Review: The Witch Doesn’t Burn in This One
Title: The Witch Doesn’t Burn in This One (Women are Some Kind of Magic #2)
Author: Amanda Lovelace
Year published: 2018
Format: Library Book
Rating: 4 stars
You Might Enjoy: The Bell Jar (Sylvia Plath), Princeless (graphic novel series).
Summary: This book of poems is the follow up to The Princess Saves Herself in This One, and focuses on “the witch” and how she and her sisters fight back against their enemies who try to burn them. Note: The poems tackle difficult topics such as rape, assault, eating disorders, and violence.
Rating: 4 Stars
Review: While I am not an avid poetry reader, I picked up this book as a recommendation from a friend who adored this series of poems. I haven’t read the first installment (The Princess Saves Herself in This One), but it is waiting for me to read at work.
I thought there was a great deal of power in these poems, especially in the first part of the book (The Trial). Although the prose and lack of capitalization is becoming more common in poetry, Lovelace’s words still stood out to me and I found myself rereading a few of the poems.
While the book didn’t take long to read, I felt emotionally exhausted by the end. There was definitely a sense of empowerment, but also a strong urge to just sit down and let myself relax. The Witch Doesn’t Burn in This One is not a book I would take to the park to read. It was definitely a read-at-home book for me because it left me with a lot of thoughts that I’m still trying to sort through.
Overall, I enjoyed seeing themes of empowerment and sisterhood. I also liked that Lovelace used “witch” as something positive and powerful. At times, it seems that society paints women as witches as if speaking up and having thoughts and opinions is a bad thing. I liked that the word was “taken back” and turned into something powerful and meaningful.
I’m looking forward to reading The Princess Saves Herself in This One soon. I like the feminist approach to these poems and how quickly they read.
What are your thoughts on poetry?
tell me
something,
would you?
haven’t you
ever wished
you could
dance
in the ashes
of everyone who
ever doubted
your worth
& scoffed at
your words?
Syl Reads 