Five out of five stars doesn't quite seem like enough to give this book. Honestly I would double or triple this rating and it still wouldn't express just how fantastic this poetry is.
This book is about femininity and how it is both soft and hard; kind and harsh; loving and cruel all at the same time. As a feminine person, reading this book is simultaneously the easiest and the hardest thing to do. You can't put it down because it is so clear and relatable, but now you see what you go through in a whole new light.
Selecting a favorite poem from this work will probably be close to impossible to any of its readers as it is certainly impossible for me.
The only thing that I can say to close out this review is if you are looking to expand your library with some poetry, this is truly the best book to do that with.

The latest poetry collection from Amanda Lovelace explores the complexity of femininity through alternating wildflower & wildfire poems, but unfortunately most of it just felt shallow. This read more like inspirational Instagram posts that sound like they should be really meaningful but when you think about it there isn't really that much substance.
I still have a great appreciation for Lovelace's early work, but this latest collection just didn't hold up.

This is not my favorite book by Lovelace. I found d it difficult to connect to and although there were some passages I LOVED most of them fell a little flat for me.

This is my favourite of all of Amanda Lovelace’s poetry collections and I ended up giving it five stars!! She has such a beautiful and lyrical writing style that evokes so many emotions while reading which is a hard thing to do for me so that is high praise 😀

I really connected with the poetry within this collection , it has themes of forgiveness, self acceptance, and some societal commentary that I appreciated. These are common themes within her collections but for some reason this one really spoke to me, every poem evoked some feeling or made me really think about my life or past, it was just a perfect collection for me.

The art within the book is just as beautiful as the poetry and really adds something to the book especially as they relate to some of the poems. I think I will end up buying a physical copy once I can get to a store because it is just so beautiful 😀

I would highly recommend this collection for people who want to start reading poetry but who are maybe a little daunted by the genre, this is a great place to start as the poetry is short and easy to read.

Thank you NetGalley & the publisher for sending me the new Amanda Lovelace poetry ARC. I have read every book she has published and I think she is a beautiful writer; however, I’ve become disconnected from her writing within the last couple of books she’s written. I decided to give this newest piece a go & I was surprised at how engaged I was reading her latest poetry. She’s stepped-up her game since her last book. I’m glad I was able to get the chance for a early read. Thanks again! Great job, Amanda!

I’ve enjoyed every collection of Lovelace that I’ve read, and I was delighted to see another ARC of hers in my inbox.

At times, the absolute bare bones of Lovelace’s word choice can seem stark and overly simplistic, but I think that adds to the rawness and vulnerability that we see. These poems are brief, yet biting.

I loved the illustrations included in this collection. They are so brightly colored, and then juxtaposed with the darker content of some of the poems echoes the dichotomy of Persephone of the Spring and of the Underworld.

These poems did seem more disconnected to me than previous collections. The thread of Persephone is there occasionally, but there did not feel, to me, to be as much of an over arching theme as her previous writings.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately not for me, this isnt poetry.

I enjoyed Lovelace's first two collections immensely, but there has since been a disconnect for me with her work.
I found myself getting lost in the mechanic aspect of just reading through these and at first I thought the issue lied with me, so I set the book down to pick up at another time.
Quite a few tries later and I'm sorry to say the issue did not lie with me.

This collection felt really watered down and derivative of not only Lovelace`s previous work, but quippy and catchy Instagram type post and texts that one ecounters about 20 times a day.
I never got that feeling of being absorbed in a bigger, more overarching experience that should come with a collection of poems.
I could feel myself forgetting the last poem as I started reading the next one.

Going into this poetry collection, I didn't realize it was suppose to be a take on the goddess Persephone. As someone who has been *low key* obsessed with her for 12 years, I was immediately intrigued. Throughout the collection Lovelace goes back and forth between the two primary aspects of this deity: Goddess of Spring and Queen of the Underworld. I loved this because it highlights the feeling many women have of feeling split in two, or like there is two waring parts of themselves. While I did enjoy some of the poems, others felt a bit too on the nose. What I mean by this is that there was a lack of depth in some of the poems, and it over all made it feel very lacking.
Lovelace pulls from the mythology that Hades kidnaps her and turns him into a bad boy in her poems. Basically the TLDR on my feelings about this are: While yes, Hades steals Persephone away to the Underworld the story is a lot more complicated than that; and how he is acting his on par with the time the myth was originated. I do understand that with the rise of Hades/Persephone retellings many people are upset with Hades being turned into a soft boy because of this myth, but at the same time I feel that it's reductive to go the other direction and completely villainize him. I've read nearly all Amanda Lovelace's collections, and have a hit and miss experience with each individually. I think that this collection will definitely work for many people, but because of my closeness to the myth I am not one.

This was a beautiful collection of poems and I loved every minute of reading them. While I cannot comment on the mechanisms of poetry themselves, I can say that these poems really touched my soul. This was a very short and sweet collection of poems and the cover and interior art was absolutely beautiful.

amanda lovelace’s latest is reminiscent of their earlier collections, though this time the author trades princess with goddess. writing from the perspective of persephone, we read a story of softness, resilience, and a heavy dose of healthy boundaries. this collection is definitely ideal for teenaged girls who are looking for empowerment, witty one-liners to use against misogynists, and a safe place to lose themselves in. the illustrations from janaina medeiros complements the words perfectly, bringing amanda’s storyline to life right before your very eyes. amanda has a wonderful gift that inspires self-expression inside those who read their words and the world is better for it. i am glad there is a positive role-model who remind us all that our words have power and our dreams are at our fingertips if only we believe in ourselves enough.

Good poetry collection. I always love Amanda Lovelace’s writing style
It’s was very good so I gave this collection 4 stars. Thank to netgalley for this e-arc in exchange of my honest review

*I received a copy from NetGalley, however all opinions are my own*

I’ve read almost all of Amanda Lovelace’s books. Her books always has lines that mean so much to me as a woman. While I don’t always agree with everything she writes, her writing is beautiful and powerful. Really enjoyed this poetry book and look forward to reading more of her works.

First off, I love so many things about this book even outside of the poetry - the title, the dedication, the content warnings, the art.

The introduction of the book talks about a figure in mythology you've probably heard of, one who is known for two very different things. Just like this figure, Flower Crowns and Fearsome Things explores that dichotomy, and I loved the two drawings that accompanied each poem depending on which aspect the poem was exploring.

These poems explore the facets that each of us are: vulnerable and fierce, insecure and self-assured, plain and magical, cynical and hopeful, in a dreamy book that calls back to stories we've grown up hearing, both good and bad, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.

Thank you to Andrews McMeel Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC!

Amanda Lovelace has done it again. There isn't a book that she has written that I haven't loved. There is so much power in her words, but it flows so naturally. You can really see who she is as a person, and the deep rawness that she allows the reader to see. I also love that her books are starting to have illustrations in them. This one was so good and added so much to the collection. Will definitely be picking up a physical copy of this!

In their newest poetry collection, Amanda Lovelace juxtaposes the softness and fierceness of femininity. The poems follow the format of Amanda’s previous collections in their short, Twitter or Tumblr-esque style. A handful of the poems resonated with me but several missed the mark. Probably due to different life experiences than the author more than anything, although in all honesty, I struggle with the brief prose and cliches. I did appreciate the depiction of self-care, empowerment, and independence conflicting with the softer side of wanting to be loved. Womanhood is hard! Thank you to NetGalley, Amanda Lovelace, and Andrews McNeel Publishing for this free eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I received an eARC through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Amanda Lovelace is a poetry staple for anyone who does not know her work. This is a stand alone poetry collection but she is known for her other works such as "The Witch Doesn't Burn in this One" and "Break Your Glass Slippers".

I feel like Amanda was pulling on the struggles of the past year and feminist thought to bring this beautiful collection to life. There were poems I read multiple times as it brought forth feelings I had always struggled to express in words. I'll be the first to say I have not read much of Amanda Lovelace but from what I have read and what I have heard, she is definitely one to keep an eye on as her work is moving and touching.

This is a wonderful collection of feminist poetry that would be great for a beginner poetry reader. Alternating biting poetry and images of the flowers women are supposed to be, along with images of those flowers on fire is well done.
People are drawn to poetry they see reflected in themselves, and this is a collection of poems that most women would be able to see themselves and their experiences reflected in.

It is always a joy to me when amanda lovelace comes out with another poetry collection. Poetry is one of those things that either clicks with you or it doesn't, and that very much depends on the style of the poetry. Are you reading sonnets or free form? Is it fragmented like what remains of Sappho or famed and storied like everything Byron has ever done? For me, amanda lovelace hits the spot. Thanks to Andrews McMeel Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this collection in exchange for an honest review.

I have really enjoyed all of amanda lovelace's poetry collections so far. I love how she interweaves fairy tales within her poetry, taking the stories and ideas we have grown up with and turning them into something that can be empowering. lovelace has a variety of series going in which she works on this subversion, in which she gently but persistently hammers home the point that you are inherently worthy, that you should be your own biggest fan. Not because you're perfect or because you live up to the ideal, but because you are you and that is not just enough, it is great. While with other poets this message sometimes feels a little too peppy, it always works for me when it comes from amanda lovelace. flower crowns & fearsome things is a standalone, in that it doesn't continue the "story" of these other series. In tone, however, it is definitely related as mythology and the stories we have been told continue to play major roles.

Using Persephone. Goddess of Spring and Dread Queen of the Underworld, as a guiding thread, lovelace moves back and forth between innocence and wrath, between giving and taking, hurting and healing. She makes it clear at the beginning that her poems will be dealing with heavy topics and they do. lovelace addresses the way we are hurt and the way we hurt ourselves, how love gets twisted, and how long it takes to unwind yourself. What really struck me in flower crowns & fearsome things was how the "innocent" side of Persephone longs for magic, for that special, extra touch, the cottage in the forest, the peace and quiet of knowing someone's got you. That hit really close to home. But then so did the Dread Queen-aspect, full of anger and power. lovelace is careful to not lean too far into the "burn it all down" energy, but rather focuses on the confidence, the knowing you're worthy, on not taking less than you deserve. Occasionally some of the poems felt a little too "girlboss" for me, but then I am quite sensitive to that.

I also want to give some credit to Janaina Medeiros who, as far as I'm aware, has consistently worked with lovelace on illustrating her poetry collections. There is clearly a great connection there and Medeiros' illustrations always add an extra touch.

While not every poem in flower crown & fearsome things struck home with me equally, I continue to be a major fan of amanda lovelace's poetry.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the opportunity to review this book. I’ve never been able to read and understand poetry. Amanda Lovelace is one of the best I’ve ever read. Her prose is beautiful and easy to read.