What a fascinating read! This wasn't what I was expecting when I requested this novel but I was so glad I read it. It has a very unique take to the story, characters and plot line. Thank you netgalley for this earc.

Although this book is categorized on Goodreads as science fiction, I found it was more in the creepy horror gothic vein. The plot kept kept me hooked, even though some of the twists and turns were far-fetched. You may enjoy this book if you like dystopian fiction and accept the confused thoughts of the Westward Women. .

Set in the 1970s in the USA, this alternate dystopian history is the story of a disease that affects young women, driving them to distraction from itching and for some reason calling them westward to the Pacific Ocean. Within a few weeks, most of the women sink into mental oblivion and death. The book follows three women as they head west: Aimee, who goes in search of her best friend Ginny; Teenie (Christine) infected and holding onto the memory of her sister Kate who disappeared, and Eve, a journalist seeking to rejuvenate her career with a story of westward women and the man (the Piper) who purports to help some of them reach the west coast. As they move west, we hear the ruminations of the women in turn questioning, self-accusing, and circuitous. Because the confusing thoughts it is hard to bond to individual characters, but I imagine that's one of the points the author is trying to make. Almost all of the characters are women except the disgusting Piper and the one nice guy, William.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the gift of this book in exchange for an honest review.

many thanks to netgalley and st martin's press for offering me an advanced reader's copy of westward women. this was one of those books that i liked much more after i was done with it and let it settle into me. for me it was kind of a cross between apocalyptic and handmaid's tale. what i really loved were the voices of each main character. and the road trip aspects were very interesting, too. the premise of the story is creepy and unnerving. there's nothing easy about this book. but.....as with all good books, there are warm and real and lovely things that happen.

I greatly enjoyed this book. It’s not perfect, but a speculative fiction novel about a mysterious infection that only gets women could have gone wrong so fast— and instead it was a really fascinating read. I cried. I t felt the Aimee parts the most, but there were some twists that really surprised me. I’ll definitely be recommending!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The story, the people, and the feeling, and last but not least the message that I got within this book.
Read it! You'll enjoy it.
#AliceMartin

Didn't really care for this one. It was trying to be all symbolic and feminist, but it fell flat for me. And let's not even talk about the absurd coincidence at the end. It was so unlikely as to be absurd. Definitely wouldn't recommend this one.

I wasn't into this book. About a third into it, I had to force myself to keep on. I did finish but wasn't impressed.
The virus/fungus needed more explanation. Some women caught it others didn't. Why? The cure was implausible. And what was the drive to the west?
I won't even go into The Piper.

A brilliant debut by an exceptionally skilled writer - I'm stunned to learn that this is the author's first novel. This is a wholly original premise executed impeccably: the pacing is just right, the world-building and character development is thorough, and the multi-character POV (rarely something I find is done well) works as each storyline is a complete, standalone story worth telling.

I picked this up one morning with 15 minutes to kill, intending to read the first chapter or two. Hours later, my plans for the day long abandoned, I came to every bibliophile's Sophie's Choice: when a book engrosses you so entirely, do you savour or burn through it? I did the latter, and then went back for the former, discovering new subtleties and nuances along the way.

In short, this is an all-consuming story that will get under your skin like a virus (see what I did there?) and stay with you long after.

Note: It's a mistake to advertise this as "for fans of Emma Cline and Emily St. John Mandel" as this book is far more substantial than that - in fact, I picked this up *despite* my great aversion to the aforementioned authors' forgettable (sorry not sorry) works.

They itch. They ache. They leave. And once they reach the Pacific, they vanish.

In Christina Kovac’s stunning speculative debut, Westward Women, an unexplained disease sweeps through the female population of 1970s America. It starts with just an itch in the arms, then a fog in the brain. Not long after, women are abandoning everything and walking westward,

Aimee, is left reeling when her best friend Ginny joins the exodus. Determined to understand why, Aimee sets off in search of her — across highways, diners, and the desolate stretches of America no one talks about. Teenie is already on the road, her memories slipping like sand through her fingers. Riding in the van of a shadowy figure known only as The Piper, she can’t remember where she’s headed. Eve, a disgraced journalist chasing one last shot at redemption, thinks the Piper might be her story the one that will restore her name.

This story is gripping and haunting and may need a bit of an author's explanation. How the women connect at the end surprised me and I did enjoy this story. I also thought long and hard about how I felt today when my arm started to itch....
#WestwardWomen #SpeculativeFiction #FeministThriller #LiteraryDebut #WomenOnTheEdge