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nicholemurphy's review
3.0
This book has a lot of potential but it didn’t deliver for me. However, I am so happy that I read it because it introduced me to Nova Ren Suma. Her story story The One Who Stayed was amazing. Her prose reminds me a bit of Maggie Stiefvater.
emilye3's review
4.0
3.5
Starsong 4
Afterbirth 3.5
The Heart in Her Hands 2.5
Death In the Sawtooths 4.5
The Truth About Queenie 4.5
The Moonapple Menagerie 2
The Legend of Stone Mary 4.5
The One Who Stayed 3
Divine are the Stars 2
Daughters of Baba Yaga 2
The Well Witch 3
Beware the Girls with Crooked Mouths 3
Love Spell 3
The Gherin Girls 5
Why they Watch Is Burn 4.5
This was a solid book of short stories and I enjoyed most of them and really liked the messages told throughout each story.
This is a perfect read for fall time.
Starsong 4
Afterbirth 3.5
The Heart in Her Hands 2.5
Death In the Sawtooths 4.5
The Truth About Queenie 4.5
The Moonapple Menagerie 2
The Legend of Stone Mary 4.5
The One Who Stayed 3
Divine are the Stars 2
Daughters of Baba Yaga 2
The Well Witch 3
Beware the Girls with Crooked Mouths 3
Love Spell 3
The Gherin Girls 5
Why they Watch Is Burn 4.5
This was a solid book of short stories and I enjoyed most of them and really liked the messages told throughout each story.
This is a perfect read for fall time.
brianne_k's review
3.0
*3/5*
I didn't love this as much as I was hoping I would.. I have my individual story ratings below.
I did absolutely love 'Why They Watch Us Burn' and 'The Gherin Girls'. I enjoyed 'Death In The Sawtooths', 'Beware of Girls with Crooked Mouths', and 'The Heart in Her Hands' a lot. All five of those stories were ones I could have read more about.
•Starsong - Tehlor Kay Mejia - 3/5
•Afterbirth - Andrea Cremer - 1/5
•The Heart In Her Hands - Tess Sharpe - 4/5
• Death In The Sawtooths - Lindsay Smith - 4/5
• The Truth About Queenie - Brandy Colbert - 2/5
• The Moonapple Menagerie - Shveta Thakrar - 1/5
• The Legend of Stone Mary - Robin Talley - 2/5
• The One Who Stayed - Nova Ren Suma - 3/5
• Divine Are The Stars - Zoraida Córdova - 2/5
• Daughters of Baba Yaga - Brenna Yovanoff - 2/5
• The Well Witch - Kate Hart 1/5
• Beware of Girls with Crooked Mouths - Jessica Spotswood - 4/5
• Love Spell - Anna-Marie McLemore - 3/5
• The Gherin Girls - Emery Lord - 4.5/5
• Why They Watch Us Burn - Elizabeth May - 5/5
I didn't love this as much as I was hoping I would.. I have my individual story ratings below.
I did absolutely love 'Why They Watch Us Burn' and 'The Gherin Girls'. I enjoyed 'Death In The Sawtooths', 'Beware of Girls with Crooked Mouths', and 'The Heart in Her Hands' a lot. All five of those stories were ones I could have read more about.
•Starsong - Tehlor Kay Mejia - 3/5
•Afterbirth - Andrea Cremer - 1/5
•The Heart In Her Hands - Tess Sharpe - 4/5
• Death In The Sawtooths - Lindsay Smith - 4/5
• The Truth About Queenie - Brandy Colbert - 2/5
• The Moonapple Menagerie - Shveta Thakrar - 1/5
• The Legend of Stone Mary - Robin Talley - 2/5
• The One Who Stayed - Nova Ren Suma - 3/5
• Divine Are The Stars - Zoraida Córdova - 2/5
• Daughters of Baba Yaga - Brenna Yovanoff - 2/5
• The Well Witch - Kate Hart 1/5
• Beware of Girls with Crooked Mouths - Jessica Spotswood - 4/5
• Love Spell - Anna-Marie McLemore - 3/5
• The Gherin Girls - Emery Lord - 4.5/5
• Why They Watch Us Burn - Elizabeth May - 5/5
lemonbun's review
4.0
General overview: 4🌟
A great collection of short stories! This was really a joy to read.
Some stories were DEFINITELY better than others. The ones that were bad were such a drag to get through. However, there were plenty of good and great stories that made it all worth the while. Want cute lesbian romances? A range of stories with a great poc cast? Women learning to accept their strengths? Then I strongly recommend you try this book.
Starsong: 1🌟
What a way to start the book. This one was trying a bit too hard to be modern and #relatable. Some of the sentences just felt cringey. Also the frequent reference to star signs and where their moons are etc affecting her and her mothers mood...just wasn't for me! I joke that "excuse me, I'm a scorpio so I do this." But this story was using it genuinely. The one saving grace for me was the romance. But even then, it doesn't compare to romances later in the book. (See the heart in her hands).
Afterbirth: 3.5🌟
Kept me hooked. Compared to Starsong, this one was much grittier and focussed more on the traditional witch with her herbs and books. However, there is very little connection to the characters.
The heart in her hands: 4.5🌟
A brilliant, fleshed out story. In so few pages I was already invested in the characters. A new angle on the 'fated true love' trope. The setting and descriptions, the magic, the overall story...all of it was great!
Though I do have some questions left regarding Auggie. She's a witch too, but there's very little explanation involved in how she has her powers like is described for Bette. The whole point is that everyone's powers are gifted, bound until they are 'ready' and they are left a mark of the first words spoken to them of their soulmate on their skin. So what does this mean for Auggie? If I had any negative points about the story, its that I'd like to know! I really want to rate this story a 5, but these unanswered questions bugged me.
Death in the sawtooths: 4🌟
A story about a witch that works in a morgue, whose magic is that of Xosia, the lady of death. I like the premise, the writing flows and the story was overall very good! Maybe a tad rushed apprehending the villain, but hey, its a 25 page short story. Really enjoyed this one!
The truth about Queenie: 4🌟
Really nice story. It was great to have a fully black cast - which isn't as frequent as it should be in books/movies. Queenie and her grandma were standout characters to me. I wish there was a little more magic and witchery and a little less pining over Webb. It ended up being quite bittersweet.
The Moonapple menagerie: 1🌟
I didn't enjoy this at all. I just wanted to dnf this one. The reader is immediately thrown into the making of a stage performance in a coven. Something about apples in the beginning...idk they're not even relevant and add nothing to the story. I didn't care about the characters, the plot felt jumbly..it just didn't feel well thought out like the other stories. Why were these people even making a play? I have no sense of their world at all.
The legend of stone Mary: 4🌟
Good story. Has an interesting twist or two. Perhaps would have liked to see the MC actually use magic, but that wasn't the focus of the story.
The one who stayed: 1🌟
So this story straight up throws out gang rape. (Note: not in explicit detail.)
This one made me pretty uncomfortable. It took me a bit of time to realise it was alluding to rape. At first I thought, probably not, it's quite a dark and difficult subject which doesn't really seem appropriate for the book. The further I read the more sure I was.
What bothers me is that there seems to be a witches circle that takes in rape victims. That part is fine. What disturbs me is that they on some level seem to know its going to happen before it does. Why not intervene?
Idk the whole story just made my skin prickle, and not in a good way.
I suppose the one saving grace is that the women come together and support one another...but after the fact.
I can only hope that maybe the witches are looking back on the events and not foretelling the future.
Either way, the whole topic was a difficult one to get through. Rape happens and it should be discussed. But I found in the case of this story, it made my skin crawl and only made me anxious.
Maybe others would find solace in this story. I did not.
Divine are the stars: 2🌟
It was okay, I guess. The story didn't capture me much. It's just about a large family coming home after being called. Stuff happens that I don't really get, and don't really feel much from. That's about it really.
Daughters of Baba Yaga: 2🌟
Took a while to get into the flow of an actual storyline. Even then, it was pretty vague, there just didn't seem to be a main focus. And to my disappointment, there had nothing to do with Baba Yaga who I was looking forward to learning more about. Oh well.
The well witch: 4🌟
A good read. The writing flowed naturally and progressively. I felt so frustrated for the MC as events played out. Her emotions really came through to me as a reader. I wish she had more witchy powers to demonstrate.
Beware of girls with crooked mouths: 3🌟
The magic was fun in this one. Lots of use of potions, fire powers and the ability to see the future. Much more magic and witchery than some of the other short stories. The premise of the story was interesting as well. The idea that in this family of witches, one of the witches will go mad and kill her sisters/cousins. It happens every generation. The MC is desperate to prevent this. I mean... the obvious answer would be to have an only child, no? Or have no children at all.
I was morbidly hoping for a witchy fight to the death but that didn't happen.
Most of these short stories have endings that are quite empowering, but I didn't get that here. I don't know if I was satisfied. But hey, the journey was good.
Love spell: 2.5🌟
This story was nice. Though maybe a little slow and boring to start but the last pages were good.
I liked the magic. The curing of lovesickness. Its an intricate task, one that requires care and various different components. I found the whole ritual of it to be a much needed angle on witchcraft that the many of the other short stories didn't cover.
The ending was satisfying.
However, there were so many words I'd never heard of. I usually don't mind googling the odd word here or there, but it's pretty annoying when a vast majority of the sentences have so many words that are from a different language with no translation. I'm trying to read, I don't want to have to look up every other word. If the author had alluded to what these words meant, given just a bit more context, that would have sufficed. It got better later on, but the first couple pages were particularly annoying.
The Gherin girls: 5🌟
A heartwarming story of the love between 3 sisters. Throughout the story, it's easy to develop an interest in the characters.
The magic is more like a strong affinity for a certain subject. Nova to food and Rosie to plants. Willa's power particularly shined, the ability to feel someone's emotions via touch. It came into the story a fair amount, and every time it was really enlightening. Or at least, confirmed what she and the reader already suspected of certain characters emotions. There isn't necessarily a strong driving force in the plot, but it was really entertaining following the different perspectives of these sisters and what they are dealing with.
Why they watch us burn: 5🌟
Amazing story!
This story does tackle rape like 'The one who stayed'. That version of events made me feel uncomfortable, which I wasn't prepared for. In this story however, it only adds fuel to the anger and fire of these girls. It was not the focus of the whole story, but a motive to their rage.
Their events did not make me sad like how I felt in ‘The one who stayed’, but made my blood boil for them.
Their ever growing resentment of the men who have caged them and tried to control them is so strongly conveyed. These girls band together and become stronger and it's wonderful to witness.
Seeing them gradually become empowered was wonderful to read!
The romance as well, adds additional substance. It really is a lovely romance between the two.
My one issue is that I'm a little confused when this story is meant to be set. People believe in witches, any woman could be a witch for any small reason. They burn for it, or work in camps. Priests use symbols and wards. And yet, there is talk of skyscrapers and cars. I'm struggling to place the time frame in which these events occurred, as everyone's mentalities towards witches are very VERY dated, but it's mixed with modernity. However, this did not take away from the story.
A great collection of short stories! This was really a joy to read.
Some stories were DEFINITELY better than others. The ones that were bad were such a drag to get through. However, there were plenty of good and great stories that made it all worth the while. Want cute lesbian romances? A range of stories with a great poc cast? Women learning to accept their strengths? Then I strongly recommend you try this book.
Starsong: 1🌟
What a way to start the book. This one was trying a bit too hard to be modern and #relatable. Some of the sentences just felt cringey. Also the frequent reference to star signs and where their moons are etc affecting her and her mothers mood...just wasn't for me! I joke that "excuse me, I'm a scorpio so I do this." But this story was using it genuinely. The one saving grace for me was the romance. But even then, it doesn't compare to romances later in the book. (See the heart in her hands).
Afterbirth: 3.5🌟
Kept me hooked. Compared to Starsong, this one was much grittier and focussed more on the traditional witch with her herbs and books. However, there is very little connection to the characters.
The heart in her hands: 4.5🌟
A brilliant, fleshed out story. In so few pages I was already invested in the characters. A new angle on the 'fated true love' trope. The setting and descriptions, the magic, the overall story...all of it was great!
Though I do have some questions left regarding Auggie. She's a witch too, but there's very little explanation involved in how she has her powers like is described for Bette. The whole point is that everyone's powers are gifted, bound until they are 'ready' and they are left a mark of the first words spoken to them of their soulmate on their skin. So what does this mean for Auggie? If I had any negative points about the story, its that I'd like to know! I really want to rate this story a 5, but these unanswered questions bugged me.
Death in the sawtooths: 4🌟
A story about a witch that works in a morgue, whose magic is that of Xosia, the lady of death. I like the premise, the writing flows and the story was overall very good! Maybe a tad rushed apprehending the villain, but hey, its a 25 page short story. Really enjoyed this one!
The truth about Queenie: 4🌟
Really nice story. It was great to have a fully black cast - which isn't as frequent as it should be in books/movies. Queenie and her grandma were standout characters to me. I wish there was a little more magic and witchery and a little less pining over Webb. It ended up being quite bittersweet.
The Moonapple menagerie: 1🌟
I didn't enjoy this at all. I just wanted to dnf this one. The reader is immediately thrown into the making of a stage performance in a coven. Something about apples in the beginning...idk they're not even relevant and add nothing to the story. I didn't care about the characters, the plot felt jumbly..it just didn't feel well thought out like the other stories. Why were these people even making a play? I have no sense of their world at all.
The legend of stone Mary: 4🌟
Good story. Has an interesting twist or two. Perhaps would have liked to see the MC actually use magic, but that wasn't the focus of the story.
The one who stayed: 1🌟
So this story straight up throws out gang rape. (Note: not in explicit detail.)
This one made me pretty uncomfortable. It took me a bit of time to realise it was alluding to rape. At first I thought, probably not, it's quite a dark and difficult subject which doesn't really seem appropriate for the book. The further I read the more sure I was.
What bothers me is that there seems to be a witches circle that takes in rape victims. That part is fine. What disturbs me is that they on some level seem to know its going to happen before it does. Why not intervene?
Idk the whole story just made my skin prickle, and not in a good way.
I suppose the one saving grace is that the women come together and support one another...but after the fact.
I can only hope that maybe the witches are looking back on the events and not foretelling the future.
Either way, the whole topic was a difficult one to get through. Rape happens and it should be discussed. But I found in the case of this story, it made my skin crawl and only made me anxious.
Maybe others would find solace in this story. I did not.
Divine are the stars: 2🌟
It was okay, I guess. The story didn't capture me much. It's just about a large family coming home after being called. Stuff happens that I don't really get, and don't really feel much from. That's about it really.
Daughters of Baba Yaga: 2🌟
Took a while to get into the flow of an actual storyline. Even then, it was pretty vague, there just didn't seem to be a main focus. And to my disappointment, there had nothing to do with Baba Yaga who I was looking forward to learning more about. Oh well.
The well witch: 4🌟
A good read. The writing flowed naturally and progressively. I felt so frustrated for the MC as events played out. Her emotions really came through to me as a reader. I wish she had more witchy powers to demonstrate.
Beware of girls with crooked mouths: 3🌟
The magic was fun in this one. Lots of use of potions, fire powers and the ability to see the future. Much more magic and witchery than some of the other short stories. The premise of the story was interesting as well. The idea that in this family of witches, one of the witches will go mad and kill her sisters/cousins. It happens every generation. The MC is desperate to prevent this. I mean... the obvious answer would be to have an only child, no? Or have no children at all.
I was morbidly hoping for a witchy fight to the death but that didn't happen.
Most of these short stories have endings that are quite empowering, but I didn't get that here. I don't know if I was satisfied. But hey, the journey was good.
Love spell: 2.5🌟
This story was nice. Though maybe a little slow and boring to start but the last pages were good.
I liked the magic. The curing of lovesickness. Its an intricate task, one that requires care and various different components. I found the whole ritual of it to be a much needed angle on witchcraft that the many of the other short stories didn't cover.
The ending was satisfying.
However, there were so many words I'd never heard of. I usually don't mind googling the odd word here or there, but it's pretty annoying when a vast majority of the sentences have so many words that are from a different language with no translation. I'm trying to read, I don't want to have to look up every other word. If the author had alluded to what these words meant, given just a bit more context, that would have sufficed. It got better later on, but the first couple pages were particularly annoying.
The Gherin girls: 5🌟
A heartwarming story of the love between 3 sisters. Throughout the story, it's easy to develop an interest in the characters.
The magic is more like a strong affinity for a certain subject. Nova to food and Rosie to plants. Willa's power particularly shined, the ability to feel someone's emotions via touch. It came into the story a fair amount, and every time it was really enlightening. Or at least, confirmed what she and the reader already suspected of certain characters emotions. There isn't necessarily a strong driving force in the plot, but it was really entertaining following the different perspectives of these sisters and what they are dealing with.
Why they watch us burn: 5🌟
Amazing story!
This story does tackle rape like 'The one who stayed'. That version of events made me feel uncomfortable, which I wasn't prepared for. In this story however, it only adds fuel to the anger and fire of these girls. It was not the focus of the whole story, but a motive to their rage.
Their events did not make me sad like how I felt in ‘The one who stayed’, but made my blood boil for them.
Their ever growing resentment of the men who have caged them and tried to control them is so strongly conveyed. These girls band together and become stronger and it's wonderful to witness.
Seeing them gradually become empowered was wonderful to read!
The romance as well, adds additional substance. It really is a lovely romance between the two.
My one issue is that I'm a little confused when this story is meant to be set. People believe in witches, any woman could be a witch for any small reason. They burn for it, or work in camps. Priests use symbols and wards. And yet, there is talk of skyscrapers and cars. I'm struggling to place the time frame in which these events occurred, as everyone's mentalities towards witches are very VERY dated, but it's mixed with modernity. However, this did not take away from the story.
laurenkara's review
4.0
tw: abuse, mentions of rape, religion
"This is what witchcraft looks like:
it is women holding hands,
harnessing power,
and changing their fate."
technically my rating for this should be 3 stars (that’s the average of all my rating for each individual story) bUT the three stories i rated 5 stars i loved so so so so much i’m bumping it to a 4. that said for the most part i was a little underwhelmed by the majority of this. still i appreciated the diversity of this (there was poc, different cultures, girls loving girls and trans characters) as well as the feminist undertones.
Starsong by Tehlor Kay Mejia - ⭐⭐⭐
Afterbirth by Andrea Cremer - ⭐⭐⭐
The Heart in Her Hands by Tess Sharpe - ⭐⭐⭐
Death in the Sawtooths by Lindsay Smith - ⭐⭐
The Truth About Queenie by Brandy Colbert - ⭐⭐⭐
The Moonapple Menageria by Shveta Thakrar - ⭐⭐⭐
The Legend of Stone Mary by Robin Talley - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The One Who Stayed by Nova Ren Suma - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (cw: rape mentions)
Divine Are the Stars by Zoraida Cordova - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Daughters of Baba Yaga by Brenna Yovanoff - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Well Witch by Kate Hart - ⭐⭐
Beware of Girls with Crooked Mouths by Jessica Spotswood - ⭐⭐
Love Spell by Anna-Marie McLemore - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (cw: religion)
The Gherin Girls by Emery Lord - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (cw: abuse)
why They Watch Us Burn by Elizabeth May - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (cw: rape mentions, religion)
it is women holding hands,
harnessing power,
and changing their fate."
technically my rating for this should be 3 stars (that’s the average of all my rating for each individual story) bUT the three stories i rated 5 stars i loved so so so so much i’m bumping it to a 4. that said for the most part i was a little underwhelmed by the majority of this. still i appreciated the diversity of this (there was poc, different cultures, girls loving girls and trans characters) as well as the feminist undertones.
Starsong by Tehlor Kay Mejia - ⭐⭐⭐
Afterbirth by Andrea Cremer - ⭐⭐⭐
The Heart in Her Hands by Tess Sharpe - ⭐⭐⭐
Death in the Sawtooths by Lindsay Smith - ⭐⭐
The Truth About Queenie by Brandy Colbert - ⭐⭐⭐
The Moonapple Menageria by Shveta Thakrar - ⭐⭐⭐
The Legend of Stone Mary by Robin Talley - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The One Who Stayed by Nova Ren Suma - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (cw: rape mentions)
Divine Are the Stars by Zoraida Cordova - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Daughters of Baba Yaga by Brenna Yovanoff - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Well Witch by Kate Hart - ⭐⭐
Beware of Girls with Crooked Mouths by Jessica Spotswood - ⭐⭐
Love Spell by Anna-Marie McLemore - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (cw: religion)
The Gherin Girls by Emery Lord - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (cw: abuse)
why They Watch Us Burn by Elizabeth May - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (cw: rape mentions, religion)
labunnywtf's review
4.0
Read for Book Roast's Magical Readathon: NEWTs Exams. Subject: History of Magic, A Level. (Would Fit in at Hogwarts)
The moon is full, and even the stars are scared of me.
This book sneaks up on you.
That's putting it mildly.
I was SUPER pumped for this book when I requested it from Netgalley. As literally every other Goodreads review will tell you, GAY WITCHES. And not only gay, but the diversity here is so rich, it will choke anyone who would dare to complain. Race, religion, creed, gender, non-gender, it's all here. Along with almost every conceivable trigger warning you can think to throw on a book.
In my opinion, we start out too slowly. The stories are good, really good, but not BAM, in your face. The build is slow, but it's there, and it will steam roll over you if you're not prepared for it.
From Instagram witches to Salem witches, backwoods to inner city, past and future, every single scenario of what could conceivably be called a witch is here. These women are strong as hell. They're vulnerable, they're proud, they're scared, they're hesitant, they're bold, they're magical. Whether the specific stories appeal to you or not, there is literally no denying this.
I was enjoying the stories, truly and genuinely. But I wasn't getting any of that good, deep-down tingly feelings about any specific story. Until we got to Love Spell, by Anna-Marie McLemore. This is the story that knocked me on my ass, and it's the third to last story.
A bruja who specializes in healing the heartbroken and an acolite headed for the priesthood fall in love.
I...I have no words for this story. Is it the long-abandoned Catholic upbringing kicking in? I don't know. But that story just...was a punch to my heart. In all the best ways, but I finished it and had to set the book down for about an hour to deal with my feelings. Because goddamn.
And the last story is so painful, and so real. It's set in the future, Salem Witch Trials meets The Handmaid's Tale, and if that combination doesn't scare the shit out of you, wait until you read the story. It's upsetting. It's really upsetting. But it's beautiful, and just entirely too fucking real for me to handle at 9:00 at night.
The stories that don't work for me really don't work. But the ones that do, the ones that touched a part of my soul, are going to stay with me for a really long time. And I think that's the best part of this book, it will leave a mark.
However, I genuinely hope that in the non-ARC version, there's an introduction. I'm disappointed that there wasn't one here.
The moon is full, and even the stars are scared of me.
This book sneaks up on you.
That's putting it mildly.
I was SUPER pumped for this book when I requested it from Netgalley. As literally every other Goodreads review will tell you, GAY WITCHES. And not only gay, but the diversity here is so rich, it will choke anyone who would dare to complain. Race, religion, creed, gender, non-gender, it's all here. Along with almost every conceivable trigger warning you can think to throw on a book.
In my opinion, we start out too slowly. The stories are good, really good, but not BAM, in your face. The build is slow, but it's there, and it will steam roll over you if you're not prepared for it.
From Instagram witches to Salem witches, backwoods to inner city, past and future, every single scenario of what could conceivably be called a witch is here. These women are strong as hell. They're vulnerable, they're proud, they're scared, they're hesitant, they're bold, they're magical. Whether the specific stories appeal to you or not, there is literally no denying this.
I was enjoying the stories, truly and genuinely. But I wasn't getting any of that good, deep-down tingly feelings about any specific story. Until we got to Love Spell, by Anna-Marie McLemore. This is the story that knocked me on my ass, and it's the third to last story.
A bruja who specializes in healing the heartbroken and an acolite headed for the priesthood fall in love.
I...I have no words for this story. Is it the long-abandoned Catholic upbringing kicking in? I don't know. But that story just...was a punch to my heart. In all the best ways, but I finished it and had to set the book down for about an hour to deal with my feelings. Because goddamn.
And the last story is so painful, and so real. It's set in the future, Salem Witch Trials meets The Handmaid's Tale, and if that combination doesn't scare the shit out of you, wait until you read the story. It's upsetting. It's really upsetting. But it's beautiful, and just entirely too fucking real for me to handle at 9:00 at night.
The stories that don't work for me really don't work. But the ones that do, the ones that touched a part of my soul, are going to stay with me for a really long time. And I think that's the best part of this book, it will leave a mark.
However, I genuinely hope that in the non-ARC version, there's an introduction. I'm disappointed that there wasn't one here.
jelomath's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
ladytiara's review
4.0
When I heard about an anthology of young adult witch stories, I was like, "sign me up." I'm into witches, and I like short stories, so this is a perfect fit.
Toil and Trouble is a really great anthology. It's a diverse collection, with lots of POC and LGBTQ+ characters. All of the writers are women, and many of the stories have a deeply feminist bent. I enjoyed all of the stories, some more than others, but there wasn't a bad one in the bunch.
"Starsong" by Tehlor Kay Mejia. This one has a Latinx heroine and a queer romance. The heroine is a bruja who reads the stars. This one was cute, but a little slight.
"Afterbirth" by Andrea Cremer. This story has the most historical context of any in the collection, being set in 17th century New England, not a good time for anyone who didn't stick to societal norms. A midwife is accused of witchcraft after a woman dies in childbirth. This was one was dark and made me glad once again that I live now.
"The Heart in Her Hands by" Tess Sharpe. This was one of my favorites. In this world, teens wake up one day with writing on their bodies. It's the first words their soulmate will say to them. But the heroine is already in love with someone, her female best friend, and she has to fight the established power structure to be able to live her. I loved this look at rebellion and not accepting the fate that society forces on you.
"Death in the Sawtooths" by Lindsay Smith. This was another favorite. It has a very urban fantasy sort of feel, and I would like to read a full-length book set in this world. The heroine is an outcast witch who's pledged to the Lady of Slumbers (a sort of death goddess), something the other witches look down on, until they desperately need her help.
"The Truth About Queenie" by Brandy Colbert. This one is as much about love as it is about magic. The heroine is in love with her best friend. She has powers, but she hasn't accepted them or learned to control them yet, and she's forced to deal with it when her friend comes home with a new girlfriend.
"The Moonapple Menagerie" by Thveta Thakrar. This one is very dreamy. A group of girls are putting on a play when a creepy creature shows up to demand a role in the play. It's funny and pretty weird/
"The Legend of Stone Mary" by Robin Talley. This one is set in the 70s and features a girl having to deal with a family curse. It has a queer romance. It's dark and has some slightly Carrie vibes.
"The One Who Stayed" by Nova Ren Suma. What happens when a group of women meet around a fire in the woods? This one is typical Nova Ren Suma: creepy, mysterious, and compelling.
"Divine Are the Stars" by Zoraida Cordova. A girl is called home to her family's ranch in Colorado by her grandmother only to find that her grandmother has literally taken root and become part of the house. This was another favorite, and it has a Latinx heroine.
"Daughters of Baba Yaga" by Brenna Yovanoff. Two witches team up to get revenge on the worst people at their school. Another one with slightly Carrie vibes. It's creepy and good.
"The Well Witch" by Kate Hart. This one takes place in Texas in 1875. A woman living alone has water magic, but is it enough to save her when three men show up on her property? This one has a POC heroine.
"Beware of Girls with Crooked Mouths" by Jessica Spotswood. Another story about the power of fate. A young witch has a vision of her future that leads her to take drastic actions, thinking she's saving her sisters from a terrible fate. But what if things don't fall in line? One of the sisters is bisexual,and this is apparently not an issue in their society.
"Love Spell" by Anna-Marie McLemore. A bruja who makes spells to cure lovesickness falls in love with a trans altar boy who accepts her when the rest of the church turns away. I really loved this one, and I'm planning to pick up the author's other works.
"The Gherin Girls" by Emery Lord. This one was another favorite. It's about a trio of sisters. One has recently left an abusive relationship and her sisters are trying to support her. This is one of the least "magical" of the stories, but it's also one of the most emotional. Two of the sisters are queer.
"Why They Watch Us Burn" by Elizabeth May. The last story was my favorite. It's set in the near future where inconvenient women are accused of witchcraft and sent to labor camps. It's beautiful and disturbing and a little reminiscent of the The Handmaid's Tale.
I highly recommend this collection.
Toil and Trouble is a really great anthology. It's a diverse collection, with lots of POC and LGBTQ+ characters. All of the writers are women, and many of the stories have a deeply feminist bent. I enjoyed all of the stories, some more than others, but there wasn't a bad one in the bunch.
"Starsong" by Tehlor Kay Mejia. This one has a Latinx heroine and a queer romance. The heroine is a bruja who reads the stars. This one was cute, but a little slight.
"Afterbirth" by Andrea Cremer. This story has the most historical context of any in the collection, being set in 17th century New England, not a good time for anyone who didn't stick to societal norms. A midwife is accused of witchcraft after a woman dies in childbirth. This was one was dark and made me glad once again that I live now.
"The Heart in Her Hands by" Tess Sharpe. This was one of my favorites. In this world, teens wake up one day with writing on their bodies. It's the first words their soulmate will say to them. But the heroine is already in love with someone, her female best friend, and she has to fight the established power structure to be able to live her. I loved this look at rebellion and not accepting the fate that society forces on you.
"Death in the Sawtooths" by Lindsay Smith. This was another favorite. It has a very urban fantasy sort of feel, and I would like to read a full-length book set in this world. The heroine is an outcast witch who's pledged to the Lady of Slumbers (a sort of death goddess), something the other witches look down on, until they desperately need her help.
"The Truth About Queenie" by Brandy Colbert. This one is as much about love as it is about magic. The heroine is in love with her best friend. She has powers, but she hasn't accepted them or learned to control them yet, and she's forced to deal with it when her friend comes home with a new girlfriend.
"The Moonapple Menagerie" by Thveta Thakrar. This one is very dreamy. A group of girls are putting on a play when a creepy creature shows up to demand a role in the play. It's funny and pretty weird/
"The Legend of Stone Mary" by Robin Talley. This one is set in the 70s and features a girl having to deal with a family curse. It has a queer romance. It's dark and has some slightly Carrie vibes.
"The One Who Stayed" by Nova Ren Suma. What happens when a group of women meet around a fire in the woods? This one is typical Nova Ren Suma: creepy, mysterious, and compelling.
"Divine Are the Stars" by Zoraida Cordova. A girl is called home to her family's ranch in Colorado by her grandmother only to find that her grandmother has literally taken root and become part of the house. This was another favorite, and it has a Latinx heroine.
"Daughters of Baba Yaga" by Brenna Yovanoff. Two witches team up to get revenge on the worst people at their school. Another one with slightly Carrie vibes. It's creepy and good.
"The Well Witch" by Kate Hart. This one takes place in Texas in 1875. A woman living alone has water magic, but is it enough to save her when three men show up on her property? This one has a POC heroine.
"Beware of Girls with Crooked Mouths" by Jessica Spotswood. Another story about the power of fate. A young witch has a vision of her future that leads her to take drastic actions, thinking she's saving her sisters from a terrible fate. But what if things don't fall in line? One of the sisters is bisexual,and this is apparently not an issue in their society.
"Love Spell" by Anna-Marie McLemore. A bruja who makes spells to cure lovesickness falls in love with a trans altar boy who accepts her when the rest of the church turns away. I really loved this one, and I'm planning to pick up the author's other works.
"The Gherin Girls" by Emery Lord. This one was another favorite. It's about a trio of sisters. One has recently left an abusive relationship and her sisters are trying to support her. This is one of the least "magical" of the stories, but it's also one of the most emotional. Two of the sisters are queer.
"Why They Watch Us Burn" by Elizabeth May. The last story was my favorite. It's set in the near future where inconvenient women are accused of witchcraft and sent to labor camps. It's beautiful and disturbing and a little reminiscent of the The Handmaid's Tale.
I highly recommend this collection.