| Title | : | To Make Monsters Out of Girls (Things that Haunt, #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1449494269 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781449494261 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 168 |
| Publication | : | First published September 18, 2018 |
Winner of the 2016 Goodreads Choice Award for Best Poetry, amanda lovelace presents her new illustrated duology, “things that h(a)unt.” In this first installment, to make monsters out of girls, lovelace explores the memory of being in an abusive relationship. She poses the eternal question: Can you heal once you’ve been marked by a monster, or will the sun always sting?
To Make Monsters Out of Girls (Things that Haunt, #1) Reviews
-
Nadie me dijo que la poesía me podía hacer llorar como si me hubiesen pateado una teta
-
First Read: November 2018, Rating: 5/5 stars
Second Read: March 2020, Rating: 4/5 stars
"if you’re looking for your perfect victim, then you might as well set down your lanterns. you won’t be able to find her here. i’m the fairy tale everyone forgot about because the lesson wasn’t pure or hopeful enough. in this one, there are plenty of times when red becomes a little bit wolf after the beast comes for her with his snapping jaw too hard, too often."
This is the third of Amanda Lovelace's anthologies, that I have read. Like her other two collections, there is an extraordinary amount of personal pain relayed to the reader as this opens up the details of the poet's own past. It takes such bravery to be as raw and honest as Lovelace is and every reader has much to gain from this soul laid bare in literary form. I appreciated some of the contents a little less during my second reading, but that doesn't take away from my appreciation for this collection, as a whole, or the few poems that felt penned by my own heart. -
1.5/5 stars
so
many
line
breaks.
why does
modern
poetry
read like
regular
sentences
with fancy
line
breaks?
why
- A beautiful poem by me
There were some nice quotes in this book, but honestly most of it was …. bad.
Why does this book also promote itself as a feminist tale of a girl healing herself after a toxic relationship when that is so clearly a lie? The last line of this book is “the princess saves herself in this one” (which is the title of the last poem and also the title of a different poetry book by this author). The “””princess””” did not save herself — she fell in love with another boy, whom she calls “sun-heart”, and decides to write “cute” poetry about him, while still writing edgy poetry about her old boyfriend. She did not “heal herself” — hell, she’s barely healed at all.
Just saying, if my partner continued to write letters to their ex AND write poetry about them, I would just call it quits. Sorry.
Nice images and some good quotes but overall a huge disappointment. -
I first read this when Amanda published it on Wattpad a couple of years ago as a thank you to her readers for supporting her debut, the princess saves herself in this one, and even then, I knew this was something special. Now, it has been revised, expanded upon, and given a new life with accompanying artwork, and I'm so very excited to see it put back out in the world. This is definitely a contender for my personal favorite Amanda Lovelace book, and I can't wait to see how she follows it up!
-
the monster
made himself
another monster
because he
couldn’t stand
being a monster
all by
himself.
- & yet that weight grows heavier still.
This collection of poems is about being in a relationship with someone you know is bad for you and realising you deserve better and finding that someone who will help you grow. These poems were all so beautiful.
The third part of poetry in this book is called sun-heart, it is about Amanda's spouse
Cyrus Parker who is the author of
DROPKICKromance. I'm so excited to read his collection, it will be like reading his side of the story.
__
My reviews for:
#2
To Drink Coffee with a Ghost -
Amanda, please, stop milking the dead cow! This is the third book and I am starting to feel bad for your husband.
Can you please start talking about how the princess saved herself and moved on for good? Because it does feel like the princess keeps talking about self awareness but made the new prince do all the heavy lifting while she thinks about her ex.
Dear girl, please stop waiting for men to make you happy and change therapist.
By this point I would be interested more in your grocery shopping than your ex boyfriend, MOVE ON! -
might
as well
say “bye-bye”
because
this girl
right here
is a
fucking
goner.
that should have been my cue, i should have stopped reading right then and there because what is that atrocity i had to witness ?? -
Creo que ya es hora de sincerarme conmigo mismo, dejar de leer estos libros tumblr y asumir que debería haberlos dejado donde se merecían: en 2013.
-
ACTUAL RATING: 4.5 STARS
If you’re going through a break up or have been through one, you must read this collection of poetry. This collection has the power to help people heal from the wounds others have caused, and it also can nudge others to stand up for themselves when they are treated wrongly.
I’m so proud of Amanda for speaking out about her past and her relationships, and I know it will help people feel seen in ways they have never felt before. -
Poetry is always either a huge hit or a huge miss for me. This collection was a huge hit to the heart for me. I instantly fell in love with Lovelace’s style and I’m already itching to read more of her work! This was such a mindblowingly beautiful collection of poetry, this definitely won’t be the last time I read it. The illustrations were absolutely stunning as well and added such a special touch to this collection of stunning poems. I’m going to read this over and over and over again and I know I’ll be just as moved every time.
-
Are you my antidote or my poison?
😬
Lapis cloud lullabies
😬😬
When he kisses me I can taste all the midnights he doesn’t try to hide.
😬😬😬
Oh, boy. Before I say anything else, I should clarify that when I say this collection of poems is terrible, I am in no way implying that the author or her experiences are invalid. She was with a monstrous boyfriend who poisoned her mind, she found empowerment through poetry, and she eventually blossomed in a healthy relationship. That's awesome. I am not mocking her suffering.
That being said, I don't think these poems stand up to any kind of scrutiny. They're pretty bad. Fourteen year old LiveJournal ranting bad. Every poem felt like it wanted to be plastered across an artfully tilted snapshot of a rain-splattered window. Or a selfie with mascara-stained tear tracks.
This is art, every poem screamed.
This is really cliché, I wanted to scream back.
Clichés aside, you feel for the author/speaker as you read. These poems were born from pain and her desire to process her feelings. Someone who's survived a toxic relationship, who's been brainwashed by a boyfriend or girlfriend into believing they're unworthy of love would--I suspect--strongly connect to the poems' messages. So many of the poems have good, empowering messages.
I just couldn't stop asking what made them special enough to get published.
The line breaks feel arbitrary. Using the word "spin" four times in a layout that looks like it's--wait for it--spinning does not impress me. That's not revolutionary; that's the concrete poetry I have my freshmen write for practice. Putting the titles at the end of the poems? Screams "I'm edgy" but feels pretentious. And the comparisons...I mean, look at those examples I have at the beginning. You can taste his midnights? What?
I have no idea how old Amanda Lovelace is or how old she was when she wrote these poems, but they feel extremely juvenile to me. Which is off-putting, really, because there are references to wine and drinking that suggest she's older. Old enough to have a more developed style of writing.
When I pick up a book of poetry, I'm not interested in reading what feels like scribbled half-thoughts. Short micro poems have their place, but they were used way too often to be punchy here. There was so much bouncing around and an inordinate amount of superficial exploration; I think this collection would have been strengthened by slowing down and digging.
Again, I'm not trying to discount her pain, but this didn't need to be published. -
"i’m the fairy tale everyone forgot about because the lesson wasn’t pure or hopeful enough. in this one, there are plenty of times when red becomes a little bit wolf after the beast comes for her with his snapping jaw too hard, too often."
Not the best I’ve read from lovelace, but still a solid collection with an interesting concept and beautiful illustrations. -
I feel weird rating a book of personal poetry because I feel like I’m 3 starring this girl’s love life...
But I didn’t connect to this collection as much as her others, though I still tabbed and bookmarked a few stellar poems. -
Not as magical as the first time.
-
So good to be true!
My absolute Amanda Lovelace favorite!
I totally love this one much much more than I ever should!
Not fair to compare but I thought there wouldn't be a book by Amanda Lovelace that would be better than her 'The Princess Saves Herself In This One'. But...how wrong I was!
This one includes lots of trigger warning at the beginning of the book but it wasn't that traumatic to read. All I felt while reading the whole book was love, love, love, acceptance and hope.
Yes, there were lines about physical as well as emotional abuse & cheating. I don't think the trigger warning was even necessary.
She is just too good in expressing whatever she writes.
The only trigger warning I can give you about this one are the strong, appealing words and the beautiful, heartrenching illustrations👍
Out of the 3 sections : monster boy, monster girl and the sunheart, my favourite (and the reason why the book deserves 5 stars!) is the 3rd section.
The lines are so damn beautiful, honest, genuine and pokes your heart straightaway. It is so full.of hope and love and acceptance of oneself after all the trauma and abuse.
I really want everyone (man, woman and going adult) to read this particular book.
Maybe we all become a bit sensitive to each other after reading this beautiful book. -
No sabía qué esperar de este libro y me impactó mucho.
Aunque respeto la forma en que la autora elige expresarse y lo considero parte de su libertad creativa, no comulgo mucho con
el
tema
de escribir
poesía así
me
parece
que
dificulta
la
lectura
al pedo.
Pero, es absolutamente indiferente la alineación cuando las palabras y las experiencias te calan bien hondo.
No me lo esperaba. Tampoco me esperaba que una relación tan tóxica desde los dos lados, termine con tanto amor propio y sabiduría. Hay mucho poder, mucho empoderamiento. Me gustó. -
"either take everything i have or drop it all & walk away. both are no longer an option i'm allowing. you see, it's not exactly in this girl's nature to be torn in two."
2,5 stars.
I feel pretty horrible for rating a poetry book about an abusive relationship less than 3 stars but these just didn't touch me at all. I liked maybe 3 of the 150 poems and that's just not enough for me. Just not my cup of tea. -
The pain, the agony, they’re all there, on each page, ready to be read, by the right person.
You.
Read when you’re ready to move on. Read when you’re ready to accept you’re toxic too. Read when you need to know you’re not alone.
Thank you again Amanda. -
I loved the illustrations and the ending but overall was the collection average.
-
3.5
-
This was so heartbreakingly honest and beautiful 😭💕 It was like All Too Well (Taylor's Version) (Ten Minute Version) in a volume of poetry
And then the last part was so soft and empowering and I love that about Amanda Lovelace, she does such a great job letting those two exist in the same space
She also does an amazing job of not mixing up healing and falling in love. She honors the role her partner played in that journey, but never attributes her healing to him or sending the message that you have to fall in love with the right man to be complete
All in all, this was beautiful and I loved it 💕 -
This collection had its ups and downs in my opinion, but overall it was a nice read. In the poems included Amanda Lovelace explores her abusive relationship and talks about the person who really hurt her in the past, her abuser. I think this collection was kind of therapeutic for her and really a way to let go of this man.
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"Para convertir a las chicas en monstruos" de la autora norteamericana @ladybookmad 🇺🇸
☆ Páginas: 141.
☆Editorial: @vreditorasya
☆ Muchísimas gracias por el ejemplar: @laspalabraslibreria
☆Reseña:
Esta es la primera vez que leo a la aclamada poeta Amanda Lovelace. Debo admitir que me ha dejado un buen sabor de boca, superó mis expectativas y me atrapó hasta la última página.
El libro nos cuenta la dolorosa historia de la autora y su antigua pareja, lo que parecía "amor" y solo fue sufrimiento.
☆El ejemplar se dividide en tres partes:
👹"Chico monstruo":
En el apartado Amanda nos deja en claro que los versos impresos aquí son el ataúd metafórico de su ex, es una forma de cortar todo atisbo de poder que pudiera tener sobre ella. Ese joven hermoso que alguna vez fue su salvavidas, no era más que una fachada que buscaba destruirla y divertirse entre humillación, violencia e infidelidad.
👹"Chica monstruo":
Es todo lo bueno que él le ha quitado estando en su vida. Lo que más valoraba de sí misma, como la luz y la capacidad de asombro por un mundo extraordinario, todo se ha ido. Ahora solo queda un ser oscuro, maltrecho e irreparable. Testimonio desgarrador de los
"juegos" (autolesiones) que él animaba a participar y una vez finalizados se aburría de ella, desaparecía y luego volvía con la clásica disculpa de siempre, hasta que ya no hubo ninguna, simplemente lo hacía.
☀"Corazón de sol":
Dedicado a su actual pareja, quien ha sanado sus heridas y la ha ayudado a volver a ser quien era antes. Es el testimonio de que se puede volver a empezar, va a costar pero es posible. Es un llamado a la acción contra estos monstruos para que no vuelvan a entrar.
🎨La edición del ejemplar es en tapa dura, contiene ilustraciones a color bellísimas, delicadas y crudas de Munise Sertel, que acompañan idealmente el texto. Alterna páginas en blanco, negro y rojo. En resumidas cuentas es la fantasía de todo lector, simplemente precioso y detallado.
Las descripciones son sangrientas, oscuras, venenosas, absolutamente impactantes. Una historia de terror realista con todas las letras.
Real, feroz, es la voz de muchas mujeres que han pasado por relaciones abusivas.
5/5🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 -
There's something so nice and dependable about Amanda Lovelace. You pick up a book of hers and you know what it's going to be like. It's not for everyone but it's definitely for me. I like spending time with her, I like hearing about her heartbreaks and sorrows, how she is growing and still, so deeply within her brokenness.
And I read this book when I could have been studying for the math exam I have in two weeks (Jesus, why does this course have so much prior knowledge required, why don't universities and high schools synchronize more) and I could have been studying Econ (so many people have warned me about falling behind and now I am panicking) and instead, I curled up in my bed and just felt so empowered by Lovelace's prose.
I don't have much else to say. I loved the illustrations, would happily buy a poster of some of them to hang in my very empty dorm room. I do think I liked the princess saves herself slightly more but this was also very good.
What I'm Taking With Me
- There's always time to read nice and short poetry collections.
- Ahh, guys, today I officially start uni, and I'm starting with my hardest course, can I panic now
- I'm so happy to be single, so comfortable with this. -
This book reminded me of a person that I know and how she felt and dealt with a man she was in an unhealthy relationship with. There is no way to rate or judge someone's life and what they went through but I was glad I got to read the emotions that went into the words in this book. This book is a poetry book about growing past an unhealthy relationship and moving on, finding yourself again. I highly recommend this book to everyone. You may not be in this situation but you will know someone who either is or has been.
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2.75/5 stars ⭐⭐.75 (rounded up to a 3)
"...even lucifer himself wore a pair of wings on his shoulder blades, but remember, dear one- it wasn't long before he let the straps slip down & everyone found out he was never who he was always pretending to be.
-fool me once, twice, thrice."
Not bad! I enjoyed this more than I thought I would, but there were only a few poems that stood out to me! -
Me? Finishing another Amanda Lovelace book in a day? Not a surprise honestly, this one...I have things to say but it might have to wait till tonight because I’m still reeling.
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“There is at least one good deed that i can attribute to you. It was only after you left me stranded & i found myself still breathing that i knew i could withstand everything that came after you”
I love Amanda Lovelace poems.
Is like reading a lifetime story of someone in only a couple of pages.
I’ve read “Women are some kind of magic” series and really enjoyed it. So when I found this new collection of her’s I new I had to read it. And I don’t regret it. -
Man this is why Amanda Lovelace's works are just it for me.
She manages to make you feel like you're going through a heartbreak while you're really not going through one. She has the power to write down her words in such a way that they touch your heart with every letter.
I can not say it enough but read her works they are impeccable. -
sometimes
no closure
tells us
more than
the closure
ever
could.
- some people were never worth your words.
I can relate
