I received this book via NetGalley, thank you!

I enjoyed the basic premise of this book. It was different, a little bit spooky, and overall an enjoyable story. I did however find the characters hard to follow. There were 4 teenage girls living together, and their personalities and backstories blended together for me. I had to keep going back and rereading sections trying to figure out who was who, and who was doing what at certain times. Then there was their mothers added on top of it, and trying to remember which mom belonged to who and what was specifically important about each one and their relationship to their daughter(s). It was a little too much to track character wise for me, leading to some confusion.

One minor and silly thing I cringed a little at was when one of the girls was reviewing an address book that was used "before the internet" to get a phone number (because apparently the shop wasn't able to use email at the time they were utilizing this book, due to the lack of internet?). She looked at the publish date of the address book, it was 2003. She called it ancient. Meanwhile back in 2003, I and every other teenager was coding their own MySpace page on the internet, and also regularly using email, instant messengers, etc. So that was just... a little off!

I do wish there had been more detail gone into with the curse and the wind and sunflowers, and how these girls were able to just figure it all out. A lot of it seemed as if all the answers so easily fell in their lap. The curse itself and the sunflowers is such an interesting concept, I want to know more! I like how *****spoiler***** the sunflowers weren't the evil part at all, even though they came across as so ominous earlier on in the book. That was a great twist and I loved where that took the story.

I read a lot of YA and typically do enjoy what I read. This is one that I think had I read it when I was actually a teenager I would have really loved it way more than I did reading at 35. So I highly recommend it for the younger audience as it is actually intended. :-)

Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the arc!

Where Darkness Blooms is a rural ghost story about four girls whose mothers all disappeared two years prior. Lost women are common in Bishop, Kansas, where the sunflowers are watching and the wind is alive. Women die all the time, and the girls have to choose between being the next victims or the first to leave.

It took me a bit longer than I’d liked to get into the story, but I was hooked soon after. The idea of whispering winds and magic in a non-fantasy book was a bit confusing. However, I think the small cast of characters really helped to solidify the plot. Also, this was the first time in a while that I still liked the brash and cold female character in a novel. Bo was a firecracker but still super compelling. The others were a bit flat and really depended on their romantic relationships to shape their stories—which is annoying—but since that’s kind of the main point of the story it’s ok. Overall, this read like a campfire story which I am always here for so it was super fun.

I really enjoyed this! It started out a little slow but the second half was addictive and I read most of it in one sitting. I became so invested in the characters and I could not put it down. The mystery was really good and each of the characters was well fleshed out and developed. Overall this was a great read and I'd recommend!

Where Darkness Blooms is a fantastic spooky read about sentient sunflower fields, a small town where women going missing or dying unexpectedly is the norm, and four teenage girls who have had enough.

I was instantly drawn to the cover of this book (it's so beautiful!) and the premise was so intriguing. I honestly couldn’t read this book fast enough. I was so hooked!

Sunflowers are my favorite and who knew they could be so sinister! The atmosphere is amazing and the suspense keeps a tight grip on you as the mystery unravels.

The only negative thing I have to say about it is that it doesn’t release until February 23rd, 2023. I’m itching to have a physical copy of my own!

CW: discussions of sexual assault (implied, later revealed), stabbing/death, sex (implied), and underage drinking

*Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books for an eARC!

First off I have to say I love this cover, it's really eye catching. The story had a creepy atmosphere and the twists kept me guessing.

This book was creepy, powerful, moving and thought provoking. This book speaks on sheer determination and just how strong anyone one individual can be when faced with no other decision but to be strong or to give up. I will never look at sunflowers the same way again!

Thank you, St. Martins Press, for allowing me to read this story early!

First of all, I adore the gorgeous cover. And I love that I judged this book by its cover (in a positive way) because I really liked the stpry as well, especially the diverse rep. The pacing was a bit slow at times, but furthermore: fantastic!

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

First, I love the cover. The art is so beautiful and dark and I was expecting some body horror here like Wilder Girls.

Okay, I was obsessed reading this book. I had to finish as quickly as possible. It started off on heavy notes and I was so curious to what was going on. The suspense was killing me the whole time. I absolutely loved the tension and the twists and turns it took. When the answers starting lining up I was up late and early to read and figure out the ending.

This story is an interchanging POV between a group of 4 friends who live together in a town where women just randomly die or disappear. Their mothers have disappeared two years ago and they are still grieving and searching for answers to where they’ve gone.

I didn’t really mind anyone’s parts but Jude. I kind of flip-flopped between hating her and feeling so sorry for her. The person I felt the most for was Bo. She had so much hate and rage inside her because of her assault and her mom disappearing and I wanted to just hug her.

The supernatural elements were subtle but used very well. The wind talking to people and leading it places, the sunflowers being able to watch people, and the way the land seemed to be crying out for more and more. The end was satisfying yet I wanted more pain for those who’d wronged the girls.

This is probably one of my favorite books I’ve read in a while! I can’t wait to read more from this author in the future!

I'm not gonna lie, that cover is the reason I requested this book. Look at it, it's gorgeous.

Where Darkness Blooms follows four woman (Delilah, Whitney, Jude and Bo) as they uncover the dark secrets of this small town named Bishop known for disappearing women, heavy wind storms and seemingly endless sunflowers.

The setting is amazing. A tiny rural Kansas town, sunflowers, windy and storms. The imagery is great, I can vividly imagine the town, the endless sunflowers, the wind. It was the perfect amount of show and tell, the author painted a great picture.

The plot was interesting. It does an amazing job interlacing female's being treated as less than with the plot, and that was really well done overall. In this town women are treated as less than the men, much like they are in society still to this day, and any woman who digs too deep or talks too much is a problem. I also love how this book acknowledges that trans women are women and that just because they weren't born with female parts does not make them any less female.

Which brings me to to my next point. There is a very diverse cast of characters, and I loved that. But I just did not feel connected to them at all. They could easily be one character and I think it would have been so much better if Bo was the only main character, she had the most depth and it was a shame she didn't see much development. They feel like they have so much potential but they really fall flat, weren't very developed and didn't feel real at all. I think that's just because I really can't relate to them, and that may just be me but they just aren't pulling much from me at all. I loved Evan and we really only saw him a few times before he died, we didn't know much about him but I still felt more for him dying than any of what the main characters went through and were dealing with.

The whole thing with Delilah, Jude and Bennet is ridiculous and felt like just an added layer of unnecessary drama. Everything that happened as a result could just have easily happened if there wasn't a love triangle.

The plot twist really wasn't a twist at all and I find it hard to believe none of those girls connected the dots until it was written out for them that the Hardings controlled the winds and that they sacrifice the women for the curse. I mean, come on, they're not dumb.

Honestly I had to push my way through this one. Don't get me wrong, I really liked the plot, the setting, the descriptions, it's just I hated the characters, which made it so hard to read, I nearly DNFd it but I really wanted to see this one through. Overall I think a lot of people would enjoy this one, I'm still giving it 4 stars, but the characters definitely need better development.


Goodreads review link: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4826734404

Instagram review link: https://www.instagram.com/p/CfwJuuihlOa/?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY=

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest opinion!

When I saw this cover I immediately knew that I had to read this book and I ended up truly enjoying it. The setting and characters were both amazing and I loved the plot. It was a little bit slow at first and hard to get through but that changed later on. It wasn't the best book I've ever read but i really enjoyed it.

This cover pulled me right into this book. Never thought i would be so freaked out by sunflowers. Thanks, #netgalley.

Four girls, brought toegther by their mothers' friendship, are abandoned to fend for themselves in a town with a murderous and secret past, and full of evil shitty dudes.

I enjoyed this book. It was creepy and interesting, but i wish the clans powers were more explained/ explored rather than them just kind of being able to do everything. I felt the tension in all of the relationships between the girls, and while two had a good resolution i don't see them so during it their issues and i surely would not forgive the adults in my life so easily. However, it was unpredictable and i thought had a good resolution. Curse breaking is always satisfying.

Where Darkness Blooms by Andrea Hannah follows a group of four teenage girls who live in the town of Bishop. The town is known for an endless field of sunflowers and a recurring theme of missing women. The aforementioned teenagers are committed to cracking this case and figuring out what has happened to their mothers!

I was really digging the premise of this book along with the potential of how things could turn out. I was hopeful that I'd make connections to these girls and feel engaged within their story. I never really felt totally immersed in what was happening, I always felt like an outsider looking in. I think the biggest thing that made the consumption of this material a struggle was the multiple characters who are so tightly bunched together they almost become indistinguishable. For the first part of the book, I found myself confused trying to figure out who is who and identifying the different personalities and what makes each girl unique. I think the development of these characters didn't come to fruition for me, by the end of the book I still didn't feel those connections that I feel so easily with other characters and series. I couldn't even tell you who my favorite character was.

I would recommend this book to the younger crowd - I think my teenage self might have enjoyed this book more than me in my early 30s...even though I am no stranger to enjoying YA. If you enjoy small town vibes and following a group of tight-knit friends solve a mystery - this one is for you. Bonus if you like supernatural elements.

Thank you so much to St. Martin's Press along with NetGalley for the ARC in return for honest feedback.

Where Darkness Blooms is a dark, twisty YA novel about a small town where the sunflowers seem to be alive and women are mysteriously disappearing.

The setting was so eerie and something felt off right from the beginning. I thought the writing was fantastic, and the characters were well fleshed out.

I really enjoyed, I think many YA mystery readers will love Where Darkness Blooms.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars. Thank you to St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC. This was a spooky read about four girls living in a secluded town surrounded by creepy sunflowers where women are always dying and the wind keeps them from leaving. Their mothers all disappeared at the same time two years ago and they don’t know if they’re dead or alive, but they decide they’re going to find out once and for all.

I thought the concept of the book was really interesting and I liked the dark atmosphere. Each of the girls has their own POV but it was a little difficult to differentiate them for a while. Some were more likable than others - Bo was my fave, Jude was my least fave. I think overall the author could have made them a bit more distinguishable from one another. Nothing was really shocking about the ending but it was enjoyable enough to read and I liked how things turned out. I also thought the way women were treated by men and the reference to The Handmaid’s Tale were super relevant. I would recommend this book if you like creepy vibes, strong women, small town settings, and mysteries.

I enjoy books with creepy plant life. It's a more recent trend, having flowers, vines, and leaves be somewhat sentient and I think it's cool and weird and a fun plot point. This book jumped right into things and kept up a pretty quick pace that pulled me in. I like the different viewpoints of the girls and their experiences with loss and the strange things happening in town.

Bo was probably my favorite character, because she's bold and a fighter. She's been through some trauma not really dealing with it, but she keeps protecting her friends and searching for what really happened to her mom two years ago. Jude is the one who frustrated me the most and let her misplaced love for an undeserving boy get between her and her friends. I'm not a fan of girls putting a toxic partner before lifelong friendships and needed someone to shake some sense into her.

The author did a good job of leading the reader through the story. We got some information at the beginning and then learned everything else as we went along. There weren't many shocking moments, but I enjoyed uncovering truths as the girls found clues and pieced things together. This was a well written horror story and an entertaining read.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the copy

Where Darkness Blooms is a dark, twisted YA story about a town where the sunflowers seem to be alive and where women mysteriously disappear. The beginning was a bit slow and the characters were hard to track at first, but the story was very easy to follow and I felt drawn to figuring out what would happen to the girls in the story. Some good things about this book were the plot: it was interesting, dark, and very unique. It was a plot I have never really seen before. Some ideas would be giving a better differentiation between the characters--I found myself losing track of who was who and their backstory. I definitely think this book is very plot-driven and I don't see much character development so I think the characters could've benefited from some more concreteness. I loved the description in the book, I think it really added to the ambiance of it, some of the dialogue could be a little clunky but overall it moved quickly and it all fit very well. Overall a good story with a very strong storyline. If I could change anything it would be the dialogue and how the characters are presented and written, but I really think they have a strong base. I love the atmosphere of the book and think this would be a really good fall/Halloween book.

3.5 rounded up.
i’m a sucker for books set in a small town that is a character in and of itself.
this book was no exception. it had me hooked from the beginning and kept me interested as the plot progressed. it was predictable at times but that’s never really been a negative for me.
i enjoyed the point of view of three out of the four main characters which is an achievement as when reading multiple pov books i usually only have one or two favourites. i’m very excited for this book to release so that i can own a physical copy.

WHERE DARKNESS BLOOMS is the kind of book that starts slow, but creeps up on you faster and faster like a strangling vine you cannot escape. It is dark and feminist and ominous in all the best ways.
One highlight of the book for me is how distinct and separate each of the four narrating girls is. They each have their own journey going on, but it all ties together with each other. And most of them not being related (two of the girls are twins, but the girls are otherwise unrelated) they really come across a family (even if a bit dysfunctional at times).
Another part of the book the author absolutely nails is the atmospheric tone. Once you pick up this book, you feel the doom of being trapped in the windy sunflower filled tone of Bishop just as much as the characters are, and become just as desperate for them to escape as they are.
I highly recommend it for anyone in the mood for something spooky and eerie, and for anyone who wants to see a feminist take on horror.

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

Where Darkness Blooms unlocked a new fear of mine that I never knew existed. Now I've heard of sunflower fields before, but I've never actually seen one with my own eyes. After reading this book, I have a feeling I probably never will or go to a town that has one.

In this, you will meet the lovely girls who live within the creepiest town ever: Bishop. Delilah, Jude, Whitney, and Bo have one thing in common: Their mothers are missing. No one seems completely shocked by this news but then again, the people within this town were already weird. The weirdest bunch were the Harding boys.

Yes, these guys and other people were acting just way too suspicious for me. Something felt off right from the very beginning. Which made me sort of frustrated with certain characters because of how they acted around them. It's like they see all the red flags but end up ignoring them until it's too late.

With each twist and turn, I constantly wondered what actually happened to their moms. Also, why are the flowers so creepy? Why does the wind only talk to certain people? Once I got some of my answers, it was way too hard to put the book down until I reached the very last page. Mostly because I wanted to figure out the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, and then get some revenge.

In the end, I wanted the whole town to burn to the ground with certain people in it. I'll admit it's a little bittersweet to know not everyone on my list died but I'm happy to know that the curse has been defeated. Sort of. Still suspicious of a certain someone and probably always will be.

I'd also like to state that I'm really happy that I got the chance to jump into this wonderful book. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time and can't wait for the next book Andrea writes!

Where Darkness Blooms is a YA horror novel about a small town with a lot of missing women, aggressive wind storms, a never-ending sunflower field, and land hungry for blood. It follows 4 girls as they try to understand the disappearance of all 3 of their moms and get caught up in the evil at the heart of their town. A quick spooky read, perfect for fans of House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland or Horrid by Katrina Leno.