I DNF this at 11%

I just couldn't get into it. It wasn't anything wrong with the book per say. The characters were more lively than any other fantasy I have read recently. There was a ton of world building and a cool caste system in place. There was clearly going to be something happening in this book.

I just couldn't get into it. I have no idea why it just didn't click. I am completely willing to chalk this up to me and not the book. I can see the potential, but don't have the attention span to wait it out this time. I will possibly try this again when my brain isn't fried.

Look at that cover. Look. At. It. 😍

I am not sure what originally drew me into The Poisons We Drink (besides the cover. Have I mentioned how gorgeous it is?) but at the moment it is a bit heavy for me. I know plenty of my YA aged patrons who will absolutely devour this book and I will be recommending it to them even it wasn't for me.

There’s nothing I love more on a book than seeing myself and being able to relate to the main character like I did Venus! Sometimes, righting wrongs does not turn out how we visioned it, but it’s what you do after the plan fails, that matters.

If you have not read this story, do yourself a favor and grab it today.

I have mixed feelings regarding this book….
There are some parts that I like and some parts that didn’t really work out for me even though the blurb sounds very interesting.

The characters are well developed and very complex, there’s a lot of morally grey characters with their own secrets and reasons for their actions which sometimes makes it hard for me to pin point the culprit behind Venus’s (FMC) mom murder.
Venus was a great character, I admire her love for her sister, her intelligent and her strength.

The world building is unique but at the same time it’s also quite complicated, especially regarding the witches and their powers.
I struggled to remember all the terms and information given at the beginning which sometimes can be confusing for me.
I found out there’s a glossary at the end of the story that explains some of that information. It would be nice if it was put at the beginning of the story.

This story felt too long and also dragging in some parts, the main plot also didn’t start until it hit the 30% mark. Although, the last few chapters are quite intense and I was surprised by that plot twist!

Just a warning that some parts/topics in this story can be sensitive to some readers, there’s a list of trigger warnings inside the book but I’ll listed here for you if you want to know beforehand.

For a debut novel, it was pretty good – I love the plot idea and the unique world building.
It would've been better if the length was shorter and maybe made this into a series so the readers can immersed into the world building slowly.

Thank you to Turn the Page Tour, Netgalley, author and publisher for giving me an e-ARC of the book and for having me on this book tour. I’m leaving this review voluntarily!

⚠️ 𝐓𝐖: This story contains morally grey characters, complicated parent-child relationships, police brutality, fantasy violence, fantastical racism, magical coercion, gun violence, politics, parental death, child death, and dying/death.
In addition, there are depictions of post-traumatic stress disorder anxiety, and depression.
Self-harm, blood, gore, sexual situation, fantasy drugs, underage drinking and profanity.

Simply not for me! By about a third of the way through, I still felt like the plot hadn't quite kicked off, or if it had, I wasn't compelled by it.

3.5 stars The plot and the struggles these teens face are prevalent in today's world. As someone who is from the St. Louis region, I can say that Venus and her family's issues with people who hate them and politics are a great reflection of what many in my home community face every day. I did find that the magic system was well thought out but I would have enjoyed more background in it, but as it was a stand-alone novel it is hard to touch on all the details of that system.

This cover is just gorgeous and this book is set in DC with so many different types of magic. There are back stories and history and grudges. There's power struggles and political machinations always for the self interests not the people.

Venus the fmc can produce love potions for all sorts of reasons but not always romantic, they are compulsions for a love of an idea, familial love, repairing a friendship, or to love something else more to give up an addiction. It's fascinating cause the one effected if they got more than one can overdose so if the witcher isn't aware they've already been dosed something bad can happen. Also to produce these potions is very painful.

In the midst of the magic there are Witcher vs human protests and fights happening. There is so much happening you really have to pay attention to catch it all.

“The poisons we drink” is a YA magical fantasy with urban, queer, family and political elements.

The plot follows a magical world divided by humans and ‘witchers’. Magic is band, yet our FMC Venus decides to use her magic in secret to brew love potions to support her families financial needs.

After a murder turns her world upside down she finds herself in the underbelly of society fighting for her survival.

I think this book had a lot of potential to grow as the series continues. I also think there is a lot of room for improvement in terms of the world building and the writing itself. I fully expect the author to be able to reach a higher standard in her next book as she continues to grow in her writing career.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire, Bethany Baptiste and NetGalley for the EARC.

Publish date: available now!

If you’re a fan of YA queer urban fantasy, this could definitely be one to add to your list! We’ve got queer characters, politics, unique magic that can destroy you (literally), family twists, an inner monster, historical magic, and never-ending betrayals.

I had a bit of a difficult time following the writing style at times which is what led me to rate this book 3.5 stars; however, I think the story and magic system was very unique and could really lead to great potential as the series unfolds.

This was an awesome debut novel and I’m so excited to see what else Bethany Baptiste writes in the future!!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for an E-ARC copy of this book!

The Poisons We Drink is an intense novel where pain is one with magic. Magic itself takes on many different paths, but as a Witcher you are only sworn to one of those paths and if you should break it there are physically painful consequences.

Reading this book it brought me to think about the idea of what it takes to make a change in the world. While the events and actions Venus takes may at times feel extreme, the history of protests, and the actions people take to make real change in their communities is a painful and extreme endeavor. Often times people are not noticed when being passive and in this novel Venus and her loved ones go to drastic measures to ensure the safety and future of their community.

Sometimes, in order to create the change you wish to see in the world you must become a monster in someone else’s eyes. Sometimes doing the right thing isn’t easy and sometimes it isn’t nice, but some things do just need to be done. In a better world things would just be right, but in this world and in the world of this novel immoral acts must be done to fight for the rights people deserve.

As the love Witcher when Venus brews love potions it is an act that causes her great physical pain everytime she performs one especially depending on how powerful that potion needs to be. It causes her broken bones, the loss of teeth, internal bleeding, and more. She then has to take a healing potion and feel the pain of being remade and she does this everytime she brews love potions. Majority of the time none of her love potions are for romantic reasons. Their for a love of an idea, familial love, repairing a friendship, or to love something else more to give up an addiction. The breath of what can be done under just her wheelhouse is incredible. The details of the different paths witchers can take fascinated me.

A huge amount of sacrifice for the sake of something greater is a huge theme of this book and I find it beautiful. Venus actively pushes people away because she knows she makes some of the most difficult decisions in life and she hurts the people she loves taking those actions. Yet those who truly love and understand her stick around. I especially loved the friends to lovers situationship she gets with Presley. They’re a non-binary cutie who also makes some hard choices themselves.

There lives so much depth in this novel. The magic systems and the political system is so well thought out. It’s an incredible read. I 100% recommend this book!

4.5/5

This was a refreshing read for me. I thought the magic system and the personalities and development of the characters throughout the book were very well done. The magic system being created and inspired by potions and brewing was an interesting take that I hadn't experienced before. The world building was incredible as we follow Venus Stoneheart, an 18 year old who supports her family by making love potions illegally, as a registration act law is potentially going into effect, putting further restrictions on magic. The blending of politics, magic, and family dynamics creates a powerful story of magic, corruption, and power in a compelling story.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I received a digital ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I did enjoy this novel. The relationships between the characters were well developed, and I cared for each of them. However, at times things became confusing - especially at the beginning of each chapter with the definitions of the different potions and terms used. I think all of that would have been easier to understand if it was explained somehow through the story, and not just given in large chunks up front. Since I read an ARC, I do not know if this was changed before publication. The ARC did include a glossary at the end of the book, but I think even that is confusing.

I do think this novel would make a great movie. A lot of the scenes where the characters use their magic abilities would be cool to see on screen.

"The Poisons We Drink" by Bethany Baptiste is a captivating young adult novel that immerses readers in a world divided between humans and witchers, where magic, power, and betrayal intertwine in a dangerous game of survival.

At the heart of the story is Venus Stoneheart, a talented brewer who navigates the treacherous underworld of illegal love potions to support her family. As Venus grapples with her own inner turmoil and the dark magic within her, her world is shattered when her mother is killed by an enemy's iron bullet. Suddenly thrust into a position of responsibility for her reckless sister Janus, Venus is faced with difficult choices and dangerous alliances.

Bethany Baptiste's storytelling is gripping and immersive, drawing readers into a richly imagined world where moral ambiguity and political intrigue reign supreme. Through Venus's eyes, readers are taken on a journey of self-discovery and redemption as she navigates the complex web of power dynamics and personal demons.

The character development in "The Poisons We Drink" is masterfully done, with each character exhibiting depth, complexity, and flaws that make them feel authentically human. From Venus's struggle with her own magic to the ruthless machinations of the Grand Witcher, every character adds depth and nuance to the narrative, keeping readers engaged and invested in their fates.

What sets this novel apart is its exploration of themes such as power, revenge, and the consequences of our actions. As Venus delves deeper into the corrupt underbelly of her city, she must confront the blurred lines between right and wrong, and grapple with the weight of her own choices.

Overall, "The Poisons We Drink" is a compelling and thought-provoking read that will leave readers on the edge of their seats until the very end. With its dynamic characters, immersive world-building, and suspenseful plot twists, this novel is sure to captivate fans of fantasy and political intrigue alike. Bethany Baptiste has crafted a spellbinding tale that lingers in the mind long after the final page is turned.

An excellent urban fantasy that takes on some big issues. We start off almost cosy in feeling, very reminiscent of practical magic in nature. We then get a murder mystery element over the top that really drives the story at an excellent pace. I loved the wordbuilding, it felt very vivid and detailed and really added depth to the story. The pacing remained consistent throughout and i liked it ad the story feel a little longer than it was. Theres some good political intrigue throughout and some touches on racism and classicism that give the book a more adult complex feeling to it, but handled in a way approachable to all readers i feel.
The relationships are well crafted and give off the bonds of friendship, love and found family that give another level to the story and i liked how people played off each other here. Overall an excellent story andI’d happily spend more time with these characters and watch their dynamics and relationships build.

This novel was pretty dark. You could feel the anger, injustice, hatred, doom, disappointment in the writing. Don’t get me wrong. I like the storyline and plot. Really creative. However, theare was a lot of repetitive quotes, lines or sentences. It just gotten too much. And the brew and spells, some just too unrealistic. Throughout the story, I can feel the author’s angst in her writing most of the time.

DNF at 10%

Honestly, I debated giving this book more of a chance because it had potential, but ultimately if I dread my reading time, I shouldn't be reading that book.

The premise of this book is a slightly unique take on the YA fantasy books of late. First of all this takes place in the real world, essentially present time. That right that is kind of a point off for me, and has nothing to do with the book or author. If I'm reading fantasy, I typically like it to be set in a magical, fantasy world. Second of all I didn't like the prologue, it immediately threw me off. Then we get to Venus and her family. Her family all feels selfish, and Venus herself seemed like too much of a hard ass/stick in the mud. Lastly, the writing was strange. I noticed some other reviews mentioned it as well, but I definitely paused multiple times while reading because it didn't flow super well.

I absolutely love seeing black representation, especially in fantasy book, (and it's also queer apparently, although I didn't get that far) so I applaud the author for putting out the story that SHE wanted. I don't think there's anything insanely wrong with this book, it just wasn't for me.

In The Poisons We Drink, Venus, a witcher who know brews illegal love potions, in world where it is witcher vs human. When her mother is killed, Venus ensconces herself in to the dark underbelly of D.C. using her potions to control some of the most powerful politicians . The Poisons We Drink is heartbreaking, action-packed, and filled with political intrigue. The relationship dynamic between Venus and her little sister Janus is well-developed and adds even more substance to the story. The world building was thought-out and easy to follow. At the center of it, Venus has seen too much and is trying to deal with grief, protecting the family she has left and the rage that injustices fuels.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the ARC.

Great start with the first two chapters.
Wonderful multi-themed story about mother/daughter relationships, politics, battling inner demons, and family.
Quick pacing which is good for teens.

It took too long to find out the plot of the book-50%. There was not enough foreshadowing for most of the major plot points and there was just too much going on at the end of the book. Keep you plot simple and develop your characters around the plot. I also thought Venus' issues with IT were underdeveloped. I kept waiting for her to learn how to control it or use it for "good," but that didn't seem to happen. It was a bit too long, too many twists, and too many characters.

DNF @ 25%

Thank you Netgalley, Sourcebooks and Recorded Books for the E-Arc and ALC in exchange for an honest review.

This book has such a great premise but for some reason it is not keeping my interest at all. I found myself so many times, as I listened to the audiobook, zoning out and not really being interested at what was going on. Even if the narrator is absolutely fantastic and does give an emotional performance, I really feel nothing for the characters. I thought once we got to Venus Mom dying it would pick up but I found myself not even caring about that. The worldbuilding with the different types of Witcher abilities was interesting but at the same time felt too much and was hard to keep up with. To the point that I was highlighting passages of each discipline but just stopped because it became overwhelming. I wanted to relate with Venus and felt for her but I just couldn’t connect with her. I didn’t dislike her but I did like her sister Janus more than I like her. The pacing was also very slow and just felt like the 25% that I did read/listened dragged on. So I think I’m just going to stop at 25% after trying to read/listen to this since last February.

I was really excited about this when I saw it promoted on Twitter/X, largely because the characters and premise sounded like there was a lot of room for depth and exploration.

Unfortunately, I didn't get to see if that hype was true, as the writing made it impossible for me to get more than a few chapters in before I could let myself stop forcing it. I almost never DNF, especially on debuts, but this one just did not have the execution that its beautiful story needed. Overwriting, stretched-out pacing, and an early confusion about the "rules" of the world just all came together to make this one I couldn't finish. It has a LOT of promise, though, so I'll keep it in mind to revisit later if I find myself with free time and nothing to read.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for providing me with a digital copy of this book to review.