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I Am Not Your Final Girl
From Claire C. Holland, a timely collection of poetry that follows the final girl of slasher cinema - the girl who survives until the end - on a journey of retribution and reclamation. From the white picket fences of 1970s Haddonfield to the apocalyptic end of the world, Holland confronts the role of women in relation to subjects including feminism, violence, motherhood, sexuality, and assault in the world of Trump and the MeToo movement. Each poem centers on a fictional character from horror cinema, and explores the many ways in which women find empowerment through their own perceived monstrousness.
91 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 28, 2018
238 people are currently reading
7121 people want to read
About the author
Claire C. Holland
1 book111 followersHello! I'm Claire, an Elgin Award-nominated poet and writer from Philadelphia, currently living in Los Angeles. My book of poetry, I Am Not Your Final Girl, is available on Amazon, and my poems and essays have been featured in numerous outlets (see my author website for links to all my writing). I also write about sex, queerness, culture, and health at https://www.LAJayne.com, and I discuss romance novels and sexuality on the Sexy Books Podcast: https://sexybookspodcast.podbean.com/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 667 reviews
June 18, 2019
"...it's not the Devil you need to worry about, but the devil you know." ROSEMARY (Rosemary's Baby 1968) Claire C. Holland
--
"She has teeth and claws and fight in this fight, but it will mean nothing to a man who says 'I like a girl with spirit' when what he means is, 'I like a girl that can break." JENNIFER (I Spit On Your Grave 1978) Claire C. Holland
--
"Do you feel eyes moving over your body yet? You will. Cover it with cloth as thick as cardboard, they'll pare it down, peel it away, husk you like an ear of corn." CLARICE (The Silence of the Lambs 1991)
--
I am blown away by Claire C. Holland. The idea to take final girls in cinema, these "horror heroines" and create homage poems to their stories was a stroke of genius. Even if you don't know the characters because you haven't seen any of the movies referenced in the titles- the beauty of this collection is that Claire is talking to "us". You. Me. Her. She. Women. Girls.
There is something in every poem that struck a chord with me.
Holland resurrected women from horror and put a knife in their hand, a fight in their souls and words in their mouth.
She used these fictional characters to tell every woman's story:
All our fights, struggles, pains, victories.
It's an amazing read! I was so impressed with the variety of movie heroines represented.
Movies like, IT FOLLOWS, CARRIE, THE CRAFT, THE RING, and MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE (which I thought nobody had seen but me and my hubby)
This is a must-have poetry collection for horror cinephiles, fans of dark poetry, defenders of women's rights, horror fiction hoarders, and badass women who won't go down without a fight.
--
"She has teeth and claws and fight in this fight, but it will mean nothing to a man who says 'I like a girl with spirit' when what he means is, 'I like a girl that can break." JENNIFER (I Spit On Your Grave 1978) Claire C. Holland
--
"Do you feel eyes moving over your body yet? You will. Cover it with cloth as thick as cardboard, they'll pare it down, peel it away, husk you like an ear of corn." CLARICE (The Silence of the Lambs 1991)
--
I am blown away by Claire C. Holland. The idea to take final girls in cinema, these "horror heroines" and create homage poems to their stories was a stroke of genius. Even if you don't know the characters because you haven't seen any of the movies referenced in the titles- the beauty of this collection is that Claire is talking to "us". You. Me. Her. She. Women. Girls.
There is something in every poem that struck a chord with me.
Holland resurrected women from horror and put a knife in their hand, a fight in their souls and words in their mouth.
She used these fictional characters to tell every woman's story:
All our fights, struggles, pains, victories.
It's an amazing read! I was so impressed with the variety of movie heroines represented.
Movies like, IT FOLLOWS, CARRIE, THE CRAFT, THE RING, and MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE (which I thought nobody had seen but me and my hubby)
This is a must-have poetry collection for horror cinephiles, fans of dark poetry, defenders of women's rights, horror fiction hoarders, and badass women who won't go down without a fight.
October 7, 2021
i LOVE the horror movie concept of this collection: each poem is about a horror heroine from a specific film.
holland's powerful introduction is about how tired she is of the pervasive misogyny in our world. she says she draws strength from women who fight tooth and nail for survival.
i was surprised that not one but TWO of these poems are about roman polanski films. you know, roman polanski, the rapist. and sure, rosemary's baby, in particular, is full of material that lends itself well to this collection. but why would a book about female survival engage with the art of a male sexual predator?? i don't think polanski's work is deserving of our acknowledgement, especially within the context of empowering women.
despite that, i really enjoyed this book. i definitely got the most out of the poems that are based on movies i've already seen. some of the others were harder for me to connect with, but i do now have a lengthy list of scary movies to check out!!
one of my favorites is "laurie" from halloween. i like how holland parallels our real world horrors with slasher movie violence:
holland's powerful introduction is about how tired she is of the pervasive misogyny in our world. she says she draws strength from women who fight tooth and nail for survival.
i was surprised that not one but TWO of these poems are about roman polanski films. you know, roman polanski, the rapist. and sure, rosemary's baby, in particular, is full of material that lends itself well to this collection. but why would a book about female survival engage with the art of a male sexual predator?? i don't think polanski's work is deserving of our acknowledgement, especially within the context of empowering women.
despite that, i really enjoyed this book. i definitely got the most out of the poems that are based on movies i've already seen. some of the others were harder for me to connect with, but i do now have a lengthy list of scary movies to check out!!
one of my favorites is "laurie" from halloween. i like how holland parallels our real world horrors with slasher movie violence:
I ask you to tell me of a town
where this hasn't happened,
where some brute dressed in black
hasn't donned a mask, shadowed
a woman, called himself a monster
to blot out his own mortality.
Tell me why I should mythologize
this. Let his shape grow larger
than the woman crouched
with coat hangers, with makeshift
daggers as sturdy as their hearts?
Something can be vulnerable
and powerful both at once, but
you cannot understand this,
and I have grown so weary trying
to explain. You say you want
to protect us, but the method, blunt
pills forced to mouths, a technique
for hysteria, is all wrong. It abrades.
White fences are only made of wood,
they splinter so easily.
June 27, 2021
I felt like reading a poetry collection and right from the introduction I knew I Am Not Your Final Girl was going to be an important, empowering, read.
Each poem is told from the perspective of a different "final girl" from horror stories. If you are familiar with the plots, and each final girl character, you will get more out of reading this. As an avid horror movie fanatic, this unique collection really appealed to me. The characters’ voices are all captured remarkably well, even in the shortest of poems.
A line that really stuck out to me was in the Sally from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre poem:
"There is nothing else in this world like realising you’re going to live and not being sure you can".
That one quote succinctly sums up a lot of these characters’ experiences.
Classics like Rosemary’s Baby are covered, and also more modern films like The Descent. This is a broad range of strong female characters who survived the odds until the very end. I highly recommend this collection to any horror fan, as I do think a familiarity with the characters would be essential. I am very pleased that my two favourite horror heroines - Laurie Strode from Halloween and Clarice from Silence Of The Lambs - were included.
The only critique is that it could be considered as kind of one note, as the poems only focus on a quite similar type of character throughout. The fast pace of the collection makes it feel not too repetitive though.
"We’re strong and slutty, quiet and confident, outspoken and sarcastic, and we don’t feel like smiling because we have work to do. We defy definition. And we’re not going down without a fight." 💪💖
4.5 Stars
Each poem is told from the perspective of a different "final girl" from horror stories. If you are familiar with the plots, and each final girl character, you will get more out of reading this. As an avid horror movie fanatic, this unique collection really appealed to me. The characters’ voices are all captured remarkably well, even in the shortest of poems.
A line that really stuck out to me was in the Sally from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre poem:
"There is nothing else in this world like realising you’re going to live and not being sure you can".
That one quote succinctly sums up a lot of these characters’ experiences.
Classics like Rosemary’s Baby are covered, and also more modern films like The Descent. This is a broad range of strong female characters who survived the odds until the very end. I highly recommend this collection to any horror fan, as I do think a familiarity with the characters would be essential. I am very pleased that my two favourite horror heroines - Laurie Strode from Halloween and Clarice from Silence Of The Lambs - were included.
The only critique is that it could be considered as kind of one note, as the poems only focus on a quite similar type of character throughout. The fast pace of the collection makes it feel not too repetitive though.
"We’re strong and slutty, quiet and confident, outspoken and sarcastic, and we don’t feel like smiling because we have work to do. We defy definition. And we’re not going down without a fight." 💪💖
4.5 Stars
December 17, 2018
So I picked this one up, and immediately after reading Holland's introduction I just wanted to stand up and clap. She so perfectly articulates something that I didn't even realize I was thinking. I love her use of the term "horror heroine". I often turn to horror movies to deal with all of the negative crap happening in the world around me, and I realize now that all of those "final girls" all of those badass "horror heroines" are what I need to make me feel good about the world again. For just a couple of hours, women fight back in those films, and I need that. I need to see women stand up for themselves. It makes me whole again, even if just for a short amount of time.
And that was all just from the introduction! When I started to read the poems I was so thrilled. Holland uses a different horror heroine as the focus for each poem, and if you've seen the movie it's spot on. Even if you haven't seen all of the films she uses, the prose is still amazing and empowering. I love this collection so much, and I have no doubt that I will be revisiting it. Thanks so much to my pals Emily and Audra for pushing me to give poetry a chance. I get it now.
And that was all just from the introduction! When I started to read the poems I was so thrilled. Holland uses a different horror heroine as the focus for each poem, and if you've seen the movie it's spot on. Even if you haven't seen all of the films she uses, the prose is still amazing and empowering. I love this collection so much, and I have no doubt that I will be revisiting it. Thanks so much to my pals Emily and Audra for pushing me to give poetry a chance. I get it now.
dnf
July 19, 2022i’m not much of a poetry person but i love horror so i decided to give it a try, i think it’s corny and cringe. some of the poems didn’t even fit the characters she was writing them for. i also think writing poems for characters is so cringe IDK. so i just decided to dnf it so i don’t have to count it as read
June 8, 2019
I AM NOT YOUR FINAL GIRL: Poems, by Claire C. Holland, is a collection of poetry that pays tribute to various "final girls" of horror movies over the years. Split up into different sections, each poem has the title of a woman's name--underneath this, the movie the character starred in.
However, the book is really so much more than the sum of its parts.
My attention was immediately caught by Claire C. Holland's introduction. Unlike many that I come across, this one made me feel as though I was hearing her actually speaking the words. It was so well articulated that I could feel the author's emotions, and in that moment, they became my own. She wasn't just speaking of movie heroines.
She spoke of real world events, and women who endure lesser treatment simply for being labeled a female. She spoke of real women being like the "final girls" in movies--those that won't give up; those that fight for themselves rather than sit around waiting to be rescued.
". . . We defy definition . . . "
These poems and the women in them send out a strong message. In every instance, they refuse to bow down to societal expectations. In each page, I read about a real person with unique feelings of their own--not just a stereotype on the screen. Holland has given them a distinct outlook that stands out among the others.
"There is nothing else in this world
like realizing
you're going to live
and not being sure
you can."
**(Excerpt from "Sally")**
The poetry in here is not all roses and happiness, it is a testament to the actual emotions and thoughts that many women today are still fighting to have heard above the generalizations.
". . . I can't exist in a way that comforts you."
Every page of this book brought me a new outlook on whichever famous character it was in reference to. Even the movies I was unfamiliar with gave me the opportunity to view things from a standpoint not commonly taken. One particular line in regards to those that say they want to "protect" (control) women really stood out to me.
". . . White fences are only made of wood,
they splinter so easily."
**(Except from "Laurie")**
I normally don't actively seek out books of poetry--except for a few notable authors. However, this collection that you can "feel" deep inside as you read, is the kind that had me going back and re-reading selections immediately.
Highest recommendation.
**I received this book in my May "NightWorms" subscription package, and plan on looking for more by this author in the future.**
However, the book is really so much more than the sum of its parts.
My attention was immediately caught by Claire C. Holland's introduction. Unlike many that I come across, this one made me feel as though I was hearing her actually speaking the words. It was so well articulated that I could feel the author's emotions, and in that moment, they became my own. She wasn't just speaking of movie heroines.
She spoke of real world events, and women who endure lesser treatment simply for being labeled a female. She spoke of real women being like the "final girls" in movies--those that won't give up; those that fight for themselves rather than sit around waiting to be rescued.
". . . We defy definition . . . "
These poems and the women in them send out a strong message. In every instance, they refuse to bow down to societal expectations. In each page, I read about a real person with unique feelings of their own--not just a stereotype on the screen. Holland has given them a distinct outlook that stands out among the others.
"There is nothing else in this world
like realizing
you're going to live
and not being sure
you can."
**(Excerpt from "Sally")**
The poetry in here is not all roses and happiness, it is a testament to the actual emotions and thoughts that many women today are still fighting to have heard above the generalizations.
". . . I can't exist in a way that comforts you."
Every page of this book brought me a new outlook on whichever famous character it was in reference to. Even the movies I was unfamiliar with gave me the opportunity to view things from a standpoint not commonly taken. One particular line in regards to those that say they want to "protect" (control) women really stood out to me.
". . . White fences are only made of wood,
they splinter so easily."
**(Except from "Laurie")**
I normally don't actively seek out books of poetry--except for a few notable authors. However, this collection that you can "feel" deep inside as you read, is the kind that had me going back and re-reading selections immediately.
Highest recommendation.
**I received this book in my May "NightWorms" subscription package, and plan on looking for more by this author in the future.**
February 25, 2020
Blown away
Strongly recommend if you're a fan of horror movies and consider yourself a feminist. Some of these were so beautiful and haunting i had to sit with them for a moment.
Strongly recommend if you're a fan of horror movies and consider yourself a feminist. Some of these were so beautiful and haunting i had to sit with them for a moment.
January 29, 2021
Empecé este poemario anoche, y me dejé algunos poemas para hoy. Me encantó. Todos los poemas van dedicados a las Final Girls (y a las que no llegaron a serlo) en películas de terror. Está muy bien escrito, todos tienen un giro feminista. Creo importante advertir que, para disfrutar al 100% de los poemas, es necesario haber visto las películas en cuestión, o por lo menos conocer la historia. Incluso si se conoce la historia por afuera, creo que hay detalles que se pueden perder un poco, sobre todo referencias. Para alguien que ama el terror y la poesía, este libro es fabuloso.
October 11, 2021
There is nothing else in this world
like realizing
you're going to live
and not being sure
you can.
Love, love, love this ode to our Final Girls that we have watched go toe to toe with some of the most vile of foes. If you love horror this one will be something special for you ♥
like realizing
you're going to live
and not being sure
you can.
Love, love, love this ode to our Final Girls that we have watched go toe to toe with some of the most vile of foes. If you love horror this one will be something special for you ♥
August 3, 2019
4.0 Stars
This is a fantastic collection of horror themed poetry. I don't normally consider myself a poetry reader, but I absolutely loved these ones. All the poems were incredibly powerful and wonderfully feminist. If I had watched more of these movies, I strongly suspect this would have been a five star read for me. This is definitely a collection I want to reread in the future as I watch through more iconic horror movies. I would highly recommend this collection even to readers who don’t normally read poetry.
This is a fantastic collection of horror themed poetry. I don't normally consider myself a poetry reader, but I absolutely loved these ones. All the poems were incredibly powerful and wonderfully feminist. If I had watched more of these movies, I strongly suspect this would have been a five star read for me. This is definitely a collection I want to reread in the future as I watch through more iconic horror movies. I would highly recommend this collection even to readers who don’t normally read poetry.
January 26, 2021
Poetry is always either a huge hit or a huge miss for me. This collection was a huge hit to the heart for me. I instantly fell in love with Holland’s style and I’m already itching to read more of her work! This was such a mindblowingly beautiful and dark collection of poetry, this definitely won’t be the last time I read it. I loved that it featured poems about some of my favourite Final Girls and gave me TONS of movies to add to my watch list so I can watch them and then go back to the poems. I’m going to read this over and over and over again and I know I’ll be just as enamoured every time.
May 21, 2020
2.25
I've been spoiled by diversity. As an afab nonbinary person, who has been raped and domestically abused (back when I didn't know the word nonbinary or understand I could be trans, so I thought I was a cis-woman, and it was by a cis-man) I have been through the same shit, the same feels. But i'm not a woman. I didn't realize that was a thing until I was 30 and even now I still LOOK like a cis-woman to people (i'd like to get top surgery at least but i'm also physically disabled so some things are hard or even impossible for me due to medical issues, doesn't change who I am), and get treated as such (you know what I mean). And the cis-normativity of this...it burns to be honest.
I have complicated feelings I don't know how to put into words about this book of poetry. I don't think it's without merit but if i'm going to like a poetry book about these subjects, i'm going to need it to be inter-sectional, and this is not. It also felt so very black and white, and the world is not like that.
Each poem is also related to a horror movie, and many of them i've never heard of, which might have also affected it. I have seen some of them.
I read this wanting to DNF it but because it's a short poetry book and I wanted to be able to rate it without guilt, I pushed through.
A few of the poems I did love, though not many. Many of them I found ok and some of them completely baffled me. Over-all I did not enjoy my experience with this book. Sorry for the unpopular opinion.
I've been spoiled by diversity. As an afab nonbinary person, who has been raped and domestically abused (back when I didn't know the word nonbinary or understand I could be trans, so I thought I was a cis-woman, and it was by a cis-man) I have been through the same shit, the same feels. But i'm not a woman. I didn't realize that was a thing until I was 30 and even now I still LOOK like a cis-woman to people (i'd like to get top surgery at least but i'm also physically disabled so some things are hard or even impossible for me due to medical issues, doesn't change who I am), and get treated as such (you know what I mean). And the cis-normativity of this...it burns to be honest.
I have complicated feelings I don't know how to put into words about this book of poetry. I don't think it's without merit but if i'm going to like a poetry book about these subjects, i'm going to need it to be inter-sectional, and this is not. It also felt so very black and white, and the world is not like that.
Each poem is also related to a horror movie, and many of them i've never heard of, which might have also affected it. I have seen some of them.
I read this wanting to DNF it but because it's a short poetry book and I wanted to be able to rate it without guilt, I pushed through.
A few of the poems I did love, though not many. Many of them I found ok and some of them completely baffled me. Over-all I did not enjoy my experience with this book. Sorry for the unpopular opinion.
June 3, 2024
I’m not a huge poetry reader, but I couldn’t pass up reading this book of horror poems. I loved that all of the poems are told from the POV of some of my favorite female horror movie characters. Many of the poems are powerful and moving. Many will stick with me. Highly recommend for horror fans!
May 13, 2025
This was a very quick read. It’s a book of poems that I finished in one sitting. I’m not usually a poetry fan. Not because I don’t like it necessarily, but because it’s tough to find poetry that speaks to me on a personal level. I think that choosing a horror theme is such a cool idea, and this author did a great job.
There were so many of my favorite indie art house horror movies represented in here. (“The Neon Demon” and “Antichrist,” for example!) Each poem was fairly short, but achieved the mood, imagery and emotion needed to fit the character. There were a few that I wasn’t even familiar with!
Highly recommended for horror fans and poetry lovers! I just wish there had been a poem for Sidney. (Maybe a volume 2 is in order?)
This is currently available on Kindle Unlimited.
TW: References to Sexual Assault
There were so many of my favorite indie art house horror movies represented in here. (“The Neon Demon” and “Antichrist,” for example!) Each poem was fairly short, but achieved the mood, imagery and emotion needed to fit the character. There were a few that I wasn’t even familiar with!
Highly recommended for horror fans and poetry lovers! I just wish there had been a poem for Sidney. (Maybe a volume 2 is in order?)
This is currently available on Kindle Unlimited.
TW: References to Sexual Assault
August 17, 2023
This was a Kindle Unlimited read that I was curious about and half expected to be bad. Maybe it would be full of hammy humor and camp, or maybe it would be earnest and dull. But I. Loved. It, this union of verse full of wit, wryness and tragedy paired with the perfect horror film final girl, heroine, and anti-heroine.
I ended up buying this and let me tell you, the price was a bargain because I will be re-reading this shit out of this.
Snippets of some of my favorite lines:
It always begins with the good intentions of men--Rosemary, Rosemary's Baby
your empathy. It's that sad, fragile, beautiful thing that will ruin you.--The Female (Part I), Under the Skin
There is nothing in this world like realizing you're going to live and not being sure you can.--Sally, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Tell me why I should mythologize this. Let his shape grow larger than the women crouched--Laurie, Halloween
Drink down dominion like milk, let it slither along the throat, that hard muscle for gulping—Heather, The Woods
You might say things didn't end well, but I had fun. Ask anyone.--Ginger, Ginger Snaps
I didn't connect with every poem, but I did highlight the shit out of this.
I ended up buying this and let me tell you, the price was a bargain because I will be re-reading this shit out of this.
Snippets of some of my favorite lines:
It always begins with the good intentions of men--Rosemary, Rosemary's Baby
your empathy. It's that sad, fragile, beautiful thing that will ruin you.--The Female (Part I), Under the Skin
There is nothing in this world like realizing you're going to live and not being sure you can.--Sally, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Tell me why I should mythologize this. Let his shape grow larger than the women crouched--Laurie, Halloween
Drink down dominion like milk, let it slither along the throat, that hard muscle for gulping—Heather, The Woods
You might say things didn't end well, but I had fun. Ask anyone.--Ginger, Ginger Snaps
I didn't connect with every poem, but I did highlight the shit out of this.
December 25, 2018
"Real women are final girls, and so much more. We are more than a trope. We're strong and slutty, quiet and confident, outspoken and sarcastic and we don't feel like smiling because we have work to do. We defy definition. And we're not going down without a fight."
I write a lot of poetry but I don't read much of it anymore. When I do, I like it dark and bloody and morbid like I like my books.
I Am Not Your Final Girl is a collection of 40 poems about the feminist perspective in horror movies.
Gritty, gut-punchy and powerful. Holland has written intensely poignant prose within these pages. Fighting patriarchal ideals, inspiring hope, unapologetically being a survivor. This fueled my fiery heart!
Favorites: Sally, May, Jess, Jay and Carrie.
I write a lot of poetry but I don't read much of it anymore. When I do, I like it dark and bloody and morbid like I like my books.
I Am Not Your Final Girl is a collection of 40 poems about the feminist perspective in horror movies.
Gritty, gut-punchy and powerful. Holland has written intensely poignant prose within these pages. Fighting patriarchal ideals, inspiring hope, unapologetically being a survivor. This fueled my fiery heart!
Favorites: Sally, May, Jess, Jay and Carrie.
January 2, 2023
This reminded so much of rupi kaur, and If there's one thing you need to know about me it's that i hate rupi kaur books. The idea behind this poetry collection was great, but the poems were SO bland, uninteresting and too short.
Read
December 5, 2020I'm not a fan of poetry, but I read this anyway because the idea is fantastic. If you're into poetry and you're into horror...this is going to be your new favorite read.
November 24, 2020
Cada poema é inspirado em uma personagem de algum filme de terror. Peguei várias recomendações de filmes que ainda não tinha assistido hihihi
Se você gosta de filmes de terror e acha interessante olhar mais fundo no papel das mulheres nesses filmes: esse livro é pra vc. É curtinho e tem no kindle unlimited
Se você gosta de filmes de terror e acha interessante olhar mais fundo no papel das mulheres nesses filmes: esse livro é pra vc. É curtinho e tem no kindle unlimited
May 15, 2019
The final girl trope is a prevalent one in horror films, specifically slashers, where once the action of the movie sets in and her friends are picked off one by one, the mild-mannered (generally “good”) girl has to suit up, grab a weapon, scream a lot, kill the baddie, and limp off into the rising sun, soaked in blood, forever changed.
And yet, women are not really depicted all that heroically in a lot of horror films. They are in need of saving, fall deep into stereotypes, and are constantly objectified and dissected as parts instead of people. Even though she’s the one who survives, the use of the final girl trope isn’t really all that empowering to women.
I like Clare C. Holland’s use of the term “horror heroine” in her collection of poems that returns power to the feminine, to the women who find within them the primal urge to fight and survive by any means possible.
And that definition isn’t just confined to the realm of horror movies. As Holland outlines in her rallying cry of an introduction—it’s been a shitty year. But it’s also been a time of change, of women stepping up and saying “no more,” of role models and fierce, nasty ladies everywhere taking charge. These poems are for them. And if you agree, these poems are for you, too.
Separated into four parts, each poem carries the title of the name of a girl from a horror movie, and the poem itself is her story, from her perspective as a person who has been terrorized, hurt, or otherwise abused by some kind of villain—human, supernatural, alien—sometimes even she is the villain.
The movies range from classics like Halloween, The Brood, and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre to more recent and indie movies like Under the Skin, The Witch, Honeymoon, and A Dark Song.
There were only a few that I hadn’t seen (added them to my watchlist immediately) and while the context of the movies is helpful and could expand on the reader’s interpretation of the poem, it is by no means necessary to watch them. The poems stand alone as stories of the resiliency of the human spirit and the true badass nature of women.
These are emotional and resonant poems that get to the heart of what it means to be someone who has experienced something traumatic. Through the use of horror films, Holland has also captured a piece of the current socio-political trauma in these pages, and that’s powerful, not only as an argument for why horror is important, but for how we can continue to fight back as creators, artists, and women.
This was a May Night Worms read!
And yet, women are not really depicted all that heroically in a lot of horror films. They are in need of saving, fall deep into stereotypes, and are constantly objectified and dissected as parts instead of people. Even though she’s the one who survives, the use of the final girl trope isn’t really all that empowering to women.
I like Clare C. Holland’s use of the term “horror heroine” in her collection of poems that returns power to the feminine, to the women who find within them the primal urge to fight and survive by any means possible.
And that definition isn’t just confined to the realm of horror movies. As Holland outlines in her rallying cry of an introduction—it’s been a shitty year. But it’s also been a time of change, of women stepping up and saying “no more,” of role models and fierce, nasty ladies everywhere taking charge. These poems are for them. And if you agree, these poems are for you, too.
Separated into four parts, each poem carries the title of the name of a girl from a horror movie, and the poem itself is her story, from her perspective as a person who has been terrorized, hurt, or otherwise abused by some kind of villain—human, supernatural, alien—sometimes even she is the villain.
The movies range from classics like Halloween, The Brood, and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre to more recent and indie movies like Under the Skin, The Witch, Honeymoon, and A Dark Song.
There were only a few that I hadn’t seen (added them to my watchlist immediately) and while the context of the movies is helpful and could expand on the reader’s interpretation of the poem, it is by no means necessary to watch them. The poems stand alone as stories of the resiliency of the human spirit and the true badass nature of women.
These are emotional and resonant poems that get to the heart of what it means to be someone who has experienced something traumatic. Through the use of horror films, Holland has also captured a piece of the current socio-political trauma in these pages, and that’s powerful, not only as an argument for why horror is important, but for how we can continue to fight back as creators, artists, and women.
This was a May Night Worms read!
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May 21, 2022I liked this! I’m not going to rate it, as I know nothing about poetry and don’t feel qualified to judge/critique this kind of thing.
A lot of my favourite movies were referenced here, and those that weren’t familiar to me are now ones I’m interested in (thank you to the author for all the recommendations)!
The poems are dedicated to the female protagonists of various horror films, and they communicate truths about the psyche of these characters that tie into messages of feminism and life as a woman in the real world (facing horrors that men will never have to go through).
There’s lots to love here, and I got through this pretty quick. I’ll definitely have to check out the films I haven’t seen and come back when I know more about poetry.
A lot of my favourite movies were referenced here, and those that weren’t familiar to me are now ones I’m interested in (thank you to the author for all the recommendations)!
The poems are dedicated to the female protagonists of various horror films, and they communicate truths about the psyche of these characters that tie into messages of feminism and life as a woman in the real world (facing horrors that men will never have to go through).
There’s lots to love here, and I got through this pretty quick. I’ll definitely have to check out the films I haven’t seen and come back when I know more about poetry.
November 4, 2020
Poetry just isn't for me. The idea of this collection is really cool. All of the poems are based on horror movie heroines. My favourite was about Dana from Cabin in the Woods. I also liked the one about Thomasin from The Witch, and Rosemary from Rosemary's Baby. I honestly didn't like any of the other poems, and there were several where I have seen the movie but I didn't understand the poem, or didn't think it really fit the character.
January 12, 2024
Excellent all round but elevated higher if you’ve seen the films it’s based on. A few of the poems inspired me to seek out the movies as well. Really enjoyed it!
February 2, 2019
She lives
I am not a big fan of poetry. This poetry was absolutely amazing. I like that the poet used horror movies and final girls as the subjects. That's original (Not sarcasm).
I admit that I haven't watched all the movies referenced. I do hope the poet puts another book out.
I am not a big fan of poetry. This poetry was absolutely amazing. I like that the poet used horror movies and final girls as the subjects. That's original (Not sarcasm).
I admit that I haven't watched all the movies referenced. I do hope the poet puts another book out.
December 27, 2020
The concept was way cool. Horror heroine femme poetry. I mean, hell yeah, right?! I wanted to like this more than I actually did. It just kind of fell flat for me.
October 28, 2021
Such a wonderful and wonderfully carried out concept. Claire C. Holland really captured the spirit of these movies and characters. It's also just beautiful poetry. My favourite poems were Laurie, Rachel, Francisca, Mary, The Female (Part II), Amber, Clarice, and Mia, but I highlighted so many lines and verses! It really made me want to check out the few films I haven't already seen, and I can't wait to watch them and then revisit this.
January 3, 2023
I hardly ever read poetry but I’ve decided this year that I’m going to branch out of my comfort zone and see what else is out there.
I loved the horror movie concept to this collection of poems. Horror movies have always been such a comfort thing for me and it was super fun to see them brought to life in another way.
Not only was this a great collection to read, it always encouraged me to read any of the movies that were referenced that I hadn’t seen. I believe if I had of seen more of the movies that I would’ve marked this as a five star read so I might revisit this in the future and change my rating.
Overall, I really enjoyed this.
I loved the horror movie concept to this collection of poems. Horror movies have always been such a comfort thing for me and it was super fun to see them brought to life in another way.
Not only was this a great collection to read, it always encouraged me to read any of the movies that were referenced that I hadn’t seen. I believe if I had of seen more of the movies that I would’ve marked this as a five star read so I might revisit this in the future and change my rating.
Overall, I really enjoyed this.
June 16, 2019
Ok I know I fall in the unpopular opinion category on this one but honestly, this book only blew up cause it fit the aesthetic of being “anti-man.” It wrongly categorized itself as horror and the only thing horrific about this book was how pretentious the writing tried to be. So beyond “trying hard” that the poems most of the time didn’t make sense. They had no point and I feel like if you haven’t seen every single movie these poems were based on then it’s a pointless read. Overall the worst book I’ve read in years. Don’t recommend this to anyone.
April 20, 2020
Great Poetry
I read this book in one sitting and really enjoyed my time. When it came to the end I actually muttered, “That’s all?” I wanted more, in a good way. Claire C. Holland writes with a passion that’s filled with pain, anger, and a strong point. The poems are all connected to a woman characters in horror movies, brilliantly displaying concerns and ideas of modern feminism. I loved it! I Am Not Your Final Girl deserves repeated readings
I read this book in one sitting and really enjoyed my time. When it came to the end I actually muttered, “That’s all?” I wanted more, in a good way. Claire C. Holland writes with a passion that’s filled with pain, anger, and a strong point. The poems are all connected to a woman characters in horror movies, brilliantly displaying concerns and ideas of modern feminism. I loved it! I Am Not Your Final Girl deserves repeated readings
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