Each time Amanda Lovelace comes out with a new collection, I feel like she's speaking to me and what I'm going through. This book is awesome, and full of powerful words and imagery sure to make readers feel like they are being heard, that they are being listened to.
The poems made me cry in so many ways. It was glorious and gorgeous and I won't forget it soon. There's going to be a special Target edition that I can't wait to pick up!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

As I said before, I do NOT recommend reading Lovelace's works on Hoopla, due to the formatting. Hoopla makes it a little bit harder to follow poetry collections, which can be to the detriment of your enjoyment. HOWEVER, Amanda Lovelace never disappoints me. I love what she's doing with this series, and I hope to read more from her in the future!

❝ her parents scream at her more than they ever told her they loved you. ❞

Shine your icy crown by Amanda is a thought-provoking book that highlights the plight of women. It brings to life a feministic approach which is admirable. The underlying concept of the book was phenomenal, and the messages were strong. Yet, the only part lacking was the execution. I believe that poetry has a way of moving mountains and coercing people into thinking about and addressing things that make them a tad uncomfortable.

This coercion was absent that inherently simmered down the impact the poems and proses were supposed to have on the readers. Most of the book was like reading a fairy tale. The little illustrations scattered across the length of the book were inarguably the best part about this collection.

The language employed by the author was candid and informal - nothing too flowy. I personally like my poems flushed with elaborate metaphors and open to interpretations. This ambiguity was, unfortunately, not a part of these poems. Au contraire, all the proses in this collection foster unambiguous and explicit messages which are not really open to subjectivity.

If this explicitness is something that entices you, then this book will definitely be right up your alley.

Shine Your Icy Crown is the second book in the You are your own fairytale duology by Amanda Lovelace. I had previously read and loved Break your glass slippers, and this sequel didn’t disappoint!

This poetry collection explores topics such as self-love, finding your own strength, worth and power, feminism and not letting societal pressures define who we are as individuals, sisters, daughters, mothers… all in the concise, straight-forward way the author has to deliver her message whenever she publishes a new work. I cannot tell you the amount of quotes that I highlighted, Amanda Lovelace had a pretty clear idea of what she wanted to say with the book and fearlessly did so.

This poetry collection had a “big sister says” section, which is probably what I liked the most about it: it was an amazing source of advice, very similar to the “fairy godmother says” from Break your glass slippers. Big Sister’s words can be so very needed by the readers, and her responses to the narrator’s negative thoughts and feelings make the book more valuable and unique, feeling like a warm hug by a loved one.

One thing I love by Lovelace’s books is how each of them has their own process of growth and healing, and this one isn’t the exception. While the first part of the poetry collection explores the narrator’s fears, doubts, concerns and trauma (in a raw but relatable way); eventually, the narrator finds the strength and worth within herself and that’s what made of this reading a magical one.

For another part, I feel that the message that Lovelace wanted to convey with this book isn’t very different from that of Break your glass slippers and maybe some of her other poetry collections too: find your strength, love yourself, your past and the people around you doesn’t define you. While the way the message was told is different and fresh, the message itself isn’t new, that’s why I’m rating it 3.5 stars.

i’ve enjoyed all of amanda’s books so far & this one didn’t disappoint! as someone who struggles to find her place in the world, this made me feel less alone! i can’t wait to continue reading her books!

3.5 Stars!

I really enjoy Amanda Lovelace’s poetry and this collection was another great one. Filled with wise words and beautiful structure, Lovelace makes poetry accessible to every person. I enjoy getting her take on life and the female experience through her poetry and look forward to reading her future collections.

This was beautiful and powerful. Amanda Lovelace has done it again. I love the illustrations and I went out and bought a physical copy! This was amazing and I can’t wait to see what she does next

I am not much of a poetry reader, but Amanda Lovelace can do no wrong in my book. This book was emotional, raw, uplifting, and made me stop and think more times than I can remember, her words are that powerful. I have loved all of her books, but this may be my favorite!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers, and the author for giving me the opportunity to review this book. I’ve never been into poetry but decided to take a Chance with this collection. It was beautiful and now I see what I have been missing all this time. So simple yet profound.

absolutely loved all the poetry pieces Lovelace wrote in shine your icy crown. all collections of powerful pieces that gave me courage and made me feel warm-hearted and gooey inside. this would be a nice gift to give on christmas or if you just want to be nice for a friend.

As a book of poetry, it was pleasant, but nothing particularly ground-breaking or veering off type from Lovelace. If you have enjoyed her previous works, this one is going to offer more of the same, but not as searing as her earlier works.

Amanda Lovelace is truly one of my favorite, modern poets. There is always something that resonates with me, but this entire book resonates with me so hard. Specifically, a young girl who questions traditions, a family that doesn't seem to love their daughter, and a big sister that always tells the younger sister she deserves love. There were several moments that brought tears, happy and sad. It is another beautiful book.

The ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love Amanda Lovelace's work. I think her poetry speaks so good and directly to the readers.

Shine your Icy Crown is the newest Lovelace’s book and we can see the characteristics of her work and why she has consolidated herself as one of the greatest poets of today

The book contains very sensitive and autobiographical poems. We feel that Lovelace wants to express what bothers her so much in the poems. We can find poems about sisterhood, feminism and self-love.

I found the poems a little repetitive and there were moments when I got a little tired of reading it. It felt like I was reading the same thing over and over. I know it’s the second book of a series. I didn’t read the first one and maybe I didn’t recognize what was the primary subject of the series.

Even so, I highly recommend reading this book, for those who are Amanda Lovelace fans, for those who enjoy poetry and for those who are curious to know the author and her work.

Thanks to the publisher via NetGalley for this ARC!
this was really what i kinda needed right now
(triggers at the end)

i've been in a weird life slump as of recent, and i don't know what it was, but i felt drawn to reading this book. i had the arc of it forever and never really thought to pick it up. i knew i enjoyed amanda lovelace's writing and her poems in the past have really resonated with me, yet something was just pulling me to pick this up, especially today. not too sure, but it was a great decision.

the formatting of this story is different between the parts; firstly it's between 2 sisters, the younger expressing her issues, and the older giving advice to her younger sister, then the next 2 parts followed regular modern poetic formatting, with the poems one right after the other, stylized however chosen. i really like the older sister providing advice part, it felt more personal- someone speaking right to you with a designated role that isn't simply "the narrator" made it more impactful. i don't have an older sister, since i am the oldest sibling myself lol, but it felt like i had one for these pages and was getting that advice i might tell one of my own sisters, but never myself. it was a format i think lovelace really worked well with, and the format of modern poetry using the 2nd person pronouns works fantastically.

then we have the themes throughout. it was very whimsical, following a narrative of a princess creating her own crown for herself rather than accepting one from a prince, and the poems followed suit. very much promoting a look at self-love, self-compassion, and understanding ourselves before we try to understand anything else. there was also a nice emphasis on spirituality and a lil witchcraft, which i understand the author is a practitioner of if i'm not mistaken, and there was a lot of emphasis on shadow work (using personal energy and intention to understand traumas we've experienced in the past to empower us for a better, more tranquil future), which i think was amazing.

even if you aren't spiritual or practice anything of the sort, you can take what she says and try to be more mindful of yourself, and i really liked that accessibility of it all. in school, we study about mindfulness and self-compassion, but it can be really hard to incorporate into everyday life for a lot of us, but having mantras you say to yourself in the morning can be good, or doing breathing exercises when you get into bed at night- or if you do practice some form of witchcraft, you can look into shadow work and mindful meditation with intentions at the forefront for peace, success, and self-love.

trigger warnings for
child abuse, toxic relationships, sexual assault, eating disorders, mental illness, self-harm (somewhat descriptive), sexism, suicide, suicidal ideation, trauma, harassment

Poetry is always going to be hit or miss, and you are unlikely to enjoy or relate to every single poem in a collection. In my opinion, all it takes are five or six poems that really strike home, and this was the case for me with this collection.

PLEASE HELP!

For some reason my download of this has disappeared, I’ve searched my Netgalley Shelf, my Kindle App and contacted the Netgalley staff ( Alicia) . While she can see that I did indeed download the file on time she can’t help me further.

I absolutely LOVE Amanda Lovelace and have reviewed all of her books on here, so I’d love if someone from the publisher could send me a widget and I can still review on my Bookstagram & Goodreads.

Thanks

Michelle

The second in the “You Are Your Own Fairytale” poetry series from Amanda Lovelace was a solid collection of mostly empowering and inspiring poems. Told from the point of view of a Princess, who lives a single life but has a big sister (in place of book one’s fairy godmother, but basically a parallel figure), we experience her growth, her doubts, sometimes self-sabotaging thoughts (that we all have, be real), her hopes and dreams, and her epiphanies. I found myself relating to many of the poems in this story but not as deeply emotionally moved as I have been in the past. I still consider this collection a must-read for any and all fans of Lovelace as well as just damn good poetry. I look forward to seeing what the third and final installment of this series will center on.

3.5 stars. I really liked this collection. It was better than the first book in this series, but the first part was strong. The second part felt completely different in tone and like a different poetry book. The third part was short that I felt like it could've been scrapped. Review to come.

Due to working as a high school teacher, I am often behind on reviews, but here are my initial thoughts. Book will be included in March 2021 wrap-up.

I loved this one! I have read all of Lovelace's books, this one fits in the same vibe as the rest. I recommend it especially if you like her other works.

I love amanda lovelace's take on poetry and this book was no exception. She excels at telling a story, word by word, she breaks you down and builds you up, and honestly who doesn't need that. When it comes to 'shine your icy crown' this book is no exception, much like her poetry book 'break your glass slippers' where she used a 'fairy godmother', there is a voice that is constantly reminding you of your worth. I wish I could pocket it and take that voice with me.