My Rating: 4/5 Stars

My Thoughts: 

It’s never a complete reading year without reading at least one poetry collection from amanda lovelace. I’m so grateful I was able to kick off my new year reading this month with the second & latest installment in her “you are your own fairy tale” feminist poetry series. shine your icy crown is its own fairytale, interweaving the story of a princess who doesn’t want to accept a crown from a prince, a big sister’s advice to a little sister, and pieces of wisdom & advice.

amanda lovelace’s poetry always comes at the right time for me. I always look forward to sitting down with a set of page tabs and making note of all the poems that I really relate with. The poems that spoke to me the most in this collection reflected women empowerment and doing things for one’s self. Given the timeliness of inaugurating our first female vice president here in the US, I especially loved the poems about female leadership. My favorite section of the book was this first section, which alternates between the ‘little sister’ having darker and honest thoughts about herself and the ‘big sister’ giving her corresponding advice. I loved the poems dealing with creating your own story, (female) friendship, and dealing with crushes, unrequited men, and partnership. There were some poems across the collection that I couldn’t personally relate to, but I always appreciate that amanda lovelace’s poetry is so representative of different female experiences. 

Much like break your own glass slippers, shine your icy crown features so many incredible illustrations. I’m always here for a book with a pink aesthetic. I love the two page enchanted forests spreads that separate the sections. I really liked the pink and gray illustrations spread throughout the collection, from a cloud border surrounding one of my favorite poems about self-care to the representation of women across different age ranges and body sizes. 

Overall, shine your icy crown features so many empowering & relatable poems that I know many readers, myself included, will visit again and again. 

 shine your icy crown comes out on January 26, 2021. 

This review is based on a finished copy provided by the publisher. By no means did receiving this copy affect my thoughts & opinion. 

Have you read any of Amanda Lovelace’s poetry collections? Which one is your favorite? Share in the comments!