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3.52 AVERAGE
3.52 AVERAGE
I think that this is a book where it is important to know what you're getting into before you start it. I know a few people who read this book who were expecting a witchy fantasy novel, and while technically the book is fantasy and has a witch, I'd put it more in the lit fic camp with magical realistic elements. The pacing is slow, which many lit fic readers will expect but witchy fantasy readers would not. The book wasn't cozy and it wasn't comforting, and those who are looking for a cozy, witchy fantasy read likely won't be the right audience for this book.
That all being said, if you like slowly-paced literary fiction that deals with very real world issues while also having some magical elements, keep reading! Motheater has two main characters in Bennie (a present-day Black woman living in small-town Appalachia and working to bring justice for those who have lost friends and family to mining "accidents") and Motheater (a Neighbor aka witch from Appalachia of the past, who is also working to stop the mining of the nearby mountain.)
Some aspects of the book I loved:
- The book is atmospheric and has a strong sense of place. I love when the setting is a character in and of itself, and this is the case both figuratively and kind of literally.
- The characters had depth and nuance, and while I didn't always agree with them, they generally felt realistic with very human-feeling motivations.
- The magic was intoxicating and intriguing. It was wild and earthy and out of control at times, which I appreciated.
- The book has horror elements that kind of meld with the environmental, social, and religious themes of the story.
- Several world issues were examined, including systemic poverty, race, gender, religion, and land exploitation.
A few things I wished:
- The pacing did feel a bit too slow in places, and there was a bit of reperition that could have been tightened up a bit.
- The ending didn't really pack the emotional punch I had hoped we were building toward, and I wish we’d gotten a bit…more.
Overall I enjoyed savoring this book over a several week span. If you like literary fiction with horror aspects and/or themes that include people exploiting the land and the land fighting back, this might be a good one to check out!
Thank you so much to Kensington Publishing for the advanced copy of the book!
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-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
I am obsessed. This book is so freaking good. It's a delightful original fantasy set in Appalachian coal mining country, and I was enthralled from start to finish.
One of the things I love about this book is that it doesn't faff about. There's no existential crises on the order of "omg magic is real ... but is it really?" Everybody acknowledges the weird but buys into it and goes with it. Codega also doesn't pause to explain the magic system (which is original and super interesting), and yet they give you enough information that you're well able to wrap your head around it by the end of the book. This allows for focus on plot, characterization, and setting, which are all very well done.
I also really appreciate Codega's deep respect for the places depicted in their book. I feel like, especially in recent years, neglected or ignored places like Appalachia are often used in books as ideas, rather than depicted as real PLACES. That's not the case with Motheater, and that rootedness in and love for place really ties the book together.
One of the things I love about this book is that it doesn't faff about. There's no existential crises on the order of "omg magic is real ... but is it really?" Everybody acknowledges the weird but buys into it and goes with it. Codega also doesn't pause to explain the magic system (which is original and super interesting), and yet they give you enough information that you're well able to wrap your head around it by the end of the book. This allows for focus on plot, characterization, and setting, which are all very well done.
I also really appreciate Codega's deep respect for the places depicted in their book. I feel like, especially in recent years, neglected or ignored places like Appalachia are often used in books as ideas, rather than depicted as real PLACES. That's not the case with Motheater, and that rootedness in and love for place really ties the book together.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Self harm, Religious bigotry, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Alcohol, Colonisation, War
*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity*
I rarely do this but I DNF’d this book.
The character of Motheater was somewhat interesting and I did find myself enjoying her flashbacks. If the whole book had been the story of an Appalachian witch in post civil war America? Maybe it would have held my interest better. But as many other reviewers have stated, the story starts to drag around the halfway point.
The writing itself is often repetitive and flowery. And after about 40-50% I found myself thinking “I don’t actually care what happens in the end” which is unfortunate because as I stated there were some interesting bits! The history and the magic was really well flushed out. Again Motheater herself was a good character. And even the main character Bennie was well written. But the plot, the “let’s stop the mining company” story just lost my interest. I can assume they will win in the end and I don’t really want to take the time to keep reading and find out how.
I rarely do this but I DNF’d this book.
The character of Motheater was somewhat interesting and I did find myself enjoying her flashbacks. If the whole book had been the story of an Appalachian witch in post civil war America? Maybe it would have held my interest better. But as many other reviewers have stated, the story starts to drag around the halfway point.
The writing itself is often repetitive and flowery. And after about 40-50% I found myself thinking “I don’t actually care what happens in the end” which is unfortunate because as I stated there were some interesting bits! The history and the magic was really well flushed out. Again Motheater herself was a good character. And even the main character Bennie was well written. But the plot, the “let’s stop the mining company” story just lost my interest. I can assume they will win in the end and I don’t really want to take the time to keep reading and find out how.
adventurous
i won an advanced reader's copy of motheater in a goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review.
this book certainly had an interesting premise, and the commentary on the environmental impact of capitalism and mining is certainly enduringly timely. as someone who doesn't know much about the appalachian region, it was very interesting to see the atmosphere depicted.
however, this book was quite dense, and at times it was difficult to piece together what was happening at which time. the density of the plots made it very difficult to get into what was happening until the final hundred-ish pages
it was a very enjoyable read in the end, but it took a long while to get there
additionally, there was a design issue with the opening page of each chapter where there was a fade to/from black, and the dark color bled onto some of the first lines, making it difficult to read
this book certainly had an interesting premise, and the commentary on the environmental impact of capitalism and mining is certainly enduringly timely. as someone who doesn't know much about the appalachian region, it was very interesting to see the atmosphere depicted.
however, this book was quite dense, and at times it was difficult to piece together what was happening at which time. the density of the plots made it very difficult to get into what was happening until the final hundred-ish pages
it was a very enjoyable read in the end, but it took a long while to get there
additionally, there was a design issue with the opening page of each chapter where there was a fade to/from black, and the dark color bled onto some of the first lines, making it difficult to read
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for the free book.*
I really enjoyed "Motheater", this queer story about an Appalachian witch fighting for nature and against its destruction. I liked how issues of gender and race were included, but the novel could have explored this in more depth - especially through the generations. The magic system was wonderful but also felt a bit wonky, as was the world-building. But I really enjoyed this book!
4 stars
I really enjoyed "Motheater", this queer story about an Appalachian witch fighting for nature and against its destruction. I liked how issues of gender and race were included, but the novel could have explored this in more depth - especially through the generations. The magic system was wonderful but also felt a bit wonky, as was the world-building. But I really enjoyed this book!
4 stars
mysterious
Loveable characters:
No
I can't believe I'm disappointed with a book I've been looking forward to.
Actually, the book did start off strong, and I was ready to dive into the story, but the more I read, the less interesting it became. The pace was off. The story is told in two timelines: one in the modern day, where Bennie found Mothereater in the creek, and the other is Mothereater's past timeline. I just can't with the character dynamics; they feel flat and underdeveloped. Bennie is too quick to accept Mothereater and her magic, and Mothereater is too comfortable in the modern day despite her history.
And I don't understand why horror is one of the genres of this book. Did the author want to create a gothic fantasy atmosphere? If so, I honestly can't feel it.
Overall, I can see the potential of this book; the premise is good enough to make me curious about the whole story, but sadly, it isn't working for me.
Actually, the book did start off strong, and I was ready to dive into the story, but the more I read, the less interesting it became. The pace was off. The story is told in two timelines: one in the modern day, where Bennie found Mothereater in the creek, and the other is Mothereater's past timeline. I just can't with the character dynamics; they feel flat and underdeveloped. Bennie is too quick to accept Mothereater and her magic, and Mothereater is too comfortable in the modern day despite her history.
And I don't understand why horror is one of the genres of this book. Did the author want to create a gothic fantasy atmosphere? If so, I honestly can't feel it.
Overall, I can see the potential of this book; the premise is good enough to make me curious about the whole story, but sadly, it isn't working for me.
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-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
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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:
No
Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced copy! I took my time with this one and really enjoyed it. I've been looking to read more Appalachian fiction and I love a good fantasy, so this was a great choice for me. It's been a while since I've read a book with a character out of their time and felt it was done well here. The goals of the main characters were closely aligned, but there was a good level of conflict on how they aimed to accomplish them. I liked their romantic subplot quite but as well. The magic system was wonderfully done, and seemed well researched. Overall I would definitely recommend this!