things that h(a)unt

things that h(a)unt by Amanda Lovelace is a poetry collection that explores personal trauma, healing, and supernatural elements. The book merges ghost stories with intimate experiences, creating connections between hauntings and emotional wounds. The collection uses spare, minimalist verse and experimental formatting to tell its story. Lovelace employs lowercase text and unconventional punctuation as stylistic choices that emphasize the raw nature of her subject matter. The work combines themes of recovery and empowerment with gothic imagery and ghost metaphors. Through this intersection of the paranormal and the personal, Lovelace examines how past experiences continue to affect the present, much like spirits that refuse to rest.

Readers found this poetry collection darker and more personal than Lovelace's previous works, focusing on trauma, grief, and recovery. Readers appreciated: - Raw honesty about healing from abuse - Themes of reclaiming power - Clean, minimalist style - Short, accessible poems - Meaningful use of parentheses and formatting Common criticisms: - Too similar to Lovelace's other books - Basic writing style lacking depth - Instagram-style poetry format - Repetitive themes - High price for short length Ratings: Goodreads: 3.9/5 (3,800+ ratings) Amazon: 4.4/5 (240+ ratings) BookishFirst: 3.5/5 Sample reader quotes: "Each poem hits like a punch to the gut" - Goodreads reviewer "Feels like reading someone's Tumblr posts" - Amazon reviewer "The parentheses add layers of meaning but sometimes feel gimmicky" - BookishFirst reviewer

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🌙 "things that h(a)unt" is part of Amanda Lovelace's "you are your own fairy tale" series, which reimagines traditional fairy tale elements through a modern feminist lens. 🖋️ The book explores themes of trauma, healing, and personal growth through a combination of poetry and prose, using parentheses in words to create double meanings. ✨ Amanda Lovelace gained initial recognition by sharing her poetry on Tumblr and Instagram before becoming a published author, building a strong social media following. 📚 The collection was written during the COVID-19 pandemic, and some of the pieces reflect the isolation and introspection many experienced during that time. 🏆 Lovelace is known for her award-winning "women are some kind of magic" series, with her debut "the princess saves herself in this one" winning the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Poetry in 2016.