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kaseymkelley's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Death
Moderate: Rape
okiecozyreader's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
I ended up really loving (by loving I mean I couldn’t put down) this mystery with three older women (who have gone through the change) and have mystical powers. One senses that there is a ghost in an area, and they arrive there to find a body. Surprisingly, even with a drawing of the child, no one can identify her. The women discover there are other children and when the police don’t offer much assistance, they take the case into their own hands.
This reminded me of a darker Murder She Wrote or a Charlie’s Angels, in which the women were calling their own shots, or maybe a nature-Ocean’s Eleven.
There are parts that are difficult to read though. There are times where I hated the way most of the men were portrayed. But then I thought, does it bother me this much when it’s women being portrayed similarly? And isn’t that the point of this novel, that sometimes men create their own world and women sometimes are invited to have a seat at the table. Unfortunately I still think this can be true today.
In our discussion with @lbtheloverofbooks, Kirsten Miller said “We need to change the narrative about being this age. It is one of the best times of our lives. Do younger women a huge favor and give them something to look forward to.” Laura Beth posted in our group that Kirsten Miller was doing a giveaway and I was lucky enough to get one. Miller was such a generous and fun guest.
I’m on fall break and had some time, but I pretty much read the book this afternoon. Once I got into it, I couldn’t put it down. The 470 pages went by a lot quicker than I thought they might.
There are definitely content warnings for this one, though.
“You’re saying you found a witch like Miss Ella?
I found two. A protector and a punisher.” P97
“‘Witch’ is the label society slaps on women it can’t understand or control.” P113
“Women are allowed everywhere these days. Golf courses, nudie bars, the Racquet and Tennis Club. It would be scandalous if we weren’t allowed. So instead, we’re just not invited.” P180
“The key to getting away with anything is convincing yourself that you’ve done nothing wrong.” P188
“Accept that what you find may be worse than you ever thought possible. And believe you possess the strength to see it.”
“Our lives are designed to have three parts. The first is education. The second, creation. And in part three, we put our experience to use and protect those who are weaker. This third stage, which you have entered, can be of incredible power.” P436
This reminded me of a darker Murder She Wrote or a Charlie’s Angels, in which the women were calling their own shots, or maybe a nature-Ocean’s Eleven.
There are parts that are difficult to read though. There are times where I hated the way most of the men were portrayed. But then I thought, does it bother me this much when it’s women being portrayed similarly? And isn’t that the point of this novel, that sometimes men create their own world and women sometimes are invited to have a seat at the table. Unfortunately I still think this can be true today.
In our discussion with @lbtheloverofbooks, Kirsten Miller said “We need to change the narrative about being this age. It is one of the best times of our lives. Do younger women a huge favor and give them something to look forward to.” Laura Beth posted in our group that Kirsten Miller was doing a giveaway and I was lucky enough to get one. Miller was such a generous and fun guest.
I’m on fall break and had some time, but I pretty much read the book this afternoon. Once I got into it, I couldn’t put it down. The 470 pages went by a lot quicker than I thought they might.
There are definitely content warnings for this one, though.
“You’re saying you found a witch like Miss Ella?
I found two. A protector and a punisher.” P97
“‘Witch’ is the label society slaps on women it can’t understand or control.” P113
“Women are allowed everywhere these days. Golf courses, nudie bars, the Racquet and Tennis Club. It would be scandalous if we weren’t allowed. So instead, we’re just not invited.” P180
“The key to getting away with anything is convincing yourself that you’ve done nothing wrong.” P188
“Accept that what you find may be worse than you ever thought possible. And believe you possess the strength to see it.”
“Our lives are designed to have three parts. The first is education. The second, creation. And in part three, we put our experience to use and protect those who are weaker. This third stage, which you have entered, can be of incredible power.” P436
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Rape, Sexual assault, Trafficking, and Murder
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Violence
Minor: Eating disorder
sidekicksam's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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
3.0
When murdered girls start calling to Nessa to find their bodies and their murderers, she teams up with Jo and Harriett to solve the mystery. All three women have newly discovered their powers and only together they can solve it.
It was fun to read a story about women in their forties/fifties who aren't having a mid-life/menopausal crisis, and the witchy element made it perfect for seasonal reading. I loved the friendships that blossomed in the search for justice, and the powers that the three women found were also cool (give me Harriett's garden please).
I will say that this book was not entirely it for me. Though it was interesting to meet more characters and histories, it would have served the story well to have let out a few and keep the pace of the story up. For me, the book lost some of its thrill and mystery because of its length.
Also, the general undertone of the book was very bitter. I work in a male-dominated field too, and I am very young, so I get the misogyny and the inequality in business. I would have preferred the writing to work it into the characters and their actions more subtly, not only to make the characters displaying such behaviour more interesting, but also to make the responding women come across as less sour, bitter and discarded women.
I'd recommend this to everyone who is into thrillers, witchy-themes/magical realism or who wants a spooky season read without having to sleep with the lights on for the rest of the month!
It was fun to read a story about women in their forties/fifties who aren't having a mid-life/menopausal crisis, and the witchy element made it perfect for seasonal reading. I loved the friendships that blossomed in the search for justice, and the powers that the three women found were also cool (give me Harriett's garden please).
I will say that this book was not entirely it for me. Though it was interesting to meet more characters and histories, it would have served the story well to have let out a few and keep the pace of the story up. For me, the book lost some of its thrill and mystery because of its length.
Also, the general undertone of the book was very bitter. I work in a male-dominated field too, and I am very young, so I get the misogyny and the inequality in business. I would have preferred the writing to work it into the characters and their actions more subtly, not only to make the characters displaying such behaviour more interesting, but also to make the responding women come across as less sour, bitter and discarded women.
I'd recommend this to everyone who is into thrillers, witchy-themes/magical realism or who wants a spooky season read without having to sleep with the lights on for the rest of the month!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Misogyny, Kidnapping, and Murder
monalyisha's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
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? No
4.5
My husband LOVES stories about vigilante justice. Recently, when we were watching the newest season of Stranger Things and El struck a bully across the face with her roller skate, he legitimately cackled. I’ve *never* felt comfortable sharing in that kind of delight. This story is the exception. God, did it feel good to witness shitty, powerful men who are used to getting everything handed to them, get *exactly* what they deserve.
Do I still think the morality is complex, and, perhaps, questionable? I do. But in this compulsively-readable, fictional tale of peri- and postmenopausal women coming into their powers and using them to bring male abusers and serial killers down, I barely flinched.
At first, I was worried that one of the three main characters is a black woman, written by a white woman. But I think it’s done (mostly if not totally) sensitively and that it serves both the story and a deepening sense of social conscience and consciousness. I trust Miller did her research and had readers checking her. There’s one instance of food-shaming that I thought struck an odd chord. That noted, I’m now free to crow my praise.
This book was a BLAST to read! I didn’t want to put it down! The cast of characters is sharp and lively. Miller’s sense of wicked humor is a joy. And her overall message, that real magic lies in finding connection: connection to yourself, to friends and a community, and to nature, comes across clearly — as well as her darker but realistic message that sometimes, you have to burn it all down to rebuild something cleansed and purified from the ashes.
As far as the mystery, I can’t say sussing out the details was a challenge. I saw what was coming from a mile away (and I’m not psychic, just paying attention). That being said, I’m not a reader who *needs* a good mystery, so having foresight about the plot ruined nothing. And, I think the “twist” was a necessary one — in terms of showing how blame and responsibility can be shared and shouldered by unexpected parties (especially when race and class are factors).
Do I still think the morality is complex, and, perhaps, questionable? I do. But in this compulsively-readable, fictional tale of peri- and postmenopausal women coming into their powers and using them to bring male abusers and serial killers down, I barely flinched.
At first, I was worried that one of the three main characters is a black woman, written by a white woman. But I think it’s done (mostly if not totally) sensitively and that it serves both the story and a deepening sense of social conscience and consciousness. I trust Miller did her research and had readers checking her. There’s one instance of food-shaming that I thought struck an odd chord. That noted, I’m now free to crow my praise.
This book was a BLAST to read! I didn’t want to put it down! The cast of characters is sharp and lively. Miller’s sense of wicked humor is a joy. And her overall message, that real magic lies in finding connection: connection to yourself, to friends and a community, and to nature, comes across clearly — as well as her darker but realistic message that sometimes, you have to burn it all down to rebuild something cleansed and purified from the ashes.
As far as the mystery, I can’t say sussing out the details was a challenge. I saw what was coming from a mile away (and I’m not psychic, just paying attention). That being said, I’m not a reader who *needs* a good mystery, so having foresight about the plot ruined nothing. And, I think the “twist” was a necessary one — in terms of showing how blame and responsibility can be shared and shouldered by unexpected parties (especially when race and class are factors).
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Murder, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Classism
lpdx's review against another edition
adventurous
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? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Addiction and Car accident
Minor: Classism
ellenwilberg's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Drug use, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Violence, Vomit, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Classism
Moderate: Addiction, Cursing, Fatphobia, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual content, Blood, Stalking, and Car accident
lauraslittlebooknook's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
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? No
5.0
Holy shit. This book!
I loved this. Three bad ass women who have had their fill of the flawed and broken patriarchal society that has tried, their entire lives, to tell them who they are, what they should think and what they can do.
Told from multiple points of views, and differing timelines, this is a well woven tale of misogyny and horror, with some much needed humour, love and friendship. I laughed out loud, repeatedly.
A great supernatural crime-thriller for women everywhere, with twists and turns that made me not want to put this one down.
Harriett is my new idol. I’d worship at her alter.
I have a feeling I will be raving about this book for a long time to come.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Violence
apersonfromflorida's review against another edition
dark
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Sexual assault, Kidnapping, and Murder
Moderate: Rape and Torture
Minor: Eating disorder
booking_along's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
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? No
5.0
this was a ride.
but what a ride it was!
so many true moments how the world women love in and how horrible some things are but how nice some can be as well.
this book had a lot going on but it all worked and it was wonderful.
i loved how it’s written.
the characters are fantastic.
the story was horrifyingly realistic but so well done.
it all worked and i loved it.
but what a ride it was!
so many true moments how the world women love in and how horrible some things are but how nice some can be as well.
this book had a lot going on but it all worked and it was wonderful.
i loved how it’s written.
the characters are fantastic.
the story was horrifyingly realistic but so well done.
it all worked and i loved it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Murder, and Sexual harassment
teri_reads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
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? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Suicide