the princess saves herself in this one by Amanda Lovelace has received some major attention and fantastic reviews. I decided to read it for myself--and I think I have a new book to add to my list of favorites! I can't wait to see what the future holds for this author!
While the title implies major spoiler alerts, the way the character gets there is a story all her own. Lovelace's striking poetry helps you fall into the story and really immerse yourself in her journey. The subtlety of her details serve to highlight important parts of the memories to fully know about her and the world she lives in.
As you read, you begin to fall more and more in love with her, and as a result you fall more in love with yourself. You learn beauty is not in the superficial and happy memories, but in the strength to overcome and persevere. We are defined not by our lowest points but by how we rise up from them.
The book itself is a collection of poetry broken down into four sections: the princess, the damsel, the queen, and you. The first section (the princess) focuses on her early life where Lovelace takes the reader on a journey including how she fell in love with books, her turbulent relationship with her mother and sister, her battle with an eating disorder and self harm, her first period, and her first kiss and the assault that followed. As I read it, I couldn't help but admire her bravery and courage.
The section ends with her locking herself away in a tower waiting for someone to rescue her not realizing she could be her own hero. Section two (the damsel) contains more fairy tale analogies--her difficult experiences manifest as dragons and the big bad wolf. Lovelace describes finding out the difference between someone loving her, them loving the idea of love and her first experiences with the death of loved ones (her sister and her mother), and her first real experiences at acts of self love. My personal favorite poem comes from this section "who would i have been without the inspiration behind my demons? -probably not a poet" This section really highlights the power of self empowerment and rising above your circumstances.
The third section (the queen), Lovelace delves more into how she handles grief at the loss of her mother and what it feels like to fall in love with the right person. She has already faced so much in her life, some might even be surprised she survived. But she did survive and because of that she has learned to love herself and find power in herself. Towards the end of this section, Lovelace returns to the analogy of a dragon but instead of the dragon overtaking her, she stands up to it and faces it.
The final section (you) consists of poems of encouragement and inspiration to the reader. Even though there are millions of copies in circulation, these poems feel personal. Some of the messages feel as though they come from an older sister I never had but always wanted. Lovelace shares things she wishes she learned earlier and although she can't undo the heartache they have caused, she can help save someone else or help someone else recover.
This book of poetry takes the reader on an emotional roller coaster filled highs and lows, but I want to thank Amanda Lovelace for sharing her moments of weakness with the world. We need more people who aren't afraid of their past or of vulnerability.
