A compelling journey taken by two girls with "abilities." One can see the future, and the other experiences other peoples' memories. When their mother disappears, the two team up to find her five years after the fact, both in efforts to find closure and mend their own fractured relationship.

Overall this was really good. Completely readable and interesting. The girls finding more people like themselves was interesting and their piecing together their mother's distress and reasons for leaving them were all very well done. I wish there had been more at the end to tie together the past threads, but it all works nicely as is.

This book had so much more than I was expecting, though I didn’t quite know what to expect going in. This is a wonderful blend of magical realism, women’s fiction, and mystery. The writing style was really enjoyable and I loved the relationship between all the women and seeing them grow together and learn from each other. The characters meet so many cool people along their travels and I loved their journey.

I really loved The Wilderwomen and highly recommend it if you enjoy magical stories set in the real world.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Ruth Emmie Lang for an e-arc of The Wilderwomen in exchange for an honest review.

Lang's previous novel Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstances has perhaps one of my FAVORITE opening chapters of any book I've read, so I had high expectations for The Wilderwomen. While it didn't have the hook of its predecessor, The Wilderwomen did not disappoint.

It's a lovely mix of magical realism and light mystery. It's also a wonderfully heartfelt story about the power of family, and never giving up. Lang does characters really well, and this book has a marvelous cast of interesting characters with psychic gifts. I'm a sucker for magical realism, and the way she crafts her characters gifts was vivid.

Just a lovely escapist read, through and through!

I still love a little magical realism in my life and this novel delivered. Lang's book is part adventure story, part family history, and part guide to weird women (in the best of ways). I loved the talents or wildness displayed here, and I liked the characters very much. This was a real hug of a book, and I'm so glad I finally got to reading it- I have even already recommended it to a student who I think would really enjoy the quiet sorrow and joy it depicts as two girls try to find their mom and each other. Four lovely stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

I really enjoyed this book it was entertaining, unique and kept me engaged This story follows Sadie and Finn two sisters who were separated when there mom Nora disappeared. The two girls team up in a last ditch effort to find their mom. Finn also has a unique ability to see echos or memories that were left behind. Using these echos the girls start a journey to see what they can find in the search for their mother. I really enjoyed the writing in. This book it was entertaining but kept me wanting to know what was going to happen next. I really enjoyed the road-trip aspect in this book as well. I do plan on picking up more from this author in the future. I would like to thank Netgalley and the publishers for a chance to read this book for an honest review.

Thank you @stmartinspress @netgalley for my review copy!

💭I don’t always post about books I DNF because a lot of the time I can tell pretty early on that a book isn’t going to be a good fit or maybe it’s just not the right time for me to be picking it up. I made it halfway through this book before deciding to put it aside, so I feel like putting a few of my thoughts out there.

I was so excited to read this book because I absolutely loved the author’s previous book, Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance. Sadly, I just couldn’t get into Wilderwomen. I wasn’t really interested in the storyline, I didn’t feel any kind of connection to the characters and I just didn’t care about what was happening. I’ve seen such “meh” reviews for it, so decided it just probably wasn’t going to get any better.

✍️How I rated other books by this author:
Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance- 5⭐️

I was honestly not sure what to expect with this book. I wasn't sure, going in, if I would regret asking for the advanced copy. But, what a sweet surprise it was!
I felt for Mom, I loved the 2 sisters and their interaction and development.
The ending was a nice closure to a well written book.
Thankful for the ARC!

I read and adored Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance, so decided to give this one a try.

Unfortunately I never really connected to the characters and felt the story got bogged down, and the magical realism element was missing the charm of her previous book. The ending was disappointing,

Overall, not a terrible book, just not for me.

This book was a love letter to magical realism. I love books that are just fantastical enough to be intriguing and unique without becoming entirely fantasy. The mystery element was delightful and the prose is beautifully lyrical. The story is atmospheric - and also a little sad - and it kept me intrigued the entire time. I loved the sisters and their quest, and I'd recommend it to anyone looking to break out of a reading slump.

This one was fine. I loved Lang's debut novel, as did my whole book club. So I was excited for her sophomore book. Don't get me wrong. This book was enjoyable. The sisters' story was interesting. I thought the magic was intriguing. But I felt it was weird that they kept finding other ppl everywhere they went with these powers and then at the end it all just wrapped up so quickly.

I am sorry for the inconvenience but I don’t have the time to read this anymore and have lost interest in the concept. I believe that it would benefit your book more if I did not skim your book and write a rushed review. Again, I am sorry for the inconvenience.

The Wilderwoman was likable but not engrossing.

I listened to the audio and I think Anna Caputo's narration is the way to go with so many past and present chapters plus different POVs. She helped keep storylines straight for me.

The novel revolves around two sisters. Zadie and Finn.

Zadie Wilder is twenty-three and her sister Finn is seventeen. Five years ago, their mother, Nora walked out on them. The sisters get separated. Finn as an underage child is placed under foster care. Zadie is left to survive on her own. In the beginning, they tried to stay close but this doesn't last. Now that Finn is almost about to graduate, they have planned two weeks at the beach to bond again. Yet, Finn has an ulterior motive, she wants to search for her mother with Zadie. She believes her ability is going to help. Yes, you heard right, Finn has the ability to "feel" past memories which she calls "echoes". Zadie is a psychic but she doesn't like to have an ability so she doesn't use it.

The story follows these two women in search of their mother, interacting with interesting characters along the way.

Even though magical realism is a favorite, I found myself uninterested at times. I also didn't think the reason for Nora's leaving was enough. The resolution felt rushed too.

Cliffhanger: No

3.5/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by St. Martin's Press via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Finn and Zadie are half sisters whose mother disappeared 5 years ago. What happened leading up to the disappearance and afterwards put a big strain on their relationship. Both girls has special abilities which lead them to think that their mother may not have just left. In order to find out what really happened, the two set out on a road trip west to try to find their mother.

I really liked the family bond in the book. The journey itself comprised most of the book and that is where it mainly fell flat for me. We meet a host of characters, but every time something happened it just felt like more of the same to me. The ending didn’t work for me either. I usually like magical realism, but. I struggled with it in this book.

3.5 stars

I’m not usually much for magical realism but this book was a win for me. The characters of Finn and Zadie got under set my skin and will stick with me!

This is the story of two sisters who are just a bit different than the rest of us that go on a quest to find their missing mom.

What I liked:
-the character development-even side characters were fleshed out and had growth during the story
-the bond between Zadie and Finn it changes and evolves throughout the book but is always present
-Joel-he seems like a throw away character at first but he added to the story
-the pull that Finn felt between her birth family and foster family felt honest
-Zadie's growth throughout the story and journey with grief
-strong but vulnerable female characters who are very different from each other

What I didn't love:
-Nora's story felt forced at times. I appreciated a lot of it and the longer I sit with it the more I appreciate certain parts, but some of it felt a little less organic.

The Wilderwomen by Ruth Emmie Lang - 4/5

The Wilderwomen is a book that will always be one you think back on. Ruth Emmie Lang put so much thought and energy into this book; from the story line, the characters and the world they live in. It is thought-provoking, fast-paced and all around a great read. I love how the sisters have a complicated relationship, makes them more relatable, and we get to watch each sister unfold and grow.

I would recommend this story to anyone who likes fantasy.

This book has such an interesting synopsis, and after reading Lang's last book, Beasts of Extraordinary circumstances; I knew that I would be in for a special story.

Typically magical realism really works for me. I like the balance of real life and fantasy, I feel like stories like that have no limits. I felt like the book started off strong; really letting us know who these two sisters are and setting up the mystery of their missing mother. Although I love a good road trip/ long distance journey storyline, this felt a little stale. 

What I liked about this book was the quirky characters. I liked that we got such an array of characters as the sisters were on their journey. It kept  me from putting this book down. 

It pains me that this book really didn't work for me. Even the fun characters along the way couldn't save this book. The ending was really weird and unique and it just didn't feel like it all made sense. 

I will definitely read more by Lang, even if this was a disappointment for me.

This book was slow to get going, but once it got into it I was invested in the story. I feel like the story was great, but the medium wasn't right. This would be an amazing mini-series. Lang did a great job at describing everything in the book so I felt like I could really see it coming to life. I was worried it was dragging out the ending, but it was pretty gratifying. I wish there was no epilogue, but oh well. Thanks to Netgalley for giving me a free copy for a review, sorry it took me so long to get to it.

This was a great read! The writing style was beautiful and I loved the symbolism woven throughout. Two estranged sisters, who drifted apart after their mother’s disappearance, decide to take a trip together to search for their missing mother and find out why she left. Both sisters have their own gifts and their own distinct paths to follow. This book was super unique and I appreciated the magical realism. I enjoyed it a lot

Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.