This was a fun ya fantasy/ horror! The Goblin Market was so interesting and I loved every gruesome second of it.

Lou was a fantastic character! She was brave, smart, and the ultimate hero of this story. I loved how she knew so little about her family and her destiny but no questions asked did what it took to help.

I do wish there was more info on the Witches. That was glossed over a bit but the Goblin Market setting made up for it. All the intricacies of it and the deep, dark, creepiness had me wanting more.

Overall, a fun and interesting story of Witches, goblins, curses, and family who will do anything!

This is a YA fantasy continuation of the brilliant "Goblin Market" by Christina Rosetti featuring the sisters from that book, Laura and May, and what happened to them after their interaction with the Goblin men.

The events of this story take place in Boston, where the sisters moved from England 18 years after the original, and the main focus in the story are Louisa (May's seventeen year old niece) and Louisa's Aunt Neela (Laura & May's half sister, only a year older than Louisa). Louisa and Neela are incredibly close, so when Neela's life is endangered by those tricky Goblin Men, Louisa is determined to get her back.

This is very fantasy, very gory (which was surprising!) but I did enjoy it. Goblin Market is one of my favourite ever stories, and I think the author did a nice job here staying true to the characters of Laura and May. Louisa was a really good character, it's nice to see some ace representation in a YA book instead of it automatically being about romance.

The one thing I didn't love was that the "young May" chapters felt like they were set much, much longer ago. I wish they'd been set a generation or two before, and that Louisa had been their Grandniece instead of niece. But that's nitpicking - it's a solid gory YA fantasy that stayed true to the themes of the original story - female sexuality, temptation, female desire, sisterhood, and love.

I’m not one to go for retellings usually, because I feel the need to check out the source material first. I’ve never read Rosetti’s Goblin Market poem, and while I’m sure it adds to the enjoyment of the novel, it absolutely is not necessary.

I love a horror novel that features fantasy and magic elements, and this was a perfect mix of that. It’s spooky and gruesome, and if you’re looking for a fun sapphic YA horror I’d give this one a try.

Thank you to @netgalley and @pagestreetkids for an ARC of this book.

I loved this dark retelling of the Goblin Market! The two timelines were easy to keep track of and I loved the LGBTQIA+ rep, especially the ace main character!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of the book.

May left the Witchery as the sun sank lower and lower and dyed the sky red. She slipped into the twilight, into the hour that was not good for maidens, as the stars blinked and cluttered the night sky.
This was a trip, goblin market, LGBT star crossed lovers? Yeah that's a great base for a story.

~3 stars~

Not Good for Maidens is a sapphic YA retelling of Goblin Market by Christina Rossetti...if that doesn't draw you in, I don't know what else will. It certainly worked for me! That being said, there were some things that really worked in this novel and some that didn't.

The good: the sense of place and general attention to detail in Not Good for Maidens is impeccable. Bovalino managed to capture the too-sweet nature of the goblin market in stunning and sometimes horrifying detail. Truly not for the faint of heart. That being said, I think that one drawback of this book was the young adult rating. The thing that makes the goblin market so tantalizing and so pervasive is the sexuality behind it, that blurred line between pain and pleasure. While the author does a great job maintaining the story for young adult readers, I couldn't help but wonder if the nature of the original work does lend itself more towards adult readers.

Also good: so impressed by the LGBTQ+ representation in this book and the openness with which the book talked about queer identities. The main character is asexual, and the book also features pansexual and bisexual supporting characters.

The less good: I really struggled with the dual perspective. I think this was because for the first half of the book, the past narrative was more interesting and in the second half, the present narrative was more compelling. It was lacking in consistent pacing, and thus I found myself much more interested in one half of the story at different points. The dual perspective also inhibited how frequently the main character Lou interacted with her family, making for some really strange family dynamics at times (this was also affected by the fact that I was never really clear on a family tree).

All this being said, Not Good for Maidens was a fun, fast-paced read. I would recommend it to enjoyers of YA horror, because this is spooky!

And of course, thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free eARC of Not Good for Maidens. All opinions are my own.

Refreshing! The plot twists and turns just like the Market itself! I love the past/present format and the intertwining of people and places. The characters are relatable. You want to know more, to cheer them on. Can’t wait to add this to my Media Center and see what my students think!

4.5 stars
WHY HELLO, NEW FAERIE WORLD LOVE OF MINE!!

Being Irish and knowing and growing up with influences about the fae and faeries in my culture and old wise tales, I have always loved the other world. Holly Black is my fave for mixing her stories with that world, but damn, this book can join that list! I loved the wary beauty and horrifying fear that comes with the goblin market in this book.

The duel pov between present and past as two sets of generations are pulled back into the goblin market. We see how one generation discovers the secrets and how close the ties between her family and that market truly is. The goblin Market is alluring and dark, and we see the glamour and the truth!

This was a good book which is a retelling of the Goblin Market and follows a girl who must save her aunt by navigating the scary streets of the goblin market. I have to say that this story is unique to me as I have never heard about or read the Goblin Market. I enjoyed the whole concept of the story and thought that the author did an amazing job with this book. I have read Bovalino's past book and loved how their writing style was similar in this book with all the horror elements and darkness. The setting was well written with the goblin market being well described and I enjoyed the fast pacing. I do have to say that the dual timeline and dual povs threw me off at times as one would have been better then both.

This book follows both May and Lou. May is from the past who has a relationship with a goblin woman and Lou is the future. I have to say that I enjoyed May's story more just because Lou was kind of annoying and whiny at times. I guess I'm used to adult books that I prefer adult MCs more now as YA MCs whine often lol. They both do have character developments in the book but they just didn't click for me. There are many side characters in this book some that were well written and some not but a lot were featured. This book also follows family dynamics which I enjoyed and had a small bit of romance. There was also many LGBTQ+ rep with May being bi and Lou being asexual.

The ending was well done but I was also kind of done with the book. As good as the story was, I felt some elements of the story was missing until the end. I prefer Bovalino's debut novel as that book was perfect and even illumicrate curated that beauty. But I feel that if you enjoy the Goblin Market story then you will for sure enjoy this one.

This was a great take on the Goblin Market setting. I enjoyed the bi snd representation. I appreciated Luo's struggle to find herself identity along with the description of the market.

Lou has always known her mother and aunt are unusual. They put salt on the windowsills and iron over doorways and never talk about their childhood. Lou accepts this silence as part of them, choosing ignorance over having her questions rejected. But when Lou receives a voicemail from her teenage aunt and best friend, Neela, begging for help, Lou can’t afford to remain in the dark.
Having travelled to York, Lou finds herself plunged into the world of magic – a world which includes the terrifying goblin market her mother hoped to protect her from. She only has three days to save Neela before the market moves on, or she will never see her friend again. Lou must stick to the rules and not be seduced by the market’s glamour, or it will claim her too.
Not Good for Maidens is a modern retelling of Christina Rossetti’s Goblin Market about a young woman enthralled by the sumptuous sights and smells of the magical market. In the poem, the woman starts dying when denied the market’s fruits, so her sister risks her own life to save her. This is a story about the dangers of being tricked by unscrupulous men.
In Not Good for Maidens, the bond of sisterhood is the main theme that continues over two timelines: Lou and Neela’s in the present, and Laura and May’s (Lou’s mother and aunt) in the past. In Laura and May’s timeline, we learn that they are descended from a long line of witches tasked with keeping York’s residents safe from the annual goblin market. But May chafes at the expectation laid on her. Just because her female relatives are all witches doesn’t mean she must be one too, so she ventures into the market with disastrous consequences. Those consequences are felt in Lou and Neela’s timeline some twenty years later where, in an attempt to keep Lou safe, Laura and May haven’t told her about her witch heritage or the market. The two storylines complement each other. What we learn about May’s past relates to Lou’s journey into the market, neatly tying to two together.
The main relationship is a romantic star-crossed sapphic relationship between May and a female goblin who is also restricted by expectations. Why must she behave a certain way because she is a goblin? The focus is on their differences as a witch and a goblin rather than their sexuality which I enjoyed. After all, this is a story about women supporting each other. Sexual preference is inconsequential compared to the lengths the characters will go for each other.
Not Good for Maidens takes us from Boston to York and underground to a world of magic and glamour. Bovalino guides us from location to location with luscious descriptions that bring the book to life. We walk the cobbled streets of York with Lou with its little nooks and crannies and dark places where goblins hide. We can feel the heat and steam of the market and see the glamoured fruits, more vibrant than they should be. We can hear the goblin vendors plying their trade and the screams of outrage when things go wrong. World-building is definitely one of Bovalino’s strengths; I found the same was true in her debut novel, The Devil Makes Three.
This is Bovalino’s second book, and it cements her position as a bold, refreshing new voice in fantasy and an author I will look out for.

I haven’t had the opportunity to read The Devil Makes Three, Bovalino’s previous work, but I have only ever seen high praises for it all over the internet. When I got the email for this tour, I decided it would be a crime if I let Bovalino’s next book get lost in the pit that is otherwise known as my TBR. Not to mention, I saw the word ‘horror’ and was instantly sold.

I have never read or heard of “The Goblin Market” and didn’t know what to fully expect. But after reading, I am definitely doing a deep dive into the main inspiration and other retellings (if there are any). I LOVED the market. Like can’t get enough, gimme another book, need to know more, want to go there even though I would probably die type of love. You’ll see this a lot in reviews for Not Good For Maidens, but the atmosphere built up in the story is perfection. You can picture the market booths, you can feel the goblin’s thorns, you can smell the rosemary and thyme used for escape, and you can easily imagine how forbidden yet beautiful it would all appear. I felt like I was right next to May and Lou, getting pulled deeper and deeper into the market’s grasp.

The story is told from dual perspectives and timelines. You start off following Lou, a teenage girl that lives with her mom and aunt in the States. She doesn’t feel like she belongs anywhere, especially not with her family. Grappling with generational family secrets being kept from her, she is thrust into a completely different world with witches and goblins. The other perspective follows May, Lou’s aunt, eighteen years in the past when she entered the market on the cusp of becoming a witch. May’s past slowly unravels revealing her traumas while simultaneously adding to the worldbuilding and lore in perfect doses. Both perspectives worked so well together, and I found myself unable to put the book down after a chapter because the timeline hopping left me wanting more and more.

While Lou’s character and overall story were solid and fully fleshed out, I found myself wishing for more May chapters. Honestly, Eitra and May stole the show for me and I could read an entire book about them any day. The forbidden love that develops between them paired with fear, guilt, and tragedy made for a beautiful story and it battled for my attention from the main storyline. There was a moment when the pacing felt a little off and certain parts of the story felt rushed. Most of this was felt in Lou’s perspective, the main storyline, when she decides to enter the market herself. I almost wish the book had been a bit longer, if only to give Lou some more time to shine.

I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of gore and body horror found throughout the story. Even though Not Good for Maidens is young adult, it is not a light and fluffy read. If descriptive horror isn’t your thing, then this might not be the read for you. The body horror was key in creating a setting that was easy to picture and even easier to fear. There are some reviews that make the book sound much more horrifying than it really is (IMO), but that could be because I read adult horror frequently. Just keep in mind this book is about goblins that trick humans into their market to eventually eat their flesh or keep them around for sport.

The book has a stand-alone type ending, but it also gave me the impression that another story could develop in the future. I truly hope this is the case, as I am officially obsessed with the Goblin Market lore and will devour any and all content relating to it in the future. Bovalino is 100% an auto-buy author for me now, and I can’t wait to read her other work.

I highly recommend this book for fans of: descriptive horror, body horror, retellings, fantasy, sapphic romance, forbidden love, star-crossed lovers, dual perspectives, and atmospheric reads.

I really loved Bovalino’s debut, but this one really missed the mark for me. The plot was insanely slow and it was really hard for me to become attached to any of the characters, so I didn’t care for their motives or struggles. I didn’t understand the appeal or mystery of the market, and I just felt detached from the plot the entire time. I’ll probably continue to follow her books and hopefully the next is better!

I knew going into this that there would be body horror. I read the content warnings!

There was a lot of body horror.

Normally, that’s really not my thing. But Not Good For Maidens was remarkably compelling, even with all of its grotesque descriptions. More than that, the violence and horror fit perfectly with the story being told.

Not Good For Maidens follows two threads: That of Lou, going into the goblin market in modern day to save her aunt, and May, Lou’s older aunt who was taken into the goblin market herself. May’s point of view is significantly stronger than Lou’s, with a strong arc throughout the book and rewarding payoff at the end. While Lou’s voice was somewhat weaker, it still made for an entertaining read.

Overall,Not Good For Maidens distinguishes itself with its strong character voice (for at least one view), immaculately detailed imagery, and refusal to shy away from the consequences of magic. ⅘ stars

I really enjoyed a lot of things about this book. The premise was intriguing and I liked the worlds-within-worlds setting. I felt like the characters could have been a little more developed, and the climax was a little bit disappointing. But overall and enjoyable read.

15 Reactions While Reading

Chapter 1- Ooh I didn't know this was a dual timeline story. This is the perfect first chapter.

We've already been introduced to this mysterious and seemingly dangerous market, goblets. It's getting real creepy already.


Chapter 2 - See! This is what I was talking about. Bovalino's writing reminds me a lot of VE Schwab, because of that slightly dark and ominous undertone they so effortlessly carry. The only difference is, that Schwab's plot takes a while to pick up, while Bovalino just runs with it the moment the ball drops.


This is a perfect example of a good first chapter. With only ... pages in, she has already established strong character relationships, a bit of the backstory, and internal conflict.


NEXT MOST IMPORTANT THING, is, that this book is already setting up the themes it want to talk about throughout the story so well.

Lou and Neela, her teenage aunt, have some a heart touching and important conversation in this scene. I don't consider this much of a spoiler but Lou comes out as asexual in this chapter. (Coincidentally I just read two books, both for book tours, with ace main characters, and i think that's so cool- check out Benji in Hell Followed With Us)

And we're already told in the beginning of the story that May is bisexual. In terms of representation, five out of five for this book.

(Also I think Neela is part Asian? I'm not sure yet)
Chapter 4- Can we also just take a minute to appreciate the amazing sibling relationships created here? Because it's amazing!?

The way May and Laura have this really strong friendship thats just more than being sisters. They're best friends. They have been there for each other every step of each other's life. There is the older sister protective instinct, and almost a psychic connection where they know with just subtle hints what the other's feeling.

I'm not sure if that's common with all sisters, 'cause I've only had mine for 14 years and we've spent 80% of that time fighting and bickering. I'd love to know your thoughts on this.


Chapter 8- I love how the past timeline is done in the story. Every time some sort of important information is revealed in those chapters that correlates with the coming events, or something that has already happened and it's like a puzzle piece clicking into place in your brain.
Chapter 33- Oh, the choice that will torment human till the end of time time!- right or left?

Okay, we're sooo close to getting out this mess. Pleaaase let them make our of this safely. And then finally maybe we can have some happy scenes?


This is ratcheting up my anxiety, oh my god.


"Morning and evening

Maidens hear the goblins cry

Come buy our orchard fruits,

Come buy, Come buy

We must not look at goblin men

We must not buy their fruits."

A modern take on the Goblin Market fairytale. Queer rep galore. Themes of belonging, family, duty, bonds, and bargains. Old English villages. Witches. Creepy-as-heck body horror. You’ll find it all in Not Good for Maidens, a dark YA fantasy full of bargains gone wrong, temptations too strong, and yearning to belong, unfolding over two timelines and two continents.

This book is sinister, dark, and creepy in a way that I find delightful (though admittedly others may disagree). The visceral imagery, especially the body horror, was rendered in creative, gory glory. I didn’t fully process this until the end, but there are also no major male characters in this story, save for minor appearances by a few, a father, and of course, the ruthless Goblin Prince. I love the female-fronted cast, with women of such a wide range of personalities and worldviews. And I’m not always a fan of dual timelines, but in this story, it worked quite well–both narratives were compelling, so I didn’t get that feeling of annoyance when you’re just waiting for one to be done before you move on to the next, and it helped develop the characters who appeared in both timelines, seeing them before and after the trauma of the Market.

There are some really interesting family dynamics in this book. Not in the “omg everyone is cheating on everyone how scandalous” way, but in an unconventional mixing of generations. Lou’s aunt, Neela, is just a year or two older than Lou herself, so the two are more like cousins. Lou’s mother and other aunt, May, raised Lou together, while Lou’s father is a separate relationship. There are a lot of emotions packed into this space, with close sisterhood, aunts that feel more like sisters, and some blurring of the line between “adult” and “child.”

Now, of course, the question I’m basically contractually obligated to answer: How is the ace rep? (Disclaimer, there is not actually a contract, it’s just me being hyperbolic.) Honestly, I really appreciated it! I thought it was handled well–it wasn’t just dropped in randomly or used for a convenient plot point and promptly forgotten. It wasn’t danced around; they actually used the word “asexual” on-page. And the main character’s asexuality played into a lot of her character development, beyond just being an isolated facet of her existence. One running theme in Lou’s life is the fact that she feels like an outsider, like she exists on the outskirts of things everyone else knows. And while this manifests in large, obvious ways, like her family literally hiding the fact that they are witches linked to an ancient goblin market, it shows up in smaller ways, too–including the “outsider” feeling of being asexual, like you just were kept in the dark about something everyone else somehow already knows. It's also very interesting seeing her experience of the Market (basically, "I don't want to be here, I want to save this person and leave, wtf is wrong with these people, I'm here to save lives not to make friends") contrasted with her mom/aunt's experiences 18 years ago (where an unexpected star-crossed goblin romance made things quite a bit more confusing).

Now, one thing I want to note: this is not a particularly fast-paced book. It isn’t long, so it goes by quickly, but it doesn’t feel action-packed for the most part, until the final ~30%. It is still very psychologically gripping, just not in a constant-action way, if that makes sense. The plot “twists” are predictable–but this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Being able to tell where the story is going doesn’t dampen the enjoyment of seeing how it gets there, and in some way it heightens the experience, knowing just how wrong things are about to go for these characters. And while the plot isn’t shocking, the sheer brutality of many aspects of the market are.

Look, this book might not be for everyone, because not everyone is into horror, and I get that. Not everyone wants to see a tree growing out of a disemboweled torso (this is the sanitized description; a more gruesome version shows up on-page). But for fans of queer horror, Seanan McGuire’s In an Absent Dream (or Rosetti's original "Goblin Market" poem), and unsettling imagery, this is an excellent choice.

I should probably preface this review with the fact that the Labyrinth is my all time favorite movie. So this book had me at “goblin market”. While I do not know the original story that inspired this one, I fell in love from the get go. This tale is woman centered, LGBTQ+ inclusive, adventurous, and magical. Lou is a relatable main character, and the struggles she has and her journey to self realization is endearing. I love that the sisterly bond isn’t front and center, but familial bonds between generations of women is what is at the center of this tale. I’m just here to say that it’s a perfect book in my opinion. Loved every minute of it!

3.5 Stars. This was a bit of a mixed bag for me but in the end I liked it more than I disliked it. I’m a huge fan of YA horror and YA fantasy so a book mixed with both seemed right up my alley. I knew enough of the Goblin Market tale to realize this was a retelling, but for me this book felt more like visiting the fae and fairy instead. I don’t know if the author chose that because of goblins and their historic ties to antisemitism – I don’t know enough on the topic or history to go into this or as it may pertain to this book- but I actually liked that the book felt more fae-like. I have read many books about the fae –as have many of us- so I felt like I easily understood what this other world was like. And while I found the fae-like goblins interesting and also the story itself, this book was bumpy and was much more plot driven than character driven. I’m a character driven reader personally so I’m left feeling a bit so-so but overall I thought it was a slightly above-average read.

I have to admit that the beginning was really rough on me. I had picked up the book over three different days but could not get into it at all. I was willing to give it one more chance, but I was ready to call it a DNF as I’ve decided that my reading enjoyment has to come before my story FOMO. Luckily, that final forth time was enough and as the story moved along the book was much more readable and enjoyable. I would keep that in mind that this book takes a little time.

I had a slight issue because the style of this book was done in dual timelines –past and present- and dual POV’s. I’m not a big fan of dual timelines as I find myself always more interested in one story over the other, which happened in this book, but I’ll take them over flashbacks any day. Another story choice issue for me is that I am not fond of books about a “chosen one” or “only one character can save the day” storyline with characters that never know what is actually going on. There is always some big secret that their family or friends hide from them and the character spends half the book asking questions about what is going on, that no one wants to answer. And because the character has been kept in the dark and knows nothing, they have to learn everything important within 24 hours to actually save the day so someone(s) doesn’t die or that the word doesn’t explode. This takes the no-communication trope to the extreme and truly drives me nuts. How this is a well-liked –and often used- story choice I will never know.

While the mostly uninteresting, present timeline POV was about a young ace woman named Lou, who is in the dark about her family and their role in the Goblin Market, the storyline from the past was much more interesting which involved May in an enemies to lovers, light sapphic romance and the consequences of it. I won’t go into any spoilers but this part felt much more important and just overall better written so it was the storyline I enjoyed. The romance is very fast, this is a horror book after all so not much time for fluff, but this timeline was interesting and I wanted to read about it

I think what everything really comes down to for me is the book’s length does not feel like the right fit. Had this book been a novella that was all about May, her past and then having to come back to save a relative, then the story would have been tighter and the POV with Lou, that felt forced and mostly unneeded, could have been skipped for May’s better story. Or, I think Bovalino should have gone all in and really built up the characters, helping Lou and others come alive, and spend more time world building and especially implementing the magic system. For instance there are witches in this book, and Bovalino talks about how important it is to have or lose your magic. What did the witch magic actually do? I don’t have any idea at all since it seemed like everything was done with herbs and potions that a non-witch could use. So where was their important magic we are told about? This did not have to be an epic fantasy book, but another 50-100 pages could have easily been added to build up the important parts. Where it is at now, I feel like the book just got stuck in this middle length that just didn’t work that well.

TLDR: This book was very up and down for me but even with the character building issues, and sometimes disappointing story choices, once I got into the book I did mostly enjoy what I was reading. I think I’m picking a lot in this review because I felt like the potential was there for a really great book, or novella, but it is stuck in the slightly above average category instead. I do want to reiterate that this book is horror and it is more of the gross kind of horror. I didn’t find it scary, but with all the body parts, blood, death and such, this is definitely a YA book for an older audience. I could see this giving a kid some nightmares if they are on the younger side. I think I would still recommend this book to readers looking for queer YA dark fantasy and horror. There are not a lot of books out there with this exact combo so I think some readers will find it interesting and hopefully enjoy it. Just be prepared as it does have its share of bumps.

Firstly I want to thank the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC 🥰❤️

The premise of this book made me want to read it so bad!! An evil goblin market? Yes please!! It just didn’t really match up to what I thought it would be like in my mind unfortunately 🥺🥺

…I was far more interested in the chapters set in the past with the main focus being May and Eitra (they are goals btw 😍😍). For me it just seemed to be more of a fully realised story but as we got it in flashbacks we didn’t get everything which is a shame as their story was quite fascinating. I found the book quite slow to start up, but I did get into the flow when we got to York. I liked the idea of the witches watching over the humans and keeping them safe but we just didn’t learn that much about anyone?! And there was a male witch of the same age as May and Laura that just went to Spain…like what?

Lou is a lovely girl but I just found her a bit bland 😅😅 I was just far more interested in May, sorry!!

The LGBTQ+ rep in the book is marvellous and is so important. Asexually isn’t mentioned in books nearly enough so I think it’s great that Lou not invisible and May, Neela and Eitra’s queerness is wonderfully woven into the story as well ❤️❤️

Overall I did REALLY love the whole idea of the book and the story was really good!! I’m giving the book ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ because May’s ‘18 Years Earlier’ chapters are brilliant and, when we get to the market, it sounds amazing!! The way it and its inhabitants are described it gave the book such a boost 😍😍 I just wish the first part of the book had that too