Brilliant tale of a constructed alternate world set in 1894 of a conclave of barren and lesbian women driven out of a patriarchal society as witches. A flu pandemic has robbed the world of medical knowledge and fear mongering conspiracy theories have taken over. An entirely new Hole in the Wall gang arises, having nothing to do with Butch Cassidy or the Sundance Kid. Enjoyable and riveting from start to finish.

I feel like the best way to describe Outlawed by Anna North is Handmaid’s Tale meets the Wild West!! You’ve got your obsession with fertility, you’ve got what might be best described as a gender non-conforming outlaw gang, you’ve got horseback riding, you’ve got shootouts and looting, this book has it all.

I was rooting for all the characters throughout, and was heartbroken with each new discovery about every person and their past. We get a little backstory on everyone, but don’t go extremely in-depth with anyone which was slightly disappointing because I selfishly wanted to know SO much about each person!!

The narration of the book lends itself to a sort of “oral history” feel, especially at the end and when Ada recounts any high-pressure situation. Because of this, I really think Outlawed would be good on audio as well!!

I really, really enjoyed this book. If you’re looking for a primarily plot-based Western with a modern feel, Outlawed would be the way to go!!! Plus the cover is easily the coolest illustration I’ve ever seen. I received an e-ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review 🤠

TW/CW: infertility, genital mutilation, mental illness, gun violence, medical procedures, homophobia, death of a child and friend, miscarriage, eugenics, racism

I want thank Netgalley and Bloomsbury for providing a copy of Outlawed by Anna North in exchange for an honest review.

As 17 year old Ada gets married she becomes extremely happy to part of this group. But as her marriage goes further and further into the months she realizes she isn't getting pregnant. Which Barren women are usually at fault. They are accused of witchcraft and usually imprisoned or hung. Adas husbands family finally kicks her out and she runs away with the Kid and the Hole in the Wall Gang when she is accused of witchcraft.

I liked the beginning but towards the middle and the end was a little hard to hold my focus. Liked the idea of the story but wanted more action.

Dystopian societies involving the oppression of women and their bodies are always hard to read about just because it reflects on how far we have to go in reality. But this book balanced that heaviness out with a cast of characters who are fierce and loyal and strong. I loved them all, even when they were grumpy and being jerks.

My only complaint is that the climax and ending of the story were pretty rushed and could have used more fleshing out. However, I was reading an advanced copy so possibly some of that will be ironed out in the final product.

DRC provided by Bloomsbury USA via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Representation: Black queer deuteragonist, queer deuteragonists.

Content Warnings: queerphobia, racism, violence, castration, misogyny, death, suicide attempt, postpartum depression/psychosis.

Outlawed by Anna North is a western-themed novel starring a gang of outcast infertile women.

Ada’s life changes after a year into her marriage. She loves her husband but she cannot get pregnant. Ada has worked with her mother, an expert midwife, since she was a child, but nothing they think of can help her with the problem. Her infertility and some subsequent gestational problems in the village women makes the ignorant villagers think she is witch. She escapes the certainty of the gallows with her mother’s help initially sheltering in a nunnery and then joining the infamous Hole in the Wall Gang thanks to her medical skills.

The book disappointed me in some ways. I was really excited when I read the synopsis because there is a really small number of western-themed books out there featuring mainly women, if any; and for the prospective of queer outlaws. I was entertained in the beginning. Ada is a great character and I was so curious about what would happen once she reached the Hole in the Wall Gang and that part of the story started. My interest began to gradually wane though. I expected to feel the thrill of what I imagined an outlaw life to be, but alas I did not. When I reached the ending I was left completely dissatisfied and even though Ada’s and the rest of gang’s stories are supposed to continue, I think, I am not sure I would be interested in keeping on reading about it.

News and The Kid are the characters that captivated me the most. The Kid is an interesting character whom I coded as non-binary because when Ada asks if The Kid is a woman or a man, the interlocutor replies saying The Kid is neither man nor woman, but just The Kid, which led me to think The Kid sees themselves outside of the gender binary. News is a Black queer individual who had to escape her home both because of her infertility and her Blackness. The story does not go into specifics about her gender, but during my reading experience I felt like News may also identify as a man.

Despite me not appreciating entirely the novel, it was a fast read with interesting characters and a cool concept.

I enjoyed this book.

Ada is young and apprenticing with her midwife mother in a world which, devastated by flu, fears infertility above all else. Any infertility or infant loss is blamed on witchcraft, which is usually a scapegoated infertile female.

As Ada is cast out of her community, she falls in with a gang of similar outcasts who have been cast out too. They form an outlaw gang and use this status to try to form a better world for others like them.

Even if you think you don't like Westerns (personally, I think they can be great), this is a great alternative history with queer representation. Gender is examined in ways that I've not seen before in this book, which is always a good thing.

This was a nicely paced read about a heavy topic in an alternate past. The issues of women’s roles and rights was at the forefront of the story. If you liked the feminist message of Leni Zumas’s Red Clocks or the reimagining of Jane Eyre in Lindsay Faye’s Jane Steele, you might also like this book. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsburg Publishing for allowing me to read and review this book. Publishes January 5, 2021

A twist on the Hole-in-the-Wall gang. This one is all women outlaws. Some undercover disguised as men, while some, dressed roughly, maintain a female composure. Most have found this calling due to being unable to bare a child. Some are forced to this situation, since barren women are considered witches and are hung, others went looking for a place to feel wanted.

In a different Wild West, circa 1890, these women robbed and stole to maintain their lifestyle, with the dream of one day taking over a town where other misfits would always be welcome.

An exciting Western with a feminist twist, in which women are ostracized or worse for barrenness, and where a group of outcasts band together to fight for survival on their own terms. Great concept, intriguing characters, and plenty of action!

Wow, I honestly didn't know what to expect when I first saw the description of this book, but both the cover and the premise seemed intriguing that I decided to give it a try. I would say it's a story that doesn't really fit into any particular category. It's a western set in an alternate history after a flu has wiped out the fertility of a large part of the world, and yes, it is very inclusive of lgtbq issues but is not just that. It covers fertility issues, the patriarchy, friendship, mental illness, racism, science vs superstition, religion (as distinct from faith), and probably a few other things I can't remember. And yet, I never felt overwhelmed or scattered. The story just sort of unfolded for me and I wanted to know what would happen with the main character. Being a western, there were plenty of deaths, but one in particular really gutted me (no spoilers). In the end, I was surprised by how much I loved this book. I'm so glad this book caught my eye!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

A wild ride of a read.blending past&present.Strong women gangs a book that is unique unputdownable will be recommending.#netgalley #bloomsbury

Oh what a story! I so want to put it forward to my bookclub, but I fear I couldn’t ‘sell’ it to them. It is not a traditional old west/outlaw story but shows a world that women had to survive in. Thanks to NetGalley and publisher for the ARC.

This story was definitely not what I was expecting. But the unexpectedness was refreshingly good and very interesting.

The story took place in 1894. This was a time when superstitions were held as truth and innocent lives were taken because of it.This was also a time when young girls who reached a certain age were expected to marry and quickly have babies. Any females that couldn’t get pregnant were looked at with suspicion and scrutinized. Any deviation that occurred during this time such as stillbirths or the German measles were thought to be the work of those barren females and held them accountable. Some were lucky to escape, others were put to death.

After being married for a year, Ada didn’t get pregnant. Her husband’s family threw her out and rumors of witchcraft quickly circulated. With her mother’s help, Ada was one of the lucky ones to escape, but she still had the sheriff searching for her. She, like others who were also barren, took refuge in a convent. Since Ada was taught midwifery by her mother, she was eager to educate herself about the causes of barrenness and dispel any of its relationship to witchcraft or other superstitious beliefs. In order to do that, and with the help of the Mother Superior, Ada left the safety of the convent. She took refuge with the Kid and the Hole in the Wall Gang. They did was they had to do in order to survive.This was where the story’s twist became apparent and a strong feminist presence took over.

I liked that the characters were very diverse including several LGBT. They each had a different and interesting reason for taking refuge with the Kid who gave them a purpose to live. It was a fast paced story and at times intense as the women tried to escape the sheriff whose sole interest was to capture and hang them.

This was a well written captivating story that dealt with a variety of topics including a misogynistic society, LGBT hatred, religious beliefs, racism, incest, women’s rights including abortion, and superstitions. If you are looking for a different type of Wild West adventure, this is the book to read.

An ARC was given for an honest review.

Well, this was delightful.

I’ve heard it described as feminist lit and queer lit, and it is, but it’s also just an adventure! One that despite touching on so many social issues, is a story that’s pure fun.

It did take me a moment to understand our world. It’s sort of an alt-history western and it has all those wonderful elements against a backdrop of witchcraft and horrors against women, queer folks, and people of color. The style is down to earth and the adventure itself is riveting.

There’s only one thing I think I would have changed. I say I *think* because I can see why the author took this route, but a big part of me wishes they would have left it alone. I’m talking about the reveal moment for a non-binary character. I’ll leave it at that without going into detail – I just wish the author had pulled back on that part of the story, leaving the character as we knew them. While it added to the character’s backstory, I felt a bit like that character would have liked their backstory untold. Silly, right? That I felt it a little disrespectful to the character? But I guess that shows just how much I was feeling the author’s story and characters!

Honestly, I enjoyed this so much and would very happily read more from the author!

*ARC Provided via Net Galley

When I embarked on reading this book, I was not sold. It’s billed as an alternative history Western with LGBTQIA themes. But wow...it won me over completely. This is a book that I would NOT have picked up a year ago. Today though I’m working at stretching myself and reading outside of my comfortable wheelhouse. I loved following Ada’s adventures with the Hole in the Wall gang. Read this if any of the following interest you:
Westerns
Dystopian
Non- binary main characters
Alternate history
Badass feminism
Bonnie and Clyde
The Handmaid’s Tale
The Crucible
Seriously I don’t know how this all works in one book, but it does for me!

Outlawed is not a book I would normally read but I really enjoyed this book. It's set in the old west during the time of outlaws but it's also after an epidemic wipes out a large percent of the population of America. The outlaws are barren women who have banded together to survive.
The premise is interesting and having Cassidy and Doc as barren women rather than the men we know as part of Western folklore was a fun twist. The ending was rather abrupt, perhaps for a sequel but overall it was a fun, quick read.
Thanks to NetGalley for my copy of the book.

I'm assuming the details are accurate for the time (the persons are fictionalized). This goes back to a time when women were ostracized for being barren.. Many were simply killed but some ran away as Ada, the main character, does in this book. Such a pity for Ada because her mom is a midwife and she's learning some crucial facts about the biological process for having children. Nonetheless, she escapes to a nunnery but it's a bit oppressive so she heads for the Hole In The Wall gang and lives a number of years with them. These are barren women like Ada and they have banded together to make a life. But Ada's struggle to rob and kill conflict with her conscious. You'll see this played out in several experiences, in particular, the last one. Her goal for her life is never achieved - or is it?

I adored this book. Outlawed is alternate history/historical fiction queer western set in 1894. Our heroine Ada is shunned and run out of town when she doesn't get pregnant in her first year of marriage. She joins the Hole in the Wall gang, who are just perfect and my new favorite gang of all time. Outlawed is fun and fast-paced, but also extremely thoughtful and nuanced. Really excellent, definitely recommend.

This novel is a lot of things. Intriguing at first, including a setting filled a community in the 1800s so focused on conception that a woman would be expelled as a witch if unable to give birth to a healthy baby. The main character is the daughter of a midwife who flees her fate of being cast out. She joins a group of people who are outlaws in a gang on the run.

The book had touched of non-binary realness which I thought was a fascinating character arc. The plot added so many elements that made the focus lose sight and, for me, lose some interest.

The subject of conception and what that means to a person and to a community was thought-provoking and I look forward to discussing it with my fellow book-reading pals when they have the opportunity to read this interesting novel.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Outlawed by Anna North was such a unique read! I mean, y'all, it's a feminist spin on a western! Admittedly, I don't read a lot of westerns, AND I really dug this one! The Hole in the Wall Gang is a group of women who have been fled and/or been shunned by their communities. For some of these women, it's because they can't bear children which is an expectation of them as wives and/or allegations of witchcraft. The story focuses on Ada who finds her way to this gang led by The Kid, and the story is then told from her point of view. With her story, Ada explores the dynamics of the gang and the stories she's able to learn about some of its members. It's sad to hear how they've had to leave their homes, and it's also about how they were able to find a community. With this gang, there is a risky plan that develops to gain some power, and it creates some divisions. Again, this was such a different way to experience the west, and it also had the added dynamics of identity and relationships to add more layer and depth to the story being told. Thanks to NetGalley for the early look at this January 2021 release!