repetitive: it feels like we’ve been down this road before.

To be fair, my expectations might be to blame: with the book’s fairy tale-esque title, I was hoping for more retellings in this collection. Maybe in the vein of “Small Yellow Cottage On The Shore,” Lovelace’s contribution to the [DIS]CONNECTED anthology. *Especially* nautical-themed poems featuring mermaids … and perhaps a narwhal or two! But the mermaid imagery is kept to a minimum, and there aren’t really any reimagined fairy tales or fables to be found.

Yet, in the afterward, Lovelace describes THE MERMAID’S VOICE RETURNS IN THIS ONE as the denouement in a series meant to help her come to terms with her experiences of abuse and violence, and perhaps commune with other survivors and potential survivors. I’m not entirely sure she hit the mark with each book – because, again, they kind of all blur together for me, rather than representing separate and distinct pieces of a larger whole – but, clearly, my expectations going in were way off the mark.

One way in which THE MERMAID’S VOICE RETURNS IN THIS ONE deviates from its predecessors is by featuring pieces by guest contributors in the final section of the book, which is a nice change of pace. If you’ve read [DIS}CONNECTED, you’ll recognize some of the names right off the bat; if not, you might just discover a few new poets to check out.

This book is okay, probably my least favorite one out of the trilogy. There are some strong poems (I list some below), but some seemed similar to the first two books and there are a lot written by other poets.

Favs:
Swan Song I
a pebble i cannot get down.
(because i do.)
(because i do II.)
for my childhood friend.
rip this page out & keep it with you

I received a copy of this ebook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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 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.

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.