Im giving this 3 stars because I agree with the author’s viewpoints and I like the author. But this writing style was kind of all all over the place to me. I liked the social commentary, but I felt like she circled around different (irrelevant) anecdotes before getting to the point of the essay.

This is a new release by an American columnist who focuses on feminism, social justice, humor, and body image. She created the TV show Shrill, (on Hulu) and is the originator of the #Shout Your Abortion Campaign. The book is a series of 'cultural critiques' (or what feels like rants) on such subjects as abortion, Adam Sandler and South Park and includes lots of references to Trump. The title is a reference to Trump's frequent use of the term 'witch hunt'. This is a thought provoking book and a good recommendation for fans of books on gender.

Lindy West is here to push at your assumptions and challenge your comfort with the way things are. Her first essay starts the book out perfectly- taking down the use of "witch hunt" by wealthy, powerful men who are finally being asked to take responsibility for their actions. I think this book will challenge everyone to really look inside themselves- even as someone who has identified as a liberal feminist for as long as I can remember, there were plenty of moments for introspection. An excellent collection, and just in time for Nonfiction November!

“If there is magic in Trump’s ability to conjure reality out of hot air and spittle, there is an equally powerful magic in the opposite: in speaking the truth, unvarnished, about what we see, what we remember, what has been done to us by people who have assumed power and status as a birthright, rules written just for them. People who are nervous or just trying to wait this moment out until everything settles down. There is power in saying no, we will not settle down. We will not go back. It’s the lifting of a veil, the opposite of a glamour.

So fine, if you insist. This is a witch hunt. We’re witches and we’re hunting you.”

This is from the first essay in The Witches Are Coming and I thought it was a great start to the book. I also loved the ending. However for me the middle was softer and not the rallying cry I was hoping for.

I felt like it was a case of preaching to the choir - those who are drawn to this book will agree with most of what is being shared. While there were some interesting new correlations and some great lines - I was hoping for more action or ways we can help those who feel differently see the need for change. I wanted to feel fired up and ready to take on the next election!! Instead, I just felt frequently reminded of our current stark reality which I am very aware of on a day to day basis.

Thank you to Hachette books, Netgalley and Librofm for the advance reading and listening copies in exchange for my honest review.

Tomorrow is Halloween, and I am going to dress up as a witch, and carry a sign saying, “The witches are coming, and Donald Trump, they are coming for you!”

Lindy West points an unwavering finger at the tragedies in our current public and private lives. She is forthright about sharing our failings, but insists on a bare minimum of honesty.

I loved these essays with a desperate terrified passion, and know exactly the people who will be getting a copy for Christmas this year.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I will read anything Lindy West writes. And she's done it again with The Witches Are Coming. You will love this if you loved Shrill!

TL;DR: The Witches Are Coming was a letdown after Shrill.

This was one of my most highly anticipated books of the year. On Shrill, I had said: "Some of these essays are absolute gold." But The Witches Are Coming sadly pales in comparison.

I loved the way West housed her personal experiences in the bigger picture in Shrill. It felt like part memoir, part smart commentary (even though I did note, in my 5-star review, that it was a "somewhat uneven essay collection"). Here, in TWAC, West focuses much more on social commentary and much less on sharing experiences from her own life.

In the very first essay, one of my notes was, "Nothing new if you agree. Nothing new if you disagree." And that kind of sums up how I feel about the whole collection, except for some instances in which I was really frustrated by West not *quite* getting it right (e.g., not acknowledging the role investigative journalism played in Weinstein's fall).

I personally think she's at her best in TWAC when she's talking about gender, making Shrill (the TV show), body image, and the ways women have to conform/the things we have to deal with. It's likely no coincidence that these are things she has direct experience with. The rest, frankly, won't stick with me either by virtue of my not caring (see: Grumpy Cat) or having already felt that way (see: climate change is real).

I had fully expected to love this one, and honestly wish I had. Maybe TWAC will work better for those who aren't as tuned into politics or who are more interested in the pop culture topics featured here.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette for a free e-arc of this title to review.

Lindy West has written a smart, funny dissection of life in the age of Trump and #MeToo, bringing in a few digressions into popular culture that she manages to tie together. Even though I wasn't familiar at all with this author before reading this book, I will definitely seek out her writing in the future.

Lindy West's wit is so delightfully sharp that I had to wear bandages on my fingers while I read this book. I'm a huge fan of SHRILL and this book did not disappoint. Well-paced and each page was absolutely on fire. Loved it.

The Witches Are Coming is a fast paced, highly frightening (climate crisis, anyone?!), but somehow also lough out loud look at American culture and how it has led to where we are today... and today isn't looking so hot. This book got me fired up, that's for sure... but, I am, much like the woman she mentions in the book (a woman who, after listening to a panel about how women can fight sexism, suggests the audience should not be women, but should actually be men because why should women fix a messed up system we didn't build), looking around me thinking, those who NEED to read this book are NEVER going to read this book. Dang it. Everyone should read this book. I loved it and will definitely be rereading and in an effort to get everyone to read it, will be giving it as a gift come holiday season.

The Witches Are Coming is straight-up feminist / liberal candy. She’s not going to change anybody’s minds with this book — she’s definitely going to be preaching to the choir — but members of that choir are going to eat. it. up. (As did I.)

The book is made up of essays that offer commentary on today’s political and social climates. There’s an entire chapter called, “Is Adam Sandler Funny?” (Spoiler alert: No.)

I honestly think that if you’re going to read this book, you should go for the audiobook. I didn’t listen to it myself (because I received an advanced e-copy of the print edition), but you can just tell. Lindy is hilarious (of course), and her delivery of these passionate essays is sure to be spot-on. I did actually listen to her first book, Shrill, and loved her delivery in that one.

So, long story short: If you like the idea of a liberal feminist comedian writing a liberal, feminist, funny book, then this one is absolutely for you.

I don't really understand how a book can make me so angry and at the same time, make me laugh. That's a special Lindy West talent. A little levity helps us swallow the harsh realities thrown at us in this book.

I think this book will have a strong following, it just wasn't for me. I found a lot of the arguments to be very commonly agreed upon in most feminist academia or writings these days, so people in the loop on those conversations won't find much new ground here. West is rather far to the left in her personal leanings, which is completely fine, but that means it wouldn't likely reach an audience that hadn't come across these ideas yet either. Basically, it felt like a well written book that's preaching to the choir without moving the conversation forward. There was also a fair amount devoted to Twitter, which is likely interesting to heavy users of the platform, but I am not very interested in that culture personally.

WHEW. So good. I can’t tell you how many pages I posted to IG Stories with excerpts circled in red, covered in pointing arrows gifs. If you’re already familiar with Lindy West’s writing, this will be your new favorite. If you’re new to Lindy, get your life and get this book. I love Rebecca Traister, but sometimes I need to laugh through the pain, and Lindy has both the writing and comedy chops to make reading about the current political climate bearable. Also, there’s a chapter on men’s love for Adam Sandler movies, and honestly, you should read it for that chapter alone. (less)

4-4.5 stars: It hadn't really occurred to me before reading this book, but Lindy West is a critic uniquely suited to reflecting on our current cultural and political moment. Long before the madness of the 2016 election cycle, she built a career on dealing with and reflecting on internet trolls, and in this collection, she does a wonderful job connecting that cycle of bad-faith arguments and impotent rage to pop culture and politics as we currently see them. This book was full of beautifully distilled lines that captured a feeling or idea that I so often have grasped for in trying to make sense of the world around me-- and this book made me feel less alone and less crazy in that pursuit.
I will say this reads a little too much like a blog or online op-ed for my personal taste in essays of this kind, so that is what keeps it from being a full home run, but overall, if you're into the overall project of Lindy West and/or progressive cultural criticism, I think you'll like this.

I would not pick this up for a good time read, but I would highly recommend it to everyone. West picks up every angry thought we have had for the last few years and channels them into some very powerful essays.

This book feels incredibly timely. It could've been literally written last week, what with Lindy West mentioning the limitations of kindness as a political device and Greta Thunberg. (Is she a literal witch or has she just been paying better attention than the rest of us? Is it both? They're probably not mutually exclusive.)

I laughed out loud multiple times and I also sighed more than once. I highlighted parts of my egalley and shared them on my Facebook* and shared some via text to some of my favorite people. 

This is the book we need right now. Yes, parts made me angry, but most of it gave me hope. I feel like we're all dealing with right-wing gaslighting and it's good to have someone saying, "No, this is all really happening. No, you're right." 

Also? It's so funny. Like, ridiculously funny. Like, laugh so hard on your commute that the stranger next to you will get up and move away funny. So it's a win-win!

* = Yes, I have a Facebook page still. Mark Zuckerberg is awful and the site is awful but it's where I see my friends and pictures of their kids and grandkids. It's where I see pictures of my friends' dogs and cats and where I learn how to be a better person, thanks to a lot of my intersectional groups and my smarter-than-me friends.

A thrilling roller coaster of an essay collection, Lindy West's newest THE WITCHES ARE COMING is a must-read. It's certainly not an easy read though, as your blood pressure will probably rise and you will want to take to the streets. West nails truths about feminism, the Trump administration, the crazy times we're living in, and coming to terms with pop culture we know and love. There is a lot packed in, but once you strap in, it will be hard to put it down.

My only question is - who is this collection for? As a person who agrees with pretty much everything West says, I spent the book nodding my head, but my opinions about everything stayed the same at the end of the book. For those who are on the same page with West about most things, this could be a bit of an echo chamber. I don't think anyone who disagrees with West will pick this book up, unfortunately, though I wish they would. West does leave us with hope though, which despite all the shit we wade through with her during the essays, is appreciated and needed.

Lindy West is mad. As she explains in the book, it took her a while to get here; getting mad about the state of politics and inequality has been sold to us as something only humorless, uncool people do. But Lindy West is funny, cool, and mad as hell. In this essay collection, she looks at some of the most toxic yet unsuspecting parts of our culture - Adam Sandler movies, Twitter, internet famous cats, etc. - and unpacks how they explain our current political situation. Many of the essays start with an endearing, funny story that becomes a cultural takedown that will leave you angry, too. West's unique perspectives on racism, sexism, climate change, and more are so necessary, and this collection is a call to action that can't be ignored.

Not at all what I expected but I found that I loved it! What a great writer. Funny and insightful, and just plain awesome. Not only are we witches coming, we've arrived ;)