A little Addie LaRue, a bit o Nancy Drew, some options and poisons, an appearance by Fate, ghosts, intrigue,.and me just picturing Elijah as played by Ethan Hawke. The mystery wasn't too hard to figure out, but it gave a chance to get to know Signa and the other players. I'll want to read the follow-up.

This ended up not really being my thing! It’s well written and I’m sure fans of gothic horror will really enjoy it but I don’t typically enjoy the slow creeping pace of the genre so I had to DNF and then skim about 40% of the way through

Words literally cannot describe how in love I am with this book. I first heard about belladonna through a friend, who was on the authors street team. It QUICKLY became one of his favorite reads and the main character became a muse for his art. This story is dark, twisted, but not in a way that it’s outright scary. I would highly recommend this book to anyone that loves dark/otherworldly reads, as the main character is basically constantly surrounded by darkness. I felt so connected to the main character through her feelings of being unwanted, but wanted by a presence that may not be good.
I’m so lucky to have been able to snag an e-ARC but I already have 2 physical copies preordered AND I’m beyond excited for the sequel!

definitely a new favorite, i love the atmosphere and the romance element between death and signa. also the love “triangle” went well and now i have to reread the book knowing what i know. the gothic horror was very vivid i think i satyed up until 2 am to finish it

Nineteen-year-old Signa has spent her entire life being carted from one guardian to the next after the death of her parents. Her living situation never stays the same for long as all of her guardians seem to pass soon after Signa comes to live with them. After the most recent death, Signa is sent to live with her last remaining relatives, the enigmatic Hawthornes. But when Signa arrives at their grand mansion, she learns not everything is as it seems. Her aunt has mysteriously died, and now her cousin is wasting away from the same strange disease. Only Signa knows that it's not an illness overtaking her cousin but poison. Signa may never have had a stable family relationship, but the one constant in her life has been Death. Signa doesn't know how or why, but she has always been able to see spirits and communicate with Death himself. To save her new family, Signa will recruit the help of Death and a puzzling stable boy named Sylas to uncover the murderer before it's too late.

I didn't have any expectations going into this, but I ended up enjoying it. Grace's writing was atmospheric and gave off an eerie, Gothic vibe that I loved. I also really liked her characters. Signa was so interesting with these strange powers. I wish we learned a little bit more about her background because I wanted to know how she came to be with them, but I'm intrigued to see how they'll grow from here. I also liked her relationship with Death. It was teasing yet protective at the same time. They bickered constantly, but you could tell that underneath it all, they both truly cared for one another. I did see the twist of Death's identity coming from a mile away, so it wasn't as shocking when it was revealed. There were also little clues about the plot twist I was able to suss out as well, but I still liked how Grace wrapped everything up. While the pacing was too slow for me at times, and I think this would've worked well as just a stand-alone, I'm excited to read the next one.

"Death was her poison, and she wanted was to consume more."

I too eagerly consumed this book like Singa to the Bellabonna berries. What a fun, mysterious world with a shocking ending and the glimmer of a gothic romance that is sure to make your hear swirl. Singa is a unique character with a unique problem. Death. And I must say he sure did steal my heart. What a absolute joy to read, thank you Netgalley and Little Brown for the chance! I see myself needing this book on my bookshelf when it is released!

This book… I received this book as an ARC, and oh boy, is this worth the read. I can’t begin to explain to you how much I loved Belladonna. If I could give it more than five stars, I would.
Signa hated Death as it followed her everywhere she went; however, only she could see him. He would appear first to take her parents, then her grandma, and all her guardians to follow. She then ends up at Thorn Grove after her Aunt Magna’s unfortunate death. The family’s matriarch is dead from an unknown illness, and the family’s daughter seems to be next. Set in the 1850s, Belladonna follows Signa’s quest to find Lillian’s killer and the person poisoning Signa’s cousin.
It’s a book full of mystery and kept me on my toes the entire time. I honestly thought I knew what would happen; believe me, I was very wrong. The way everything always comes back together and no detail too small reminds me of Taylor Swift’s Easter eggs. Adalyn is such a talented writer, and I loved her writing style so much. Despite the almost 200-year time difference, I truly felt I could connect with Signa and some of her decisions. It’s crazy how Adalyn managed to give each character enough personality that I could genuinely come to be suspicious while loving them nevertheless.
The end is truly the best part; however, I was hooked the entire time.

This is my second Adalyn Grace novel, and I think the author is just not for me. The book felt middle grade to me, and I ending up dnfing at 35 percent. Sorry! Glover is gorgeous though

I have never read a book by Adalyn Grace and after reading this I now have her other books on my to-read list. She weaves a tale that I felt I was fully immersed in and juts couldn't put down at all. Signa is our 17 year old main character that has these powers where she can't die, can see spirits and has a dark past life as an orphan now. She's sent to live with her only living family members but when she arrives it's all in an uproar. The lady of the house is dead and everyone is coping in their own way. Enter the mystery! Signa is trying to find out what happened to Lillian and what illness is affecting her cousin. As Signa can speak with spirits she can also speak to death himself, and he's wedged himself into the mix to help her solve this crime! I love how we see Signa develop and find herself throughout the novel. I loved the twists and turns of the mystery! It didn't take me long to figure out the ending but that cliffhanger was not expected. I also love mystery books and the gothic vibe this book gave me! I can't wait for the second one to be released!

Thank you to NetGalley for a free eArc in exchange for a honest review!
3.75 stars~
I went into this completely blind because I love the author and the cover is STUNNING. It was definitely not what I expected, but I actually enjoyed it a lot. I was a little bored the first half, but the second half made up for it! The twists were unexpected and the vibe of the book was very vintage and dark. My only wish is that they dived into the relationship between Death and Signa a little more because it seemed a little shallow, but I’m hoping the sequel fixes that!

3.5 stars

hmm, this book was actually pretty unique and refreshing to read. i loved the premise and the concept of the book, teaming with death itself to solve a murder is actually and ingenious idea, but also pretty ironic.

i liked signa, i loved her character and how it developed throughout the book. i liked death too, he was more of a solid character than i would have imagined him to be. what i didn't particularly enjoy, is the romantic relationship between signa and death. it made me a bit grossed out since death is like a a bajillion years old + he knew signa since she was a child, but i suppose that is how it happens in most ya books these days, not that it's a good think or anything like that.

the plot twist was actually pretty non predictable but another aspect in the book was. overall it was a solid read, but had a few issues for me! i would recommend with caution.

4.5 stars
I had really high expectations for this book and was kind of disappointed at first. The first few chapter were good, but then the rest of the beginning 1/3 was a bit too slow and boring for me. Eventually it picked up and I was guessing what would happen next. I knew where the story was going and then... I didn't and it was great! I really thought I had it all figured out, but there were two big twists at the end that really helped redeem this book for me. I love, LOVE, the romance in this book (it's a bit subtle for some, but I think it's my preference). Also I like that our MC was originally trying to conform to societal norms to please others and realized that was not the life she wanted to live. There were some really great quotes in here. The writing was decent overall, but occasionally seemed odd. Like repeating things for no reason, saying conflicting things, and just disjointed at times. The setting was eh, but I really liked the characters! I also appreciate the slight witchy/apothecary vibes. Although a bit more subtle than expected, they are some of the parts I enjoyed most, as well as the parts that talked about death and the afterlife (which in this book kind of go hand in hand). I wish they would've gone more into detail with some of the herbs and plants and their uses. The ending was unexpected and now I can't wait for book two, 'Foxglove'! Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley and Little Brown Books for Young Readers for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Belladonna is the first of Adalyn Grace's works that I've read, and I'm in love with her writing. (I'll be getting to her backlist shortly!) Belladonna is Signa's story, told as she navigates the death that follows her every step through life. As we find out quickly, Death himself appears to her often, claiming those who care for her as they die around her. Signa is passed from guardian to guardian before landing at the equally strange manor house known as Thorn Grove. As many others have said, a murder mystery with Death as a possible love interest. How can you not pick this book up?

I loved the world and the Gothic type of magic that surrounds Signa and Death. Some of the characters apart from Signa and Death were quite flat, but I found I didn't care as much since the action continued to move the pace of the story along reasonably.

I've put Belladonna on my list to preorder in the next month or so, and I highly suggest you do the same! I don't believe that it will be a standalone, based on the final scenes, so be warned that this world could expand further in the future!

Oh my gosh! I am addicted to this book! I have already pre-ordered a hard copy so I can actually hold it in my hands once it's published. Death is hot, at least in this book.

Lately, I've been dying to read a book about a main character who doesn't want to be the main character. In Belladonna, Signa is dying to be just any other girl. I really loved watching her go from resisting everything asked of her by fate (or rather, Death), to feeling responsible, to wanting to be the hero of the story. The way Grace wrote Death was innovative, making what he does beautiful, and not the dark monster that many authors let him be. The progression of the story wasn't too predictable, and some parts had me wishing I had a friend who had already read it so I could scream with them over the book! I'm already counting down for the sequel.

Belladonna is perfect for anyone who wants a dark Victorian tale, meant to be read on a thundery night by candlelight.

This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and I am SO sad to report that it fell flat for me. The imagery of the world that Adalyn Grace created was superb, but the characters themselves were really superficial to me. I think that it if there was more character depth, that I would have enjoyed it more.

“Belladonna” by Adalyn Grace is the first book in a new series by the author of the All the Stars and Teeth duology. While I read the first book in that duology and enjoyed the author’s writing style, I didn’t end up loving the book but that is entirely based on my preference because I don’t love books that are set at sea.

This book is a complete 180 turnaround from that story Belladonna follows our main character, Signa Farrow, as she grows up constantly followed by death. Signa often finds herself in situations that would kill a normal person and yet, she survives. When she eventually ends up on her uncle’s doorstep, she finds herself wrapped up in a murder mystery that needs to be solved before the murderer strikes again.

I loved this book. It has a very gothic feel, which I don’t see a lot in YA. The atmosphere was spot on. There is even a haunted garden.

Of course this wouldn’t be a YA book without an angsty romance and this book delivered. There is a slight love triangle with one of the sides of it being Death. Which felt so very Victorian. If I had to compare the feeling I got while reading this book, I would say it is very similar in vibes to the movie, Crimson Peak.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes gothic vibes with a murder mystery and romance.

Belladonna is the first in a new series by New York Times bestselling author Adalyn Grace, who is well-known for her duology All the Stars and Teeth. Her previous series was set in a fantasy world with intricate magic, mermaids, and pirates, but Belladonna positions itself in a more down-to-earth Victorian-inspired setting. However don’t make the mistake of picturing Bridgerton as this Gothic-inspired murder mystery with paranormal romantic fantasy elements is more along the lines of Crimson Peak meets Stalking Jack The Ripper.

The killer premise of a young woman teaming up with Death himself to investigate a potential murder is uniquely intoxicating, and the suggestion that Death is a love interest will seal the deal for many readers. Death is a tricky character to portray in a believable manner that conveys the full weight of his immortal existence and countless years of reaping souls while also making it plausible that he might become invested in one particular human, but the author pulls it off with style. She cleverly builds up a mystery surrounding our heroine who somehow survives Death’s touch as a baby, causing him to catch glimpses of her impossible future even though nobody has ever come out alive after an encounter with Death. It’s easy to understand why Death would become fascinated by Signa Farrow and keep tabs on her throughout her life because she is something unheard of and offers the prospect of companionship to a previously solitary entity.

Of course, being able to survive a social encounter with Death not a guarantee that Signa would have any inclination to spend time with him! She understandably has a grudge against Death given that as a young orphan, she was forced to move from one household to another with increasingly less hospitable guardians since they kept dying in an untimely fashion around her, leading to the rumour that she is cursed. All Signa wants is the security of a permanent home with a loving family and Death is a threat to that dream, causing her to be very hostile towards him in their initial interactions. But when it appears that her late aunt was murdered and there is the chance her killer may strike again, Signa must reluctantly ally with Death in order to protect her newest household.

Signa and Death’s dynamic is very tropey and reminiscent of other books where the plucky young heroine is pitted against an amoral adversary in a position of power who has a fondness for her. As someone who finds that to be pure catnip, I relished in every scene between them. And unlike many books with a similar dynamic, Death is actually a legitimate love interest rather than purely the villain which means we see a satisfying romantic arc develop between them. Fans of tropes like hate-to-love and forced proximity will be very pleased with their relationship!

While the romantic element is a big part of the appeal of Belladonna, it doesn’t overshadow the murder mystery plot at Thorn Grove which is a thrilling, atmospheric enigma that thoroughly bamboozles Signa and the audience with multiple red herrings and dead ends on the way to a stunning conclusion with shocking but satisfying twists. Signa’s investigation into the fraught history of the Hawthornes and the resulting puzzle pieces she tries to assemble is genuinely intriguing and it’s easy to invest in her efforts to safeguard her new family. The side characters feel like realistic, complex human beings and Signa’s growing connection to her cousins is especially rewarding to witness.

This highly imaginative and excitingly original premise is supported by lush evocative writing, magical world-building and a gripping, well-crafted storyline. Meshing multiple genres with ease, Belladonna will enchant readers who enjoy romantic fantasy, gothic vibes and murder mysteries. An addictive and atmospheric dark upper YA novel, this is fair warning to you all not to start reading late at night unless you want to be up past dawn turning the last page!

4/5 stars!

Oooh okay!! I was actually very pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed this book. Belladonna is a gothic infused fantasy filled with elements of romance, mystery and paranormal activity. I really liked how easily this book read and found there was a lot more that I liked about it than disliked. Let me first start off by saying that the alluring and haunting atmosphere of this book was just *chefs kiss*!! I really liked the main plot idea of a murder mystery and found myself totally invested in figuring out who the killer was alongside Signa. Although there were a few surprises that I figured out pretty quickly, I was thrilled that by the end of the book there were even a few twists and turns I didn't see coming. I found the ideas behind Signa's abilities fascinating and loved how they were used and developed further throughout the book. I was completely enchanted by the personification of Death's character, however wished we saw just a little more depth to his character/personality. I thought the romance was okay but wished for it to be a little more developed and a little less rushed. Overall, this was a really solid read for me, I had a lot of fun with it and would definitely recommend!

BELLADONNA is author Adalyn Grace's third published work, and this will be the second I've read from her. I have previously read her debut, ALL THE STARS AND TEETH, and while I did not end up finishing that duology, I was optimistic that time and experience would start to show through by her third novel.

Ultimately, I have to say I'm just not sure if I am the best audience for the author's writing. I absolutely love the concepts behind her stories and on paper BELLADONNA has so many things I love in a story. Mystery. Murder. Ghosts. A rendezvous with Death. And there were several parts I thoroughly enjoyed. I really liked the set-up of the prologue and it set an excellent tone for what the story would be. I also loved our leading heroine fighting for the life she wants—especially when she realizes the life she wants isn't the one she'd thought she'd always wanted.

My qualm largely comes from a disconnect in the characterization with Death. For me personally, it didn't hit. And because the entire character didn't land for me, the entire romantic subplot also didn't land for me.

I believe this book will land better for its target Teen audience, and certainly the 16+ crowd that is aware of the societal pressures on them. There are some truly wonderful moments of consideration and self-awareness that would do well for Teen/Tween readers. And I'm still very much interested in the sequel, FOXGLOVE, based on the ending of BELLADONNA.

But overall, I find myself on the fence for the rating and that has more to do with personal preferences than anything that should be critiqued across the board. So in recognition of that, I will be rounding up my score, because I do believe this will hit better for the audiences it is intended for!

Thank you NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for an advanced copy for review!