I absolutely loved this book!! I couldn’t put it down.
I just loved all the characters. I highly recommend this book.

River Mumma is an ambitious second novel from Zalika Reid-Benta, and an expansion on themes from her previous work on Jamaican-Canadian identity, mother daughter dynamics, the loneliness of young women on the cusp of something more. Our main character Alicia is stuck and disenchanted with life post graduation, which consists of working at her part time retail job and resentfully socializing with her not-quite-friends. Everything changes for her when Alicia is called to the Humber River walking home one night, and encounters River Mumma, a powerful spirit from Jamaican folklore. River Mumma needs help, and only Alicia can do what she needs - find her stolen comb in the next day or face dire consequences. This sets us off on Alicia’s quest to find the comb, which of course leads her to learn more about her ancestors, her life purpose, connection to her heritage, and how much better it is to take on life with the ones you love. I think Reid-Benta’s writing and thematic exploration is the standout in this book; she captures big ideas and feelings in concise, beautiful language, and paints a vivid picture of Toronto and our band of Jamaican-Canadian heroes fighting for River Mumma. I think the book could have benefited from being longer to give more space to flesh out the more fantastical elements of the story while also giving more space for our characters to reveal themselves to us. However, I still found it an engaging read and love Zalika Reid-Benta’s writing. I look forward to what comes next from this author!

This is an interesting story. The accents slowed down the pace for me, I found it very distracting.

I really enjoyed the quest elements and the folklore and the characters.

THIS BOOK!! I think this is one of my favourite reads of the year. I loved it from the very beginning. Reid-Benta wrote a love letter to Toronto and Jamaican Canadians in this novel.

I loved the aspects of Jamaican folklore and mythology and how the author blended it expertly into everyday Toronto life . River Mumma has something for everyone - quests, horror, fantasy, a mercurial and powerful goddess.

Alicia has only one day to complete the Jamaican water goddess, River Mumma's seemingly impossible task - bring back the her golden comb or face the consequences of River Mumma leaving her rivers. Knowing only that it is located somewhere in Toronto, Alicia sets off with her friends, Mars and Heaven, to find the comb before time runs out. Throughout the day, she experiences visions of her ancestors' ties to River Mumma, battles duppies and ghosts, and deals with the joys of public transportation.

Would I recommend River Mumma to my friends? Heck, yes! I plan on getting my hands on a physical copy (for myself) as soon as I can. Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Random House Canada for my advanced reader copy. This was an absolute joy to read.

This is definitely the most interesting (and probably one of my favourite) books I’ve read this year! And it’s a complete surprise because I would have never heard of this book otherwise if NetGalley hadn’t sent it out in an email blast.

The book is full of Jamaican folklore that has the main character, Alicia, running around Toronto as she has 24-hours to complete a quest by the Jamaican deity, River Mumma, or face consequences that not only affect her, but her ancestors as well. I felt that the author did a really great job with setting the story within the streets of Toronto, and this book was full of Canadian and Toronto specific nuances (e.g. which subway station had the best patties, Timbits from Tim Hortons, the unreliability of the TTC) which I really enjoyed; a special appearance by a very specific Toronto-based rapper was even involved in the story, which was hilarious. The banter between Alicia and her friends, Heaven and Marcus (aka “Mars”) had me cackling despite them being chased by spirits and other magical happenings that need to be seen to be believed. I also enjoyed the funny pop culture references that were peppered in throughout the book. I do admit that at times, I felt like I had lost track of what was happening (particularly when Alicia has visions), but I was able to come right back into the story.

I’m so glad that I was able to get my hands on this eARC, and I definitely want a physical copy when this comes out later this month on August 22! Thanks so much @netgalley !

This was one of my most anticipated books of 2023 by the award winning Jamaican Canadian author of Frying plantain and it did NOT disappoint. Set in Toronto, the story features new grad Alicia who is floundering, living with her mother and trying to figure out life.

Walking home one night she stumbles upon a Jamaican water deity, River Mumma, who demands she find and return a comb within 24 hours. What follows is a madcap dash around the city with a couple of her friends as they embark on a mythical quest.

I loved how grounded this debut fiction story felt as it combined magical realism with Jamaican folklore and mythology. Great on audio and highly recommended for fans of books like N K Jemison's The city we became series or Shallow waters by Anita Kopacz.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and Librofm for an ALC in exchange for my honest review!! Zalika is a talented up and coming Canadian author to watch out for and I foresee more award nominations in her future for this latest work of literary fiction!

I loved this book. The story was interesting, and the characters felt real. I love that it takes place in Toronto and I actually knew the places mentioned. I love the Jamaican history and mythology. Great read!

This book was a treat to read. Living mere hours away from Toronto, I've been to and heard of a lot of the landmarks in the book. I really enjoyed following Alice on her quest to retrieve Mumma's comb. With little to zero leads to follow, Alice and her friends embark on a journey fraught with drama, and a lot of danger.
Alice's Mom was a hilarious character that is constantly texting Alice to pick up different items at the grocery store, and inserting little tidbits about news stories that Alice would rather not hear about.
Poor Alice feels like everyone she knows is exactly where they want to be in life, and she's muddling along with no career or prospects.
An incredible story weaving Jamaican folklore, with modern day.

River Mumma was an interesting read for me mainly because the setting is in my home town. I could have used a translator for some of the phrases used throughout this book.
The story is interesting in that it hinges on reality, fantasy and occult beliefs that are strongly associated with the islands in the south.
I found the beliefs and traditions associated with those concepts interesting.
All around a good read and I look forward to more from this author.

I was given an ARC copy of this book for my honest review.

This was an interesting book! Not what I expected at all. I appreciated the local setting and thought the characters were well developed.
I normally read kid lit/YA ARCs, so adult fiction was a change of pace (for this medium) for me. It's also a bit outside my wheelhouse, but I'm really glad I tried it!

A different read for me! Enjoyed this "coming of age" story set in a city I'm pretty acquainted with. I appreciated the folklore and a small glimpse into some Jamaican culture. As many of us grapple with what happens next, this book will be a good read for many.

I just finished reading River Mumma. I had not read anything about Jamaican folklore before. That was quite interesting The story was engaging with a chaotic day in Toronto (24hours) focussed on 3 young people of Jamaican heritage dealing with an angry spirit who wreaks havoc as they attempt to locate a special object. If you enjoy fantasy thus should be up your alley.

This reminded me of the Percy Jackson books, but with Jamaican mythical creatures and based in Toronto. Born and raised in Toronto, I loved reading about all the local places Alicia and her friends travel in this book on the quest to recover a stolen item for River Mumma. I absolutely loved the Jamaican/Toronto culture that came through, “Me no have that” 😂. The book was engrossing and terrifying at times, well worth a read.

I was given this ARC from Netgalley and under no obligation to leave this review.

Alicia's life is not exactly going as planned. A recent college graduate, she is unable to find a job in her field so instead works retail. Walking home one night after a party, she finds herself drawn to Cruickshank Park in Toronto. Specifically, to the Humber River, where she meets River Mumma, a Jamaican water deity. River Mumma tasks her with finding her golden comb, which was stolen from her. The next morning, she wakes up with no recollection of how she got home. As she tries to brush off her encounter as a dream and go about her day, she is submersed into vivid flashbacks of her ancestors before her. When the first duppy (a Jamaican demon) attacks Alicia and her friends, Mars and Heaven, she realizes this is the real deal. If she doesn't find the comb, River Mumma has shown her what will happen. Rivers and lakes dried up, not only in Canada, but around the world. The stakes are high. With help from her friends and guided by her visions, Alicia has until nightfall to complete her task. Will she be able to? Or will the horrible future River Mumma show her, come true.

Alika Reid-Benta creates such a fantastic story woven with Jamacian folklore and magical realism. An exciting, and sometimes downright scary, pageturner of a book, I could not put it down!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Penguin Random house for the ARC. All opinions are my own!

I really enjoyed reading River Mumma. The novel follows the protagonist Alicia, a well-educated but under-employed young woman, through a 24-hour period as she frantically tries to restore a magical comb to its rightful owner. Who is the comb's rightful owner? A powerful, glamorous Jamaican deity named River Mumma.

This novel definitely falls into the category of magical realism (there is even a guest appearance by an artist who is obviously intended to be Drake!). I enjoyed the fact that I had never heard of River Mumma or the demons chasing Alicia, so it was an interesting introduction to Jamaican folklore. The characters were likeable and realistic and the plot moved quickly. River Mumma is a fun read by a talented Canadian writer.

This was such a fun and cool book. I know just about nothing about Jamaican mythos and lore, so it was also a cool learning experience to learn a bit about the history of these stories and the beliefs surrounding them now. Plus, I love a local author, so that makes it even better! I would definitely recommend.

A mix of modern day and ancient cultural legend and folktale, River Mumma is captivating, entertaining and exhilarating. Alicia is a young Torontonian who roots are in Jamaica. She has just finished university and is underemployed, having no success finding work in her field. She attends a party and there meets a woman with whom she feels an inexplicable but immediate connection, fortified through a card reading. On her way home, she experiences a supernatural adventure and is plunged into a quest that takes her into her ancestral past and sets her on a collision course with the mythical creatures of Jamaican folk legends.
Part reality, part fantasy, River Mumma is engaging and a thoroughly enjoyable read. Thank you to Net Galley and Penguin Random House for the preview copy in exchange for an honest review.

Caution! Do not read this book unless you have time to gulp it down in one sitting. Zalika Reid-Benta's writing style is captivating from the first sentence until the last. Living just an hours train ride from Union Station makes me a bigger fan of River Mumma. Having visiting some of the landmarks in the book or knowing where they are made reading the book even more satisfying. I have always wanted to go the Bridle Path and fondly remember spending a weekend at The Royal York when my friend turned 30.

Learning about Jamaican folklore, culture and patois with a 416 lens via Reid-Benta's writing was both informational and captivating. When Mar's, a main character, talked about "The Cashman" I laughed right out loud. I encourage all of the readers who are not familiar with this 416 legend to YouTube him for a good laugh. I have just recently started reading this genre of book and by far River Mumma is my favourite. Aside from the focus on Jamaican folklore and fantasy another theme in this novel is family and friendship. The main character goes on both a mystical and literal journey.

Next on my TBR is Frying Plaintain, by this author, which I have already downloaded.

I encourage everyone, but especially those that live in the GTA and the Golden Horseshoe, to run to your local bookstore and get a copy for yourself and two more for your bestfriend & mom.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel.

It’s very rare that I get to read anything about Jamaican folklore. This story was amazing and brought out stories I’d only ever heard from my grandmother and great grandmother.

The way the author blended current affairs/pop culture with the old stories was well done and creatively demonstrated how many of us grew up doing certain this because it was tradition without knowing where it all came from.

Highly recommend.

River Mumma follows Alicia through a mad-dash of a day throughout the city of Toronto. The familiar setting combined with mythical elements of Jamaican folklore is magical.

Alicia is a grad school graduate with no plans (who’s under a lot of pressure). One evening after a party she forced herself to attend, the Jamaican water deity, River Mumma, appears to her. River Mumma gives her a quest with a very very short timeline. What follows is a coming of age adventure throughout the city streets of Toronto.

River Mumma is unlike anything I have ever read and was refreshingly fun.

Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada and NetGalley for this advanced electronic copy in exchange for an honest review.