I received an advanced copy of The Good Luck Girls through NetGalley, which I am so glad about!

The Good Luck Girls is a thrilling fantasy adventure story, which follows five young women as they attempt to escape from the situation that binds them. Sold to a Welcome House in their youth, the Good Luck Girls are bound to serve the patrons, no matter what they ask. On the night of her initiation, rising from being a lowly Daybreak Girl to become a privileged, yet tormented Sundown Girl, Clementine commits an unthinkable act of resistance. Forced to flee from the house with a group of her fellow girls, Clementine will need more than luck to survive.

Charlotte Nicole Davis has crafted an important and fascinating fantasy in The Good Luck Girls! As her debut novel, The Good Luck Girls marks a hopeful future of fantastic writing. I was absolutely captivated from the moment I started reading, and I suspect that this book will soon gain the popularity it so deserves!

You can get your copy of The Good Luck Girls from Tor Teen on October 1st, just in time for cozy fall reading!

My Recommendation-
The Good Luck Girls is perfect for fans of fantasy novels, specifically those with multiple perspectives and strong individual characters. If you enjoy books from Leigh Bardugo and Kendara Blake, you will love The Good Luck Girls!

Trigger Warning: This book deals with themes of sexual assault

When I began reading The Good Luck Girls one night before bed, I thought I would get a couple chapters read just to get a feel for the book. Several hours later I was still going. I instantly became attached to the characters in this story and simply had to find out what happened to them next.

There was non-stop action in this as these brave girls went from one hardship and calamity to another. My heart was constantly in my throat, pounding away as they carried out their daring escape across the Scab facing both unrelenting human and supernatural enemies along the way. I'm wary to compare this to any other books because it was a creation all to its own, but much like the blurb says there were hints of Westworld and A Handmaid's Tale to it. I love a good western and to have one with magical elements to it was really compelling.

It is not often that a perfect book comes along, but this one is pretty ripping close. It was a well written tale full of intensity and emotion, one that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. I'm so glad to have found out it's going to be the first in a series because I am desperate to read more about these girls, especially Violet. She was the most complex character of all, one I really want to learn more about.

Full review to come on my blog on the publication date.

TWs for sexual assault, particularly sexual assault within the context of girls who are sold into sexual servitude. I won't get into these TWs here in my review, but readers ought to know going in that the event which kicks the entire plot into motion involves an underage girl being assaulted, and her reaction to this assault. Much of the emotional development that follows is the result of grappling with similar traumas.

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If you like rollicking good yarns about the systemically oppressed rising up with one voice to take on those who would beat them down ....
If you like stories of sisters both born and made looking out for each other in the barren aftermath of a toxic patriarchy ....
(And if you like a bit of friends-to-allies and a tiny side dollop of lesbian representation with that sisterhood ....)
If you like characters who go by the nickname "Mal" in a vaguely Western setting ....
(No shade, we're *all* still stuck on Firefly if we're being honest ....)
If you like your class-commentary-heavy dystopia to be intersectional and tackle feminism and racism too ....
If you like a sweet ol tough boi who's mushy on the inside to fall in with your ragtag band ....
If you like your girls tough as nails but feminine too ....
This might just be the book for you.

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So ... why not five stars? I'll be the first to admit I had a jolly good time with this book. I felt as though each of the girls' voices could have been differentiated a bit more, and that character development overall took a back seat to plot. I also felt as though the lesbian side characters were always only ever that: lesbian side characters. I'm always disappointed when an author clearly supports LGBTQIA+ representation ... and then stops with a tiny blink-and-you-miss-it dollop on the side. Ten years ago I was scratching at the baseboards for any representation whatsoever, and if this book had come along then, I would have rejoiced at it including any--ANY--LGBTQIA+ characters. But in 2019, after such a glut of beautifully queer YA books across all genres? It just feels shoehorned in when it could have been much, much more nuanced. (Also: Lesbians are great. But there's still a lot of crickets chirping into the void when it comes to every letter after L & G.)

All that to say, I think this book is really good! My nitpicks are just that: *my* nitpicks. I think this book will be a hit with those who like Dhonielle Clayton's The Belles and AMC's Into the Badlands. I look forward to seeing what's next from Charlotte Nicole Davis.

This was really freaking good! The first few pages almost put me off, but I'm so glad I stuck with it; loved the fantasy/Wild West setting, loved the ghosts, and love love LOVED the girls. Female friendship done very right. Excellent ending, too - looking forward to the next installment.

4.5 out of 5 stars

[[I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.]]

the good luck girls. talk about lucky.

this book definitely needed a map. that is the only reason it's a 4.5. :)

i wasn't sure what i was going to make of this book. i wasn't a huge fan of the handmaid's tale, but i love westworld and how creepy and messed up it is. i also liked the description of each character in the blurb. i decided to go for it, and man am i glad i did.

the good luck girls is about five girls who work in a welcome house (ie: brothel), but escape through means i will not mention because spoilers! there is a reason that they escape, and i will say it is because of clementine (who, by the description blurb, is "the catalyst"). the girls go off on an adventure through the scab, which is the place where they live. it's terrible and poor and dusty. they want to make it across the border to another, more modern place. throughout the book, they have to survive and go on the run. they meet someone who helps them on their journey, but there are many hardships along the way.

all of the characters had their own personalities, and it was easy to differentiate between them all. aster, who is hard-headed and the older sister of clementine; clementine, who is the catalyst for the escape and still far too naive for the world; tansy, a girl who knows how to take care of people; mallow, a literal fighter until the very end; and violet, who is a bit of a priss but still became one of my favorites.

the setting was perfect. you don't see many books set in a sort of western setting anymore (vengeance road was a good one), and i loved to see that within this book. the forests and the grass were described in a way that made me want to see this place, but never, EVER, live in it.

the description within the book was great. i could feel the grit and grime on my face and in my eyes. i could see what the scab looked like. i could imagine what the supernatural elements within the book look liked in my head, and believe me... i would never want to see them in real life.

the best thing about this book was the family element and the female empowerment. all the girls become a family over time. they only have one another to depend on. throughout the book, the girls all grow into women, make hard decisions, and don't ever want to let the men get them down. and they all have the same goal: a better life.

i know this book is a duology, and i can't wait for the next one to come out even though this one hasn't even been released yet!! i really enjoyed the good luck girls and i can't wait to suggest it to students left and right in our school library once it is released.

As soon as I heard that this debut YA fantasy as Westworld meets The Handmaid's Tale, I knew I had to give it a try. It was alright and it was interesting to get to know the world and the cast of characters. Unfortunately, it never quite stood out to me among the crowd of other YA fantasy novels. There's a lot to like, but it never quite lived up to my expectations against others in its field.

Review: 5 Stars

The Good Luck Girls is probably the most powerful novel that I've read this year. I was absolutely shocked to find out that it is Charlotte Nicole Davis' debut novel because it is so well done I thought that it must have been written by a seasoned author. It deals with the heavy topic of sex trafficking in a way that is both tactful and raw. The characters grabbed me by my heart and the pacing is fast. I had an incredibly hard time setting this book down, it was an addicting read. As soon as I read the prologue I was completely hooked.

I absolutely loved the characters in this book. They were al developed so well and they felt so real to me. While this is fiction and set in a fantasy world, sex trafficking exists and this book portrayed it in a way that really grabbed my heart. While all five girls in the book had been sold to the "welcome house" Aster and Violet were the ones that had worked as "sundown girls" and the author did a great job of showing how their work haunted them. While Aster always saw the worst in everything, Violet tried to emotionally detach herself by using Sweet Thistle, the drug that the welcome house supplied the working girls. I also think that this book did a wonderful job of showing what it is like to have PTSD. Aster was haunted by some things that had happened at the welcome house and even though this book was written in third person it was easy to see how she thought and felt.

While this book did have some heavy subject matter it was a book of hope as the girls escaped the welcome house and were on a search for true freedom. I would check for content warnings if you are unsure that this book is for you, but I absolutely loved it. The Good Luck Girls was raw, powerful and despite being a fantasy it felt very real. The plot had me on the edge of my seat a lot of the time and made it hard to set this book down. I devoured this book in less than a day because I found it so captivating.

I am so glad that I had the opportunity to read this book because it really moved me. The characters all felt so real to me and this book got me emotional at times. I laughed, I cried and I even found myself wanting to shake the characters for their choices sometimes. I was so emotionally invested in these characters and their story. This was such a powerful and eye opening read to the world of sex trafficking and I can't wait for other people to read it. It is also the first in a series, so I will be able to return to these characters in the next book.

At first, I was not sure if I'd be able to read The Good Luck Girls--those girls taken or sold at ten years old to a "Welcome House." On each girl's sixteenth birthday, she is auctioned off before before assuming her role in the brothel.

From description: "Westworld meets The Handmaid's Tale in this stunning fantasy adventure from debut author Charlotte Nicole Davis. Aster, the protectorViolet, the favoriteTansy, the medic Mallow, the fighterClementine, the catalyst THE GOOD LUCK GIRLS The country of Arketta calls them Good Luck Girls--they know their luck is anything but. Sold to a "welcome house" as children and branded with cursed markings. Trapped in a life they would never have chosen."

Clementine, however, on her sixteenth birthday kills the "brag" or client that won her auction. With the help of Clem's older sister Aster, several of the girls make a break for freedom. From that point on, the plot becomes an adventure story with Aster in the lead. Violet, the favorite who had delighted in getting girls in trouble, demands to go with them because she knows where to find Lady Ghost.

The girls must work together to survive and to find the almost mythical Lady Ghost, hoping that she will be able to remove the "favor," the magical tattoo that brands each of them as welcome girls. Because they are all dustbloods (with the exception of Violet)-- they are all part of a disenfranchised, oppressed element of society,but without the favor, they would not be recognizable as escaped "good luck girls."

Part dystopian, part adventure, part supernatural, part heist...and all about the inequity of a society that subjugates certain members. While there are flaws--some elements are not explored or explained, the length of the journey isn't mentioned until the end, and other than the madam of the Green Creek Welcome house, women are largely absent or mentioned only in passing--The Good Luck Girls nevertheless provides an interesting, adventure-filled plot that addresses a number of social issues.

I'm glad I kept reading, and I look forward to the next book which I hope will smooth out some of the problems in this intriguing debut novel.

NetGalley/Tor Teen
YA/Fantasy. Oct. 1, 2019. Print length: 352 pages.

I really enjoyed this adventure story about a group of young women who have escaped servitude at a brothel and are on the run to freedom in a fantasy world not unlike the American West in the 1800s. The presence of ghosts, magic, underground railroads, and class and gender conflict are all well-realized and help develop a fascinating world. I was also really pleased that there were protagonists who were people of color and that there were queer protagonists, and yet weren't treated as "magic Negros" or other stereotyped tropes. I'm looking forward to a sequel focusing on the one character who stays behind when the others escape so that she can help others.

Ahoy there me mateys!  I received this young adult fantasy eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  So here be me honest musings . . .

the good luck girls (Charlotte Nicole Davis)

Title: the good luck girls

Author: Charlotte Nicole Davis

Publisher: Tor Teen

Publication Date: TODAY!! (hardback/e-book)

ISBN: 978-1250299703

Source: NetGalley

Upon seeing the beautiful cover and reading the synopsis, I thought this novel would float me boat.  The highlight was the comparison to the handmaid's tale.  Sadly, I stopped reading at the 15% mark because I really wasn't feeling it.  But because this is supposed to be a woman driven story with a gangster escape and social commentary, I did an unusual thing and looked up other reviews and spoilers before deciding to fully abandon it.  Those tipped me over the edge and caused me to stop reading because I didn't like what I was seeing.

First let me explain me viewpoints on the section I actually read.  I did feel the beginning was nicely set-up.  I really liked the odd mix of Japanese courtesan-type setting, magic, and western.  I adored the idea of the how the tattoos worked.  I liked the idea of two sisters with different personalities being main characters.

That said, I also felt that both the world-building and the characterization was too surface level.  I felt like I was getting the shiny ideas with no real substance.  Neither people nor world felt real.  Both seemed like caricatures.  The older sister was led too much by her emotions and rage with no real thought.  The younger sister was too naive, didn't really think, and seemed to want her sister to do everything for her.  The other three girls seemed two-dimensional.  Then the plot broke down because how the girls escaped the whore, I mean welcome, house was just so unbelievable and silly.

I wasn't sure if pushing through would make the story better and I wanted the book to be as good as its premise.  So I read reviews.  I won't get into the major details because of spoilers but suffice to say that many people claimed that the two-dimensionality of the characters didn't improve and it remained hard to connect to them.  Insta-lust makes an appearance.  The ending was said to be problematic and thanks to someone who wrote the entire ending in their review, I can say that it would have made me angry to have read the whole story only to get to that (even if it is a book one in a series).

The reviews did seem split 50/50 on whether it was liked so if it does sound good, it still might work for ye.  But basically this book was very much not to me taste and I am glad I stopped when I did.  

So lastly . . .

Thank you Tor Teen!

Goodreads has this to say about the novel:

Westworld meets The Handmaid's Tale in this stunning fantasy adventure from debut author Charlotte Nicole Davis.

Aster, the protector
Violet, the favorite
Tansy, the medic
Mallow, the fighter
Clementine, the catalyst

THE GOOD LUCK GIRLS

The country of Arketta calls them Good Luck Girls--they know their luck is anything but. Sold to a "welcome house" as children and branded with cursed markings. Trapped in a life they would never have chosen.

When Clementine accidentally murders a man, the girls risk a dangerous escape and harrowing journey to find freedom, justice, and revenge in a country that wants them to have none of those things. Pursued by Arketta's most vicious and powerful forces, both human and inhuman, their only hope lies in a bedtime story passed from one Good Luck Girl to another, a story that only the youngest or most desperate would ever believe.

It's going to take more than luck for them all to survive.

To visit the author’s twitter go to:

Charlotte Nicole Davis - Author

To buy the novel go to:

the good luck girls - Book

To add to Goodreads go to:

Yer Ports for Plunder List

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

I always feel so validated when a book I think will be perfect for me ends up being, in fact, perfect.

I was hooked by the line in the summary that compared it to “Westworld meets The Handmaid’s Tale,” but I found myself comparing it more to actual American history (that has been downplayed, spinned, and all-but-erased) than science fiction and fantasy, despite its rich and believable magics and ghosts. The first few chapters felt front-heavy with devastating backstory—slavery, colonization, immigration, sex trafficking—but once the action started, it all gelled together. It felt like dumping out all the puzzle pieces first thing: sure, the pile of pieces looks like a lot, but it needs to be done to find all the side pieces first, to frame the story so we can focus on what unfolds within it.

The Good Luck Girls is the story of the origin of a group of folk hero legends. Not the Tall Tale story told around a campfire decades after the events, exaggerated and mixed up with other stories, but the complicated reality of five enslaved girls seeing and taking the opportunity to escape, and the daring choices they’re forced to make to survive. I love it when ladies save themselves, realize they have to Do Crime to escape and survive, and use their new Crime Skills to get revenge on their oppressors. That’s some classic Western-genre storytelling, right there. Then they understand they need to practice their Crime Skills to improve, to be better at Crime, and instead of shying away, they totally embrace it. I need more stories like this. Badass ladies is my jam.

What I love the most is Aster’s dedication to dismantling the kyriarchy. As she understands more systems of oppression, she adds them to the list of ones she plans to subvert, instead of saying “that’s not my problem.” She also recognizes the tricks that oppressors play to keep power: the Scorpions are unwilling to help Good Luck Girls, and she knows it’s because of a divide-and-conquer technique established by the ruling class. Aster will join the Scorpions to help people when she thinks that’s her only option, but when she discovers there’s a similar group that won’t discriminate against the people who need help, of course she chooses them.

If this book is the origin story of these folk heroes, I imagine the second book will encompass all the adventures, run-ins, scrapes, and battles that make them famous, and I’m ready for it.

Rating: 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

DNF at 50%.

I don't know if it's because I started reading this while I was in a bit of a slump, but something kept me from getting invested. The premise is super interesting and I was really excited to read a book full of complex female leads and social commentary but unfortunately I just couldn't get into it. I might try to read it again when I have more time to commit to this story.

This book has a curious context with a fresh feel, slicing dystopia with an old time world, almost like a western. The start of the book was super strong for me with a compelling narrative that brought all my compassion to the surface. That strong start waned at times but this was a series starter that I will definitely finish.

What worked for me were the sisters (Aster and Clementine) and the group of young women, sometimes very polarised against one another, but with a common goal of escapism and freedom. There were analogies to contemporary themes such as traficking and oppression that were appealing. What I found less appealing were the fantastical developments such as raveners and vengeants. I didn’t bond with that aspect of the world.

I moved between reading avidly to feeling a slowing of the pace of the story that left me wanting to feel more involved. Despite the fleeing, chases and general tension, I wanted a bit more attachment to the book than I felt and I can’t quite explain why I didn’t feel this. Maybe I wasn’t connected to Aster and Clementine enough, but I do still want to know where this goes after book one.

I was instantly drawn to this book by the cover. I have seen two different covers for the book and to be honest I really like them both. Though if I had to choose one, surprisingly I would pick the UK cover version which is unusual as I normally prefer the US covers!
The genre’s listed for this book are Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Teens & YA, which whilst I agree with these, I would also add dystopian to that list and would say that I definitely do not fall into the YA age group but honestly loved reading this book!

The book concentrates on five girls, Aster, Violet, Tansy, Mallow, and Clementine. These girls have all been sold to the same Welcome House when they were younger. Upon being taken into the Welcome House the girls are renamed after flowers which they then have tattooed on their necks, this tattoo is referred to as a favour. There is no way to remove these favors and everyone knows they mean you belong to a Welcome House and are a Good Luck Girl or as some refer to them as Lucker’s for short. Until you “come of age” at 16 years old, you are known as a “Daybreak girl”, who works during the day and does cleaning, and cooking chores. You are not allowed to mix with the Sundown girls, though are expected to wait on them and show them due respect. On your sixteenth birthday you have what is called your “Lucky Night” and from then on become a “Sundown girl” who begins working as the sun goes down. A Sundown girl has to entertain male clients or as they are called in the book “Brags”.

The book begins on Clementine’s sixteenth birthday, she will have her “Lucky Night” as her sister Aster and the other girls before her have and will be auctioned to the highest bidder who will then be “entertained” by his purchase for however long he has purchased her for. To help the Sundown girls cope with what they do on a nightly basis the woman who runs the home, Mother Fleur provides the girls with a drug called Sweet Thistle. It soon becomes addictive and the only way some of the girls can cope with what they have to do. Things take a different turn when Clementine fights back against her brag and accidentally kills him. It’s only the quick thinking of Clementine and her older sister Aster along with the help of friends and daybreak girls Mallow and Tansy that temporarily hide what has happened. The girls decide the only answer is to go on the run. When Mother Fleur’s favourite girl Violet discovers the girls with the brags bloodied body, they think their lives are over, but when Violet hears the plan to run away, she asks to go along with them!
Without much choice and no time to argue the girls say yes and Violet soon proves to be valuable part of the escape plan.

The rest of the book is the journey the girls take on their mission to find Lady Ghost who it’s said can remove their favour tattoo’s. Violet was told the story by her mother. In fact, Violet’s own story is quite unique as she was born to a Good Luck Girl working in the Welcome House which is an extreme rarity. (You’ll find out why, when you read the book!) Being the eldest of the girls, Aster soon becomes the leader of the girls and she is quite sceptical about the whole idea of the mysterious Lady Ghost who can remove favors, for a price. Aster believes Lady Ghost is a fairy-tale character thought up to make the younger Good Luck Girls feel better and have them think that they can at some point leave the Welcome House lifestyle and stigma behind them. Aster also wonders on a practical level where on earth they would all get the money to pay Lady Ghost with. The five girls know they will be chased, Mother Fleur will have sent the Welcome House Raveners after them. Raveners can literally paralyse a person with fear and sorrow. Raveners can get into the minds of their victims and can make them go out of their own minds. The fugitives also discover the identity of the brag that Clementine accidentally killed. It turns out to be a very important, wealthy man whose family are determined to track the girls down, though they make it widely known that they want the girls alive. The family of the brag have their own family raveners on the girls trail as well as wanted posters of the girls put up all around the scab and route to possible freedom for the girls.

My favourite character, quite predictably is Aster the unofficial leader of the fugitives. Aster has wanted to try to escape the Welcome House life for many years, but being a Sundown girl, she has been kept apart from her Daybreak girl sister Clementine. As Clementine has unintentionally killed her first ever brag, the decision is hurriedly made, it is the only option to go on the run. I adored how protective Aster was of Clementine, she seriously would lay her life down in the place of her sisters. I also liked the relationship between Clementine and Zee. Zee is a rangeman, a guide who escorts people on journeys through the Scab. The Scab is the dangerous, wilderness area the girls need to travel. Though Aster makes it quite clear that she doesn’t fully trust Zee yet, she thinks he is hiding something from them. Clementine is insistent that she has a good feeling about Zee, as the girls need his help as a guide, he is given the benefit of the doubt.

A character that I initially disliked but really ended up having my mind changed was Violet, but as you learn more about her, you realise she is as much a victim of the Welcome House system as the other girls. Violet is determined to get to Lady Ghost, and truly believes in her. Violet ends up becoming a valuable member of the group. She is as ruthless as she is practical and often makes the girls rethink their own opinions. The girls are somewhat thrown together in this escape and though they have lived together for years they grew much closer and end up trusting each other with their lives. I really enjoyed the way the girls slowly reveal their secrets, their names before they were sold to the Welcome House along with the reasons they were sold.

I could honestly rave on and go on and on about this book, but I don’t want to give away any more detail than I already have. I felt pulled into the story very early in the book and was totally hooked by less than 20% into it. I became attached and protective of the girls and really cared about what happened to them. I felt I was as suspicious of everyone they came across as Aster was. I was cheering them on when they came up with the ideas of getting the money to pay Lady Ghost.

My immediate thoughts on finishing the book were that it was an amazing read! But. . .I felt all over the place I wanted to know even more! What comes next? Could Dawn possibly find happiness with Eli? What about those in Ferron? What is life like for them? What happened to Violet? Does she ever make it to Lady Ghost? What’s the truth about her mother? I also hope to learn more about the raveners, how they become them and why. There is so much more to discover about this rather cruel world the Good Luck Girls exist in. I would also love more from the Scorpions!

To sum up my thoughts on this book I totally loved it! And I want more, much more please! I would have to say I think this book will appeal to those who have read and loved The Lone City Series by Amy Ewing, The Belles Series by Dhonielle Clayton, with elements of The Aviary by Emily Shore and the feel of A Dress For The Wicked by Autumn Krause.

Firstly I would like to thank NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book. All reviews discussed here are my own.

Ohh this was such an intriguing book and I have such mixed feelings on it. I really don't know what genre to class this book as; it's YA with a mixture of historic, dystopian, fantasy, and criminal underworld?? It was definitely a refreshing YA read that's for sure and unlike anything else i've read. The women are tough and hard as hell; they know the price for living ad they aren't willing to pay that price anymore.

"kind enough to cut us from the inside so we can never have children"

The opening chapter was really interesting; starting from Clementines perspective up until she kills the fella and then switching to Aster's view and going backwards in time slightly until we catch up with Clem. I thought the writing throughout this book was well done and I was never left bored; the plot does move slow at times but it's not a massive drawback on the book. I thought the world-building was done well overall; there's very similar mirrors with today's world so it was quite easy to follow. I also loved the character Aster and thought she was a really well-developed and bad-ass female lead. I felt this book was a solid four stars throughout but there were a couple of things that made me drop my rating.

"the only problem was, Aster had never chosen this life"

One of the mains reasons was Clementine. I just didn't like her as a character. I thought she was quite daft to be honest with you. In the first chapter she comes across as fearful, yes, but also brave and strong. And then the rest of the book she is just reduced to a side character who is obsessed with the first nice man she lays her eyes on. Honestly she just seems to fall head over heels for him and gets annoyed anytime Aster gets suspicious of him; yes maybe Aster should trust him more but she's spent the last year of her life seeing up close and personal just what men are capable of so she's right to be wary. I think the main issue is that Clementine, and Mallow and Tansy, were all really underdeveloped and didn't have much of a role in the story. Therefore it's hard to warm to any of them that much. Also the fact that Zee tries to relate how he feels for Clem to how Aster cares about Clem is laughable; he's literally known her two minutes.

I also am slightly confused about the magical/fantasy elements of this book as they were the only bits that weren't well explored.

The ending of this book really disappointed me. First off the fact that Violet is left for dead; as we didn't see her die i'm praying she makes a miraculous recovery in the next installment. Violent for more had one of the biggest character developments throughout this book. Davis doesn't shy away from what Violet has done to survive but she gives us the reasons why and it really humanises Violet. I can't imagine what it would have been like to be born into that place and know nothing else. She was such a strong character throughout and it felt like such a waste for her to die. Secondly, I completely get that Aster wants to stay however I do not buy for a second that the other girls would leave her, especially Clementine. Clem and Aster have been together throughout and so for them to be suddenly separated like that with what seemed to be no real conversation about it just didn't ring true for me. This happens with a lot of books where there is a lot of time spent developing the world itself that the ending seems really rushed. It definitely felt like it came around too fast for me and honestly didn't make much sense. I did enjoy though that there were so many "Lady Ghosts" and that it turned out to be a string of women who wanted to save other girls.

Overall i'm mixed about this book. I love Aster and think she was such an interesting character, but other than Violent the surrounding characters weren't overly well developed and easily faded into the background. I think the world itself is interesting but it just didn't quite hit the mark for me. I would be intrigued to read the sequel though so it isn't one I hate.

This was a dark, gritty, intense read. I loved every minute of it and had a hard time putting it down. It’s a book that stays with you and haunts you long after you’ve finished it. We follow our five girls after they’ve escaped the bawdy house they’ve been sold to as children and their run across the country. In a world full of ghouls that attack at night and ravenors that twist your minds, the five girls find a way to survive on the hope of reaching the Lady Ghost, a tale told between the good luck girls of a woman that can remove their burning face brands for a price.
I came to love the girls for their anger, fear, hope, and friendship. Their feeling came across the pages and were palpable to me. Aster, being the oldest and Clem’s sister, I connected most with. She fought to be strong and not show her fear and she did the right thing even while making mistakes along the way. She learned to find her way and to find what made her feel whole again. I can’t wait to see what happens the the girls and how much trouble they can stir up for those in power. A strong debut that I highly recommend.

I'm really not sure where to start this review. I have read nothing but positive reviews for this book, and the synopsis sounded good...but something didn't quite work for me.

Let me start with the positives. I absolutely loved the beginning of the story. I really liked Aster and Clementine, and how the story unfolds. Several girls, all named after flowers, live in a kind of brothel. There are the daybreak girls who perform chores, and the sundown girls who entertain the male guests who frequent their home. Each girl has their namesake flower tattooed on their neck - a tattoo that unfurls as the girls age, blooming entirely when they are sixteen, when they become sundown girls. The story picks up with Clem's first day as a sundown girl.

Honestly, I loved the idea of magic tattoos that grow with the person. I really loved the vibe and atmosphere, and I was so excited to see where it would go. The prologue was excellent, setting up great conflict and problems for the main girls. I was excited for female friendships and fights against their oppressors.

What I got...wasn't really that. I don't want to spoil what happens, but I got through 40% and I felt a bit let down. I think the girls' characterizations and dynamics were too weak, and the pacing too slow. Unfortunately, it just didn't work for me.

I received a digital advanced reader copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I’m not even going to try and lie.. I was totally into this WAY before I got my arc. Even when I requested this title, I was rereading the synopsis several times and crossing my fingers that I would get a copy. Those first few chapters were absolutely the most brutal beginning of any book I have ever read (and I have read a LOT of books). This is one of those stories that just hits hard emotionally. It really makes you think about how being sold into sex slavery is totally a reality for some young girls.

Despite the basic plot of this novel being about sexual slavery, the female characters are incredibly strong and easy to look up to. I loved the general feel of female confidence and friendship. The ending was completely unexpected and I cannot wait for the next installment. Davis has a wonderful writing style that just flows throughout the pages.

I feel Charlotte has set us up for an interesting read for her next book,and I cannot wait to get my hands on it.

**Review will be posted on Sept. 23, 2019, closer to publication date, on my blog http://pastmidnight.home.blog**

Thank you to Tor Teen and NetGalley for giving me a chance to read this eARC.

In this dystopian/fantasy western world of Arketta, we have a group of females who are living in a “welcome house”, basically it’s a brothel. They are raised to be sex slaves in The Scab, a mining town in what seems like the worst part of Arketta. But when Clementine, one of the girls, accidentally kills her brag (customer), she, her sister and friends make a run for it. This story then follows these girls on the run from the law, supernatural monster called vengeants, raveners who mess with their minds and other powerful men. What a wild ride this story took me on!

I was so impressed with the world building. I’m not a big fan of westerns so I went into this book just mildly interested. But as I kept reading, I realized this world kept drawing me in deeper. Families in The Scab sell their girls for shine (money) and girls then sell their bodies. ☹️ It’s a tough world for women in Arketta and for the other dustbloods. Dustbloods, are a group of people who had their shadows torn from them because of a debt to be paid. Their children are born with no shadows, and these people are oppressed in a land where landmasters rule. Subject matter wise, it’s a tough one. I got angry about the welcome houses and how the girls are drugged to do their “job”. I was angry at the men and raveners. 😠

But landmasters and raveners are not the only evils out there. Arketta is teeming with vengeants, supernatural like monsters that prowl in the dark. We follow Aster, Clementine, Tansy, Mallow and Violet (yes all named after flowers), as they escape the welcome house. They travel to different towns on horses, navigating dirt trails, camping out at abandoned mines and even catching a ride on a train. Along the way they come across many dangers, meet new people, they plan heists and robberies to survive! All they want is real freedom! 😔 The cast of characters is diverse with people of color and with LGBT+ representation.

I loved Aster, who is the main character and takes a roll as leader of this runaway crew. She’s never been a leader and she makes mistakes along the way but she admits her wrongdoings and tries to fix things. I love how her character leaps off the page. And another thing I enjoyed was finding out the original names of the girls as their journey continues. It was empowering to see them shed their personas from the welcome house and reclaim the names they were born with!

This story is a strong debut from author Charlotte Nicole Davis. It is engaging, exciting and empowering. I look forward to the sequel!

Clementine and Aster are sisters who were sold into the brothel - here called a welcome house. As always, I am a sucker for strong sibling relationships and these two are great. Aster is the older sister and is trying to protect Clem in anyway she can in the horrible situation they are in. I liked Clem fine, but it was Aster's story, really. After the are on the run Aster evolves into a knife-wielding, angry, fantastic leader; and I loved every second of it. I also really appreciate the way the author portrayed Aster's anxiety and anger. It felt incredibly real and I hurt for her.
My other favorite character is Violet. The mean girl who turned out to be the most helpful addition to their escape. I cannot wait to see what is waiting for Violet in book two!!

Also, there is a f/f relationship! I won't say more to avoid any spoilers, but hopefully by the time this series is done there will be at least one more too!

The plot moved fairly quickly and kept me on edge for most of the book. Everything in their world is so dangerous, especially for them, and I was always engaged just waiting for the next danger. There were a few times I think the story wandered a bit for no real reason, but I am really hoping some of the little side scares are going to have a purpose in book two.

The world was very fleshed out without any info dumps. The author did such a great job explaining how the world worked, the people, the prejudices, the past horrors all without overwhelming me at any time. My only negative was some of the aspects were so dark and interesting (the girls' marks, all the ghosts, the raveners) and I wished there was more emphasis on them. While we did learn about why they all are - I wished I could understand how they all came to be.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It's dark and scary at times, but it is deep. I am ready for book two, please!!