“Ah, life- the thing that happens to us while we’re off somewhere else blowing on dandelions & wishing ourselves into the pages of our favorite fairy tales.”
I saw this on a post (who wrote it I can’t remember) for recommended reads and it stuck with me for some time. Never knew the plot but come on, the title itself is enough for me to get hyped. The person who wants a story without a love interest for once. Then I just so happened to get to bookstore and bought this as soon as I saw it.
Premise
This isn’t a fairytale.
Okay…metaphorically…
It’s actually a collection of poems, which I didn’t know until I opened the book for the first time. This is about the princess and her life leading up to becoming queen. It’s about resilience and creating your own happy ending.
The book is sectioned off into four parts: the princess, the damsel, the queen, and you. Â The first three are about the author, amanda lovelace, and her journey from a young age to the point where she got this book published. And with all the shit life throws at you in-between. The “you” section is more of a note to the reader, that you can get through it and one day, will reach your happy ending.
The Right (and Sore) Spot
The very beginning of the book contains trigger warnings, any you can think of: rape, mental illness, cancer, and death just being a few. I truly appreciated that. You are aware of what’s to come and yet it still hits hard.
Not everyone is going to relate to what’s being said. We all go through different life experiences. When it came to her talking about her body issues at a young age, I connected right away. Then this line appeared:
How many funerals cane someone attend before they turn 19?
For a few years in my life I wondered the same question. The deaths may not be the same but it still struck a chord. It’s moments like this in the book when you finally get the feeling that someone else knows what you’re going through. And we all go through shit, some of it similar, but when it’s written down and you re-read the line over and over again that’s when you just sit there taking a breath.
Moving on from that…moment.
Pending: Your Own Happy Ending
It’s great reading a story about someone who grew up with highs and some serious lows and knowing they made it. One day we’ll all get there and this is a reminder we can do it.
Slay your dragons, learn to love yourself, never let them underestimate you, believe in yourself, and along the way your happy ending creates itself.
At the moment you may see yourself as the princess or the damsel, but just like this book shows, get through anything and one day you’ll be the queen.
Overall
I just really love this book okay. I hate to say there aren’t many books I can look back on and say they made such a profound impact on my life. Sure there are many I love, that got me into reading and writing, but none I can immediately call my “favorite.” This book is a little more than that.
When a book causes you to think and resonates with your life in a way nothing else has, that’s when it sits on a certain level of your bookshelf you say isn’t for favorites, but we know something about them means just a bit more than others.
Since I haven’t officially said it: yes I recommend this book. Even if it is aimed more for women I think anyone can take something away from the overall message. Never stop dreaming of your happy ending because you will get there.
Quibbles and Scribbles 
Ive been wanting to read this. I haven’t read many poetry collections though so I have been a little hesitant.
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I haven’t either, but it plays out more like a story so that might make it a bit different. I should’ve mentioned it’s not a long read either unless you like analyzing poems to very little detail 🙂
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