Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.51 AVERAGE
3.51 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This felt authentically Appalachian. I’ll definitely reread
I truly adored this book. I think this is the first piece of Appalachian fiction that I've read, and and now I want to read more!
Bennie, a Black woman in the fictional town of Kiron in the Appalachians, is trying to find proof that White Rock Mining Company's unsafe labor practices are killing miners. When she finds a near-dead white lady in the mud of the riverbanks, she brings the stranger home and discovers her new guest isn't what she seems. Motheater is an Appalachian Neighbor who can do real magic with nature, and she doesn't remember her given name or how she ended up at the river, but she knows that she needs to stop the mining companies that are hurting Kire Mountain.
We alternate between a modern Kiron and a late 1800s one that is only starting to negotiate with the big mining companies. This book is deeply Appalachian, with its mining, small town community, and folklore. You can feel the love that Bennie, Motheater, and our author have for this region. The way that these mining companies killed its workers while stripping the land bare, leaving behind poor communities who might not have enough money to ever leave to find better opportunities. This is a beautiful story of love and revenge and fighting for those you love.
Also, this quote made me laugh: "Motheater was a centuries-old witch carved out of the mountain. She wasn't exactly available."
This book comes out on my birthday, and I think it's going to be my birthday gift to myself.
Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington/Erewhon for this ARC.
Bennie, a Black woman in the fictional town of Kiron in the Appalachians, is trying to find proof that White Rock Mining Company's unsafe labor practices are killing miners. When she finds a near-dead white lady in the mud of the riverbanks, she brings the stranger home and discovers her new guest isn't what she seems. Motheater is an Appalachian Neighbor who can do real magic with nature, and she doesn't remember her given name or how she ended up at the river, but she knows that she needs to stop the mining companies that are hurting Kire Mountain.
We alternate between a modern Kiron and a late 1800s one that is only starting to negotiate with the big mining companies. This book is deeply Appalachian, with its mining, small town community, and folklore. You can feel the love that Bennie, Motheater, and our author have for this region. The way that these mining companies killed its workers while stripping the land bare, leaving behind poor communities who might not have enough money to ever leave to find better opportunities. This is a beautiful story of love and revenge and fighting for those you love.
Also, this quote made me laugh: "Motheater was a centuries-old witch carved out of the mountain. She wasn't exactly available."
This book comes out on my birthday, and I think it's going to be my birthday gift to myself.
Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington/Erewhon for this ARC.
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
I just couldn’t get into the book. I really wanted to like this one- but it just kept dragging and it didn’t hold my interest
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Blood
Moderate: Death, Religious bigotry
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Bennie Mattox is on a mission to find justice for a lost friend when she pulls a half drowned white woman from a river. This act launches Bennie on a journey where magic, vengeance, and history intertwine. I love Appalachian folk tales, magic, and personality. And while I did enjoy this book, I do have a few issues with it's execution. The narrative felt a bit choppy, with minor details falling out of place. The core of the story felt a little washed out, like a river stone. I wanted to see more of the original rock but could only guess from where it was worn away.
This one hurts because I really wanted to like it but it's way too slow, the characters fall flat, and honestly, it's not really the horror I wanted to read, it's more litfic. I was extremely excited for the mystery surrounding Motheater only to find out we know her name right from the jump due to the flashbacks.