break your glass slippers by amanda lovelaceYou Are Your Own Fairy Tale #1
3 stars
there is a girl who
sings only when
every window is shut.
like most girls,
she's been learning
the trait of silence
since birth.
This is a poetry collection that focuses on retelling the story of “Cinderella” that focuses on areas of the story of “Cinderella” that promote toxicity. I love the concept.The first half of this collection was gorgeous and was easily a 4-star collection. I was such a fan of the opening poems. The format of this collection is brilliant. There are poems from a Fairy Godmother that contradict the tropes of “Cinderella” and bring encouragement to the Cinderella character. I loved that idea and the art is absolutely stunning. I was blown away looking at it. However, there comes a point when the poems become modern and switch from the flow of tackling “Cinderella” and the poetry becomes your typical modern twitter poetry that lovelace is famous for. I lost interest and after that point, this collection tanked for me. I would recommend this just for the first half alone. It is definitely a brilliant idea. I’m just disappointed by the direction it took halfway through.I would also recommend this book to fans of Malinda Lo’s Ash. It has a lot of similar dismantling of tropes and a couple of poems reminded me of the story.
Whimsical Writing Scale: 3
Plotastic Scale: 3.25
Cover Thoughts: I love the cover and the color pattern.
Thank you, Netgalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing, for providing me with a copy of novels in exchange for an honest review.
Dear Girl by Aija Mayrock
3 stars
This is a poetry collection addressed to women. It's all about women and celebrating women. It's mainly a call to action as well as a calling out in complacency of how women often allow other women to be treated. I think Mayrock is probably a fantastic spoken-word or slam poet. I would love to watch her read some of these poems. That ability shines through a lot of the poems. I personally didn't love this collection. It feels like every other collection that is targeted towards feminism. This poetry collection has some great messages, but it doesn't really stand out to me. I would recommend it for poetry fans and readers who are specifically looking for poetry about feminism.
Whimsical Writing Scale: 3
Plotastic Scale: 3
Cover Thoughts: I like the cover and the font is striking.
Thank you, Netgalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing, for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
3 stars
This is a poetry collection addressed to women. It's all about women and celebrating women. It's mainly a call to action as well as a calling out in complacency of how women often allow other women to be treated. I think Mayrock is probably a fantastic spoken-word or slam poet. I would love to watch her read some of these poems. That ability shines through a lot of the poems. I personally didn't love this collection. It feels like every other collection that is targeted towards feminism. This poetry collection has some great messages, but it doesn't really stand out to me. I would recommend it for poetry fans and readers who are specifically looking for poetry about feminism.
Whimsical Writing Scale: 3
Plotastic Scale: 3
Cover Thoughts: I like the cover and the font is striking.
Thank you, Netgalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing, for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
The Promises of God Storybook Bible: The Story of God's Unstoppable Love by Jennifer Lyell
4 stars
This is a beautiful illustrated children's story Bible that breaks down Scripture from Genesis to Revelation and focuses on how the Bible as a whole focuses on the promises of God. It is a brilliant idea and the artwork is absolutely STUNNING. Each chapter focuses on a particular story and then is followed up with questions to interact with kids. I could definitely see this being implemented into a children's church curriculum, which makes sense because Lyell has been a children's church leader for many decades. My only real issue with this little book is that there are lines that are not theologically or contextually relevant. For instance, when address the story of Saul being blind and led to fast for three days before Ananias lays hands on him to restore his sight, Lyell says that it is probably because he was so guilty from all the people he had killed. That's a big nope and it incorrectly portrays the power of the spiritual act of fasting that a man who has persecuted Jews who believed in Jesus being the Messiah. That's just one example out of couple that I had issue with. However, I think it's a beautiful book and I would recommend reading to your little ones especially if you are struggling to explain the overarching significance of Jesus throughout all of the stories of the Bible.
Whimsical Writing Scale: 3.5
Art Scale: 5
Plotastic Scale: 4
Cover Thoughts: Beautiful cover and a great representation of the beautiful art inside.
Thank you, B & H Children's Books, providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Everything is Beautiful, and I'm Not Afraid by Yao Xiao
3.75 stars
This is a graphic novel collection that follows the musings and thoughts of a bisexual Chinese immigrant living in American who has been rejected by her Chinese mother. The artwork is beautiful and has a lot of transcendental landscapes that will appeal as well as encourage a lot of women or men with similar stories. I can't relate personally, but I appreciated the heart of this and the emotional capacity that this graphic novel addresses. There are some pages that are stilted and feel a little awkward, but the overall message of this novel is powerful and I enjoyed some of the conversations and dialogue that could be started based off of the points with sexuality, immigration, diversity, bisexual erasure, and acceptance. There are even more topics addressed, but I think that those should be discovered on your own by picking up this small and simple graphic novel collection. I'm glad that I read it and while it won't be something I will always remember I am glad to have read someone's story that is so different from my own.
Whimsical Writing Scale: 3.25
Art Scale: 4
Plotastic Scale: 4
Cover Thoughts: I love the cover. It was drew me in and the title also reminds me of Slaughterhouse-Five, so that was a plus.
Thank you, Netgalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing, for providing me with a copy of this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review.
Have you read any of these books or plan on picking them up? Let me know down below in the comments!
4 stars
This is a beautiful illustrated children's story Bible that breaks down Scripture from Genesis to Revelation and focuses on how the Bible as a whole focuses on the promises of God. It is a brilliant idea and the artwork is absolutely STUNNING. Each chapter focuses on a particular story and then is followed up with questions to interact with kids. I could definitely see this being implemented into a children's church curriculum, which makes sense because Lyell has been a children's church leader for many decades. My only real issue with this little book is that there are lines that are not theologically or contextually relevant. For instance, when address the story of Saul being blind and led to fast for three days before Ananias lays hands on him to restore his sight, Lyell says that it is probably because he was so guilty from all the people he had killed. That's a big nope and it incorrectly portrays the power of the spiritual act of fasting that a man who has persecuted Jews who believed in Jesus being the Messiah. That's just one example out of couple that I had issue with. However, I think it's a beautiful book and I would recommend reading to your little ones especially if you are struggling to explain the overarching significance of Jesus throughout all of the stories of the Bible.
Whimsical Writing Scale: 3.5
Art Scale: 5
Plotastic Scale: 4
Cover Thoughts: Beautiful cover and a great representation of the beautiful art inside.
Thank you, B & H Children's Books, providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
3.75 stars
This is a graphic novel collection that follows the musings and thoughts of a bisexual Chinese immigrant living in American who has been rejected by her Chinese mother. The artwork is beautiful and has a lot of transcendental landscapes that will appeal as well as encourage a lot of women or men with similar stories. I can't relate personally, but I appreciated the heart of this and the emotional capacity that this graphic novel addresses. There are some pages that are stilted and feel a little awkward, but the overall message of this novel is powerful and I enjoyed some of the conversations and dialogue that could be started based off of the points with sexuality, immigration, diversity, bisexual erasure, and acceptance. There are even more topics addressed, but I think that those should be discovered on your own by picking up this small and simple graphic novel collection. I'm glad that I read it and while it won't be something I will always remember I am glad to have read someone's story that is so different from my own.
Whimsical Writing Scale: 3.25
Art Scale: 4
Plotastic Scale: 4
Cover Thoughts: I love the cover. It was drew me in and the title also reminds me of Slaughterhouse-Five, so that was a plus.
Thank you, Netgalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing, for providing me with a copy of this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review.
Have you read any of these books or plan on picking them up? Let me know down below in the comments!
I've always been curious about Amanda Lovelace's poetry. Sorry this one wasn't a total hit for you.
ReplyDeleteShe is a poet I recommend checking out. She doesn't always do it for me, but I appreciate her work and recommend giving her a go.:D
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