Powerful poems, modern writing style and sensitive topics; Lovelace delivers once again both emotional and sincere poetry that mends the reader's heart.

Empowering, healing, brutal.
What an amazing reading. I had to stop sometimes and just process what I had just read.
I really appreciate the warning the beginning.

From the start, Lovelace weaves a story of female defiance with the opening warning 1 and it never stops. The topics are dark but as a sometimes lover of poetry, there wasn’t a poem that didn’t entice me. The metaphors were well crafted and in some cases general enough that they could apply to a range of situations for a variety of readers the daunting “you” in the poem could sometimes be an ex, a parent, a mental illness, or an addiction; giving new meaning with each reread. Others gave a look into the inside Lovelace’s head during a specific time in her life, focusing heavily on sexual assault. I loved the use of contributions from other poems as it rounded out the power of the collection.

I don’t think I’ll ever get over her ability to craft sad and beautiful poems from fairytales and a love of books.

I have read all of Amanda Lovelace's books so far and was very excited to have the opportunity to read this one two months before publication. I greatly enjoyed this third installment of Amanda's "Women Are Some Kind of Magic" series, especially the collaborations with other poets in part four. Definitely a must read for all fans of modern poetry. Four stars.

Amanda Lovelace wraps up her Women Are Some Kind of Magic series with a beautiful and heart-wrenching collection of poetry, "the mermaid's voice returns in this one". Lovelace's poetry packs a punch, in large part due to her ability to write pain and strength succinctly. This collection focuses on sexual violence, rising from the ashes, and getting your voice back. She asks readers, "Victim or Survivor?" and eventually lands on the answer, "Both." The back cover of this book reads "and she tore the stars apart". This collection of poetry is an empowering and important read.

Amanda Lovelace wraps up the Women Are Some Kind of Magic series in spectacular fashion. It lives up to the evocative and exceptional language of the first two books. And as always with her poetry, I'm left feeling cleansed and calm.

I loved that she included poetry from other writers in the last section of the book. It's given me a whole list of poets to check out.

What a moving book of poetry. But I'd expect nothing less from Amanda Lovelace.
This book, I feel is targeted towards bookworms and shows us that it is okay to want to dive into our fictional worlds as an escape. But there is the point of knowing when we aren't using it as an escape anymore, when we are using it to cope, to hide how we are really feeling. Knowing when to seek help.

Incredibly written as always. A great read.

"when I tell you i'm still waiting for my hogwarts letter, what i mean to say is i never meant to be here for so long"

Firstly I'd like to thank Netgalley for the oportunuty to read this amazing book by Amanda Lovelace, with amazing poems by amazing woman as well as hers about abuse, recovery, and loving it's self. Would like to thank Amanda and the other's that participated in this gorgeous book of poems for bringing this story to life with a few poems but that speak so much.

"can't
a prince
a princess
a n y o n e
just
come along
& gaze
upon me
with such
adoration
it's
as if i'm
the gem
of the deep,
not the rubble
of pompeii?"

It's not the first I hear about this books of poems from Amanda Lovelace, 'the witch doesn't burn on this one' was such a big name in 2018, even in Brazil, everyone was talking about. But this is the first one I'm reading. And now I'm for sure having to go and find the first ones.

the mermaid's voice returns in this one is separated in parts, all very moving, all very touching, with great poems that all together bring forth the story of abuse and slow recovery, of struggle. all with beautiful and well written little poems.

"today, i love the way i look in my sundress & its not because someone else convinced me too"

The first part is the start, how it all began, how she feels, the second is the aftermath, then we have the struggle of the recovery, of the trying to recover, and then we have the return of the mermaid voice.

It's not a easy read, and at the same time it is a easy read. the writting, the how the book was made, makes it easy and smooth to read, but it's the story behind that makes it hard. The fact that so many mermaids lost it's voice and still didn't recover it, the fact that it's really quite possible as how the world is that so many will lose it still. But it speaks of being strong, of being the Ariel of your own story and getting your voice back from Ursula, of the villain. Not to say it says it's easy, that it will be Disney and in a snap of fingers it will all be happily ever after. Oh no. But it speaks to you, even if you haven't been through it, and it moves you. And I think it's a very recommended read for sure.

"be stronger then than the villains.
be every storybook heroine come to life"

The third installment is as beautiful, heart-breaking and empowering as Amanda's first two poetry collections.
What a treat Netgalley!
All about finding your voice again after horrible things happened. Trigger warnings at the beginning of the book (which I think all books should have) for abuse, assault, gun violence, eating disorders and more.
If you like Andrea Gibson and Roxane Gay, please pick this up. You won't be disappointed.

I haven't read the two previous in this series, but now I think I'll go check them out! This book was able to stand on its own, but also feels like the final chapter of a series.

I can only offer a lay[wo]man's perspective on poetry, but once I got use to her style, I found the collection quite moving. It starts off especially heavy, heavier than I thought it was going to be, but we're broken down so we can be built back up by the author. The additional works by other contributors really added to the solidarity of Part 4. I appreciate the confessional quality of Lovelace and I enjoyed this glimpse into her personal journey thus far!

I absolutely love Amanda Lovelaces poetry collections. They are so beautifully written. She is raw and brutally honest about the struggles that women face. It is absolutely heartbreaking but done so well. It has made me feel empowered as a women. I would highly recommend this and all of her poetry collections. I have already pre ordered this to add to my collection.

I read and really enjoyed Amanda Lovelace's first two poetry collections. While I hardly ever read poetry, these collections really spoke to me. I know these might not be for more 'classical' poetry lovers but I think these types of poetry can open up the genre to a whole new audience. And with topics like the one's Amanda is discussing I think these are so important to young people.

I liked the different types of formatting we got in this third collection. This was a bit different compared to the first one, as I only listened to the second one as an audiobook I'm not sure how the formatting was there. But here we not only get the 'enter after a couple of words' format, but also one where the whole poem is written like a paragraph without any enters.

In the last part of this collection there are some poems by other people included. The font for these is a bit different so you can easily tell which ones aren't by Amanda. Unfortunately I wasn't as interested in most of these. I think there were two I really loved but the others weren't really for me. I do like what the author tried to do there.

While reading the mermaid's voice returns in this one I am once again amazed at me not liking Rupi Kaur's work as I think most people will either like or dislike both authors. They have a similar poetry style, but while I find Amanda's work so heartfelt and it really resonates with me, I just don't click with Rupi's work. Or at least not when I listened to Milk and Honey (did I see a little reference to that in one of the poems here? or was that just me haha?), I might give her work another shot after once again enjoying this one.

I also just had to share one poem, because it brings together a heartbreaking message and my greatest fandom <3
"when i tell you i'm still waiting for my hogwarts letter, what i mean to say is i never meant to be here for so long.
-forever wandering lost & wandless."

once again, Amanda has outdone herself. She is someone I look up to a lot in the poetry community, and I loved every second of this collection. She's the type of poet that makes you think, "I wish I wrote that." Each book in the "Women Are Some Kind of Magic" series followed the same pattern, but each brought something new to the table. I was so enchanted the entire time I was reading this. It is definitely something everyone should read. I wish to be at least 1/4 of the poet Amanda is <3

I will admit that before I started this book of poetry, I already knew it would speak to me. Amanda Lovelace’s mermaid voice has sung throughout her books in this series and each one has found a different part of my soul and spoken directly to it. I am lucky enough to say I haven’t experienced some of the worst of what Amanda writes about, but that doesn’t stop it from being impactful. This book will make you think of your broken parts in new ways, and I left it with a determination to sing my mermaid song in ways I am able. This book had poems by additional authors and some of them spoke to me, others were not my style, but all built themselves into Amanda’s story and helped to make the tone universal and broader than even her other books. Overall, I recommend this to fans of this series, to those who have ever been hurt, who are healing, who need hope, who want to help others find their voice, and most of all to the princess/witch/mermaids inside us all.

Thank you NetGalley for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I’m not always a poetry person, but I have really enjoyed all three of this series. The Princess Saves Herself in This One is still my favorite, perhaps because it was most relatable to me, but perhaps because I listened to the audiobook and got a better understanding of how it was meant to sound. To feel.

I’ll try to remember to pick this up as an audiobook when my library gets it.

I have always been a fan of Amanda Lovelace and have read every single one of her poetry collections. I find that she provides an intimate portrayal of womanhood, in it's raw, real form, the one that's irrevocably beautiful and utterly damaged by society.

Each of her collections has a different theme, and this one was based around the mermaid analogies and sexual abuse. Her narrator, presumably herself, experienced a great deal of violence and abuse in her relationship with a man who can be assumed deceased, based on her narration. It was as if she took to paper and wrote her experiences and poured onto what she had not yet dealt with internally. It was painful to read, but gave a voice to victims of all abuse and will hopefully spark social change.

I was surprised to see this come after "To Make Monsters Out of Girls" because I felt as though this was a painful reveal that should come BEFORE her more empowering novel to show the optimism moving forward. However, perhaps Lovelace had other intentions, and far be it from me to criticize someone who is clearly more in touch with femininity and vulnerability than myself!

This book has a very storybook feeling, but for adults. It has many darker themes, as there is a trigger warning in the beginning. It definitely resonated with me and made me feel like I didn't have to guess the meanings. It was relatable with pop-culture references, like Harry Potter and fairy tales. Sometimes it felt romanticized and starry-eyed, and other times it felt hopeless and helpless. It is definitely worth reading.

Amanda's writing always evokes a certain feeling in me. There's vulnerability and strength, hurt and healing, rawness and beauty in it. She opens up herself honestly and tells her personal story bravely. Not every poem speaks to me, but as a whole, this book reminds me about healing, hope and better days ahead.

Thank you for NetGalley and the publisher for providing a review copy.

This eARC was provided through NetGalley from Andrews McMeel Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

When I saw the third installment of Lovelace's "women are some kind of magic" collection, I squealed. A high pitched, girly, super exited squeal. I loved the first two of the collection- (read my reviews here and here) and I was pumped to find that NetGalley had the third, ready to download, no request required. It immediately jumped to the top of the TBR line, which I figured was perfectly fine because I knew I'd devour it in a day.

In The Mermaid..., Lovelace (as usual) starts the collection with a trigger warning, which moves on to a forward from Lang Leav that introduces the rest of the collection. Leav mentions what power the voice has, and sets the preface for what is to come while reading. Next, Lovelace tosses in a few "from the poet" stanzas that grab the reader's attention. Then, the collection is broken down into four parts: the sky, the shipwreck, the song, and the surviving.

The Sky kicks off with some powerful poems of what I interpret to be Lovelace's past traumas. There are poems of abuse, rape, and childhood molestation, which transition into how she escaped there terrors as a child with books and fairy tales. Though clearly affected by the past, the author still finds solace in the idea of love, of the fairy tale endings, even when she is struggling to believe in their true existence.

The Shipwreck is a continuation of The Sky, but progressing into adulthood and relationships. Still dealing with abuse, still trying to find solace in fairy tales, still trying to find love but only finding the heartache. I felt this section is where Lovelace is showing her loss of voice. She knows she should have spoke up, but wasn't able to find her voice to do so.

The Song is the return of the voice. It is where Lovelace calls out those that have done wrong, and stating that they will never take from her again. There is also forgiveness and closure, which I've noticed as a trend in Lovelace's work. The reader can see the therapy in the poetry and the power behind it.

Finally, The Surviving starts out:

"a chorus of mermaids cried out to her then, "DON'T BE AFRAID TO SING..."

Lovelace calls upon her fellow poets and together, they compose the last section of the collection, sharing poems from Caitlyn Siehl, Clementine von Radics, Trista Mateer, Gretchen Gomez, Noor Shirazie, Jenna Clare, Ky Robinson, Yena Sharma Purmasir, Morgan Nikola-Wren, McKayla Robbin, Sophia Elaine Hanson, Orion Carloto, and Nikita Gill. It's a strong roll call, and every other page is from Lovelace, filling in with "morals of the story"-style poetry.

Lovelace has yet again nailed it. At first, I wasn't sure if I enjoyed The Mermaid... as much as I enjoyed The Witch... because the latter was such a strong battle cry, but the more I read into the poetry, the more I understood that even though it's a quieter voice, it is still extremely powerful. I will be purchasing a finalized copy for my collection, and I encourage others to do the same.

Expected Publication Date: March 5, 2019

(This review will be posted on my blog (www.thelexingtonbookie.com) at a future date.)

Content Warning - Please refer to one of the first pages of the book for a full list.

"She didn't kiss frogs... She kissed great white sharks." - The Mermaid's Voice Returns In This One (Amanda Lovelace)

I think that this book was the best in the Women Are Some King of Magic series. I am a male teenager, and I think it's important for both males and females to indulge in this book. (There is a trigger warnings page in the front of the book) I think Amanda Lovelace is an amazing poet and writer of out time, and she expresses the empowerment of women in this series beautifully and creativity while also telling her own story. Personally... This was my favorite of the series.

Please read this book. Please. While I only gave it 4 stars as opposed to 5 I think it has so many amazing aspects, and the 4 was just for my personal enjoyment level.



I received an ARC of this book/poetry collection from NetGalley. I was not forced to review this. All opinions are my honest thoughts.

A noble ending to the astonishing and groundbreaking predecessor books. I was a bit disappointed that this felt more like an analogy, though, since Lovelace is entirely capable of sustaining the narrative solo.

3.5 stars.

There are still striking images and important messages of recovery and self-care, as with the previous two books in this series, but as a collection it felt scattered. Part of it might just be the different voices (part IV features several other poets), and various literary references are made throughout, and while the effect is far from unpleasant I was a tiny bit disappointed.

The Princess Saves Herself in This One remains my personal favorite of the series, but I have simultaneously enjoyed following Amanda Lovelace's journey through each installment; based on the afterword she seems to be in a good place now — and to have told her story in a way that rings true and brings peace to her — and so for that alone I love this book just for existing.

Amazing book. loveLace’s poetry spoke to me unlike any other poetry I’ve read before. Her poetry was real and not over used. I felt so many emotions while reading this. I can’t wait to read her other books.

This is a wonderful conclusion to Amanda Lovelace’s Women Are Some Kind of Magic series! The Mermaid’s Voice returns in this one seemed more intimate than Witch, but still with the burning emotion laced through it. The parallels to fairytales we all know and love are woven through seamlessly and the book was a fantastic read. There were also poems from other poets laced through that added a new layer to her collection. 4.5 stars.

I received a copy of this book from netgalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

What a fantastic way to end this series of poetry collections. I have been a fan of Amanda's writing ever since I first encountered one of her poems on tumblr. Her words resonated immediately with me - her struggles so familiar to way too many women out there. I loved how Amanda found her way out of the apathy and rage, and this collection is no different.
Told in separate parts, it is the story of survivor and victim, someone scared and someone able to heal nonetheless.
Amanda has created something truly powerful that will resonate with readers who need to hear that, in the end, they can save themselves.

I can safely say that I finally understand the hype around Amanda Lovelace's books.  It wasn't that I thought her undeserving--the total opposite.  I'd just never read her poetry before.  The way it's organized, compiled, the design choice, the themes.  It's all resonant of today's contemporary emotional minefield.  

In this book, through using mermaid imagery to tell her story of survival, she discusses the dichotomy between victim and survivor, analyzes it, comes to terms with it.  It's a heavily weighted dichotomy, yet she deals with this topic in a satisfying and respectful way.  Not only that, but she also includes poetry from guest poets, showing how supportive she is of other women in similar shoes not only in theory but in practice, too.  

This was a great book filled with beautiful poems.  I'm so excited to read the first two of her series, and more so understand the sheer wondrousness of Lovelace and her mind.

Thank you to Netgalley and Andrews McMeel for sharing a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Once again, Amanda Lovelace has blown me away. This is the third book in this series, women are some kind of magic, and it's a fantastic conclusion. Both stylistically and linguistically beautiful, this book features both Lovelace's original poetry as well as thirteen guest poets and some homages to other works of literature.
⭐⭐⭐⭐​⭐
Amanda Lovelace is one of my favorite poets for a reason. Her imagery surrounding abuse, violence, and mental health speaks to a scary truth for women, but is also empowering and encouraging. Women are often subject to objectification, assault, and then disbelief from others, which can quickly overwhelm. Lovelace's poems are hard to read sometimes, and should be, but I often marvel at her intense focus on growth even when it could be so easy to sink instead. I always come out feeling inspired, and I am so grateful for the bravery Lovelace infuses into these tales.

Some of my favorite poems focused on escapism, and the role of books and stories in growth. I feel that extensive reading is beneficial in self-discovery and exploration, so I was glad to see that echoed in this collection. My favorite is Lovelace's homage to Blood Water Paint by Joy McCullough, which I read last year. That story became one of my favorites, and I'm not surprised that Lovelace connected with Artemisia. Both are incredibly powerful women who use their voices and stand up proud.

In summary, the mermaid's voice returns in this one is a hauntingly beautiful collection and a fitting end to the women are some kind of magic series. I highly recommend these stories and urge you to read all of Amanda Lovelace's work. You will not be disappointed. 5/5 stars.

Once again I've been left without words while reading Lovelace's poetry. I read it in one sitting as I couldn't look away. Honestly cannot wait to have a physical copy of this book. As always Lovelace's book starts with trigger warnings, she deals with massively difficult topics throughout her poetry. It hits you right in the feels, and is very important topics.

The final book to join Amanda Lovelace’s collection Women Are Some Kind of Magic. I’ve read the previous two books and if I’m being honest I didnt enjoy them as much as I wanted to. This one on the other hand I liked more. I love how she includes trigger warnings in the beginning of her books, and I really appreciate how she deals with different themes. I loved the guest poems that she had included in this collection too.

This collection spoke to me in a way a collection of poetry hasn't for years. I'm glad there was a trigger warning because some of these poems were difficult to read, despite not being explicit. The poems have a great way of leading you in a little bit and making you take yourself the rest of the way. It's a really powerful reading experience. Playing with fairy tales and existing fictional characretrs isn't new but this is is doing something different by playing with the lightness and the darkness in those characters and texts.

This collection feels hopeful. There are some poems that absolutely don't fit that description but as a whole there's an optimistic hopeful current there. This is the kind of collection that upon finishing I'm making a list of the people I want to recommend it to. Gifts I want to give to show people I see them and they see me. This made me feel seen.

This is a great wrap up to the women are some kind of magic series. I've enjoyed the whole collection. Amanda's poems are so raw with emotions, and relatable.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

I recently read the other two books in this series and I just had to request this next book of poetry. I haven’t read a lot of modern poetry but I find Amanda’s to be full of heartfelt and heartbreaking meaning.

Loved this one just as much as the first two poetry collections by AManda Lovelace. The poems are so full of feelings that resonated with me a lot.

This book of poetry is themed around taking back control and healing after abuse. It uses fairytale imagery, especially from The Little Mermaid. I didn't always understand what was going on, but I did enjoy reading it. It is sad and beautiful and optimistic all at the same time.

I'm a Amanda Lovelace Fan, so the minute I saw this book I knew i had to read it. The book is called“ the mermaid’s voice returns in this one” from the “women are some kind of magic” series which includes “the princess saves herself in this one” and “the witch doesn’t burn in this one” books

Amanda’s voice returns once again with a lot of pain a resilience. For those who had read one of her books before you can spec to find a similar style which creates this beautiful, heart-breking book. it's a MUST REED for sure.
I'd like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing a review copy and give me the opportunity to read this amazing book by Amanda Lovelace

Soy una Fan de Amanda Lovelace, por lo que en el minuto que vi este libro sabía que tenia que leerlo. El libro se llama "la voz de la sirena vuelve en este" de la serie "las muejeres son una clase de Magia" que incluye los libros "La princesa se salva sola en este" y "la bruja no arde en este".

La voz de Amanda vuelve una vez mas con mucho dolor y resiliencia. para aquellos que ya han leido uno de sus libros antes, pueden esperar encontrar un estilo similar a los anteriores que crea un libro hermoso y desgarrador. de serguro es un MUST REED.
Quisiera dar las gracias a NetGalley y la editora por darme una cipia avanzada para hacer una review y darme esta oportunidad de leer este maravilloso libro de Amanda Lovelace

Cages (Jaulas)
are (son)
still cages (todavía jaulas)

even (incluso)
when they’re (cuando son)

designed (diseñadas)
to (para)

look (verse)
just like (igual que)

castles (castillos)
- Illusionist. (ilusionista)

As a fan of Amanda Lovelace this collection of poetry did not disappoint. It was very moving and made me think. I could relate to some of her words and feel her hurt and healing in others. I really appreciate the beginning with Lang Leav doing the forward as well as the other poets who had snippets that were added. Cannot wait for next book.

This was the first poetry collection by Amanda Lovelace (and others, in the third part) that I've read, but based on my enjoyment of this one, I plan to check out the first two! Not having read a lot of poetry, I was unsure what to expect. I feel like this walks a fine line between the "Instagram-poetry" that I do not typically want to read in book form and true free verse, however the words and imagery are so power and beautiful and deeply personal. She wrote of her past experiences with abuse and the strength needed to persist - it was shocking how clearly she could convey these reflections in so few words! Highly recommend.

5 stars!!!
I was looking forward to this collection of poetry! I'm really happy to have read it. He was extraordinary, beautiful. The words were touching and powerful!
Thanks to Netgalley for this e-arc in exchange of my honest review

The trigger warnings at the beginning of this book let me know that I was in for a potentially emotional time while reading this book. While those trigger warnings are well deserved, I am happy to say that the overall message and tone of the book is one of empowerment and strength and identity recovered. Every page makes the reader stop and think, while the inclusion of pieces by other writers besides Lovelace shows the unfortunate commoness of their experience. Brief but beautiful, this book had an impact on me that will not fade any time soon.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

Wow What a way to end this series of poetry.
I’ve loved all the other books in this poetry series and this one was no different.
This book was full of very serious topics which Amanda Lovelace writes about exceptionally well about in all 3 books from the series and they are so hard hitting and gets u all in the feels that they are so important to read about in this day and age.
Amanda Lovelace is in my opinion one of the best poetry writers in our generation and it just shows throughout her writing.
My favourite things about this poetry collection is that she incorporated poems from other well knows poets into this piece of work and also what I loved was Amanda Lovelace writing poetry based on poetry that has been around for a while and getting inspired by that peice.
Overall for the whole series and this book on its own this is a 5/5 stars for me.
Can’t wait for more Amanda Lovelace poetry collection to come our way.

Having read all the three books of "Women are magic" series, I felt this book was somewhat between a 3.5 - 4 for me.
The fantasy element in this one is beautifully placed and I loved all the three other parts except the first part ie. "the sky" as I couldn't connect with the pieces at all.
But,I am certainly awed by AMANDA LOVELACE 's words once again.

#themermaidsvoicereturnsinthisone #netgalley

This was my most anticipated poetry book of 2019 and it definitely did not disappoint.

Such a magical collection of poem exploring themes like abuse, healing, finding yourself and fighting back. It also gave small tributes to readers and books like Chronicles of Narnia which was really sweet :)

I definitely recommend it to everyone and I'm so sorry to see this series end. As usual, please read the trigger warnings before reading the book and as Amanda Lovelace says, practice self-love before and after 💖

I  received a free digital copy of this book from Netgalley for an honest review.

This is the third installment in Amanda Lovelace's "Women Are Some Kind Of Magic" series. I was not disappointed. Another great work by Amanda.

I don't usually read a lot of poetry, but this may be the book that changes my mind! It's the third in a series, but the first one that I've read. I'm sure it won't be the last. The poetry style had a modern flair with topics that focused on recovery, loss, and other sensitive subject matter. I cannot wait to read more by this author.

Another empowering and beautiful poetry collection from Amanda Lovelace that once again made me feel a lot of feels. I will forever of her honestly, and the raw vulnerability she brings with each poem. The imagery was once again fantastical, but perhaps not as strong as her past works. I really enjoyed the inclusion of various contributors each bringing their own voices to the table. Though, I think this my least favourite in the trilogy, mostly due to me not being able to personally connect to it as much as to her other collections. It was still an amazing read that I would of course recommend if you're a fan of Lovelace's other works.

Have you ever felt like you've been stabbed by a book, and the poetry is written in your lifeblood? Do you want to? Cool. Buy this book.

Review to be posted at the end of February to all sources mentioned on my profile.


I read the other two books by this author not that long ago and I was excited for this book. So, when I saw it on Netgalley I couldn't resist requesting it, it meant I could read it immediately and not have to wait a few more months.

First up, I love the content page: The Sky, The Shipwreck, The Song, The Surviving.

This was for me the weakest book of the three. Which also has to do with my own comfort levels. I saw the warning at the beginning (thank you for that), I knew what would happen, but as a year resolution I wanted to push my boundaries a bit more. Now I am kind of crawling back and wishing I hadn't done it. There are just a few things that I truly cannot read, never will be able to read. Child abuse. Rape.

There were still other poems/verses/whatever you want to call it that this was, and while I did like them at points, they didn't strike an emotional chord as the second one did so so much. Which is a shame, I was kind of hoping that would happen again.

I did like that not only were these poems about things that happened (in childhoods or through the years), but also about healing, about getting better, about getting stronger.

I adored those Romeo and Juliet stories though. I loved those various worlds, various situations.

I loved the (broken-up) poems/verses/etc. more than those lumps of text without much punctuation.

This book also features work by others on the theme. I did like their messages, but... and how to explain this, it just didn't work for me. Poems/verses/etc. are still hit and miss to me, and with Amanda Lovelace I found someone whose poetry I liked, she writes in a style that is perfect for me, however the guest writers just didn't have that spark, or at least most of them. That feel. Maybe someone else will love them, and again, I did love their messages, but the poetry just missed something.

All in all, I still was fascinated and in awe of this book, it is an important one to read, and I am sure that, while it didn't strike such a chord with me, it will for someone else. Someone else will be able to use the words written down in this book.

4.5
I was sent this book as an advance copy by the publisher via NetGalley for reviewing purposes, but all opinions are my own

The Mermaid’s Voice Returns in This One is the conclusion to Amanda Lovelace’s series of poetry collections, Women Are Some Kind of Magic. I had read the previous two books right at the beginning of last year (I had also read the second volume as an advance copy), and I absolutely loved the both of them and this one was no different.
This finale manages to end the series fantastically, it brings back themes, phrases, ideas of the original two books in a brilliant way that manages to leave you satisfied after finishing it. Because of that, I think the best way to read the series is to binge read all of them at once, it would end up being an incredible experience, I will definitely be trying that when I manage to get a physical copy on March 5th.
The Mermaid’s Voice in This One also does something new compared to the other books in this series. In the final part of the collection, alongside Lovelace’s poems are poems from new authors. That was by far my favorite part of the book, it gave a fresh air to the collection, I loved all of those poems and as I was turning the pages I got more and more excited to read each one. I can’t wait to read more of those authors in the future.
My favorite book in the series is still Th Witch Doesn’t Burn in this One but this one came close.

OMG!OMG!OMG! Amanda lovelace is my queenn🖤. She's written these poems with so much care,love and admiration for her readers. Few poems were so exceptionally written, i had to stop for a second and collect myself for the selection and string of words😍. Im going to read every book of amanda lovelace and im sure as hell going to buy the book.Thanks alot for writing such a masterpiece

This is my first time reading Amanda's work in its entirety and though I don't frequently read poetry, I was totally smitten with her style and message, how she easily flitted between the autobiographical and the general, and between the passages that made me want to tear my heart out with startled grief and those that brought out a small smile and a warm nostalgia. She alludes to mermaids and princes/princesses but also book lovers, and how escaping to books helped at least one little girl (herself?).

Among my favorite passages:
"sometimes
she cannot
tell the
difference

between

the days
she's walked
this earth
as herself

&

the days
she's walked
through paragraphs
as someone else.
-no one noticed & she liked it that way."