Reviews with content warning for Self harm - Weyward

Meh overall. The idea is good, though not groundbreaking, but the characters are very flat and some of the plot twists (if we can call them that) feel so contrived that are hard to take seriously.

Some passages have strength, especially the ones relating to the characters’ thoughts and feelings about their own body and the topic of maternity. Unfortunately, most of the rest feels a bit clumsy, like it could benefit from another good round of editing. Also (and I never thought I would criticize a book for this), sometimes it seems it’s trying too hard to be a ‘feminist book’ to the point that it sounds forced and insincere.

Overall, I reiterate: meh.

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whiskeylawyer's review against another edition

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hopeful sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

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opie_azvuc's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

0.25

3 Girls 1 Spine

I'm really concerned for the author of this book. I don't know if men did something to her, or she's just chronically online or something, but she HATES men so MUCH. Every single male character in this book is an absolute monster save exactly one who's only kind of okay until the very end where he's a hero. To be fair, two of the three "protagonists" are incredibly bad at it.

Misandry aside, this book is not that well written. Each chapter takes around 5-10 minutes to read and less than that in the first third or so of the book. Each chapter follows around one of three women in three completely different time periods and ends on a cliffhanger. The first few chapters are only around 6 pages each, so it's very jarring and disconnected and feels like the author may have written it while guzzling espresso and shooting cocaine.

The first person we follow is Altha, a woman accused of witchcraft in the 1600's and literally the only protagonist to have any sort of backbone or agency despite the face her situation is the most dire. She avoids prosecution and immolation and goes on to rescue the wife of an abusive husband by causing said abusive husband to be attacked by woodland creatures Loony Tunes style.

The second protagonist, Violet, is a sixteen year old girl with an abusive father and a brother off at boarding school during World War 2. Her cousin, a soldier, comes to stay with the family on leave, date rapes Violet, and the father finds out and sequesters her in this cabin in the woods where it turns out he had her mother interred there where all sorts of horrible things happened to her by men. She learns how to give herself an abortion using noxious weeds and realizes she has the power to chase her father away with woodland creatures Loony Tunes style.

The third protagonist is Kate in 2019 who is running from an abusive boyfriend she has been with for 5 years and has had multiple chances to get away from but chose not to until she decided to flee to the countryside, at no point contacting the police, battered women's shelter, lawyer, or anything that makes sense. She doesn't even bother to get a gun or ask any of her new acquiaintances to look out for her. When the boyfriend tracks her down because of the script, she realizes she also has the power to chase her boyfriend away with woodland creatures Loony Tunes style.

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aksmith92's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The Weywards - a connection of women throughout time who all have something quite particular about them: they can sense and relate to nature. The bees never sting, and the spiders never bite. There is a crow that lingers around and is helpful in times of need.

Weyward was a beautiful story that was mostly about women's grit and perseverance. We follow three different women, who all seem to be connected, albeit in different times (2019, 1940s, and 1600s). We learn about the women, their lives, backstories, and their magic. It was a beautiful, yet harrowing, tale, and one I am glad to have said I read.

I loved the women because they all felt pretty different, yet still connected in the same way. Honestly, this was a tough read. We have stories about abuse, rape, sexual assault, incest, and other just awful things. But what lies at the end is a fantastic tale about women and hope. I thought the writing was atmospheric and poetic; all the sentences had a purpose; everything was connected and meant something. I love writing like this - it swept me in and kept me present in the novel.

I did feel it fell a little flat with pacing, and I was a little confused about the storyline for Altha in the 1600s in terms of timeline. Sometimes the book just didn't "wow" me, for reasons that I can't articulate too well. But overall this was a very well done novel.

I've seen some reviews saying "I don't like this because there are no redeeming men in here, or The author paints men in such a bad light!" THAT IS THE POINT friends. This is a book about slight feminine rage (in each woman's own way). It is not about the men and it's likely a lot more realistic than you think.

I thoroughly enjoyed this, including the very witchy vibes!

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