In 1885 Sacramento, amidst the fight for women’s rights, runaway twins work for a performance troupe as psychics. Edie is reserved while her twin Violet is theatrical. They conduct a seance for an elderly woman who recently lost her cat. While pretending that the cat’s spirit is with them in the room, Edie senses the Veil thinning and a cold, uncomfortable feeling enters the room. She douses the smoldering lavender and the feeling goes away. They’ve helped their customer feel comfort but they’re shaken. Edie’s and Violet’s mother had spiritualist powers and she helped her daughters learn how to be safe with the powers they inherited from her. When their mother dies due to a shadow spirit, their preacher father threatens to send them to an asylum so they run away. They join up with the troupe and meet like-minded women trying to make a living. Edie and Violet become embroiled in a mystery that’s bigger than they ever imagined and much more dangerous than they planned on. Riveting, suspenseful and fun to read, 5 stars!

Likes/dislikes:
I appreciate the author’s note explaining how she based this story on her deceased great grandmother and her twin sister, who both happened to be spiritualists. I was riveted throughout the entire book because the story is interesting and I love the characters. The danger and suspense are intense. The ethnicity is mixed with white, Italian and Black.

Language: PG for 4 swears and no f-bombs
Mature content: PG for a lesbian couple mentioned. Edie (female) and Laws (male)kissing.
Violence: PG-13 for An angry shadow spirit threatening spiritualists, kidnapping and trapping and a bloody death.

If you enjoyed the diviners by Libba Bray, then this is definitely for you. Merging supernatural elements with sisterly bonds, family and hope, this book has a lot going for it. I liked the pacing and the atmosphere. It was fast, enjoyable, and I liked the magic system quite a lot!

This book took me on a wild journey. I loved it was based on two real life people. I found they came alive amongst the pages and I could imagine them walking around and sitting next to me. The author also obviously did so much research to make the book as good as she could, and it showed. Saying that, it didn’t drag and the author only included what applied to the story and atmosphere.

I really enjoyed this one and I’m excited to see what the author writes next. Thank you to netgalley, the author and publisher, for a chance to read and review this book.

I loved it and I actually wasn't expecting it to be so hooked!

I was pretty confused overall on which direction the story was supposed to go, I couldn't figure out plot twists (or maybe I was just expecting them already?) because I just had no idea where the plot were going anyway. That and the fact that I was a bit frustrated by the way Edie hide everything to her twin sister (but that's understandable) is making me go down a stars to my rating, but honestly it was just really good!

I loved the way Violet and especially Edie's powers worked, everything that has been created around their powers, the Veil, spirits, etc was very well done. I also loved the way the author played with a part of history: the mediums going on tour etc in the 1800's in the US (by the way, the author got inspired by their great grandmothers, Edie and Violet, themself spirit mediums, for this story, which was really a great addition to the book!!).

We're in between historical with the women rights fight in the US, the way they were treated, thoughts insane and weird medication, thrown into asylums for no (real) reasons by their husbands, etc, and paranormal. I really loved how everything were connected and told. Edie and Violet are true, we understand the way both acts, what they want, their dreams, as well as everyone doing the tour with them (big hug to Liliane). I also really liked Laws, the male protagonist and love interest who were really interesting in his personality and how his character developed.

A very very good debut and that mix between historical on women's status and the paranomrla with spirits and possessions was just amazing and really hooking!

This book intrigued me in the best way possible and I was so happy to receive an advance copy of it! The Second Death of Edie and Violet Bond is one of those books that pulls you in and makes your stay worthwhile. If you're looking for a supernatural vibe with a whole lot of mystery and adventure, this one's for you!

Spiritualism, Feminism, and Family.

The Second Death of Edie and Violet Bond was nothing like I had expected, in all of the best ways. First of all, the book is (albeit loosely) inspired by ancestors in Glaze's own family! How cool is that?

Amanda clearly did her research into the Spiritualist movement and yet only manages to scratch the surface.
Though they are twins, this story follows Edie Bond- the more 'mature' of the Bond sisters as they navigate their way through independence in the medium circuit. While the sisters are graced with supernatural abilities, they walk a fine line between pandering to the public and avoiding persecution.

With a well-rounded supporting cast, reading this book reminded me of Sasha Peyton Smith's 'Witch Hunt/Witch Haven', and Kerri Maniscalco's 'Stalking Jack the Ripper' series. All three are ripe with historical context, mystery, suspense, and a fair bit of skeptical whimsy.

While this read has the spiciness of ketchup, I feel as though Amanda did the right thing by concentrating on themes of family, friendship, and innocence. (Or innocence lost as the case may be.) Besides, who wants to write about their great-great aunts getting it on? Might be a lil' weird.

At the end of the day, the girl-detective vibes made this an un-putdownable read while also leaving me pleasantly satisfied by the ending. For once, I am not desperate for a sequel and intend to keep an eye on any forthcoming works by Glaze.

I will note, however, that I was surprised by some of the gore and graphics throughout. (Self-harm, torture, etc.) I believe there is a disclaimer at the start of the book, but I would be mindful going in if you may be personally triggered.

[Thank you to NetGalley and Union Square & Co for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.]

I will say I was convinced this was queer, and was disappointed it wasn’t. But, regardless of that, it was a very fun read. I have a few kids asking about it at the library too so I will buy it for the next school year.

What was my opinion on this book?

That I’d read it before basically in the diviners. Although it’s a slightly different time period it covers a lot of the same story beats but with a lot less success. The narrative head hops between the twins without any warning, sometimes during the same paragraph. Although we mostly only follow one of them and she’s kind of…awful
But the other twin is very like the MC from diviners so maybe that’s why that choice was made. All of these characters are basically characters I’ve seen in other books done better and I didn’t care about any of them. There was no build up or threat for what I even needed to care about.
If you’re looking for suspensive, feminist, thought provoking and spooky books set in a similar time frame I would stick with diviners and Libba.

I gave this a four out of five stars. I really enjoyed the characters and the story. The story is different then I thought it would be but it’s so much better. I totally think you should check it out.

I really enjoyed The Second Death of Edie and Violet Bond by Amanda Glaze.
I loved the vibes of the book and I really liked the characters and while this wasn't the most unique YA book I've ever read, it was still a joy to read.
I definitely recommend this book.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was AMAZING. As a Barnes and Noble employee, I cannot recommend this enough. I usually am not a fan of books like this, but I loved it. I think the book was action-packed and the world-building was superior. I loved how real the characters seemed.

I read this book during September and October, right around the time when I also happened to be exploring some spiritual beyond-the-veil practices and even attended a seance. It was perfect timing!

My favorite things about this book:

Young women who inherited and learned about their witchy abilities from their mother

Edie’s ability to cross the veil and see that plane of existence

The camaraderie and supportive network of women working in this field, especially during the Victorian era when psychic-type ideas were both fascinating and taboo to the public

The entire plot development and conclusion was well done

Small details like the joy these women experienced while riding a bicycle for the first time

The depth of description for all of their herbs and other tools used in their spiritual practices

Really, I don’t have many complaints about this book at all. It was engaging, well-paced, and atmospheric. I loved reading this in the dark at bedtime, because I could just really immerse myself in the setting. I would absolutely read more books about Edie & Violet or using the same concepts of the veil.

This book was very interesting. It takes place in late 1800's California and surrounds the story of twin sisters, Edie and Violet, who are clairvoyant. This topic was so unique and is something I knew little about until reading this book. The world's surge of interest in the paranormal and how women capitalized on it to get around the patriarchal society and views to further their own interests was fascinating. I loved the feminist undercurrent in this story, and it was not something I expected to find. The vibe of the book was very atmospheric and a little spooky which really lent itself well to the plot. I thought the world and powers of Edie and Violet were so unique and interesting, that I wish we would have gone a little deeper into it. The plot was exciting, and it had a really great twist, but it felt a little surface-level for me and I would have really liked to delve in and become fully immersed. Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was a fun, spooky, and easy read.

So this book's vibes were immaculate but if we look on the story it's a very clichéd one that I for myself didn't enjoy that much. The author wanted to attempt a mystery along with the spooky otherworldly storyline but in my humble opinion, she didn't succeed. I give her the credit tho for the writingstye and plot arrangement which somewhat kept me hooked a little that's why I'm giving it a 3 star not 2. And to just be honest this had lots of potential even though it's cliché but only if the story went in a certain direction other than how it ended. I do recommend reading it tho as it's not horrible but I definitely had higher standards than what I got.

A lovely YA historical fantasy with interesting themes of woman emancipation, the long road that was, and the length some women had to go to, to hide or use their intelligence in an accepted way.
Edie and Violet, the twin protagonist have a lot on their plate and their adventure, the mystery of their mother's death, and their hope for a future where perhaps they can get out of the medium talent tour life is a compelling story. Sadly, I didn't find the sisters very likable and that took a lot of my enjoyment out, but I'm not the main target of this book, so that plays.
There is nothing very new here, but this story has all the ingredients to be one of those beloved books for teens - the well-paced mystery, the sister/frienemy relation, the cute love interest ellipsis, the magic that seems within reach... a great combo for its YA audience.

“Tonight, I will tell you the truth. As only a spirit can.”

The Second Death of Edie and Violet Bond is a story about two sisters who possess medium powers. With Edie being able to go beyond the veil, and with Violet being able to contact the spirits and have them possess her, they are of course one of the main acts of a variety of travelling mediums.

I'm going to be honest, I was so closed to DNFing this book. I didn't like Edie as a character and felt that the romance in the story was unneeded and rushed.

The characters, at least for the first half of the story, felt flat and unlikeable.

I only continued to read because I was still curious as to what would happen, and as it went the story grew slightly more interesting and actually surprised me.

I am glad that I stayed reading to the end, but I still think more could be done to strengthen the romance plot or even take it out fully.

Thank you to the publishers for providing me with an eArc in exchange for my honest review.

Based on the author's great-grandmother and her sister, this is book to read in October. Set in Sacramento in 1885, The Second Death of Edie and Violet Bond is a spooky paranormal mystery about twin mediums. Recommended for fans of the paranormal.

Thank you so much, NetGalley, Union Square & Co. - A subsidiary of Sterling Publishing, Union Square & Co., for the chance to read this book in exchange of an honest review.

Edie and Violet Bond know about death. They are powerful mediums, just like their mother. Viole can open the veil between living and dead and Edie can cross it, but nothing can help them when their mother dies and their father wants to commit them to an asylum.
Running away is their only choice and now they are part of a traveling Spiritualist show, a group of women that show their real talents, faking to commuting with the spirits. Actresses, poets, musicians and so on. Using the spirits they are free to tell what a women couldn't ever express freely. But when Violet's act goes wrong, the twins learn that the spirit responsible for their mother's death is now in the living world. They decided to start investigating their mother's last client, learning how someone is now haunting mediums, like them. Only by trusting themselves will they be able to save each other against a powerful spirit.

The second death of Edie and Violet Bond is an eerie, intriguing and magic story about siblings love and bond, life and death, justice and women's connections. It's a book about sisterhood and women ready to defy the world they live in and the story is even more incredible because it's inspired by lives of real teenage twin mediums in the 19th century.
This supernatural debut is chilling, eerie and absolutely magnificent. Amanda Glaze has a wonderful way with words, worlds and characters. Violet and Edie are amazing, I love them so much, not only their bond, but also their stubborness love and, also, the traveling Spiritualist show, with these marvellous and incredible women, with their talents in a world determined to oppress and hide them. I love the defiance, the courage, the stubbornesss in each and every one of them. Not only that, I loved the twin's investigation, the veil between life and death and their powers. Everything was eerie and chilling and I was truly and absolutely impressed.

I’ve been intrigued with Edie and Violet Bond as they are real people and there have been at least one other if not more books about them. I loved that the author is actually related to them. I didn’t realize exactly how much historical types of issues would be in the story, but I liked how they really filled out to make it more than just a ghost story.

Right away I was hooked by the whole medium tour and knowing that while they may actually have real powers, they mostly used more of fakery things because that is what people expected. I loved how the time period came into play so much. Women being put into asylums because the men in their life, fathers, husbands, etc., could easily just say they were being hysterical if they didn’t want or like what they were doing. It was more than that. There was a character who was working on getting women accepted into schools/colleges that the weren’t in the past. And overall there was the mystery of who was kidnapping or why were so many other mediums disappearing.

The way it played out was well laid out by the author and kept me wondering exactly what was happening. The descriptions of the death or in-between area that the spirits were was also interesting and a bit of a different take than you might see in other stories.

The Second Death of Edie and Violet Bond was a supernatural tale interwoven with women's politics of the day. As much as I enjoyed the message the author was trying to get across I do think the politicalness took away from the supernatural side of the story. I really liked the girls story surrounding the supernatural and their gifts that they decide to use to their advantage. Both girls were a spitfire in their own way and I really enjoyed following their story. Overall I think this captured a spirit medium's life back in the olden times very well and enjoyed the real take on the supernatural aspect of it. This is a really good spooky season read!