An atmospheric and thought provoking novel that will stay with you. Consistently paced and with vivid characters not to be forgotten.
Many thanks to Farrar, Straus and Giroux,and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book is pitched as No Country for Old Men meets Killing Eve. I was sold when I read that because I love both.

The book is told from multiple POVs. First, we have Florida, we met her in an Arizona prison. Florida insists she is innocent and just happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Her cellmate Dios doesn't believe her story.
The two women find themselves freed on the same day and Dios is fixated on Florida. and that's when things go haywire. Intermixed with these two women's stories is another inmate's POV and a detective's.

I loved the POVs and the tension woven throughout the book however I feel like it could have been grittier.

I still enjoyed this book and would recommend it. And if you can get your hands on the audiobook you will not be disappointed. The narrators have done a fantastic job.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for sending a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

To be clear, this isn’t my typical pick. It’s billed as a “gritty, feminist Western thriller” (thrillers are a genre I never read). I do enjoy westerns, enjoy feminist lit, and the setting is Arizona, not far from where I used to live. Plus, the book jacket copy urged me to give it a try. The literary, smart writing drew me right in.

Since I’m not a thriller reader, I can’t say that’s what this truly is? Is it even a western (they are typically set during the 1800s)? The story is very introspective with lots of soul-searching and, honestly, over the first six chapters, there isn’t a heck of a lot going on. As a literary reader, I’m cool with that.

I’m cool with the intelligence of this novel, and to some degree, the characters' violence as allegory for female rage. At first. By chapter seven, the reader gets a little break from that female vengeance, and feels like she’s getting to the essence of the story, the characters. But shortly thereafter, we’re right back to rage and violence – so much of it, I felt that I was the one being bludgeoned over the head by the theme. Every female character angry, wanting to kick, kill, hurt others. Florida’s backstory unraveled too slowly and too late in the novel for me to truly form emotional empathy for her.

That said, there is much to admire about this book. The writing is impressive, and even the choice to set this book during the pandemic – when inmates are being released back into a very altered, shut-down society, after years of not being in society – was brilliant. It was a whip-smart move, also, to tell parts of the story through a character (view spoiler) (I loved Kace, probably the most). Also smart: a female cop character named Lobos (wolf) with a believable backstory that brought an urgency to her character (despite an insane overuse of TicTac chewing).

While, overall, I enjoyed the writing, the author would break into a series of implied sentences, while in a character’s voice (either in third or first person). “See the tree. See it bend and sway, always out of reach. Now hear it. Because look at her. Look at her struggling to eat. Look at her lifting her fork gingerly like the very air around her is barbed.”

And then descriptions of the surroundings often took on a list-like cadence: "Here’s a tent. Here’s a brush fire… Here’s a man sitting on the guardrail… Here’s a shrine. Here’s a tent in the breakdown lane.” It was a little jarring for me because the author would jump from present and future tense in the same paragraph – all of it probably too experimental for my tastes.

The novel tackles a number of societal issues: gentrification, sexism, misogyny, domestic violence, rape, and captures the fear of COVID quite well. While I probably wasn't the ideal reader for this one, I would give future books a shot, because this author can write.

a really great thriller! I couldn't put it down

Thank you to the author, publisher, and netgalley for this review copy.

Beautiful, affecting, and completely impossible to put down – Ivy Pochoda’s latest novel, Sing Her Down, will cement her reputation as one of the most reliably excellent authors working today.

It starts with Kace, resident of a women’s prison in Arizona, as she introduces you to the women the novel will follow – fellow prisoners Florida and Dios, all three facing the early days of the Covid-19 outbreak. Only two will find themselves unexpectedly released – but Dios and Florida have a history, a tension between them that will follow them as they explore their newfound freedom. It’s that connection that forms the heart of Sing Her Down, punctuated along the way with Kace’s conversations with the dead.

This is one of those books that’s all about the journey – you’re told the destination right from the start, but it didn’t lessen the impact of that ending for me in the slightest. As much as it affected me though, I wasn’t in a hurry to reach it; I was enjoying the process of reaching it far too much. Ivy Pochoda balances viewpoints effortlessly, and has again created characters that are realistically flawed and yet easy to root for. Even those who remain unlikeable are compelling – people you want to hear about, even as you get the feeling that you’re watching the human equivalent of a car crash in slow motion.

This was fantastic, and it deserves to be recognized as one of the standout books of 2023. Ivy Pochoda can continue to write just about anything, and I’ll continue to wait eagerly to read whatever she gives us next.

This is a gritty, fast-paced read, deliciously cynical as all good noir is. The characters jump off the page and the action and plot twists keep the pages turning.

"Sing Her Down" by Pochoda immerses readers in a haunting tale. Pochoda's narrative explores family dynamics and mystery, but pacing can feel uneven. The writing creates a vivid atmosphere, though character motivations might feel unclear. The book delves into complex emotions and relationships, offering a mix of intrigue and depth, yet its occasional struggles with coherence might affect its impact for some readers.

Sing Her Down by Ivy Pochoda begins in Arizona women’s prison and ends at the corner of Olympic and Western in Los Angeles. Florence “Florida” Baum and Diosmary Sandoval are inmates at a women’s correctional facility at the time of the pandemic.

Dios knows Florida’s secret about her actual involvement in the murder of two men. Florida told a former cellmate the secret. Unfortunately the cellmate started to tell people so Florida practically beat her to death. Dios ended up killing the cellmate and thought that she and Florida were kindred spirits. Their fellow inmate Kace, who carries voices of the dead within her, also knows the secret because

Florida and Dios get an early release from prison but are supposed to remain in quarantine for a period of time in Arizona. Since Florida’s car and former life is in Los Angeles, she begins to plan to violate her parole and cross state lines. Dios follows Florida wherever she goes. She’s obsessed with getting Florida to be who really is – a savage killer.

Florida was a party girl with no one who had her best interest in mind, not even her mother. Every man in her life was a loser and an abuser. In my opinion, she was angry about how a couple of drug dealers mistreated her. So she convinced her boyfriend to set a trap for them. He accepted the prison sentence that should have been Florida’s punishment.

Although she is probably a killer, Florida is mostly likeable. She’s more of an anti-hero than a villain. Her violent nature is under control until it isn’t, unlike Dios who is a homicidal maniac. Dios has killed several people since being released from prison approximately two weeks before.

Florida used to live a glamorous life and drive a fast car. Since being in prison, she’s trying to figure out if she is Florence or Florida. Aren’t many of us trying to figure out who we really are?

Detective Lobos of Los Angeles is on the trail of Florida and Dios. She is also trying to avoid her abusive soon-to-be-ex husband. He pops up out of thin air to harass her. Although the ex doesn’t know anything about the trail of bodies following the former prisoners, he makes catching the elusive Dios and Florida very difficult.

Dios never has trouble finding Florida. It’s a little spooky. In the end, Florida finds Dios for their last meeting.

There’s a mural at the intersection of Olympic and Western that depicts the final showdown of Florida and Dios. Some people say it’s alive and has movement. People will probably talk about the story behind the mural for a long time. It reminds me of how people still talk about famous confrontations, such as the gunfight at the O.K. Corral and the fictional version of the showdown between Doc Holliday and Johnny Ringo.

If you like mysteries, westerns, or stories about people on the run, then you will love Sing Her Down.

If you are an inappropriate corrections officer or some other sort of degenerate, then I can’t say whether you would like this book or not. You should but you might not have good taste or judgment.

I read Ivy Pochada's Sing Her Down three months ago and I have no memory of the storyline. I went back and read the blurb- nothing. I read other people's reviews- still nothing. There was a killing in prison right? And one lady held it over the other lady's head maybe? I gave it two stars. It was okay.

Florida and Dios are in a women’s prison in Arizona after being convicted of separate violent crimes. They used to be cellmates, but that became problematic, so they were separated. Due to the pandemic (of course) they are both released early, and while Florida wants to move away and start over, Dios is determined to make Florida face herself truthfully. It ends with a showdown reminiscent of an old western novel! I didn’t like either of the characters, and I really didn’t care what happened to either of them! Violent and gritty. Thanks to the publisher, Ivy Pochoda and NetGalley for my copy of Sing Her Down.

Some part of this book had me HOOKED! But others just had me confused. I felt like Kace’s POV was the easiest to read but I felt like Florida’s and Dios’s were confusing - a lot of the time I wasn’t sure if it was real, or a dream, or metaphorical or literal.

I thought the storyline was wild so it kept me interested but I couldn’t get past Dios - what was her deal? I feel like I never got to see or understand why she was doing what she was doing. The additional storyline of the cop and her husband I thought was unnecessary and personally I don’t think it added anything extra.

I thought I would be much more into this story since it was sold as "Killing Eve" meets "No Country for Old Men" but that was not the case

Pub date: 5/23/23
Genre: mystery/suspense
Quick summary: Florida and Dios are released from an overcrowded prison at the height of the COVID epidemic. But prison isn't the only thing the two have in common - and Dios will chase Florida in an effort to make her admit the truth.

Ivy Pochoda knows how to write a dark book! I could feel the grittiness of the Arizona prison in these pages, and she did a great job drawing the characters of Florida and Dios. I was captivated by the story of these two women, as well as that of Detective Lobos, who was trying to sort out what happened. The audiobook was really well done, and I enjoyed listening to this one on the my walks. I actually had to reread the ending in the text (I had listened to it) because I was so surprised by it!

This won't be a book for everyone, but if you like untold stories, atmosphere, and complex characters, or you enjoyed THESE WOMEN by Pochoda, give this one a try!

Thank you to MCD for my e-ARC and Macmillan Audio for my audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Farrar, Straus and Giroux and NetGalley for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I think I see what this book was trying to do -- there's an undercurrent of McCarthy and western noir but also something a little off which I can't totally place. I think that the narrative was trying too many things for me to really make much sense of it. One thing I will say is that the prose felt cloying in a way that perfectly echoed the climate of the book and what the characters were doing.

3 stars.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was an interesting story. It had several different voices telling the story. The writer’s words really drew a picture. Her imagery was beautiful. That being said, I felt like the story moved slowly and was often times confusing. Still worth the read.

3.5

I know nothing of thrillers but I really enjoyed this?

I loved the insight to the prison system, and just the story as a whole was extremely interesting. I will say that I was surprised at how much more depth there was to this novel.

I couldn’t get into this one. The writing was good, and the characters interesting especially with the prison setting and the pandemic. Unfortunately for me there was nothing to keep me reading.

I was confused by a modern-day novel occurring during COVID being called a Western, so I looked up the definition:
Western is a literature, film, and television genre. Westerns are primarily set in the American Old West between the late eighteenth century and late nineteenth century and tell the stories of cowboys, settlers, and outlaws exploring the western frontier and taming the Wild West.
This book doesn't fit any of that description, and I'm more than a little upset that I was pulled in by that part of the summary since I loved Lone Women, Camp Zero or Chain-Gang All-Stars are more deserving of this moniker.
Not recommended, needs editing and just in general didn't care for the story or characters. Difficult to finish.

So this one needs to be a movie. It would be an action movie, but it would have a palpable sadness about it as well.

I loved this. I've found that I love all the books I've read from this author. I found out that she works with people who live in challenging circumstances in real life and you can sense that authority in her work. Her characters feel real.

Definitely not for people searching for some light escapism, but if you want to see another (darker) side of life, Pochoda will take you there.

Excellent read!

This is not my typical read, so I’m glad I received an early review copy.

Sing Her Down is such a unique story from such a specific point in time… think back to the darkest times of Covid lockdowns. Then imagine being in prison at the same time, completely removed from the horror of the pandemic but stuck in your own horror story.

Loneliness takes on a completely new definition. So does freedom.

And that’s what Ivy Pochoda shows us what that reality could be through multiple perspectives.

Thank you NetGalley for the book!