Rating: 4.5 Stars
Publication: May 14th, 2019
Genre: Fantasy
Format: Egalley
Diversity: Queer MC & PoC SC
Quick Summary:
Danny didn't know what she was looking for when she and her mother spread out a map of the United States and Danny put her finger down on Tempest, California. What she finds are a group of queer witches forging their own paths in the mist and magic of the ancient redwood forest. Witches who cast a spell that called her halfway across the country because she has something they need. She can bring back Imogen, the most powerful of the witches who has been missing since the summer night she wandered into the woods alone. Before Danny can find Imogen, she finds a dead boy with a redwood branch through his heart. Something is very wrong amid the trees and fog of the Lost Coast, and whatever it is, it can kill. Lush, eerie, and imaginative, this spellbinding tale overflows with what it means to find your home, yourself, and your way forward.
My Thoughts:
The beginning was a little difficult to get into with all the characters being introduced, but they're each so different from one another that once I got to know them a better it was impossible to get them mixed up. Our main character Danny has been searching for a place where she fits in when she meets the Tempest witches and finally feels like she's exactly where she wants to be. I could totally relate to the need to find a group to call your own. Seeing the coven slowly accept her as one of them as she worked on finding one their missing sister witches was extremely satisfying. I really grew attached to their little group and loved how they all supported each other, even when mistakes were made. The female friendships were just amazing. I do feel like there could have been a couple more mother daugther scenes, but I did like that some parents were actually involved.
I love the wide range of representation within their group. We have Danny, a queer girl with a fondness for kissing other girls, and Rush, a fat queer witch with a condition called synesthesia which lets her taste words. Then theres June, a Filipino lesbian and Leila, a nonbinary gray ace. We also have Hawthorn the black bisexual who started the coven and Imogen the lost lesbian witch. I appreciated how they were all more than their labels. They each had their own personalities and backstories. Out of all of them I think Rush was probably my favorite character, but June was pretty great too. Theres also a sapphic romance that turned out better than Id hope considering one of them was already in a relationship. I liked that we got to spend time from some of the other witches perspectives both in the present and in the past, but one of the flashback when the witches were very young was a little confusing and it's purpose was never really explained.
I really enjoyed the atmospheric redwood forest and the witches different affinities. The magical elements weren't fully explained, but it worked for the story. I would have loved to know even more about the ravens and the redwood trees, especially after getting some chapters from their point of view. The mystery did a great job of keeping me engaged. My theory as to who was causing trouble in the forest was correct, but there were many other elements I didnt see coming. I loved the message and the overall themes in this book. The point it made not to shame Danny for wanting to kiss a bunch of different girls meant a lot to me. There was also the desire to show affection for all the people before them who couldnt that really resonated with me. I just loved how it was so very unapologetically queer. Its definitely a book Ill be recommending to a lot of people.
*This book was received for an honest review
*My summaries are often a shortened version of the goodreads summary
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