I really wanted to love this one especially after seeing so many wonderful things about it, but it just wasn't for me. I didn't feel connected to the characters, the story felt slow and meandering. I think many others will love this, but not me.

Ruth Emmie Lang's The Wilderwomen spins a complex tale of three women whose gifts set them apart from the world and each other. Their struggle to reconnect and solve the mystery of their mother's disappearance makes for a wild ride. Five years ago, Nora Wilder disappeared, leaving no traces behind. Nora had been increasingly having trance-like states where she wandered off and stared up at the birds in the sky, losing all time and memory of these events.

But she also tended to leave her kids behind which caused pain, especially for Zadie who was the oldest. As the older of her two daughters, Zadie, should have seen it coming, because she can literally see things coming. But not even her psychic abilities were able to prevent Nora from vanishing. She feels as though maybe she might have stopped Nora if Nora didn't make a huge mistake right before she left.

Without their mom to hold the family together, the sisters have drifted apart. Zadie’s estranged younger sister, Finn, was put into foster care and is being raised by foster parents who are good people who are eager to adopt her. She can’t see into the future, but she has an uncannily good memory, so good that she remembers not only her own memories, but the echoes of memories other people have left behind. On the afternoon of her graduation party, Finn is seized by an “echo” more powerful than anything she’s experienced before: a woman singing a song she recognizes, a song about a bird…

When Finn wakes up alone in an aviary with no idea of how she got there, she realizes who the memory belongs to: Nora. Instead of heading to the beach for vacation, Finn talks Zadie into a road trip following Nora's tracks guided by Finn's 'echoes' of Nora's memories with hopes of piecing together a path leading to their mother and discovering why she left five years ago. Against Zadie’s better judgement, and the fact that she's both pregnant, and recently separated from the babies daddy, she and Finn hit the highway, using Finn’s echoes to retrace Nora’s footsteps and uncover the answer to the question that has been haunting them for years:

Why did she leave? But the more time Finn spends in their mother’s past, the harder it is for her to return to the present, to return to herself. As Zadie feels her sister start to slip away, she will have to decide what lengths she is willing to go to to find their mother, knowing that if she chooses wrong, she could lose them both for good. Zadie is also up against her own failures. She pretty much ignored her abilities for years thinking that maybe she'd end up like Nora. Without following the past and finding out what their mother’s holding back, they can not fulfill their future dreams, and Zadie is likely to lose her sister like she lost her mother.

The journey also includes Finn, who was Zadie's ex at one point, and a few surprises along the way. Along the way, they met so many fascinating and likeable characters, many of whom had special abilities of their own like hearing the music of the stars in the sky, communicating with trees, or being able to paint someone’s future. This book has a tendency of going back in time to the months and days leading up to Nora's mysterious disappearance, and might give readers clues as to what really happened.

There are heartwarming moments and the ending wraps everything up nicely. It also has some surprises that readers may not expect.

Love a story with a strong sisterly bond! The Wilderwomen was a surprise for me. I didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as I did but I’m glad I took a chance on it.

I really enjoyed the writing style and the detailed descriptions throughout. This story left me excited to read other work by the author!

I waited impatiently for this book ever since Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstances came out. I’m happy to report it was worth the wait! Magical realism with a huge heart, deeply moving while still maintaining some humor. Highly recommend!

I really tried to finish this one, got 40% in and just finally had it with this story. The flashbacks to what could have possibly happened to their mother/what she was thinking at the time she disappeared was confusing and weirdly written. Zadie was a bit annoying at the fact she didn’t want to try to use her abilities to help her sister Finn in the search for her mother, from where I’d stopped, which made me not connect to her. The whole story sounded interesting at first because you want to know what happened to their mother but I lost interest. I am giving this 1 star only because the concept is interesting and the writing itself is decent.

This read is about a road trip between sisters looking for their mother who had disappeared 5 years ago. It was slow in parts, and somethings seemed a little disconnected. This could have used a little a bit more editing, but it was an interesting idea. Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this read.

I honestly had no idea this was YA while I read it. Only when I went to review did I see it was listed in the YA categories. To me, this novel is one part women's fiction, one part sisterhood, one part family drama, and one part Magical Realism. Zadie has a sixth sense that the author uses to advance the story, Rather, than having it be unbelievable and something to mock the character for. It is there and yes, one of the main components in the sister's division, but it is more insight, common sense, and memory.
This is a unique story I have not even come close to reading before and it is so much bigger than just the YA audience.

The Wilder women may have drifted apart, and struggle to reconnect, but I connected immediately with story.

After their mother suddenly disappears, two sisters are separated; one, Finn, is fostered by a loving family, and the other, Zadie, is old enough to make her own way in the world.

For Finn's seventeenth birthday, she and Zadie plan to go away to the beach. Zadie has just discovered she's pregnant, and though she feels that Finn and she are moving apart, looks forward to their time together. Zadie has been keeping secrets from Finn, particularly about their mother's disappearance and Zadie's resentment towards their mother. Also, Zadie has let her psychic gift for premonition lapse because of how she thinks it failed her with regards to their mother. Finn, too has a psychic gift, where she can inhabit others' memories, and also has a secret, that her foster parents want to adopt her, so the two sisters set off together with much unsaid between them.

Finn has other plans for their time together, and reveals she wants to use her gift to locate their mother, who she doesn't feel is dead. Very reluctantly, Zadie agrees.

Interestingly, as the pair drive a path across the country, guided by memories Finn stumbles across of moments from their mother's time after she left them, the two encounter the Sixes, people who have sixth senses also, expressed in a variety of creative ways by the author.

Ruth Emmie Lang's prose was magical and created so many lovely pictures in my head. The idea of so many interestingly gifted people was interesting, and I liked that it's from them that the sisters get the most help on their journey. The sisters experience several disappointments along the way, and the reveal of all their secrets was damaging, but also served to reconnect the pair. The story is heartwarming, sweet and I loved how all their hopes all came together at the end.

Thank you to Netgalley and to St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for my review

Finn and her older sister Zadie haven't seen their mother, Nora, in five years. As a result of Nora's unexplained departure, Finn was separated from Zadie and placed into foster care. The sisters have planned a post-graduation beach trip, but Finn has another idea; to search for their mother using their unique sixth senses. Finn's unreliable ability to sense people's memories leads them across the country to find the truth about Nora.

I like the concept of this family of uniquely gifted women who never quite fit in going through the process of self-discovery and acceptance. There's much potential for adventure with this premise, and there were some creatively intriguing moments. But for me, this one fell short. I didn't connect with any of the characters. Much of the dialogue felt irrelevant to the story. And while intervals of suspense and mystery arose, the overall slow pacing allowed the tension to taper off and stall the plot.

To be honest, I just didn't love it. It is a decent paranormal road trip adventure, and if the characters speak to you, it would be an okay read. I feel like this is a case where some additional editing could have kept the momentum going and made it into an above-average offering.

4 Stars Rounded Up.

I received a reviewer copy of The Wilderwomen by Ruth Emmie Lang from the publisher St. Martin's Press from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

What It’s About: The Wilder sisters are special, Zadie has psychic ability and her younger sister Finn can see memories that others left behind. Five years ago, their mother, Nora, disappeared and this led to the two sisters being separated (Finn was placed in foster care, Zadie was 18 and on her own). Now five years later later at Finn's graduation party, Finn is seized by an echo of a song about a bird, that just happens to be the song her mom sings and realizes that she has seen her missing mother's mom. Finn convinces Zadie to go on a journey to find their mother and find out why she left.

What I Loved: This book's magical realism worked on a level that very rarely works for me, I believed the magical talents and they didn't seem so unbelievable or out of place in our world. I loved watching these sisters travel on this road trip after being apart for so long. The family trauma they are processing and especially Finn's processing of loving her mother but also feeling loved and parented by her foster family was interesting. I loved all the characters we meet on the way and just really found this story compelling.

What I didn’t like so much: I was less compelled by the mystery and I also felt some of the tension between foster family (who by all means have supported and loved her) and Zadie didn't really make a whole lot of sense. It frustrated me that Zadie got a lot of crap in this book while a lot of the really problems were caused by Finn.

Who Should Read It: People who love magical realism, books about sisters, and meeting fascinating characters along the way.

Summary: A story of two sisters looking for their mother and their journey to her.

Zadie and her sister Finn have extraordinary abilities. Five years ago, their mother disappeared. Finn was fostered in a kind home that took great care of her throughout her teenage years. When the two plan a beach trip to celebrate Finn's graduation, it turns into a hunt for their mother.

I thought this book was interesting and I got interested in finding out what happened to Nora (the mother). I didn't get super invested in Finn and Zadie characters but I did like them - and I thought the groups of people they met on the way were interesting!

This story had a little bit of everything - mystery, adventure and a touch of magic. I’m a fan of sister stories, and enjoyed the mother daughter dynamics in this book - in all presented incantations - and the exploration of what it means to be a mother. There was a lot of beautiful imagery, which I know isn’t for everyone, but it was very well done without being too contrived. I also really loved the parallels between Nora and Zadie despite their very obvious differences. This was my first book of the author’s but I will definitely going back to read her previous work.

Ruth Emmie Lang's previous book is a favorite of mine. Unfortunately, I couldn't get through this one.. The story wasn't capturing me and I felt like the writing wasn't as amazing as in Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance. Giving it 3 stars because I do want to pick it up again in a few months to see if I'm more into it.

This is a cross-country journey of two young adult sisters with 'special powers' who are trying to find their mother who disappeared/abandoned them 5 years before. I felt like I was riding along with the sisters on their road trip. Their special powers were just a touch of magic and not too overdone, which I appreciate because it makes things so much more believable and the story more realistic. I was left with a few questions and I didn't fall in love the characters, but overall I enjoyed reading this book.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher of an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This was a little bit disappointing. I was just expecting something more and it was just middle of the road. Nothing game changing for the genre.

I really enjoyed reading this author’s sophomore novel, Wilderwomen! I recognized her beautiful imagery and prose from Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance, and thought that the character relationships were intriguing and made this unique. I’ll always pick up this author’s work!

The Wilderwomen is all about the journey. Following Finn Wilder's high school graduation, she and older sister Zadie set out on a road trip to find their mother who disappeared without a trace five years earlier. The sisters both go on a journey of self discovery and self reflection as Finn struggles with a decision that she must make regarding her foster parents and Zadie's failed relationships catch up with her, and both sister must come to terms with their supernatural abilities and what they mean.

The fantasy elements sprinkled throughout are a beautiful touch. While I have mixed feeling about the final destination, the journey there was worth the read.

Book Summary:

All Nora Wilder wanted to do was fly away. And then, one day, she disappeared. Her elder daughter, Zadie, always felt like she should have seen this coming. Literally – that's her gift, to see glimpses into the future.

Zadie's little sister has a different gift – to catch echoes of memories. This gift is about to drag both sisters on an adventure. If they're lucky, they can chase the trail of their mother's memories and finally find out what happened to her.

My Review:

Okay, so I absolutely fell in love with Ruth Emmie Lang's writing in Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance, so I was expecting to love The Wilderwomen with all of my heart. Sadly, that didn't happen – though it wasn't a bad read, so at least there's that.

To be clear: the core of this book has SO much potential. I just struggled to connect with it. That honestly may have been on me, as I've been going through some stuff at the moment. It's hard to tell sometimes, you know? So I want to clarify any potential issues or biases.

The smaller magic of this world is fascinating, and I would love to see Ruth Emmie Lang continue to explore this concept further. Maybe not following the same family, but I digress. She does such a good job of taking something so relatively simple and stretching it to new proportions.

Highlights:
Magic
Paranormal
Magical Thriller

Trigger Warnings:
Disappearance

Here’s to my first review of 2023 ✨

This book. Magic. I LOVED it. It was so hard to put it down, and I could have easily read it in a single day. I’m already a fan of Lang, but this book is going to remain one of my favorites.

We meet a small family. A mother and her two daughters. 5 years later and the girls set out to find their lost mother. The girls have drifted apart the past few years, and they decide to take a trip together, after the youngest Finn, graduates. Along the way they learn a lot about each other, and have to work through a lot feelings, so they can help each other. It’s the perfect amount of family drama, magic realism, and hope. I loved all the nature, astrology, and especially the sisters! I would have loved more, and could have easily read another 100 pages.

Lang has a wonderful way of writing that just sucks you in, and I can’t wait for her to write more. Both her books are wonderful, and I highly suggest them both!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, for my free review copy. All opinions are my own.

Whimsical!! Didn't finish before publication, but so happy I did read it! Love that it was a slow pace read and just got to enjoy it and wonder.