A review by gabrielle_erin
Flower Crowns and Fearsome Things by Amanda Lovelace

2.0

My issue with Lovelace's poetry is that it is all the same. I cannot distinguish one collection from another, no overarching theme or message seems to stand out to me. Despite reading the author's notes to accompany this collection, I still found no reasonable insight to what made this apparent "exploration of the duality of woman" any different to the message of say, The Witch Doesn't Burn in this One. I'd also say that 50% of the poems are poignant, well written and interestingly sequenced, the other 50% feel as if they were pulled directly from a teenager's diary - no editing or consideration of the relevance or impact of their inclusion of the collection. I think this will be the last collection of Lovelace's I read as while I admire and applaud her approach to often taboo subjects, and her unapologetic prose, I can't stomach the repetitive, unfiltered script she seems to profit so much off.