Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A young adult novel with a dash of magical realism. I choose this book because of 1) its cover, 2) the plotline, & 3) fantasy young adult ooooo. Two daughters (Zadie and Finn) lose their mom five years ago and are convinced she is still out there. Their mother (Nora) disappeared one night, never to be seen again. To make the matters even more interesting, everyone in the family has a superpower (no not like incredibles, but I think a bit cooler.) Zadie is able to see situations before they happen with her psychic ability. While Finn can pick up on 'echos' which are considered memories of other people. Nora doesn't share her ability with her children, but if you're really curious pick up the book to find out what it is.

Overall, the story was medium-paced, but I became confused in certain sections of the book. There were ALOT of bird references which I didn't completely understand, but it wasn't an issue to understand the main concept of the book. It was heartwarming to watch the sister's connection with each other develop and grow as they went on the search to finding their mom. There was bickering (of course), but they both listened to each other towards the end of the book and held respect towards one another. Since Finn was too young to be on her own after her mother disappeared, she was given to an adoption family. Zadie was just past eighteen and was left to handle her issues herself as her sister was given help through the struggles of losing the only parent in their lives.

I recommend this book if you're looking for a wholesome family and fantasy novel. It's easy to sit down in one or two sittings to get through this book and I plan on reading another book by this author sometime this year. I really liked her writing and the pace of the story overall.

The Wilderwomen
Ruth Emmie Lang
This is the story of sisters each with a gift; the oldest, Zadie can see things before they happen, Finn can see the echo of other peoples’ memories. Nora Wilder disappeared five years ago. Finn was a mere 12-year-old and Zadie was 18 when their mother disappeared. Finn has been in foster care and her foster parents want to adopt her. A powerful echo grabs Finn: she sees a woman singing a song about a bird. Finn wakes up in an aviary unsure how she got there, she knows the memory belonged to her mother Nora. The sisters drifted apart after their mother disappeared. Finn must convince her sister, Zadie, that the must find their mother. Reluctantly Zadie agrees to go with Finn to follow in Nora’s path. As Finn continues to explore Nora’s echo/past she slips farther and farther away. Zadie knows she must determine how far she is prepared to go to locate their mother; the incorrect decision could lose both Finn and Nora. Along the way they meet with Sixes, people with a sixth sense. The Sixes live in Constellation Camp where the sisters and their mother camped before she disappeared.
Zadie and Finn are interesting characters and I enjoyed watching their relationship grow. The sisters were not forthright with each other; the kept secrets from each other. The plot kept me on the edge of my seat. I enjoyed the magic in this tale. While the sisters’ road trip ends up being a search for mom trip it is really more than that. Much of the focus of this tale is on the two sisters reconnecting. While Finn and Zadie definitely had special gifts so did many others they met on their journey. I really enjoyed this tale and will be watching for more books by author Ruth Emmie Lang.

This book was an absolute pleasure to read. Anything by Ruth Eminem Lang is actually. I highly recommend this book.

A very moving and emotional ride about the bond between women, healing generational trauma, discovering your roots, and spreading your wings as you grow into adulthood. It’s poetic, magical, bittersweet, and I loved every minute of it,

This novel was so lovely. I really enjoyed Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance so I was thrilled to read this one as well and I think I liked it more. Both sisters, Zadie and Finn, are individually well developed characters, both so different, and their relationship (which needs healing) is something I really enjoyed experiencing. I loved their extra abilities and their journey. And I love a good road trip.

Having read and loved Ruth Emmie Lang’s previous book, Beast of Extraordinary Circumstance, I couldn’t wait to read The Wilderwomen and I was not disappointed. It’s a road trip story about two estranged sisters, Zadie and Finn, trying to find their mom Nora who disappeared five years ago, but that’s not all. The sisters and the mother all have various abilities, including premonitions and being able to see other people’s memories. Zadie and Finn use their abilities to try to recreate Nora’s trail after she disappeared. Along the way they also reconnect and try to work through what’s happened in each of their lives since Nora left. Zadie and Finn are flawed, human characters, who are just trying to do the best that they can, and I loved them. I love magical realism, so this book was right up my alley. It’s weird in a really good way. There were parts of the story that fell into place a bit too conveniently, but I was engrossed and along for the ride, so that didn’t detract much for me.
Thanks to NetGalley for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read the ARC. After reading and Loving Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstances I was waiting not so patiently for Lang’s next book. While I did not love this one as much as Beasts, I did still love it. It is beautifully written and I loved all the characters. Sisters Zadie and Finn took me on a fantastic and magical adventure to find out what happened to their mother who disappeared years ago.

The Wilderwomen follows the two daughters of Nora Wilder as they search for their mother and for the answer to the question that has been plaguing them for five years - what did she leave them? Lang's text presents familiar questions about family relationships, discovering our true selves, and familial behavior patterns in a unique and clever way. I enjoyed watching the personal development of the two primary characters, young women raised most of their lives by the same woman but with very different experiences in their teenage years. Throughout the book Lang also introduces other interesting and often unsual characters. They each have some role in either furthering the self-realization of the two primary characters or in moving the plot along. I did wish Lang circled back to some of these characters; a couple of these characters' exit from the story line felt abrupt. Regardless, I enjoyed Wilderwomen and would recommend it to young women and adults looking for a clever, supernatural-ish, coming of age book.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book… but it just stretched a bit too long. It definitely would have benefited from some slightly tighter editing. Second biggest complaint, the shear volume of other “sixes” they run into. Large groups of magic people who don’t really hide it just… doesn’t fly (ha). People can’t keep secrets. And many of these are easily provable.

Loved Zadie. She felt super real. Finn… less so. In the last year before Nora disappeared, Finn is supposed to be 12, but she comes off closer to 8. And as a 17 year old high school grad, she comes off as older.

I’m a sucker for road-trip/destination stories, probably from my childhood reading epic fantasy, but if you aren’t this isn’t the book for you.

Zadie’s mixed feelings were one of the best parts of the book. Just loved the ongoing examination of her complicated feelings towards her mom. How to balance sadness and longing and resentment and love?

Why did Joel exist? I just… am not sure what he added. I liked that the girls’ lives were fleshed out but actually meeting some of the side characters just sort of detracted from the overall vibe and glow.

Anyway, this book has magic, motherhood, a cool female lead and other cool female characters, and just enough humor. Definitely a good way to spend a day at home with a dick kid who wanted nothing more that to melt her brain with repeated viewing of Bluey.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Wilderwomen was a pretty interesting book. In it, you will meet Zadie, Finn and Nora. Zadie and Finn are sisters and Nora is their mom. One day, she ends up leaving them and everyone's life has forever changed. Years later, Finn and Zadie are reuniting for a fun sister trip to the beach. Or at least that's what they originally planned on doing.

Their adventure was honestly a lot of fun but definitely had some confusing parts. Mostly because of the secrets they have yet to uncover. Once they started to pop up, things started to make a lot more sense. It was also interesting to see how these sisters reacted and communicated with one another since they haven't really been in each other's lives for a few years. Plus, with the other people they meet along the way.

Then there's the magic or gifts within these three and the people they meet. Each new thing we learned about definitely kept me engaged and entertained. Although, I'll admit, that I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop and for bad news to come everyone's way.

In the end, I'm pretty happy with how things concluded. Still a bit confused about some things, but it was a nice journey to read within one sitting. I'll definitely try another book by Ruth. Especially if it's magical like this one.

Magical Realism is a genre i rarely have read, only a small handful of books, but unfortunately this read wasn’t for me, I didn’t enjoy it as much.

This is my first book from Ruth Emmie Lang and it definitely will not be my last. The adventures of the Wilder women kept me wanting more and more I could not wait to “solve the mystery”. I was equally interested in the storyline of every character large or small.

This ARC was given to me by NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Whoa! What a ride. It was very fast-paced. The writing style kept me hooked and I didn't find myself losing any interest. I enjoyed getting to know each of the characters and how real the story felt. The author did a great job painting the setting, so it was easy for me to visualize the scene played out before me. I recommend giving this one a chance!

This was an extraordinary magical novel. I loved it!
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

What a lovely surprise! I haven't read anything by Ruth Emmie Lang before, but this was a very sweet, thoughtful read. As an older sister with a hotshot and very talented younger sister, I immediately identified with Zadie, but their relationship is fantastically developed and Finn herself is such a vibrant, appealing character.

I'd forgotten the synopsis before I started to read this book, which was a really refreshing experience; I went in totally unaware of what I would discover, which is a great state of mind to read about a road trip where two sisters are rebuilding their relationship and also driving through huge swathes of the United States. I want to go on a road trip now!

I appreciate the lack of a clear villain, if only because the focus then falls on the characters and their development -- it's a tough challenge, and one that would have fallen apart in a less confident author's hands. There's conflict, but given that everyone is a flawed, utterly human character, that's understandable. No one is truly evil, and as for the driving force behind the plot, that remains a mystery -- but not necessarily an evil one.

It's a sweet, well-written story, with a simple premise spun into something memorable and powerful by solid writing, and the strength of its characters.

First thank you to St. Martin's Press, Netgalley, and Ruth Emmie Lang for an Advanced Reader copy in exchange for my honest review

When Finn and Zadie's mom disappeared five years ago she left only an anklet behind. Finn who was 12 went into a foster home and was raised by two loving parents and now after her graudation she is heading on a week long vacation to the beach with her sister.

Zadie was 18 when Nora left and was left to figure out the rest of her life on her own. She's had a few boyfriends to lean on but has slowly watched as the last of her family, made a new life for herself. Now in hopes of reigniting their relationship, Zadie has planned a beach vacation with her sister.

Zadie and Finn, are different from everyone though. Finn can see echoes of peoples memories, and when she discovers a memory of their mother at her graduation party, all of their plans change.

The Wilderwomen was a wonderful story full of beautiful prose that sucked you into the scenery, whether it was the horrible sandy desert or the imposing trees of the Northwest. Watching as these two sisters build back a relationship as adults through the search for their missing mother was so heartwarming and wonderful to read. The blending of the magic with the world as they travel across the west in search of answers of where there mother is and why she disappeared was masterfully done and was a beautiful read.

All in all I would give this book a thumbs up

Thank you to NetGalley and Saint Martin’s Press for my ARC of this wonderful book.

Lang is an extraordinarily talented writer. From the very first page I knew I was going to enjoy this book simply because of her descriptive, almost ethereal style. It was the perfect way to tell the story of Zadie and Finn, two sisters who share a special secret with their estranged mother, Nora. They set out blindly on a challenging mission to learn more about their past in hopes it will help them to understand their future.

As a fan of magical realism, this book was right up my alley. It was like Practical Magic meets X-men, but with its own completely unique vibe. I felt very connected to Zadie and her journey, and my heart ached for Finn and Nora. The story requires a suspense of reality and acceptance of magic. If you can allow yourself to believe, you will enjoy this book. But it’s not about the magic. It’s about family and growth and becoming comfortable with who you are.

Bravo, Emmie Ruth Lang. I loved it.

Bechdel test: ✅

. . . ⭑ ⭑ ⭑ ⭒ ⭒
I found the premise of this one to be very intriguing: It’s about two sisters with special abilities - one sister with psychic tendencies, and the other able to see others’ memories - who come together to track down their mum who mysteriously disappeared five years ago. Magical elements? Check. Sister bonding? Yup. Mysterious circumstances? Sign me up. All of these things are pluses in my book, but in the end, this was just an okay read for me.

It’s hard to say at what point this book loosened its hold on my interest, but I felt myself slip into passive instead of active reading relatively early on. It’s not that I didn’t like the main characters, it’s more that I just wasn’t engaged with them. I liked their dynamic, and that they were trying to return to work of being sisters again, but just as they weren’t totally open to each other, as the reader, I felt a bit distant from them as well.

I also didn’t entirely “get” the ultimate reason that Nora, their mother, disappeared. I understood the inference in relation to nature, but how that tied into a magical ability and lapses / recovery of memories, just didn’t settle well with me. I’m trying hard not to spoil this one, because I think it was decent read, just not what I had hoped it would be for me.

I do love a good magical element, and / or magical realism base, and this certainly delivered on that front. I enjoyed the variety of abilities, and that they were very unique in quality - ones that I had not even imagined, but were so clever and engaging.

Ultimately, this was a balanced read for me, and if you like these sort of mystical familial mysteries, this could be the escapist read you’ve been looking for.

~👩🏻‍🦰

First, thanks to NetGallery for the early release. The fantasy story starts off engaging with sisters who have “gifts” they do not embrace in search of their mother. I thought the setup of the plot was engaging and then once on their journey to find their mother I lost interest. I just didn’t care about the mother from the characters perspective presented about 30% in and finally gave up. I think this book is definitely geared to a YA audience, or maybe teenagers. There is an audience for this book so give it a chance.

Absolutely beautiful!!! Magical realism meets mystery meets family drama. Loved this story line and what a great ending. Will be recommending this one for sure!