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pm_me_book_recs's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I held off on reviewing this until I read the closing sequel. I do like the sequel better than this first one, mostly because a ton of questions get answered and the character growth is a big deeper.
Godly Heathens showcases a ton of conflict, much of it saturated in teen angst and edgy one-liners. The dialogue was too try-hard for me, it felt like an adult assuming how queer teens talk? And this cast! The whole main cast is Queer, Trans/ Non-Binary, Native, Black, Latine, and some neurodivergence as well, and none of it is the target of harassment or bullying. We get to see Queer joy, Trans empowerment and normalization, all amongst a very stressful gods-coming-to-earth setting.
My biggest issue was remember who everyone is, the cast was so massive. There is a list of characters in the back, but unfortunately with audiobook... that doesn't help much. I wasn't a fan of the narrator at first, the cadence was hard for me to get into, but once I got their style is speaking it was fine and aided a lot in the characters. I did not like the demon's voice though, idk why, it was just so off. I listened to this via Libro.fm, which at the time was an ALC.
Some steamy make out scenes and daydreams, some references to sexual assault, lots of fantasy violence, lots of big emotions and meltdowns, scary moments with mental illness, and suicidal ideation.
Godly Heathens showcases a ton of conflict, much of it saturated in teen angst and edgy one-liners. The dialogue was too try-hard for me, it felt like an adult assuming how queer teens talk? And this cast! The whole main cast is Queer, Trans/ Non-Binary, Native, Black, Latine, and some neurodivergence as well, and none of it is the target of harassment or bullying. We get to see Queer joy, Trans empowerment and normalization, all amongst a very stressful gods-coming-to-earth setting.
My biggest issue was remember who everyone is, the cast was so massive. There is a list of characters in the back, but unfortunately with audiobook... that doesn't help much. I wasn't a fan of the narrator at first, the cadence was hard for me to get into, but once I got their style is speaking it was fine and aided a lot in the characters. I did not like the demon's voice though, idk why, it was just so off. I listened to this via Libro.fm, which at the time was an ALC.
Some steamy make out scenes and daydreams, some references to sexual assault, lots of fantasy violence, lots of big emotions and meltdowns, scary moments with mental illness, and suicidal ideation.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Mental illness, Torture, Cursing, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Colonisation, Alcohol, Deadnaming, Dysphoria, and Car accident
fromthefoxhole's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Dear whoever approves Netgalley requests for St. Martin's Press, I hope you get a raise and both sides of your pillow are cool for the rest of your life. you're my hero. Thank you SO much to St. Martin's Press, NetGalley, and H.E. Edgemon for the ARC. All opinions are my own of course.
Out of the gate, this book is FAST. The pace set from the jump was enough for me to regularly flip back and make sure I hadn't missed any crucial details. The good thing here is that it matches with the emotions of Gem, our 17 year old nonbinary protag.
You see, Gem is struggling with vivid and violent dreams and hallucinations, just like their father. They've never felt quite at home being a person, wrestling being queer and mentally ill in their swampy, backwoods small town. Their dad went fully off the deep end some time ago, leaving Gem with a well intentioned but ultimately clueless mother. Luckily, their bff Enzo is also trans and has been monumental in keeping Gem off the ledge. Unfortunately, he lives in Brooklyn, some thousand plus miles away, and Gem has to graduate high school before they'll be able to create a future together.
After another terrible dream, Gem feels like their grip on reality is shifting, waiting just beyond a fog for Gem to catch it. This is made significantly worse when they are accosted by a new student, Willa Mae, who claims that they are soulmates. Oh, and gods from another world.
Things snowball from here, building towards something Gem cannot remember or name - something that places everything and everyone they love in danger.
The pace, while honestly breakneck, really helped me slip into Gem's shoes as they tried to navigate through their new reality. I was trying to connect the dots right alongside Gem (if you know the Always Sunny whiteboard meme, you have a sense of the complexity lol). I do think that the language was almost painfully gen z at times, but also I don't know that I love the idea that all books have to exist in this timeless vacuum either, so I'm tabling that complaint.
The characterization here is what really sold Godly Heathens for me. Gem oscillates between "good" and "bad", often landing in the morally grey camp, which is understandable. All of their intentions and insights make sense, especially for a 17 year old going through what I can only describe as a uniquely traumatic situation, who also has pretty severe trauma from their past. Edgemon doesn't shy away from frank conversations about Gem and their father's struggles with mental illness, or the coping mechanisms Gem has adopted along the way. It all feels very genuine and believable. I am a little sad that it's single POV, though. I look forward to book two, and hopefully seeing more of the pantheon as Gem reveals more about the other gods and their reasoning.
For all that I initially balked at Willa Mae's character, by the end I was cheering her on and hopeful for the romance between them and Gem. I had no reservations doing the same with Enzo, and could honestly probably make the case for an entire harem, lol. Gem talks a lot about keeping parts of themself hidden and being a sort of chameleon, so seeing them truly vulnerable and open made my Grinch heart grow.
Also, I have never felt as seen by a character as I do by Gem. I can't tell you how much of this ARC is annotated by my "relatable" highlighter.
The plot is revealed in halves - the past in the Ether told through hazy memories and dreams, and the present, racing toward some unknown destiny. I'm not usually a fan of that kind of storytelling, but it works here, for some reason.
I really, REALLY enjoyed this book. I laughed, I cried, I gasped so loudly my boyfriend had to check on me. I am also foaming at the mouth for book two, this cliffhanger felt like I had been punched. Phenomenal.
Out of the gate, this book is FAST. The pace set from the jump was enough for me to regularly flip back and make sure I hadn't missed any crucial details. The good thing here is that it matches with the emotions of Gem, our 17 year old nonbinary protag.
You see, Gem is struggling with vivid and violent dreams and hallucinations, just like their father. They've never felt quite at home being a person, wrestling being queer and mentally ill in their swampy, backwoods small town. Their dad went fully off the deep end some time ago, leaving Gem with a well intentioned but ultimately clueless mother. Luckily, their bff Enzo is also trans and has been monumental in keeping Gem off the ledge. Unfortunately, he lives in Brooklyn, some thousand plus miles away, and Gem has to graduate high school before they'll be able to create a future together.
After another terrible dream, Gem feels like their grip on reality is shifting, waiting just beyond a fog for Gem to catch it. This is made significantly worse when they are accosted by a new student, Willa Mae, who claims that they are soulmates. Oh, and gods from another world.
Things snowball from here, building towards something Gem cannot remember or name - something that places everything and everyone they love in danger.
The pace, while honestly breakneck, really helped me slip into Gem's shoes as they tried to navigate through their new reality. I was trying to connect the dots right alongside Gem (if you know the Always Sunny whiteboard meme, you have a sense of the complexity lol). I do think that the language was almost painfully gen z at times, but also I don't know that I love the idea that all books have to exist in this timeless vacuum either, so I'm tabling that complaint.
The characterization here is what really sold Godly Heathens for me. Gem oscillates between "good" and "bad", often landing in the morally grey camp, which is understandable. All of their intentions and insights make sense, especially for a 17 year old going through what I can only describe as a uniquely traumatic situation, who also has pretty severe trauma from their past. Edgemon doesn't shy away from frank conversations about Gem and their father's struggles with mental illness, or the coping mechanisms Gem has adopted along the way. It all feels very genuine and believable. I am a little sad that it's single POV, though. I look forward to book two, and hopefully seeing more of the pantheon as Gem reveals more about the other gods and their reasoning.
For all that I initially balked at Willa Mae's character, by the end I was cheering her on and hopeful for the romance between them and Gem. I had no reservations doing the same with Enzo, and could honestly probably make the case for an entire harem, lol. Gem talks a lot about keeping parts of themself hidden and being a sort of chameleon, so seeing them truly vulnerable and open made my Grinch heart grow.
Also, I have never felt as seen by a character as I do by Gem. I can't tell you how much of this ARC is annotated by my "relatable" highlighter.
The plot is revealed in halves - the past in the Ether told through hazy memories and dreams, and the present, racing toward some unknown destiny. I'm not usually a fan of that kind of storytelling, but it works here, for some reason.
I really, REALLY enjoyed this book. I laughed, I cried, I gasped so loudly my boyfriend had to check on me. I am also foaming at the mouth for book two, this cliffhanger felt like I had been punched. Phenomenal.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Panic attacks/disorders, Cursing, Self harm, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Violence, and Death
Moderate: War, Kidnapping, and Sexual assault
krisalexcole's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Blood, Mental illness, Death, Gore, Violence, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Vomit, Child abuse, Colonisation, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Torture, Animal death, and Body horror
Minor: Infertility, Pregnancy, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Animal cruelty, Self harm, Fire/Fire injury, Medical content, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, War, Alcohol, Child death, Death of parent, Racism, Transphobia, and Cursing
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