2022 EDIT: Okay, what?
I think I'd gaslighted myself into liking and keeping this poetry book in the first place because of the author I admired, the artwork, and the subject matter (even in my original review I wasn't sure about it). But reading it now, I can't lie to anyone, least of all myself:
'To Make Monsters Out of Girls' is mostly gibberish and nonsense. I might be uneducated and have hardly any love for poetry, but I still think these poems are just confused and amateurish. I hardly felt anything for it overall. Which is shocking since I usually love Amanda Lovelace's work.
I don't like and appreciate the "both sides" agenda and the slight victim blaming angle the poems take towards the end (even the title directly states that, apparently, domestic abuse victims - or even just lovesick women - will eventually, inevitably, become monsters, no better than their abusers - I hope that wasn't the intent, but regardless, what?!). It's uncomfortable. Plus with the "the right man in a woman's life will help heal her and save her and defend her and make her feel good about herself again and will lead her to her happily ever after with him" message, it is definitely not feminist. It appears that Lovelace likes Gillian Flynn's books, too. So, yeah, pass.
However, I will give it a 3/5 score, as it is clearly a deeply personal piece of work, so I won't judge it too harshly. Who am I to judge another person's life? To judge how they choose to pour their heart out for the world to see?
Final Score: 3/5
Original Review:
What conflicting poetry.
With teeth.
And shards
That scatter
And get everywhere.
Left to bloody your feet.
And hands.
And mouth and throat.
I was slightly confused whilst first reading 'To Make Monsters Out of Girls (Things that H(a)unt, #1)'. Some poems didn't make sense to me, and I was confused as to what exactly Amanda Lovelace was trying to say in all of this, and if it was even feminist. But by the end I was transfixed. Maybe I do understand Lovelace better now and what she had been experiencing in her life in relationships.
The abuse, the cycle, the fears, the contradictions, the aches, the lies, the trappings, the emptiness, the self-pitying, the self-hatred, the dark and violent thoughts at night, the thoughts of revenge on both sides, death and rebirth - all adds up a draining away of blood, bones, certainty, self-worth, self-love, happiness, and a "sun heart"; meaning, hope.
The sun always rises another day, and shines on a flower which can grow out of dirt and ashes. Lovelace finds a man who is not her monster boy, who will not make her a monster girl, but will let her grow on her own, in her own terms. Heart repairs can take a long, agonizing time.
'To Make Monsters Out of Girls' is haunting, strange, sometimes clever and insightful, sometimes confusing, creepy, and monstrous. Monstrously real. The occasional added illustrations to the poems - the sketches with blood - add to the unsettling effect. The book is presented like a fairy tale, except it isn't: Fairy tale romances don't exist - oh, lord does that realization hit you hard after reading - not do perfect relationships. But love, safety and respect on both sides (love WITH conditions) must be there for it to work. For it to be worth it.
I bought 'To Make Monsters Out of Girls' for two reasons: Amanda Lovelace, and the amazing cover. Blank white space with bloody flowers and a set of teeth, like a monster, under the black and red lettering of the title. I couldn't resist. It's first rate; enough to make this a cult classic.
The aftereffect of 'To Make Monsters Out of Girls' on the reader's psyche is like that of a horror film. It's not one of Lovelace's best writing, and of course not everyone will get it - I'm still not sure I do - but I'm not going to forget it anytime soon. It's spontaneous and experimental, written down from painful memories, and I appreciate, respect, and admire that.
Final Score: 3.5/5
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