A great addition to any YA collection. A wonderful collection of stories, and those interested in witchcraft and the occult.

I gave this a four stars because there was 4 or 5 stories in the middle that I really wasn't a fan of, but the rest of the stories more than make up for those I didn't love. This is really a five star book in my heart.

5 star stories that I loved to absolute bits and pieces
The Heart in Her Hands by Tess Sharpe
Love Spell by Anna-Marie McLemore
The Gherin Girls by Emery Lord
Why They Watch Us Burn by Elizabeth May

5/4.5 star stories
Starsong by Tehlor Kay Mejia
Beware of Girls With Crooked Mouths by Jessica Spotswood

4 star stories
Afterbirth by Andrea Cremer
Death in the Sawtooths by Lindsay Smith
Divine Are The Stars by Zoraida Cordova
The Well Witch by Kate Hart

3 star story
The Truth About Queenie by Brandy Colbert

2 star stories
The Moonapple Menagerie by Shveta Thakrar
The One Who Stayed by Nova Ren Suma
Daughters of Baba Yaga by Brenna Yovanoff

1 star story
The Legend of Stone Mary by Robin Talley

I started reading this in October 2018 and was enjoying it so much but for some odd reason never got back to it until February. (Two moths that couldn't be any more different yet both somehow fit this book.)

Spooky and romance are two words I would like to describe this book.

Daughters of Baba Yaha was one of my favorite story out of this set, I'm not sure why but I just enjoyed the wit and truth. Why They Watch Us Burn was also one of my favorite in this book. All the stories are well written with strong characters and many different kinds of magic!

I enjoyed 6 out of the 15 stories and two were ok. I think my two older nieces would enjoy this one more than I did. I do love the cover. I think it’s absolutely gorgeous. I received this book through NetGalley for my honest review.

Overall, this collection of stories was just okay for me. I absolutely LOVED some of them, especially the last two, but some of them fell flat for me. Many of the stories I thought would work better as full novels because the characters just felt under-developed and the plot didn't go anywhere, but had potential. I really enjoyed the writing of many of these authors and don't doubt that they are amazing story tellers, but I just don't think this book was for me.

This book was ok, didn't really enjoy some of the stories but overall it was fine. Some of the stories could have been more fleshed out.

While I loved the idea of this book, it just wasn't for me. It is an anthology and I have not read many so maybe that is why I didn't love it. I just felt like the stories where too short to have character development and plot. I was often very confused with what was happening. I enjoyed the concept of witches "embracing their power, reclaiming their destinies and using their magic.." I felt a lot of the time the characters were almost heartless and I did not like them. However, if like that kind of "badass" character you might enjoy this. Lastly, I did not enjoy that most of the stories did not have "happy endings" per say and were often unnecessary.

With that said there were some stories that I enjoyed:
The Heart in her Hands by Tess Sharpe and Beware go Girls with Crooked Mouths by Jessica Spotswood I both gave 4 stars

*** Thank you to NetGalley & HarperTeen for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review. ***

When I first heard about Toil & Trouble, I was ecstatic. 15 tales of women & witchcraft. YA.

Every story included varied diversity. From different racial/heritage backgrounds, to different sexual orientations (Hello Bisexual and Homosexual rep!), even different socioeconomic backgrounds.

There were only a couple standouts to me, a couple meh ones, with the rest running middle of the road.

Overall, I loved seeing the diversity. I enjoyed seeing the flip side to the coin. Witchcraft/Magic isn't inherently evil. People can be. Intentions are everything.

I have listed each story individually for rating purposes.

1. STARSONG - TEHLOR KAY MEJIA ⭐⭐
2. AFTERBITE - ANDREA CREMER ⭐⭐⭐⭐
THE HEART IN HER HANDS - TESS SHARPE (editor) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
4. DEATH IN THE SAWTOOTHS - LINDSAY SMITH ⭐⭐⭐⭐
5. THE TRUTH ABOUT QUEENIE - BRANDY COLBERT ⭐⭐⭐
6. THE MOONPIE MANAGERIE - SHVETA THAKRAR ⭐⭐ 1/2
7. THE LEGEND OF STONE MARY - ROBIN TALLEY ⭐⭐⭐ 1/2
8. THE ONE WHO STAYED - NOVA REN SUMA ⭐
9. DIVINE ARE THE STARS - ZORAIDA CORDOVA ⭐⭐⭐ 1/2
10. DAUGHTERS OF BABA YAGA - BRENNA YOVANOFF ⭐⭐⭐ 1/2
11. THE WELL WITCH - KATE HEART ⭐⭐⭐ 1/2
12. BEWARE OF GIRLS WITH CROOKED MOUTHS - JESSICA SPOTSWOOD (editor) ⭐⭐
13. LOVE SPELL - ANNA MARIE MCLEMORE ⭐⭐⭐⭐
14. THE GHERIN GIRLS - EMERY LORD ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
15. DNR - Because this story did not make the final print, I did not read it.
16. WHY THEY WATCH US BURN - ELIZABETH MAY ⭐⭐⭐ 1/2

I read about 50% of this book, I was not really enjoying the stories as much as I thought I would. I live witches stories, but these were not it for me. I also found out that short stories are not my things, I like a story with more details then that.

Well this was TOTALLY awesome!

One of the best books I've read PERIOD!

Girl Power all the way!

And SOOOO BEAUTIFULLY DIVERSE!

I can't recommend this book enough!

I read it around Halloween time and it was just the perfect read!

The perfect combination of magic, "creepiness" and realistic relevance full of girl power and feminism.

I connected with all the stories at so many levels!

Women (Witches! Yes!) overcoming violence, abuse, injustice, and inequality with bravery, integrity, and solidarity.

Just as it should be!

Thank you for the review copy, NetGalley and Harlequin Teen. This collection of stories left me with mixed feelings. I loved some of the stories, and I just didn't like others at all. I think that can be true of any story collections with different writers' styles. This one just wasn't a favorite for me.

This is one of the better edited anthologies I've ever read. Incisive, cohesive stories that each bring their own voices and perspectives while making the whole bigger than the sum of its parts. Really well done.
Reviewed here: http://www.thebookrat.com/2018/07/5-books-in-not-five-minutes-i-tried.html

This anthology is, in a word, magical! With diverse stories written by a myriad of some of the most exciting current authors, there is something amazing to be found between the pages of this book for everyone.

This was one of my favorite books of 2018. I enjoyed it so much I read it twice! I typically have trouble with anthologies because as soon as I read a short story I don't love, I tend to lose interest in the book as a whole. Well, that was not a problem with Toil & Trouble! I found enjoyable aspects of all the stories, even the ones that weren't my favorites.

But speaking of favorites, the very last story, Why They Watch Us Burn by Elizabeth May, left me stunned and I couldn't stop talking about it and demanding other people read it.

Overall, I know I'll be recommending this book for years to come.

I’ve been motivated by a 2018 reading list I’m trying to follow to pick up more short story collections this year, and it’s been a mixed bag so far. Most recently I read Toil & Trouble, a short story collection about women and witchcraft edited by Jessica Spotswood and Tess Sharpe. There are 15 stories in this collection, including plenty by authors I hadn’t read from before, and unfortunately there were quite a few I found not very memorable or original. I also didn’t always connect with the main character, which is always a risk when you have so few pages, even when I enjoyed the writing. That said, there were definitely some strange and unusual elements and stories, which I appreciated, and really only one (Afterbirth) which came across as a more classic witch story, although I still really enjoyed that one a lot more than I expected.

Out of the collection, the most memorable stories for me included The Truth About Queenie by Brandy Colbert, whose essay in Our Voices, Our Stories I also really enjoyed; I’m definitely encouraged to pick up a full length novel by Colbert in the future. I also adored The One Who Stayed by Nova Ren Suma, I actually even liked it more than her novel, A Room Away From the Wolves, which I read recently. I also adored Anna-Marie McLemore’s writing in Love Spell, and I really need to pick up a novel by her ASAP. Lastly, Toil & Trouble ended with Why They Watch Us Burn by Elizabeth May, who I had never heard of but whose writing was just the perfect mix of emotion, magic and real world commentary to create an incredibly moving story. Overall, even though I was disappointed by some of the stories in Toil & Trouble there were a few standouts I adored and it’s worth at the very least picking up the collection to read those.

I downloaded this book on July 3rd, and it took me four months to complete it. I am extremely ashamed since it was an ARC I got from NetGalley but, lamentably, my new college captures all of my time, and I had to complete it little by little.

Anyways, "Toil & Trouble" is an anthology about witches. But not your fairy tale witches, real witches, the kind that were born with the gifts in their blood, or the ones who were exceptional women lamentably born at the wrong time. The tales were as diverse as the authors. And some of them produced a tremendous impression on me. I couldn't understand why the tale was over when all I wanted was for it to keep going.
I love villains; I prefer them over heroes any day, but this collection delivered me something that none has done until now: the usual villains become the heroes. That is most likely my favorite part of the stories, even if some of them weren't to my liking, seeing a word principally used to portray evil being humanized was extraordinary.

STARSONG by Tehlor Kay Mejia 2/5
As I said before, I had this book for a while, and tried every night and thought it was because I had so much going on until I realized that I was having trouble connecting with this story. I felt an instant dislike for it. I don't want to be harsh, but the author didn't achieve adequate representation of Hispanic people. I dislike reading stories where authors think that it's cool to place a Spanish word in every sentence and call that representation.
The drama was extremely confusing and difficult to follow. Additionally, the "romance" was super awkward, in my eyes; it didn't make sense.
This one was a definite no from me.

AFTERBIRTH by Andrea Cremer 3.5/5
This story was a little bit confusing, especially at the beginning. However, it was so much better than the first one. The setting is in a time where the church was hunting witches, and many women were accused of doing it. It narrates the story of a midwife who was assisting a complex birth that lamentably ended with the mother giving birth to twins, one of them was born practically dead and the other with a malformation. Because of this, the midwife and the mother of the child get accused of doing witchcraft, and the trial against them begins.

THE HEART IN HER HANDS by Tess Sharpe 5/5
This tale was my favorite one. This story is about true love and choosing one's destiny and how the family can be of influence when it comes to making decisions. It was loaded of magic and spells. The weird thing is that I cherished it so much and my review is not making it justice. But it was astonishing.

DEATH IN THE SAWTOOTHS by Lindsay Smith 4/5
A wizard's story Harry Potter's style. In this town, the wizards and witches get chosen by spirits to serve them. The leading character serves the Lady of Slumber: death. Everyone fears the power this patron grants because in the past people who possessed it had employed it to do evil. Now, in the present, a mysterious person is using them again to steal souls to control them. However, Mattie comes to the rescue and kicks ass.
I genuinely liked this one; it was brilliantly written, and the author kept it interesting enough to want a whole book with this storyline. In addition, it had an excellent conclusion, perfect for the short story.

THE TRUTH ABOUT QUEENIE by Brandy Colbert 4/5
Queenie comes from a family of witches with the power of healing; nevertheless, she has never exercised her power, and it's not even certain she possesses them. When her crush and best friend come back in town, she wasn't expecting it's for him to be in love with someone else. Fortunately, this worked in her favor (in an unfortunate way) providing her with the chance to discover the power inside herself.
What I liked about this one is that there is not much magical stuff; however, it focuses on embracing one's true self. It also shows the struggles that come when you're different in every way and how it can bring insecurities.

THE MOONAPPLE MENAGERIE by Shveta Thakrar
I didn't read this one. I am sorry. I tried many times, but I couldn't force my self; I couldn't do it. I feel terrible for not reading it because I've read other short stories the author has, and she is excellent. Nevertheless, this one wasn't for me.

THE LEGEND OF STONE MARY by 2.5/5
Properly written, but the plot wasn't very catchy. I remember very little of this one, that is why I am not doing a brief summary. The tale was a bit confusing, especially since the plot seemed unfocused. The romance took away the attention from the more important points.

THE ONE WHO STAYED by Nova Ren Suma 4/5
A coven of witches victims of rape is waiting in the woods for the following victim. The previous one lamentably got frightened and ended up being hit by a car; this time they are hoping for an alternate ending for this new girl.
Haunting, that's how I would describe this one. Incredibly detailed, and mysterious. I liked the message, how these women from various times and different backgrounds and physique share a similar horror that brings them together, establishing a bond of sisterhood.

DIVINE ARE THE STARS by Zoraida Córdova
The matriarch of a family of witches/warlocks is dying, and she calls all her relatives to come and receive their inheritance.
I am not entirely convinced about how I should rate this tale. I liked some parts for example; it has heavy magic, fauna-related, which I found that cute. In a certain way, it's a story about coming full circles. But I don't know, something about it still bothers me. So this one too will have a blank rating.

DAUGHTERS OF BABA YAGA by Brenna Yovanoff 4/5
Two witch girls use their magic to punish the wrongdoings in very different ways. The story starts in a different direction, from there it goes to the main plot, which was way too good for a beginning like that one but I guess the author was setting the mood. The writing was exceptionally lovely, and I feel rather wicked for this, but I love the message of revenge.

THE WELL WITCH by Kate Hart 4/5
Another favorite. I was profoundly disappointed with the ending, but not because it was bad, but because I needed more – I deserve a proper conclusion. The story was super sweet, the way the romance developed was extremely good for a short story; and the sad finale, I can't overcome it. Kate Hart is an author to watch for in the future because the writing was spectacular.

BEWARE OF GIRLS WITH CROOKED MOUTHS by Jessica Spotswood 2/5
In a family where every generation of sisters has to eliminate the others until only one is left standing, the sisters' protagonists in this story are determined to stay alive and together. That is until one of them had a dream where they all are alive but not together.
Ridiculous. I am sorry, I don't want to be offensive, but that's the only word I have to describe this story. With that, I conclude my review. Sorry, I just can't.

LOVE SPELL by Anna-Marie McLemore: 5/5
A bruja girl goes to live with her aunt to a small town to learn the family ability to cure lovesickness. After being rejected when the altar boy tried to give her the communion (because the church repels witches), she decides to resist the love they are feeling.
Screaming because this story was the cutest, and OMG so freaking touchingly. How the church judges her for being different, even though the majority of people in town goes to see her aunt or her whenever their heart was broken, shows the continuous pattern of human hypocrisy. The romance was extraordinary; it made me cry because it has a little of everything, and in the end, it shows that nothing it's more important than love, not even prejudices.

THE GHERIN GIRLS by Emery Lord
I would love to talk about this one, but I skipped so much of it I can barely recall it. This one just wasn't for me, so I am not rating it because, as I said, I can't remember.

WHY THEY WATCH US BURN by Elizabeth May
All things come to those who wait, or so the saying goes, however, in this case, it's accurate. This last story was amazing, not like the others at all. The witches in this tale are the women who were ahead of their time, or were too pretty, or merely those who refused to do what someone with power, in this case, a man, wanted. These women were sent to a remote place in the mountains to pray the devil out of them. They were work exploited, snatched from their names, and abused in every possible way. Some of them weren't capable of surviving too long in that place, and others were the rebels hard to control and got sent to burn. The women of this story helped each other to survive, and in the end, their bond revealed their real power. I don't want to tell much of this tale because of all my five stars in this anthology, this it's the most formidable one. I believe everyone should get a chance to explore it and enjoy and feel every moment like I did.

Once again I want to thank NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this fantastic book, which took me an eternity to read, and for that I am extremely ashamed, college can get in the way sometimes.
I do recommend the anthology. Some stories weren't just meant for me; many other people enjoyed them, but everyone is entitled to have an opinion. So if you want to read about real witches in various phases, with diversity, this my friends, is the book.

3/5 stars
I wanted to like this book. I really, really wanted to like this book, but all I have are a bunch of mixed feelings. This book is a collection of 15 short stories about witches by multiple different authors. Each story is takes place in a different part of witches' history; ranging from the European Witch Trials to Modern day witches, and each story is a unique take and look in on witch culture. That being said, some of the stories I really loved and some I just could not get into. For the stories I liked, I was like just as I was getting in to the tale, it would begin to wrap up (you know short story and all), but with the stories I didn’t enjoy, they sort of just dragged. It was the mixture like and dislike, added to briefness of the tales that made it hard for me to enjoy. I would say if you’re more tolerable to collections of short stories, definitely give Toil & Trouble a try.

I honestly dont think there was a story in this book that I didnt like. I really love the anthologies that keep coming out where you get so many different and amazing short stories in one book. This one had so many strong stories about women and I absolutely loved it.

Excellent anthology of feminist stories featuring diverse characters.

Starsong by Tehlor Kay Mejia 3 stars - interesting take on astrology and magic as a drug, MC was a little to “selfie addicted” for my tastes

Afterbirth by Andrea Cremer 4.5 Stars I love reading about the Salem witch trials and this take on witchcraft in the colonies was quite enjoyable. Characterization and setting were superb.

The Heart in Her Hands by Tess Sharpe 4 Stars -lovely tale about being true to yourself and refusing to let “fate” dictate your life.

Death in the Sawtooths by Lindsay Smith 4 stars -intriguing and inventive

The Truth About Queenie by Brandy Colbert 4.5 stars ahh unrequited love 😢 Colbert excels at creating realistic characters and moving storylines.

The Moonapple Menagerie by Shveta Thakrar 3 Stars

The Legend of Stone Mary by Robin Talley 4 Stars

The One Who Stayed by Nova Ren Suma 4 Stars -weird and disturbing but powerful take on sexual assault

Divine are the Stars by Zoraida Cordova 3 stars

Daughters of Baba Yaga by Brenna Yovanoff 4 Stars

The Well Witch by Kate Hart 4.5 stars uggh I simultaneously love and hate this story!! Set in the American Wild West and features a tragic but hopeful love story.

Beware of Girls with Crooked Mouths by Jessica Spotswood 4 Stars - captivating and twisty tale of sisterhood, magic, and madness

Love Spell by Anna-Marie McLemore 4 Stars

The Gherin Girls by Emery Lord 4.5 Stars - strong sisterhood and a powerful look at an abusive relationship

Why They Watch Us Burn by Elizabeth May 4.5 stars -#MeToo inspired call to arms

I usually don't choose books that are more like an anthology but the subject of these stories grabbed my attention. I love sci-fi, supernatural type stories. I actually enjoyed almost all of the individual stories. Each one was different and interesting. My favorite was the young witch who used her gift to literally read the stars. I loved the description of her powers and the feeling of using them and I thought it was great that she met a girl online who mad her believe true love was real. All the stories were not happy and love filled, some were on the darker side but equally as enthralling. I would give this 3 out of 5 stars just because it was not necessarily my cup of tea.