I was immediately excited when I read the description of this book...a golem ✅, magic ✅, supernatural romance ✅.

Terra's world gets thrown upside down when she is told by an unknown boy who shows up one day in the halls of her high school that she is not in fact human, but is a golem. Terra's journey of self discovery and acceptance and how to embrace her power and who she really is made it hard to put this book down. I also loved Thorne and the slow burn romance of him and Terra, and I wished the book was dual POV so we could've gotten inside his head.

Thanks to NetGalley & Wednesday Books for letting me enjoy this title early in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books for eARC; invited to review via e-mail.

DNF at Chapter Nine // 24%

▲ POV: First, through our main character, Terra.
▲ Setting: North Heights, senior year

Not too sure about writing style, kind of too...boring. Which is a shame, and frankly surprising, because the concept has so much promise. Not I just cannot gel with it. Great cover art, though.

* EDIT: After reading through other eARC reviews, I agree that the predetermined age group may enjoy this, but it was too "cheesy" for 40 year-old me.

This book started like another young adult book on the shelf for me. A bit slow and focused on teenage crushes. Luckily it picked up and became way more interesting. I enjoyed this authors take on golems. Kind of a Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein take. Do the creations have their own emotions and humanity or are they just mindless creations only to carry out the bidding of their creators. What I wish there was more of is world building and magic system development.

Over this is not a bad entry level book for someone who is new to fantasy or a YA reader.

Initially, I really liked this concept. I think the beginning of the book and the characters were set up with a lot of potential. However, once the conflict started to intensify I found too many loose ends and things happening too fast. It felt a little unfinished in terms of character development and plot. I think it almost less YA and more 12-14 reader which isn't a bad thing!

Woven from Clay was an okay read. The premise of the novel was so enticing when I read the blurb. A story about a high school girl who turns out to be a golem and needs to do what she can to save herself from disappearing from the world she knew. All with the help of a magical bounty hunter? Sign me up!

However, while reading, I was constantly feeling a bit bored by the writing. There were times that I felt it was so rushed and the dialogue kind of cliche; while at other times the story tended to drag on and the emotions felt disingenuous.

As for characters, Terra was a forgettable lead. Every time I would pick up the book, I always had to flip back to remember how she was described as and her key personality points. With the supporting cast of characters, I did mix up quite a few of the names because they just seemed like so many other characters I have read before.

Although this was an okay read, I still plan to check back with this author after a few more works.

I like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for allowing a read.

Oh boy. I'm giving this book a tentative 3 stars... it's getting a sequel, and I'm wondering if it warrants one. Because, what the hell was the point of this book?

This entire book the male lead absolutely treats the female lead like trash. I get that he is at war with himself because he has been lead to believe her kind is a lie, that they're evil monsters made by warlocks / witches and they don't have hopes and dreams. But, after getting to know her he falls for her. Yet, he is still rude and brash through it all.

But seriously - what is the point of the golems? Is she going to do battle with someone evil? Is she needed for serving an evil purpose? The villain is some old man who *checks notes* made her and the rest because he wanted to give back to society and give parents unable to have kids have kids. I mean, guess you could see if from a mile a way since there was nothing really evil happening in this town.

But why put so much focus on this clan of witches and warlocks who are out chasing this guy who has been off the radar for years? Isn't there anything else happening? Why write witches and wizards but give them some harmless old guy to throw all their resources behind? Which loops it back to .... the female lead was just living a normal life, just her side power is that she can turn into Alex Mack when she wants.

I give the books props for having a strong, authentic female, but everything else around it is not holding up when you think about it.

This was a really interesting and fast-paced read.

The story being centered around a Golem is what initially led me to pick it up. It's always nice to see an author include magical elements, creatures or folklore that doesn't appear in many stories.

Overall I think that the author did a great job crafting a plotline that both hooked and held my attention. It definitely fits well into the YA Fantasy genre and I would recommend checking it out.

I look forward to reading more from this author in the future!

Thank you Jennifer Birch, Net Galley and St. Martin's Press| Wednesday Books for providing me with an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.

Sadly I wasnt a big fan of this one and it took me multiple times to keep picking it up. It was hard to hold interest in the story. Also I didnt feel I connected with the characters and felt too YA For me.

Birch weaves together a very interesting story that hinges heavily on the concept that the FMC is a golem. Golems -in nature- being creatures from Jewish folklore that were oftentimes created and utilized to protect or defend their master or creator. Although Birch does not lean into the aspects found in heavily in that Jewish folklore, she does lean into this idea of the golem being bound or connected to its master. Using this idea of a tenuous connection, Birch connects Terra to her maker using magical "threads" that she can see because within her is her creator's magic. The Catch? Terra Slater has always believed herself to simply be human and also to be adopted that is until the mysterious Thorne breezes into town at the behest of the witch's guild to question her about her master, the benevolent adoption lawyer, Cyrus Quill. However, Terra only knows Quill to be the adoption lawyer that helped her parents and many families in town and a green thumb farmer. At a drop of a hat (or splat of mud), Terra is whisked into a world of magic, lies, intrigue, and bigotry that leaves her reeling with questions, "Am I real? What makes me human?"

Thanks to NetGalley and St.Martin’s Press for access to this eARC in exchange for a honest review. I honestly didn’t know what to expect with this book but was intrigued by the premise of Golems. I had never heard of them before so maybe I’m a bad fantasy reader but I was intrigued and the author did a great job explaining some of the lore. I liked how we found out more about them as our main character did. Ultimately I enjoyed this book. I think that the fact that it was YA is probably would bumped it down to 4 stars some YA books are for all readers but the teenage angst was a little too much for me. But I think if I had read this in high school it would be 5 stars for sure.

Clumsy explication and shallow character development ruined what I expected to be an interesting foray into fantasy. Sorry, I only managed to slog through about half of the book, hoping in vain it would get better.

This book reminded me of many Twilight-era young adult paranormal romances. It has many of the same trends, such as a mysterious boy showing up that somehow knows more about her than anyone else. A fmc with untapped powers.

This book is quite Cheesey. These golems were created from the earth, and had no idea they were earth golems, but they all have names such as Clay, Brick, Terra, Gaia, and Adam. Come onnnnn lol

I think this book could be entertaining for the 13-14 age range, but this book ultimately did nothing really than making golems the paranormal creature rather than fae, vampires, or werewolves.

This is the kind of book I would of loved reading in my middle/high school days.

Terra thinks she is a regular high school girl but some to find out she is not. A boy turns up and breaks the news that she's a golem created by a warlock.

The first third of the book is a bit slow, It took too many pages describing how Terra is a normal girl.. But once the plot has been set up the story really picks up the pace. I couldn't have guessed the endings, but I really enjoyed how everything got tied together for a satisfying conclusion. I got to where I wanted to see the kids wanted the best for them.

NetGallery

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this book. I really enjoyed the read.

It was a truly enjoyable book and I do not hesitate to recommend.

Take the plunge!

Thank you NetGalley! 4.5⭐️ Loved this original book that proves that preconceived notions of a group of individuals is not always what’s expected. Terra Slater is ready for her senior year in high school until a new handsome guy named Thorne is assigned to her to help him navigate the school. Things take a strange turn when he reveals he’s a magical bounty hunter and is after a sweet older man in town and that she and many others in town are actually “creatures “ called golems. A unique story that deserves recognition. Highly recommend!

I'm not sure why this book is published so I'm really curious to see how it does. It reads as a kids book not a YA.
It's too much of a wanna be Mary Sue who lacks basic interrogation skills and has zero sense of self. Not for me.

4/5

Woven From Clay is an absolute delight—a magical blend of adventure, suspense, and a slow-burn romance that had me hooked from the start. Terra, a high-achieving high school senior, discovers that magic is real and that Thorne, a golem sent to kill her, is anything but what he seems.

What sets this book apart is the depth of its characters. Terra is more than just the “perfect” student—she’s an anxious perfectionist with a past that shapes who she is. Watching her grow and unlock hidden strengths, not just in magic but in her own self-confidence, was deeply satisfying. Thorne, too, evolves from a tool of the magical world to a fully realized character, and his dynamic with Terra is full of tension and heart.

The magic system is refreshingly unique, and while the plot is fun and full of action, it’s the character development that really stands out. The secondary characters are a bit one-dimensional, but that didn’t take away from the story’s charm. The ending ties things up nicely, but leaves room for more, and I’d love to see where the story goes next.

If you enjoy YA fantasy with strong characters and a twist on traditional tropes, Woven From Clay is a must-read.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the ARC!

WOW! Woven From Clay is one of the most unique YA fantasy novels I’ve read in quite some time. Birch’s characters are believable and lovable. Her writing is descriptive, and her setting comes to life beautifully as her characters explore their small town. I pick up Woven From Clay and could not stop reading it until I knew what happened to Terra Slater. I feel like a small piece of her now lives in my heart. Absolutely beautiful book, kudos to Birch for her talent and hard work! Much like one of her beloved characters, it’s clear that Birch was built for this, not only to create immersive stories, but to contribute good to the world through her writing.

I really enjoyed the magic system in Woven From Clay, but I wished the replenishment aspect involved more than just eating excessive amounts of food. Thorne and Terra’s initial relationship didn’t work for me—I understood Thorne’s aggressiveness early on, but Terra’s reactions felt off. She tolerated almost everything he said or did, and the prolonged miscommunication between them became frustrating.

On the other hand, I think Terra and Brick’s relationship will resonate well with younger readers. I also wish we had an alternate POV from Willow at the end—it would have made for a fantastic cliffhanger and a strong setup for a sequel. Jett was an excellent antagonist, but I hated how she faced no real consequences for her actions.

Overall, I think this book is a great introduction to fantasy for young YA readers!

Thank you St. Martins Press for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Rating 3.5 (rounded up)
I’d sum it up as talking a pottery class where the teacher repeats and over-explains everything. It’s for those with a short attention span and the tendency to accidentally skip ahead to the dialogue (i.e. me).

The very first aspect I noticed with this book was that the writing is not winning any awards unless a bribe occurs. Though that would have boosted my rating up a star, it’s not necessary for me to enjoy the book. I can understand the way it was written correlating with the fact that this is a young adult novel. The characters themselves are not yet mature. Still, it was noted as I can be very picky when it comes to dialogue.

The plot saved this book on multiple occasions. As mentioned previously, dialogue holds a lot of value for me in a book, and while this book didn’t necessarily have the worst or best dialogue, any words from the characters were situational. So, the situation they’re put in really put some spackle in the gaps. A human-ish being created from mud by a supposedly evil wizard who is being hunted down by a coven? Sure, hand it over. I stayed up late into the night reading because of how easy it was to follow, considering Terra was learning along with us, the reader’s. In many situations I could see a Lynn Painter style scene happening (The Do-Over and Better Than the Movies). Overall, I think the plot carried a lot of this book’s weight, and I say that as a good thing.

As for the characters and their relationships, I had so much fun watching as the main characters became larger parts of each other’s lives. It was predictable, but enjoyable nonetheless. The friendships were reminiscent of the average high school experience with a jealous mean girl, who turns out to not be so mean, a best friend pining for our MC, and a friend group advising and watching from the sidelines as changes happen before their eyes. I will say, the names almost always gave away who was what in this book. I mean the main character’s name is Terra. But, it was really funny to have a character introduced and think “I know where you came from”.