I've enjoyed Amanda Lovelace's poetry in the past, so deciding whether to read her newest poetry bundle was easy. There is just something about her poems that makes them very easy to recognize, and while it's true that the structure of the poems itself is quite simplistic and basically mostly seems like hitting the space bar every few words, I personally don't mind at all. Why? I think that this simple style only helps enhancing the power of the words and the message behind the poems; it focuses on the meaning of what is said instead of just how the words are framed. Flower Crowns And Fearsome Things has a slightly different feel as the focus is more on femininity and the duality between a softer and fierce side. Using stunning illustrations, this bundle switches between 'wildflower' poems and poems that set the flowers (and world) on fire; representing both sides and giving a chance for both more gentle and more feminist representations to be in the spotlight. Light and dark are both represented, and heavier topics including abuse, cheating, trauma and body image are incorporated into this bundle. Once again, Amanda Lovelace writes without fear and isn't afraid to incorporate personal experiences into her poems... This only gives the poetry more power and I admire her courage for being able to do this. Flower Crowns And Fearsome Things is both empowering and healing; it is not the style, but the words and emotions behind those words that once again help turning this bundle into a success for me. Another bonus: the absolutely gorgeous illustrations are not only a pleasure to the eye, but they also fit the message of this bundle really well.

Still love Amanda Lovelace - will it ever be different? - and I was even more intrigued when I understood this collection was about Persephone!

I loved how she treated her double identity as goddess of spring and queen of the underworld; how the poems were, as usual, short but impactful; how they broached the female condition, how women are treated, but were also empowering, as always, and full of strength. I loved that she warned her readers beforehand of the topics she was about to deal with, and that some poems describe a healthy relationship, love at its best and not only suffering because of someone who can't really love properly.

This collection might be one of my favourites of her, with Shine your Icy Crown and The Witch Doesn't Burn in This One!

I adore that this book of poetry focuses on contractions in us as humans and on the societal expectations that are frequently placed upon people (specifically AFAB people). Amanda Lovelace (she/they) comes through with her signature poetry style, and some of the poems from this book are ones that I want to print and hang where I can see them every day. The art in this book is also lovely, and compliments the poems well, and I'm looking forward to buying a hard copy so I can enjoy it in a more tangible manner.

I loved seeing the art throughout this book. It was so pretty…I mean gorgeous (like let’s be honest with myself). The poetry was uplifting (definitely geared towards women; but a man could read a learn a few things). I think it was something I needed but didn’t know I needed to read. The poetry was to improve and change how we see things; a more insightful and better way(or that’s how I read it as). I feel the poetry teaches anyone(including me) to let go, love yourself, and be the strong women//person I know I am!! I’m seeing some comedy too, and I’m loving it. And it really adds to it. Why did this book make cry? I wasn’t expecting it to hit so hard for me. This book was so relatable to me, that was liking the author was holding out her hand and being like…I think you need this right now. I’m feel like I’m reading Amanda Lovelace’s diary. Amanda, I would read your grocery lists and be awe and amaze by you, you beautiful creature of a writer.

I received a copy from netgalley for exchange for an honest review!!

I used to hate poetry like this, thinking that because it was short and didn’t rhyme that the authors weren’t putting as much work or talent into them, but over the years I’ve grown and changed my mind to appreciate the simplicity that just a few words on a page can have.

I really enjoyed this poetry book, I hadn’t read anything by this author before but I’ve since out all of her works on hold at my library. Her writing is very much in line with what I like and what connects with me personally, and I love that they included a trigger warning at the beginning.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this one a bit early!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for early access to this wonderful book!

I enjoyed this! I haven't read a Lovelace poetry book since her first book that was published, so I wasn't sure what to expect going into it. I loved the art work for the cover and the inside pages, it's absolutely gorgeous.

The poetry was a hit or miss for me, a lot of it I related to but it just didn't hit that spot in my heart that I wished it would have. I think Amanda Lovelace is an immensely talented poet, but just something about their work just isn't for me. I did enjoy some of the poems though, and I'll probably reread this one at some point.

Amanda Lovelace is fierce! I am fierce! This collection makes me want to conquer life with no apologies. In just a few words she tackles a million obstacles and empowers you to know your worth. “-never shall I fall from my throne.” I definitely will not with authors like this around. The illustrations are a nice bonus and a perfect depiction of the book. There is also great consideration with the trigger warnings.

Thank you to negalley for the e-arc!

As y’all know by now, lovelace is my favorite contemporary poet. Throughout all of their works, I very rarely find myself striking out. Unfortunately for me, this is one of those times.

I think, as a whole, the poems felt a little too redundant. I was expecting something fresh from their work, but it felt more like a “greatest hits” from other works mashed together.

Also, the structure of the collection itself was a little too wonky for my taste. It was like the poems were scooped up and tossed onto the page at random. Their earlier works have more organization and it really tells a story. I didn’t get that with this collection.

Overall, I know poetry is extremely personal, so I will still recommend this collection. It’s just that the topics discussed in this collection really didn’t do it for me like their others have.

Will I still continue to read their works? Abso-fucking-lutely! I will die on this hill!

Amanda Lovelace is one of my favorites. She’s back with another feminist poetry collection that manages to express the soft and fierce duality of women. She focuses this collection on the myth of Persephone. I have been reading Lovelace’s work for years now and it’s a great honor to read her works and see her growth as an author. Her poetry is raw, real, and honest. She doesn’t sugarcoat anything and that’s my favorite thing about her writing. She also reminds us all that we are magical and to hear that from someone else other than the thoughts in our own heads is truly a blessing.
Thank you to Netgalley, Amanda Lovelace, and Andrews McMeel Publishing for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

This was such a beautiful collection of work. I haven't read much of Amanda's writing but I bought her oracle deck recently and just loved her writing just in the guide book. I love how it starts out with a few lines dedicated to Persephone and there was a few times where I had to stop and wipe a tear from my eye.

Flower Crowns and Fearsome Things is a new poetry collection by Amanda Lovelace. I read almost all of her works in the past and I truly appreciate her writing style and also how some of the themes she touches upon can be found in a lot of her collections. These feminist poems were quick to read, but they had a lot to say and overall I really did enjoy this reading experience.

I am so grateful to have received an advanced reading copy of this title from NetGalley. Amanda Lovelace is one of my favourite poets. Reading her books often gives me the same feeling I get from warm socks and cups of tea on wintery days. However this book wasn’t it. This book felt incredibly rushed. The first thing that drew my attention to this is the unnecessary repetition of the same two page sized pictures after every poem. So there is really half the amount of content in there. Then the small amount of poetry actually in the book just… nothing really stood out to me. Quite disappointing overall.

Amanda Lovelace's popular poetry collections are a consistent body of work commenting upon themes of feminism, body image, motherhood, emotional, physical and sexual abuse, and growth. I am hesitant to write them off just because they don't fit my personal preference for poetry, because others have found them so empowering and they are in an extremely accessible form. However, I don't think that these poems have brought anything new to the table that Lovelace hasn't already explored.

In sticking with this form, Lovelace limits herself in the scope of what she conveys and loses the punchiness of the comments by using so few emotive words. It feels like something you might find on pinterest of being tweeted by a bot. It is also a messy amalgamation of poems, there isn't any structure or cohesiveness to the story, the themes jump back and forth in a way that emphasises the repetitive messages.

I think the standout poems from this collection would be A Movie Could Never Murder Her and Hope is Essential. These two were a bit longer, hence better able to immerse the reader in the scene and create more impact. I thought they conveyed emotions a lot better than others in the collection, but a shorter one that made me pause for a second would be Don't Tell Me Sexism Isn't Real.

Flower Crowns and Fearsome Things is a collection of aesthetic, feminist poetry typically found on social media platforms like Instagram. It addresses themes of abuse, sexual assault, cheating, trauma, death, violence, misogyny, body image, easting disorders, among other topics, and generally appeals to a young female audience. Although it strays away from traditional standards of poetry, its core message is beautiful albeit repetitious to Amanda Lovelace's previous works.

Thank you NetGalley for the early access to this book.
I must admit I’m happy I decided to keep trying Amanda Lovelace books. It’s been a ride, but some poetry collections just hit in a way some don’t. The artwork in this book is so beautiful, it goes so well with the poems.

I am of two minds on this poetry collection. Amanda Lovelace is a successful poet who clearly has an audience and has brought poetry to folks who may have previously felt locked-out of the genre by snobbery (of which there is much in poetry!) There's some fun, very approachable poems here that I know some of my customers would love, and this book would certainly be excellent and empowering for a younger reader, particularly femme-identifying.

On the other hand, some of these poems felt so heavily wrought, riddled with an endless amount of italics and an unnatural heaviness. It felt clear to me as a reader when Lovelace went into a poem ~trying really hard to say something~ and I didn't enjoy those poems. I am right there with Lovelace on her views and love socio-politically-charged work, but many of these poems feel just like a few simple sentences slapped together with no real point of view. This is a definitely a book firmly in the category of Instagram poetry. I love how accessible it and the themes it discusses and its centering of women's experiences. I just wish it went deeper, dug its heels in and really considered the slant and hum of language, and all the possibilities a poem holds.

Amanda Lovelace is my favourite poet and this new collection is my favourite of hers for sure!! I love Amanda’s use of words, and how she perfectly captures even the most difficult of emotions.

Her poetry always speaks to me and this one hits home the most, it’s absolutely incredible and i will read it over and over for years to come.

I have always been a fan of Amanda Lovelace's poetry, it's really the only poetry I will read, and so when I got accepted for this ARC, I immediately started reading it. Flower Crows and Fearsome Things was every bit as beautiful as her previous works. With a gorgeous cover and equally gorgeous illustrations, Lovelace talks about a wide variety of topics in today's world, such as feminism, gender equality, abusive relationships, along many others.

Their writing emotionally destroyed me in the best possible way, and I literally sped through the book in under an hour because it was so addicting. Her prose has always been so beautiful and this book is no exception. If you are new to poetry, highly highly recommend picking up one of Amanda Lovelace's books, including this one.

5/5 stars. Thank you to Netgalley and Publisher for this gorgeous ARC!

Big fan of Amanda Lovelace. I like the conversational style of her poems and the subjects always speak to me. The feminist themes of this book I think would have a pretty wide appeal to readers regardless of their own life circumstances. This book was such a good mix of poems: some of them hurt, some are uplifting, and some make me feel very seen. My favorites included "goddess of spring," "you're never even considered," and "wild violet."

This entire book is beautiful. From the illustrations to the writing to even just the format of this book. This is my first book by Lovelace and she definitely lived up to the hype with her beautiful prose. I was quite happy to settle down with this one and get lost in the beautiful pages. It's a wonderful reading and I love that it gives proper warnings prior to reading. Its much appreciated.