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3.51 AVERAGE
3.51 AVERAGE
I tried so hard to like this because the idea is very cool I just didn’t care much about the characters. The only character that gets any real development is Motheater. The rest are just kinda there. I got bits and pieces but not enough to push through and finish.
I love witches, I love weirdness, I love magic and I love nature.
I love Motheater so much, she's strange in such a lovely way. She has such a huge character development and I feel like especially the ending proves this.
I liked the fact that this book showed a conflict between communities, nature and capitalism. I am however, unsure how I feel about how easily capitalism gets off in this story. Nature is not the enemy and while I do agree a lot of innocent, poor people got hurt, I'm not sure I entirely agree with the way it's all handled.
Do keep in mind this is quite a literary book, which may not be for you, and I'm not sure I really felt the romance in this. It felt more like a strange infatuation with a strange entity that barely seems like a person. Motheater deserves to be loved not just for her strangeness but also for her humanity and essence.
I love Motheater so much, she's strange in such a lovely way. She has such a huge character development and I feel like especially the ending proves this.
I liked the fact that this book showed a conflict between communities, nature and capitalism. I am however, unsure how I feel about how easily capitalism gets off in this story. Nature is not the enemy and while I do agree a lot of innocent, poor people got hurt, I'm not sure I entirely agree with the way it's all handled.
Do keep in mind this is quite a literary book, which may not be for you, and I'm not sure I really felt the romance in this. It felt more like a strange infatuation with a strange entity that barely seems like a person. Motheater deserves to be loved not just for her strangeness but also for her humanity and essence.
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
medium-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
In the interest of full disclosure, this review is specifically regarding a DRC copy of the book from Net Galley, so while I imagine this eBook was pretty close to finalized, some details may have been changed between my copy and the official release.
If you’re looking for nuanced portrayals of Appalachia with a diverse cast, seamless incorporation of Appalachian labor politics, and a heavy dose of magic, Motheater is my recommendation for you. The strongest aspect of this book is the passion and love poured into it that makes it feel incredibly lucid and unique. The weakest aspect right now is in the technical sphere, and I’m assuming that will be taken care of via copyediting by the official release. I do wish the book were longer, while it’s already pretty meaty at 400-some pages; I would love to have more time with these characters and in this compassionate, well-rounded portrayal of Appalachia. I’m interested in seeing what Codega publishes in the future, especially if they write a sequel to this book or set in this world. I hope there’s an audiobook edition of Motheater at some point, because that’d be an instant buy from me.
The narrative here is crafted lovingly with a sense of heart that pours through the words, showing the author’s passion for the story and its subject matter. The plot feels Appalachian to its core, with a focus on radical ideas, the connection of a land to its people, and the oft-overlooked diversity of the region. There is a great love for Appalachia in this book, the kind that is genuine and earnest enough to be willing to critique elements of it even while crafting such a tender narrative about it; altogether this creates a complicated love letter to Appalachia, a quality I find in many Appalachian works and that resonates with me deeply. This story effectively maintains its thematic throughlines around the connection between people and place, roots extending from the past to the present, the line between societal progress and industrial excess, and the deeply entwined stories of a land and its community.
Because this is so far out from release, I’m going to give slack on grammatical technicalities on the assumption that it’s still in the process of line editing and put my focus on other elements of the writing itself. The writing style is distinct and consistent throughout the book, with a vivid tether between the characters, the environment, and the atmosphere. Description is very lucid and clear, creating an interesting stylistic quality. Exposition is well peppered throughout the chapters; it’s employed most effectively within the flashback scenes, but it’s also pretty well-incorporated in Bennie’s early chapters. I really liked the pacing; the story always has something happening even in downtime between major plot beats, and the dual timeline helps to keep anticipation up. The structure, switching perspective and often time period per chapter, is interesting and overall, character voice within the close depth of perspective and atmosphere helps distinguish them very well. Depth of perspective is relatively close and the point of view stays locked in on each chapter’s anchor character well, making them both feel natural and appropriate.
The cast is very memorable and lovable; Bennie and Motheater, of course, are the most striking, but supporting characters like Jasper and even tertiary characters like Delancey are vibrant and add a lot of texture to the setting. Character dynamics in this book are consistent and nuanced, but also very deeply felt and impassioned. The relationships of all stripes—platonic, romantic, and antagonistic—are all quite intense and vivid. I do wish there were a little more screentime for secondary narratives, but first and foremost, this story belongs to Bennie (and, to an extent, Motheater), so I understand why subplots around other characters and dynamics don’t get as much development here. I like that the author was operating from a diverse baseline with the characters; often times people still portray Appalachia as a one-note, all-white, all-conservative, all-cishet region, and that is so far from the truth. There are so many people from different walks of life in our mountains, and Codega clearly understands that and takes the time to portray that.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Grief
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Blood
Minor: Racism, Religious bigotry, Classism
Also note religious trauma; Industrial disasters and deaths. The content warnings I’ve listed here especially those along the lines of forms of bigotry are about depictions and/or discussion of them specifically, the book does not appear to endorse any of them.
adventurous
inspiring
medium-paced
First of all, thank you NetGalley for providing me with this eARC!
I had some difficulty getting into this book at first, because of the descriptions and the different POVs. However, once I did, I loved the descriptions about the nature and the environment. The author clearly seems knowledgable about this topic. The one thing that didn't work for me was the romance. I just didn't feel the chemistry and any kind of relationship between the two characters just seemed a bit odd. Like someone else said, I also don't think this was just a witchy fantasy, but more a work of literary fiction with touches of fantasy and horror in it.
Overall, definitely an interesting and good book to read, so I would definitely recommend it.
I had some difficulty getting into this book at first, because of the descriptions and the different POVs. However, once I did, I loved the descriptions about the nature and the environment. The author clearly seems knowledgable about this topic. The one thing that didn't work for me was the romance. I just didn't feel the chemistry and any kind of relationship between the two characters just seemed a bit odd. Like someone else said, I also don't think this was just a witchy fantasy, but more a work of literary fiction with touches of fantasy and horror in it.
Overall, definitely an interesting and good book to read, so I would definitely recommend it.
adventurous
emotional
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:
Complicated
I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This queer fantasy wasn't what I expected, but I LOVED the comedic relief moments, and the delicate balance of on-page romance. It felt intentional, and when it was shown it was sweet, charming, and beautifully executed. Codega's passion for this piece bleeds through every page, and I was instantly drawn to Bennie. I wanted Bennie's connection to the past to be stronger, but I understand why it was at the level it was written. It felt like a tender spot from an author's perspective, and something that a region's past may have been too tender to delve deeper into. 12/10 will be recommending!
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
When I first stumbled on this book, I knew I wanted to read it ASAP. And I was not disappointed. This book is equal parts a testament to the general strangeness that is the Appalachian mountain region and the intricacies of doing something right for the wrong reasons—and doing something wrong for the right reasons.
Bennie, our first narrator, never hesitates from the moment she finds a woman face down in a river to the moment she lets herself take flight. Motheater, our titular character, is a wonderfully flawed human being flung out of time. Her motives are intentional but her journey through understanding that maybe she’s not doing things for the right reason is so deeply entrenched in what it means to be human. The love is there and it is flawed and sometimes life is about righting our well-intentioned wrongs. The way that her story wove together with Bennie’s made their gradual love and respect for each feel so much more wholly organic. Queer love is not the focus of this book, it plays a large, saving role.
I also need to be clear. This book is weird in the best way. It just goes deeper into Appalachian territory and never stops to apologize for the way that nature and man intertwine—and how one cannot exist without the other despite their individual best efforts to be free of the other. Snake handling and religion stand tall here, so be warned. And enjoy this book. I know I did.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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
Codega! What a debut novel! This queer fantasy was not what i expected at all, although, I don't really know what I expected to be fair.
It was wonderfully written, strong and powerful.
The characters were three-dimensional and emotionally resonant with their accents and the two timelines.
I was wholly endeared to Bennie, she was realistic, compelling and deeply layered.
I'd almost describe it as Gothic Fantasy. A mashing of genres so beautifully achieved and refreshing... well, refreshing in a terrifyingly witchy way.
There wasn't an overwhelming amount of romance in this book, but what there was, was artfully done. It was sweet and charming, and although I wanted more (because I always want more romance), I did love how it was done.
The romance and comic relief throughout the book was elegantly curated to balance the much darker elements.
I watched a documentary once about the effects of mining in the Appalachian mountains. Whilst that is the only reference I have to the irreparable damage done to the ecosystem there, I felt an authenticity in this book for the place and the lost and remaining beauty and mysticism.
Overall I found Motheater to be a very unique and immersive read.
Truly thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this novel.
It was wonderfully written, strong and powerful.
The characters were three-dimensional and emotionally resonant with their accents and the two timelines.
I was wholly endeared to Bennie, she was realistic, compelling and deeply layered.
I'd almost describe it as Gothic Fantasy. A mashing of genres so beautifully achieved and refreshing... well, refreshing in a terrifyingly witchy way.
There wasn't an overwhelming amount of romance in this book, but what there was, was artfully done. It was sweet and charming, and although I wanted more (because I always want more romance), I did love how it was done.
The romance and comic relief throughout the book was elegantly curated to balance the much darker elements.
I watched a documentary once about the effects of mining in the Appalachian mountains. Whilst that is the only reference I have to the irreparable damage done to the ecosystem there, I felt an authenticity in this book for the place and the lost and remaining beauty and mysticism.
Overall I found Motheater to be a very unique and immersive read.
Truly thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this novel.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
This book had a queer romance, esoteric magic, and horror elements. I enjoyed the connection of the magic system to nature and the general witchiness of the story. I didn't connect with the ending, but did enjoy the read overall.
This book had a queer romance, esoteric magic, and horror elements. I enjoyed the connection of the magic system to nature and the general witchiness of the story. I didn't connect with the ending, but did enjoy the read overall.
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
mysterious
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
I received this as an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Motheater is a queer fantasy book with horror elements sprinkled in. There was magic and love and also retribution. The characters were strong and relatable, I definitely felt for them and rooted for them! The magic was interesting, strangely esoteric, but very intriguing. Definitely give it a read if you like atmospheric magical books with queer and BIPOC characters.
Motheater is a queer fantasy book with horror elements sprinkled in. There was magic and love and also retribution. The characters were strong and relatable, I definitely felt for them and rooted for them! The magic was interesting, strangely esoteric, but very intriguing. Definitely give it a read if you like atmospheric magical books with queer and BIPOC characters.