Poetry and folklore are different forms of literature with their own elements. However, that does not mean they can't be combined into one book; Amanda Lovelace does so in her three-collection trilogy, You Are Your Own Fairy Tale.
The first collection, Break Your Glass Slipper (clearly inspired by Cinderella) deals with body issues and escaping abuse. The second collection, Shine Your Icy Crown, is about feminist ideals. Finally, Unlock Your Storybook Heart is about living the life you want. There is an advice giver in each collection: the first one has a fairy godmother, the second a big sister, and the last simply has books.
Accompanying the poems are beautiful part color but mostly ink illustrations. They don't appear on every page; instead, these are scattered throughout. Each collection also has a colored interval scene that appears a few times: the first is a starry sky, the second a forest, and the last a reading room.
Lovelace addresses a lot of the criticisms of classic fairy tales using her all-lowercase writing style. For instance, one poem says that villains rarely look evil on the outside and another contrasts mere infatuation with true love. The poems also promote self-love, self-care, and other themes promoting life enjoyment.
However, You Are Your Own Fairy Tale clearly has a secular humanist/feminist worldview. Several poems suggest finding your identify by looking inside yourself while Christians do so by looking up towards God. There is additionally politically correct content Christians need to be aware of, especially those condoning witchcraft and sexual immorality. Finally, there are plenty of swear words.
One more thing is that Lovelace lists trigger warnings at the beginning of each collection. Those who have recently suffered from abuse, an eating disorder, and other issues might find the trilogy hard to read.
Regardless, You Are Your Own Fairy Tale is an empowering, if not fully lighthearted, poetry collection with happily ever afters. I recommend it for all fairy tale fans (if they can get past the immorality and sensitive content).
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