Reviews

The Poisons We Drink by Bethany Baptiste

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pinaepple's review against another edition

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challenging emotional informative reflective tense fast-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

4.0

nev_skye's review against another edition

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challenging emotional tense 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

3.5

herdarklibrary's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

When I read the synopsis for this book I was very excited and the first few chapters kept that excitement going. The characters were strong and I found the writing style simple and easy. However the story took too long to get going, it was definitely plot driven but the plot didn’t seem to appear until I was quite far into it so there was nothing particularly gripping me.

I loved the themes of race and equality, police brutality and the discussion around politics. It felt very reflective of the current world we live in. I adored the ending centring around the sins of the parents with the young realising they need to be the change for a better future.

I think the magic system was ok. I didn’t feel like I wanted to immerse myself in this magical world, which is disappointing as when I read a fantasy book I want to love it so much that I finish the book thinking about how much I wished I lived there. Unfortunately that didn’t happen, and I felt like there was a lot of talking about the history and magic but not much in the way of showing so I felt a disconnect.

In general I think the book was a good 150-200 pages too long and there was a lot of words but not a lot actually happening. I enjoyed the characters and the plot enough to finish the book but I don’t plan to pick this up for a second read

3/5⭐️

bearpolar's review against another edition

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dark

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

thebookishstephanie's review against another edition

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Venus lives in a world divided: the humans, and the witchers. She makes illegal love potions to support her family, but Venus isn't worried about the legality of it. She is more worried about the dark, sentient magic within her that speaks to her. After her mother's tragic murder, she is thrown into the corrupt underbelly of her world.

Baptiste's story has excellent representation of so many types, and is filled with magic and action. I loved Venus's family, their interactions and the realness of them all. At its heart, there is a story of a young woman trying to find her way in the world, but the world is out to destroy her, and throw in a dash of a revenge story too.

The only downside is that I didn't feel as connected to the characters as I would have otherwise liked. The writing felt a bit cold and distant at times, which didn't help with the connection to these characters.

Thank you to the publisher for an e-arc of this one, all opinions are my own.

the_lyon_reads_tonight's review against another edition

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I was excited for this book but really struggled to get engaged. I think the concept was great but I found myself coming back the next day and not remembering what I had read the day before. Just not for me but still a good concept and good characters for others readers