I loved this unique take on the Golum story. Terra is a great main character, just trying to navigate her last year of high school and her friendship with Brick, who she feels is like a brother, but he wants more.
When Thorne walks into her life and turns everything she knows completely upside down. And now it's up to her not only to save herself, but the people she considers friends and family.
This story was fun and fast-paced. I loved the magic and how much Terra's family and her community cared for each other.

3.5 stars. Super cute story, but I think there's some unrealized potential.

What I liked:
- The way all the golems are connected and Terra's way of perceiving it felt perfect for the story.
- Terra felt like she had a realistic network of people around her. So often in YA, it's the best friends, the boyfriend, and family. The side characters in Terra's life were developed enough to actually have an impact on her story, and there are enough that it just builds around the theme of a wider family so well.
- The community felt like a place where I would want to live, and I understand why Terra fights so hard to protect it.
- Pacing worked really well for me.

What I didn't like:
- Golems are a very Jewish concept, so I was expecting at least some mention of Judaism, which was completely absent. Even naming the golems accordingly would've been nice, instead of Earth-related names (a little too on the nose).
- Thorne's complete 180 in the way he treats Terra was jarring. I understand the explanation given, but from what we see of his personality for literally the rest of the book, it's still so out of character. Not everything has to be enemies to lovers.
- The guilds and court structure felt underdeveloped, especially anything that Willow was involved with.

terra slater is going into her senior year intending to make it the best one yet. but when the mysterious thorne wilder, a magical bounty hunter, comes to town, he brings with him revelations that shake her up. she learns that she’s a golem, not born but crafted by a warlock from mud and magic. her adoptive parents have no idea about the world of magic, so it seems like thorne is the only one who will be able to help her explore her powers and her creation. terra learns that cyrus quill, the warlock who created her, is on the run, and his death could be her demise. she strikes a deal with thorne and his coven: in exchange for their protection of quill, she’ll prove her worth by mastering her own magic.

honestly, when i started this, i did not have high hopes. i’d read another fantasy book in a contemporary setting with an mc in high school earlier this month, and thought it was just okay, so i thought this was going to be another 3-star read. however, this book quickly turned around and became more exciting to me. i’m not sure i’ve read another book featuring golems (if i have, they were a side character, not the main character), so i enjoyed seeing terra learn where she came from and grow her magical abilities. also, i loved the representation of her being adopted and having such supportive parents! this was so sweet.

i’d recommend this book to YA fantasy readers, and i’ll be on the lookout for more books by jennifer birch.

Thank you to NetGalley and publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

Woven from Clay is a small town fantasy novel in which the main character Terra finds out she's a golem made from an evil wizard. The new kid Thorne comes to town and reveals everything. Can Terra save herself and her golem siblings?

This was honestly a cute fantasy read. The romance was cute and it was very YA. The only thing I don't get is that why are they all named after the earth if their parents don't know that they're made of mud. Like Brick???? CLAY??? come on!

I liked this but didn't love it? I was very intrigued in the beginning - such a cool premise and I liked how the plot was unfolding. The pace dropped off for me though after ~30% and I had a really hard time staying engaged. I did like the ending but at that point, I was just no longer invested in the story like I wanted to be.

A YA fantasy novel, re-imagining the golem myth via Terra, a teen girl who comes to terms with her non-human identity. The magic system is creative and the young-love romance with Thorne is super sweet. Overall, an enjoyable, unique read!

Sincere thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, & Wednesday Books for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really try getting into this one but I had such a hard time. I DNFed at 50%.

I actually really liked the FMC. Love how conflicted she is and how much she works so hard to be "enough". It was so real and such an issue that so many teenagers live through.

The thing is, t felt like a new Twilight but with Golems and sorcerers and I just couldn't.

I utterly love finding new books with unique fantasy systems and this one is that ten times over, I lovingly call this my mud people fantasy when recommending it to my friends, but that’s actually just a small description of this book filled with love, found family, kindness, and how new perspectives can help discover the truth. Terra is just a regular high school girl entering her senior year until she finds out she’s a golem when Thorne is sent to use her to track down a warlock who is responsible for multiple witches deaths. Soon after, Thorne realizes that all of his preconceived opinions about golems are wrong and that Terra is as human as the rest of the world.

Terra and Thorne are setting on an adventure to teach Terra how to use magic to save her life, and to help the witches guild learn more about golems, such that they can feel and love. Terra’s adventures into magic focus on strength, learning yourself, and self-discovery that gives this book the feeling of hope and change only teenagers can truly feel and I loved it so much. There was some fun high school romance and friendship drama, a jealous girl trying to make Thorne fall for her, and all the other things that makes high school romances so good, and I’m obsessed!

[Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to review this ARC with honesty.]

First I'd like to say that when I read the premise of this story, I was beyond intrigued in regards to the lore wrapped around golems in general.

The story is centered around a teenager named Terra, who is about to enjoy her last year of high school when a rude yet curious stranger who steps into her path and changes everything.

I did have fun with this one. The beginning and middle seemed to be strong while near the end, I started to notice (in my opinion) the plot going a little chaotic. Maybe that's what the author was going for in which case, they succeeded. The issue is more so the magic of it all. Without giving away any spoilers, I felt a little detached from the way the magic was used at the climax of the story. Again, it could be a me thing.

Regardless, I did still enjoy the fun, crazy times that Terra and Thorne got into as well as well as certain abilities I will not name for fear of spoils again. I wish I could have connected more with the ending but that being said, I would read from this author again.

My Rating: 3 Stars

Despite my complaints, which I will delve into, I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I no longer am drawn to urban fantasy like I used to be so I was hesitant about the story at first, but it was wonderfully uplifting while also challenging. Jenny Birch does a great job tackling tough feelings and experiences without it feeling preachy. This story is such a unique way to explore the emotions behind adoption and feeling out of place despite feeling loved. Birch was able to portray the array of feelings alongside other complicated identity issues that many teenagers juggle. The lessons of the book aside, I really appreciated Terra and her character growth. Watching her strength and confidence grow and seeing her lean into every part of herself was rewarding.

That being said, the writing itself was lacking in a lot of ways. Very minimal in the descriptions and world building. I think the author was more focused on the message she was trying to convey that other key aspects of story telling slipped up. It was an easy and fun read despite the lack of depth.

*Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest reciew*

Curious about the concept of a girl in the modern day being a golem and having to fight for her life (literally), I picked up Woven From Clay on the premise alone. After a slow start, this standalone story surprised me in a good way with the themes, characters, and world.

The first few chapters of the book was rather slow and I struggled to engage, mostly as it fell into the “oblivious teen with powers has to be told what magical things are happening” cliche that a lot of teen contemporary fantasy stories tend to start with. While it does establish Terra’s normal as she’s going through senior year, it felt like it took a while for the story to actually get started. After Terra’s true nature is revealed, the pacing picked up with lots of tension and we’re not stuck on a single plot point before there’s a change, with a powerful climax and satisfying ending.

Terra was a great protagonist. It’s clear that she cares for others around her and after being told the truth about her origins, she’s being an even more caring and kind person. She’s very much a rule follower, perfectionist, and has her life routed out, so Thorne crashing into her life isn’t the first thing she’s looking forward to. Her character growth was great as she has to earn her life through some of the most grueling things she’s been subjected to, many of them involving magic. Her emotions were deep and visceral throughout, and one of my favorite things about the story.

I was not a fan of Thorne at first, but as he softened up and his backstory is revealed, I grew to like him and emphasize with his plight. The rest of the town’s cast was interesting and played their role well enough, especially considering Terra’s not the only golem. The witch’s coven was an interesting bunch, and while only a couple of witches were given characterization, it was clearing doing its job, as most of them believe that golems like Terra are nothing more than evil weapons. By the end, there’s a couple of witches so vile that I clearly couldn’t stand at all (for good reasons).

The romance didn’t feel too heavy, and was mostly in the backseat, but it was fitting in the progression. Though part of me sorta hoped for another outcome, but it was fine with me. There is teen drama, but most of it felt appropriate, along with some magical conflict that’s added into the conflict.

While this takes place in present day Rhode Island, there’s an underlying of magic, and the magical world itself has depth with how witch society works. The magic system, while based in some familiarity, had it’s own unique quirks that made it fresh, mostly in how golems are created. Also, there’s a sequence in Chapter 23 that felt like an episode of The Secret World of Alex Mack, and that was a good thing.

The themes were done well, as it discusses what the value of a life, sins from past generations, redemption, among others. The prose is easy to read, especially for a young teen audience, and grounded me quickly into this modern day setting.

This was a fun contemporary fantasy story and I especially recommend it for younger teens (though there is some profanity). I would like to see more books from this world as well, and I want more books from Jenny Birch!

Teenager Terra Slater’s life is turned upside down when she discovers she is a golem, a creature constructed from mud and magic by a fugitive warlock named Cyrus Quill. When mysterious bounty hunter Thorne Wilder comes to town, Terra and Thorne must team up to master Terra’s magic and find Quill before any harm can come to Terra and Quill’s other golem’s.

Woven from Clay was a very cute read. I enjoyed the premise and thought it was unique to center a story around golem’s — creatures that rarely get the main character treatment in fantasy novels. Before diving in, my knowledge of golem’s was strictly limited to Halloweentown II: Kalabar’s Revenge so I was delighted to learn more about their mythology. I am also a big fan of contemporary fantasy, and loved the juxtaposition between Terra’s teenage life vs. her magical roots.

Unfortunately, I was a bit underwhelmed with the romance. Thorne’s feelings towards Terra seemed to change on a dime and I think having his POV would have been helpful to know when those emotions actually shifted. Without it, it just seemed like he hated her then quickly flip flopped into liking her once they started actually talking. Also, I know he was dealing with some revelations of his own but the way he would ghost her when she needed him felt immature to me.

Overall, I would suggest this book to YA fantasy lovers and think it will be a breezy, magical read for the autumn!

Thank you Wednesday Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this one! The characters were intriguing and easy to connect with! I did find the plot to be a bit slow to actually become the focus of the book though the ending was well wrapped up! Overall I enjoyed this one and found it to have a fun unique premise! Definitely recommend checking it out!

3.75 out of 5 stars!

This was so good. I was enthralled. I did find some of it to be unethical but it's a book so we can explore those feelings.
I'll be reading more books by this author.

Woven From Clay is a beautiful YA fantasy filled with magic and adventure. Terra Slater is the perfect high school student; on student council, in school plays, A student, volleyball player, and good student. When she’s tasked to show around new student Thorne Wilder, Terra’s senior year is turned upside down.

Terra’s world is rocked at the discovery she is a golem, created by a warlock who is loved in her town for bringing families together through adoption. She and Thorne must try to work together to prove Terra’s humanity and, although created, the magic inside of her is alive.

Jenny Birch has created a magic system filled with so much love and creativity! The golems, their magic system, witches, warlocks, all of it was beautiful and simply presented. I loved all the earth names for characters. Terra was a wonderful character, and I loved following her self-discovery. I wish we could have seen more of the other golems and how they handled all the events that unfolded.

There was one thing I did not like about this book. Brick, after being rejected by Terra, was rude, cruel, and showed a terrible display of character, sounding entitled to a relationship with Terra because they have been friends since childhood. Highschoolers can be cruel. But no one called him out for his shitty behavior toward Terra rejecting him. He never apologizes. Terra thinks HE needs to forgive her. For a book about love, acceptance, friendship, and family, this was not a good message.

This was my first book about golem's so I am unsure if I just didn't enjoy this concept or if it was the execution. However, I did enjoy the writing and the atmosphere which is usually a big factor for me.

Such a clever and creative storyline. I was intrigued to read a book about golems and this one kept me interested from the beginning to end. It definitely didn't play out the way I expected which is great. I love to not know how a story will roll out completely.

Terra is our main character and the changes she goes through over the course of this story were beautiful and flowed naturally. But there is just so much that happened that I can't even summarize it. I just found that it was such a solid story and had a good message about how people judge others for "being less" when they are actually so much more - - at least that is one of the things I came away with.

I really enjoyed this author's writing style and hope she will bring more stories like this to life.

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: The audiobook was done quite well, and I listened to it and finished it in one day. 4 1/2 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for the early copies of both the ebook and audiobook.

A light, YA/teen read with a FMC who finds out she is a Golem. It definitely did feel very middle school read with a lot of things that just happened with no context. I listed to this as an audiobook and thought the narrator fit the role well.

I think this would be a good book for me as a young kid and the people that say this is twilight-esque, the “new mysterious boy in town” yes. The rest no.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC and ALC in exchange for an honest review.

This story gave me major throwback vibes to the YA series I grew up loving, like Twilight and Vampire Academy.

It was really unique though - I don’t think I have come across a book with a golem FMC before! It definitely leans younger and is perfect if you’re in the mood for that middle or high school style of YA

I have to say, the cover is amazing!

Thank you NetGalley and Wednesday books for the ARC.

3.5/5 for Woven From Clay

Thank you so much St. Martin’s Press & Wednesday Books for the arc!

Woven From Clay had a very unique plot and it was very easy to read. I think it would be perfect for a -new to fantasy- reader. There's just the right amount of magic, and a very charming romance between MC's. I feel like this would have hit HARD for 16 year old Laura (and 32 year old Laura enjoyed it too).
A journey of self discovery, the coming into one's own power, and a sweet first love romance made for the perfect YA read.