Review: The Princess Saves Herself in this One | Amanda Lovelace

This Review contains spoilers.

“There came
a time

when

poetry

showed me

how to

bleed

without

the demand

of blood.”

– my most loyal lover.

Published: 2016 by CreateSpace
Pages: 156
Format: Paperback
Genre: Poetry, Feminism, Nonfiction
Contains: Mental Health, Abuse, Cancer
The Princess Saves Herself in this One is unique collection of poetry, presented in a style I have never came across before. The book itself is set into four sections; the princess, the damsel, the queen and you, seeming to move in chronological order throughout poems from childhood towards the present, where the narrative comes to a recovery (fairy-tale) ending.

Initially, what lured me towards this collection was the dedication, being an everlasting Harry Potter fan and dedicating the book to the series immediately made me connect with the author. This being said, although it states it’s for the character, the final line of “but my body is a lightning storm” hit me with the thoughts of empowerment and self-respect that made me read and eventually love the collection.

One of my favourite sections was ‘the princess’, it being full of unfortunate, but personally relatable, poetry of tackling inner demons regarding self-love, and family ties. Although, it was a slightly darker section, having it at the beginning enabled a slow forming recovery throughout the collection to the near acceptance at the end. The brutal honestly and simplicity of each poem needed little thought to understand the meaning, and relate more to Lovelace’s intentions. This being said, I can understand controversial opinions of how it’s not ‘true poetry’ without the complexity. However, if this book has taught me anything, it’s that poetry is about self-expression, meaning anything can be poetry if you wish it to be. Another one of my favourite sections, without giving much away, is the ending of ‘you’. This section is one of the most beautiful of any books I’ve read, consisting of empowering poetry of recovery and self-acceptance, one of which I will be continuously returning to when needing some inspirational guidance.

The Princess Saves Herself in this One is a wonderful poetry collection, regardless of the controversy. Whilse reading there have been multiple times where Lovelace’s words have reduced me into taking breaks to process what I’ve read, left me in tears and has empowered me into coping with my own recovery.