This is probably the most beautiful cover I have seen in years. Beautiful choice and I think it will fly off the shelves. I enjoyed this unique story of hope sprinkled with a little magic! The dual timelines are always a sell for me because they keep me invested wanting to go back and check in on the other timelines. This is a creative way to follow siblings on a journey and to get to know who they are together and apart and the importance of family.

4/5

This was a very sweet book that was ultimately about family. I loved the premise and the magical realism elements. The ending was a little lack luster though and felt rushed.

***2 Stars***

This one just didn’t grab me. I wanted it to and was hoping it would after reading the description, but I just couldn’t connect with Nora or Finn, even on a fascination level due to their special abilities, so it goes on the ‘it’s not you, it’s me’ shelf.

Thank you to Ruth Emmie Lang, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for this title. Unfortunately this was a DNF for me. It was slow to start and could not keep my interest. It was an intriguing concept and I hope that the two sisters meet at even ground to find out what happened to their mother.

4/5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishers, and Ruth Emmie Lang for allowing me to read and review this book.

I was unsure when I first started this book on whether I would enjoy it or not, however I was pleasantly surprised. There are many surprising aspects going into this book and a few twists. It's more of a literary fantasy type book than a mystery in my opinion, which is not a bad thing, but I was expecting a little more of a mystery aspect.

I would still highly recommend this book to people who like books set in this world with magical aspects added.

This was such an odd book. It's definitely not the type of book I usually read but I still enjoyed it. The main characters are Zadie and Finn who are sisters. Both have abilities that some people call sixth senses (because on this version of Earth, many people have those abilities). One of the sisters gets premonitions of things to come and the other gets echoes of things passed. It's a really interesting dynamic to have, especially with sisters since both are basically opposites.

The whole book is a journey since the girls' mom has disappeared a few years prior to the start of the novel. No one knows where she went or if she is even still alive. So instead of their planned vacation, Finn and Zadie decide to go looking for her and they meet all sorts of people on the way to who-knows-where. All they have for leads are Finn's echoes of their mother. I really like the fact that the book was focusing more on the journey than the destination and on the various people they met. It was a refreshing take on storytelling, especially with the switching back and forth between the times when their mother was still there and the times they were looking for her.

This is definitely a book I would recommend to people who are looking for a story about wanderings and sisterhood.

I did not love The Wilderwomen by Ruth Emmie Lang. I should have loved The Wilderwomen by Ruth Emmie Lang, as it's chock-full of story elements I love, but it just completely missed the mark.

The characters were bland and flat. The most positive feeling I had about any of them was ambivalence. The author clearly tried to make them quirky and memorable, but she tried way too hard and still didn't achieve that goal. The writing had moments of greatness mixed in with a whole lot of overwrought, try-hard cringe. It had a "hello fellow kids" vibe basically any time a teenager was speaking. Plus, I won't give anything away because there is something of a mystery going on here, but the ending was a huge let down.

The best description I can come up with for The Wilderwomen is that it's the concept of a manic pixie dream girl turned into a book; pretty and alluring and unique on the surface but ultimately cookie cutter and devoid of substance. I do not plan to read more from this author.

My thanks to St Martin’s press and NetGalley for an e-ARC of the Wilderwomen.

Five years ago, Nora Wilder walked out on her two daughters. Now, Finn is living with a foster family and Zadie has found herself alone and pregnant. The distance has grown between the sisters since their mother’s disappearance, and in an attempt to connect Zadie plans a vacation for them, but Finn determines to use this time to chase the breadcrumbs their mother left behind in hopes of finding her.

But these aren’t ordinary sisters. They have gifts, or abilities, to use along their way.

Ruth Emmie Lang writes magical realism in a very readable way, while keeping a poetic lyrical whimsy to her writing style. Readers who connect with sisterhood themes will enjoy this one.

This book leaves me with a lot of conflicted feelings. I wanted to read this because the premise really drew me in, but a lot of the story itself didn't add up. Parts of the story seemed really far fetched, even for its genre. The explanations never quite felt like enough or actually explained everything. Nothing seemed finished or completed or truly answered. I'm left feeling like I'm still in the middle of the book searching for answers. It all leaves you, or me at least, with a sense of confusion. I would've liked it all to be to summed up better and more answers.

I couldn't get into this one -- but I'll definitely pick it back up later. I ended up also getting a physical copy because I thought it sounded great!

A journey of two sisters to find their mom. I enjoyed some of their journey but a lot of it seemed too out there even for a fantasy/magic lover like myself. The ending was so out there and the explanation didn’t give me a sense of completion. I’m still confused why the mom really left and why she had dementia symptoms but then they suddenly disappeared. Just a lot confusing. Lol.

This was a book that I meant to write a review for in November of last year when it was published... but every time I tried to read it, I would end up reading the same few paragraphs and not feel the desire to read more. It was in my DNF pile until about a month ago, when I decided that because I got a free arc, I really needed to put a little more effort in finishing it.

Any book that takes extra effort to enjoy starts at a 3-star, and for me, this one never got past that mark. I liked the premise---> two sisters, one that has powers to remember things from the past and one that see parts of the future, are searching for their mother that disappeared 5 years previously. Because Zadie (older daughter) was legally an adult, she is left to take care of herself. Her sister Finn, however, is 12 and is put into foster care. The sisters grow apart until Finn's high school graduation when the two go on a road trip to find their lost mother.

There was so much of this that was bizarre, but that can be attributed to the genre: magical realism. I'm not a big fan of magical realism. If the premise sounds interesting, you like nature, you like road trips, and you like magical realism, then this book is more for you than it was for me.

I found the ending to not be satisfying. Just. What did I read?! I want to write spoilers because it's almost comical how weird it was... but at the same time, I know that me making a joke about it shows that I didn't appreciate the art behind the story.

There is a large audience of readers that enjoyed this book, evidenced by so many great reviews. I could see this being a good choice for book clubs or for people who prefer this genre. Thank you St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for an e-arc copy of this book.

The Wilderwomen by Ruth Emmie Lang is a mystery with a bit of a twist. Nora, mother to Finn and Zadie, disappears. Her daughters both have special powers where one can read people's memories and the other is psychic. They decide to try to use their powers to find their mother, and they end up with quite the adventure. I enjoyed this story because it was unique, but also I appreciated the family aspect here. Definitely recommend. Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this one and following the journey of Finn and Zadie trying to find their mom, Nora. I thought the pacing was not too rushed or too slow and the characterization kept me interested.

I loved the small bit of magical realism that each of the girls had a special gift. I wish more time had been spent at that little camp cause that was a cool concept. Some parts were a little hokey for me - like the tree bit, but overall I loved it. I will say I’m still unsure why Zadie couldn’t have just used here gift much earlier to figure out the ending but, whatever. At face value it was an enjoyable read!

I love magical realism, and close family relationships, so I thought this book would be something that I would love. However, I found the pace to be slow and I didn't find myself connecting to the characters. Lang's writing is beautiful, atmospheric, and a bit melancholy. I wish I were more drawn to this kind of writing, but unfortunately it is not for me.

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this book.

This was a good, if somewhat meandering, story! I enjoyed getting to know the main characters and loved the magical realism. I would read more by this author.

Is this book general fiction? Fantasy? I’m not sure but I like that it was different from what I normally read. I love complex family relationships but this was on another level!

Single mom Nora Wilder disappeared five years ago, leaving her two daughters Zadie & Finn to fend for themselves. Elder sister Zadie is old enough to not go into the system but younger sibling Finn is fostered out to a nice couple. This leads to a bit of an estrangement between the two siblings but Finn's HS graduation and a sister trip to the beach gives Zadie hope that she and Finn can become closer. Zadie's plans are derailed when Finn, who has 'echoes' of other people's memories has one at her party and realizes that it's one of Nora's. Finn is determined to find Nora, and Zadie (who has premonitions and saw her mother leaving in a premonition years ago) reluctantly agrees to follow the echo to try an find Nora. Weird things abound, the sisters learn about their mother and meet up with new people and an old partner of Zadie's. This book was an endearing family story mixed with a healthy dose of the mystical. It was a quick read for me and I really enjoyed Zadie & Finn and their interactions with the rest of the characters. Thanks to NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for the free e-book.

This was a concept that I was really intrigued by and I really enjoyed Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstances, so I was excited to hear about this new release. There were parts of the journey that the sisters undertook that definitely painted vivid scenes, but unfortunately the ending did not really do it for me. I feel that there was very limited resolution, which made some of the rest of the book feel a bit disjointed as well. Still hope to see what comes next from this author!

3.5 stars

Really interesting magical realism + family saga. I never knew quite where the story was going to go but I was very pleased with the ending! Love how supportive both sides of the family were and that the foster family was such a positive situation, I feel like that's rare in books like this. Great read!