Status Updates From Twelve: Poems Inspired by t...

While the cover calls these poems, they are small prose stories, and each one is lovely!

Made the mistake of thinking I’ll just read one poem....and now I’m forcing myself to close up at midnight. This collection is entrancing with feminine fury.

I got this from the publisher via Netgalley and because I couldn't resist the blurb and the stellar reviews, I dived in immediately. I'm really loving it!

3=library & reading
4=sees the dead suitors
5=pregnant but no idea with what
6=disappeared, but room remained perfect
7=alchemist and human experimenter
8&9=thieves, known as the singular Black Fox
10=LESBIAN cook
11=looked for the old woman who sold them out to the soldier
12=explored the fairy world they danced in

14: 2=kept dancing

13: 1=poisoning

13: Oh..oh my god. THIS IS SHAPING UP TO BE SO GOOD AHHH!

11: Ok so the prelude set's up the story being told from the POV of each of the 12 sisters from the 12 Dancing princesses, which makes sense because of the title of this work. I can feel the FEMINISM and I LOVE it!!

0: First thoughts. I am SO EXCITED to read this because it's inspired by the Grimm FAIRY TALES and nothing is more up my alley. I quickly flipped through it and it's very short and more long prose poetry, but I'm SUPER excited to get into it!

"No one ever said two girls could carve open the world like an oyster, taking all its pearls and swallowing the meat. No one ever believed two girls could take and take and take - for no other reason than they knew they could."

"When she was young, she ate apples whole, swallowing the core and bitter seeds along with the white flesh. Her sisters joked that a tree would take root and grow inside her. Now, as her belly swelled, her sisters whispered behind her hands, not quite meeting her eyes."

This characterization is amazing.

It's really interesting how none of the sisters have names, though this is trying to center them and their stories.