I have been so excited about The Poison Season's release and the premise sounded so like a fun mix between The Grace Year and a little bit of Three Dark Crowns. Unfortunately I feel like a crazy person reading through everyone's raving reviews because I don't think I cared for this book at all. The world building was intriguing with the environmental magic at play but that is where I stopped for me. Until the 85% mark I swear nothing actually happened in this book....at all. While the characters could have really shined to make up the difference they fell so flat and seemed petty and unaware most of the time. It seemed like their character growth hinged on love more than anything else and that just doesn't feel like enough anymore in the YA fantasy sphere. This could have been exciting and full of intrigue but instead it was simply boring with a good premise and a stunning cover.

After spending her entire life on Endla, an island surrounded by endless deadly forests and a poisonous lake, Leelo is beginning to wonder what else is out beyond the borders of the community she works so hard to care for and protect. This is made much more difficult by the fact that soon, her beloved younger brother will be exiled beyond the community unless he gains his magical gifts. But when Leelo betrays her duty to her community to save an outsider, he choice could lead to devastating and unthinkable consequences.
The Poison Season by Mara Rutherford was a rather unusual novel, but still an enthralling one that pulled on my heartstrings. It was a beautiful fairytale that blended romance with fantasy and danger and had me hooked from page to page. The unique magic system and eerie setting was thrilling and atmospheric, and the writing was absorbing, with dazzling and complex characters that come to life off the page. This haunting story delicately wove a tale that warns of danger not always being “the outsider” and sometimes coming from within what you already know.

An interesting read and one that I suppose I have mixed feelings about. This novel is about a magical wandering forest and the people who protect it, or are they protected by it? Perhaps prisoners of it? These people are cut off from the rest of the world by a poisonous lake. They ensure outsiders are kept off the island by singing songs that lure them to their death. They also send any children away who don’t show signs of having the magical singing gift by age 12. The only time the water can be crossed safely is when it is either frozen in winter, or with a singular boat that is protected from the poison. One young girl begins to question what is really happening in the island and in her questioning she also finds love and possibly escape. The limits of love and loyalty are surely tested throughout this story.

The issue I take with the writing in general is that the first half of the book is confusing and slow. I really had to force myself to continue reading it. I did enjoy the last 1/4 of it the best though and was happy I stuck it out. This would be a great junior high or early high school read, I think. My younger self would have been over the moon for it.

This was an interesting YA novel, that I would definitely recommend to those who think it sounds good!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

Leelo lives on Endala, an island surrounded by poisoned water that is also home to the Wandering Forest, a forest that can protect individuals as easily as it can kill them. Residents of Endala rely on the magic that comes from their singing to hunt and to survive. Sadly not everyone has magic within their singing, and those that don’t are sent away across the poisoned waters. Leelo’s brother’s singing lacks this enchanting quality, leading to a sad goodbye when he is exiled. Leelo has barely had the chance to process this loss when she sees an outsider about to succumb to the poison of the lake, and is forced to make a difficult decision. Should she allow the lake to protect Endala and take this outsider, or should save the man and betray Endala?

I flew through this novel! The narrative itself is gripping and intriguing. The story jumps between two viewpoints, which I always enjoy; I liked experiencing the events through the eyes of Leelo and Jaren. The fact that The Poison Season centers around nature was a plus. The characters are relatable and sympathetic. There are so many strong, independent female characters, but they all have their flaws, making them realistic as well. The ending pulled everything together so well while also letting some mystery remain.

Thank you NetGalley and Inkyard press for this ARC! This story is all about a girl named Leelo, a boy named Jaren, and their families. Leelo is from a small forest called Endla. There’s a whole community that thrives on the island in exchange for songs and sacrifices. Along the forest there’s a lake thats poisonous. Villagers from the opposite side of Endla try to pass for the fun of it, or are lured by the Endlans singing. One step into the lake and one immediately disintegrates. But what happens when an outsider — unintentionally stays on Endla for while?
This story was giving all the fantasy, magic, cottage core vibes. I enjoyed the point of views between Leelo and Jaren. In Leelo’s perspective we get to hear about her loving mother, her brother who doesn’t posses the magic of Endlans, her very strict and often times cold aunt, and her cousin. Although I found the cousin to be VERY problematic (she is very faithful to Endlan views, meanwhile Leelo not so much), their bond in the story was great to read. For Jaren it was interesting to read how he was kind of the only person who wasn’t affected by Endlans singing. And how he was living out his short time on Endla. I love the language throughout the story. The usage of different plants and the descriptions of the outfits for festivals. The whole endlan lore was very intriguing. I think the last half of the book is where you cannot put it down. There was a few plot twist I didn’t see coming. I absolutely loved it and couldn’t stop reading, but was sad it was almost over.

I really enjoyed this one. It was darker than I was expecting, but it fit perfectly with the story. I really hated Kerry, and it was sad that Sage was being *poisoned* by her mother’s point of view.
I wasn’t sure what to make of the ending, but in a good way because it makes sense for some things to be a little bit open-ended.

While very creative, unfortunately, I could not connect to this book. 2.5 stars, but rounding up

The plot was a bit too slow for me, and I predicted many things within the story. It was atmospheric and had a gothic vibe, but the writing didn't hold my attention.
I don't think this was for me; it happens sometimes. I appreciate the chance to read this arc, and I already know friends who will and do this book, so I'm glad it found its audience there.

Thank you to NetGalley and Inkyard Press for this ARC of The Poison Season. The Poison Season comes out on December 6th 2022. In Exchange for the ARC I have a 100% honest review of this book.

I have never read anything by Mara Rutherford and I’m starting to question why because I loved this book. It did take me a bit to get into but only like 30 pages max and once I hit that point I couldn’t put this book down.

This story follows Leelo during her Watcher year at the age of 17 on the island of The Wondering Forest. This forest has magic in it and has protected Leelos people for many generations along with the poison lake that surrounds the island. But if you are not born with the magic to sing the songs of the island then you are cast out and have to hope to survive the Journey across the lake.

This is such a perfect stand alone and honestly reminded me that shorter books can still be really good and have great character development. While I do wish we had just a bit more cause some of the characters seemed one note it didn’t distract from anything. I really loved the romance in this and this book is definitely a good winter read. The book doesn’t take place in one season but the hush tones on the book reminds me of winter if that makes any sense. Mara has said that this book might get a novella which I think is a fantastic idea. I highly recommend this book.

This was such a fun, magical fantasy that I think a lot of different age groups will be able to enjoy. It has a unique magic system, an enchanted forest and poisonous lake, and some great characters. There's also the matter of a budding, forbidden romance. Definitely something for everyone.

Leelo is our main female lead and she lives on a secluded island with her people, surrounded by a poisonous lake to protect them from outsiders. There's also a creepy, enchanted forest that must be fed animals in order to keep protecting the inhabitants. The people use magic in their song to lure animals to the forest for it to devour.

Jaren is a young man who lives in the small town across the lake with his family. He has heard stories about the island and it's people but is skeptical of how truthful these stories are. Until one night, he finds himself in an impossible situation and Leelo is the one who comes to his aid. Now Jaren is hiding on the island with Leelo his only source for food and companionship, and his only hope of getting home alive.

I really liked the writing style in this book - it flows really well and the characters are full of layered intricacies that make unravelling them something to look forward to. I really liked all of the different family bonds throughout the story, and the romance was also nice to watch unfold.

I will say that the flow of the storyline is somewhat predictable, but honestly that's not necessarily a bad thing. All depends on your preference - it really is a great book overall. The ending ties things up nicely though I have heard the author might have some bonus content about one of Jaren's sisters which I would be VERY excited to read lol. Overall, I'm glad I picked this one up and think it will appeal to a wide audience!

CAWPILE SCORE
C-7
A-8
W-7
P-7
I-7
L-6
E-6
TOTAL-6.86/10

<spoiler>

CAWPILE
<b>Characters</b>
Leelo—doesn’t like to hurt things. Strong magic. Thought that might be something else. Wasn’t. caring, but not weak.
Sage—To strong, brittle. Follows her mom’s footsteps
Fiona—Mom, sick, willing to fight for daughters happiness
Ketty—Mean aunt. Did some bad things in past, pushes pain on others
Jaren—immune to singing, no direction, cares for his family. bookish
Wandering Forest—There were a couple scenes that were really “scary” Loved those.

Very well done emotions of all the characters. The relationship between Ketty and Fiona, her abuse and the way she was abused, felt realistic

<b>Atmosphere</b>
Descriptions of the forest and lake were great. Other parts less so.

<b>Writing</b>
Good writing, fit the style of the story and wasn’t over the top.

<b>Plot</b>
Starts as the story of Leelo and her brother—then goes to Leelo and Jaren.

<b>Investment</b>
Took me a bit to really get invested into the story.
I really wanted to see her induction and then rebel, but she rebelled before

<b>Logic</b>
Can’t get the island size in my head. Was confused about the poison until that was explained.

<b>Enjoyment</b>
I enjoyed the 2nd half of this book, once Leelo and Jaren were together on the island.

<b>Misc</b>
I had some other thoughts as to what was going to happen in this book and while most didn’t happen, I thought it was still good.
I was expecting Jaren to have to survive in the forest alone vs against the Hunt.
More creepiness of the forest would’ve been appreciated.
Wasn’t really excited that Jaren was an Endlan

</spoiler>

This was a beautiful and haunting fantasy story. The writing was amazing and I loved the characters (even the characters you had to hate a bit were absolutely well done and believable). Leelo lives on an island with a magical wandering woods and a lake full of poison that protect her people from the Outsiders. Leelo and her people are magic and their songs are beautiful and deadly. Because of the danger when people are born on the island who lack the magic to their song they are sent away before they turn 13 to protect them from the lure of the song. The islanders are constantly watching to ensure the outsiders don’t come to the island because they know the outsiders would hurt them for their magic. Leelo has never thought too hard about this but her own brother lacks magic in his singing and she is heartbroken that he will be sent away to be at the mercy of the outsiders she has been told are dangerous and cruel. But even a small island community can have secrets and Leelo is about to find out there is so much more to the world than she has been told.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4701114677

Leelo is a member of a small tight-knit community tucked into a lavish forest full of dark secrets, including those of their poison lake and the sacrifices demanded of them. I loved the atmospheric descriptions and the eerie personification of the forest as a slumbering monster. This story has such a creative premise and so much potential!

Unfortunately, this just wasn't the story for me. I couldn't get past the awkward combo of an unlikable love interest and their insta-love. It didn't make sense to me, and was almost as disorienting as the near-constant info-dumping that made it so hard for me to get through the first parts of the book.

Thank you to Mara Rutherford, Netgalley, and Inkyard Press.

Outsiders must choose to be cast into the bloodthirsty Forest or the poisonous lake. Even natives of Endla must make that choice if they don't have the magic of the enchanted song that the community leaves. Leelo loves Endla, but her brother might be exiled soon, and she saves a stranger that nearly drowned in the lake. This is a shocking betrayal of all Endla believes in, but she soon realizes that there are other dangerous things besides the lake.

The island where Endla is located lies within a poisoned lake close enough to the mainland that the water freezes solid in winter. This allows people or animals to cross over. The poison will dissolve flesh and bones, and the forest on the island wants payments of blood to keep the residents safe. Magic songs can be used for hunting, luring, or rejoicing. Leelo is hoping her brother can be saved and is willing to break rules in order to do so. She is the only one besides her mother who really cares about Tate in her family; later we find out a secret her mother kept that explains why Leelo's aunt behaves the way that she does.

It isn't a surprise that Leelo and Jaren fall for each other; she knows every other boy her age on the island, and there are only three hundred families on the island. He's new and forbidden, and he relies on her help. But they do feel alone and isolated in their home communities, which gives them a means to bond aside from the inevitable attraction. Of course, they're found out, and of course, Jaren isn't trusted. By then, the two truly care for each other, and Leelo learns more about her people's ways ahead of when she is meant to. There's more to the island's history and how the elders run it, though they think it's meant to protect their people from outsiders that would want to kill them.

The final chapters of the book carry a melancholy air to them. We see the long-term consequences of the Endlan actions and hints of what the future will likely be. There's hope within the sadness; change has come to the island, and nothing is as it used to be. Life is like that, though. Even with loss, nature will return and bring new life again.

This book was right up my alley. Perfect mix of romance and fantasy. The cover is beautiful. It has great world building and well written characters.

The Poison Season follows Leelo, a native of the magical island of Endla, and the actions she must take to protect a forbidden outsider who accidentally happened upon Endla.

I really enjoyed this book. This family saga, intensified by the enchanted, bloodthirsty forest setting, was interesting. The tension propelled me through this book. The characters are really well-developed - especially Leelo. The reader really feels her internal struggle throughout the book. Her empathy breaks your heart and pushes you to root for her happy ending.

The story itself didn't include a lot of magic using, which was a bit of a letdown. The magic was almost sort of ornamental in nature - it existed to create a fantastic world, but didn't do much to push the plot forward. The plot, though, was still twisty and delicious, and surprised me every step of the way.

This would've been a 5-star book, but I was disappointed at the lack of diversity. The characters present white - it's not clear that there are any characters of color, let alone as main characters. This is a surprising, and frankly disappointing, choice on the part of Mara Rutherford, especially when The Poison Season's central themes are identity, xenophobia, and segregation.

This was a good storyline that had the potential to make important statements, especially in the context of our current world, when we feel more divided than ever. While Rutherford did not achieve her social responsibility when writing this book, she did craft an exciting, tender tale with loving, full characters and a fearless heroine.

The Poison Season is a good read for anyone who enjoys young adult fiction/fantasy, family sagas, mysteries, and close-door romance.

A solid YA fantasy with a very atmospheric setting, star-crossed lovers, an isolated community, a strong sense of love of family, and what can go wrong with all that. I think this story particularly resonates with people who went through isolation during the pandemic. Small communities can be very supportive but also very smothering. And sometimes deadly.

I really liked Leelo who was trying to follow her own conscience but also do right by her community. Jaren I had a harder time with at first. He was smugly superior being from a big city who knew better than to believe in magic. He wasn't cruel about it but that attitude just rubbed me the wrong way. As the book continued, his better qualities won out.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest opinion.

This was a great YA stand-alone!

I really enjoyed the characters and the plot.
Always love the dual POV, I feel like it helps authors flesh out both MCs well enough, and it usually helps the romance greatly, especially when the book is not very long and the characters are not together all the time, which was the case here. Both MCs, Leelo and Jaren, were relatable and I loved their romance.
It's a very romance driven book, which actually surprised me a little bit because I thought going into it that the romace won't be in the center of the story but at the end everything came down to being loved and who you love and the magic part of the plot was just in the background, being mentioned occasionally. I'm not mad about it but I do wish that the magic and the romance were more evenly balanced because I absolutely loooved the magic system. I've been dying to read a fantasy book with magic similar to the one in Motherland: Fort Salem and if you've watched that show and love it as much as I do I'd suggest picking this book if for nothing else just for that. I absolutely adored that part of the plot with the spooky, eerie atmosphere of the forest and the secluded village and I really thought more will be explored about the Leelo's powers and her role in their society but at the end that wasn't really relevant which disappointed me a little bit.
TPS was pretty fast paced which I was exactly in the mood for and I could barely put it down. I didn't think I was getting myself into a murder mystery but it sure felt that way towards the end when a lot of things were revealed and I really enjoyed that - some twists were better than others but altogether they weren't disappointing. The villains, not sure if we can call them that, were also great, complex and well developed, I really couldn't stand them by the end.
The ending was great and I'm looking forward to reading more by this author.

Eternal gratitude to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC

I’m not really sure how I feel about this. I enjoyed it but I also felt that it dragged on for me a bit as well. It also did the stereotypical fantasy thing and left me very confused with the world building until about halfway through the book. I found the plot a bit predictable at times but I really did enjoy the storyline. It was also refreshing to see such uncommon names used so I enjoyed that as well! All in all, it was okay.

Loved this! The author did an excellent job building the civilization of Endla itself and the world of the outsiders, complete with their cultures and mythologies. The beautiful writing helped with creating the otherworldly atmosphere. The imagery was lovely and the plot held its own up against the fantastic writing, which was a pleasant surprise. I really enjoyed the characters, even the antagonists were respectable because they were fighting for what they believed in. The book had elements of mystery and romance and was well paced throughout. From top to bottom this was a very well written book.

I docked half a star because there were some minor holes - for example, 20 people showed up to the summer solstice party and that was apparently a huge crowd that Leelo expected to be able to get lost in and that nobody would be able to keep track of her - what!!! Also the fact that there’s anyone on the island that they don’t know/anyone could be unaware of who that year’s incantu are? If the community is so small that 20 people is a huge turnout, then it makes no sense that they wouldn’t be acutely aware of who the magicless are, and when Leelo tried to get her aunt and cousin off her case by throwing out the name of a boy she seemingly knows nothing about, it’s hard to believe that she actually would know so little about his family. Anyway, minor points.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5. Definitely recommend this book! Thank you to NetGalley and Inkyard Press for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.