🥰 This is one of those reads where I knew even as I was reading it-my brain wouldn’t be able to put into words just how much this book touched my heart.

👩‍👧‍👧 The Wilderwomen is a compelling love-story between both sisters and mothers. Ruth Emile Lang has done a fantastic job of creating a world of magical realism and scenarios that have you rooting for the characters during each hi-jinx they find themselves in.

As always here are a few of my favorite elements from this book:

✨ magic-realism
✨ psychic karaoke
✨ roadtrips with your older sister and a bunch of tape decks….who gets to be DJ?!
✨ “talking” trees
✨ flashbacks between past and present

♥️ Ruth Emmie Lang hi lights the different dynamics of sisterhood and how growing up in the same home can lead to such vastly different personas and memories.

🪞I loved the fact that we also got to visualize the lengths to which siblings will go to protect one another, even if it becomes the sole meaning of their existence. Which in turn leads to exploring the concept of motherhood and the evolution of how we view our mothers as we are adolescents and the grace that we learn as we become mothers ourselves.

Zadie has the ability to see things coming, but not when her mother Nora disappears. Her sister Finn can see echos left behind, sort of a memory trace. Finn wakes with a vision that isn’t her but her mothers so she convinces Zadie their mother is still alive and they must find her. This begins their journey, learning more about their mother and relying on each other.

I loved the story of sisters and mother relationship because not every relationship is strong or percent as people make them out to be. As people were more complex than we show and many different sides. It’s a very heartwarming story. And the writing grabs your attention with its symmetry. It was a very lyrical magical realism story, and for a debut I really enjoyed the magic that was woven.

This book absolutely slapped! I was so into it start to finish. Now I need to go back and read her last book asap!

This was okay. I was drawn to the cover at first. It's so intriguing and beautiful. I liked the road trip/scavenger hunt concept, the storyline between the sisters and the bond that they were trying to reconnect. I liked the growth of each of the sisters throughout, Zadie more so than Finn. There was no reason for the introduction of Joel in my opinion, he added nothing to the plot. There were a decent amount of twists and turns that definitely kept the story moving and my interested slightly piqued but I found myself saying “would you just find her already so we can move on?” The end felt very anticlimactic, especially after all the build up to get there. I think this story has a target audience who would really enjoy it. I think it could be a good book for a YA reader who likes a little magic and fantasy. .

I had really high expectations for "The Wilderwomen" by Ruth Emmie Lang because the author's other work, "Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance" is one of my all time favorite books. "The Wilderwomen" is a story of family and sisterhood, love and loss...with a bit of magic thrown in for good measure. It follows Zadie's and Finn's journey to find their mother, Nora, who abruptly left her daughters five years prior to the start of this story. The writing is atmospheric and the story original and creative. I was a bit disappointed in the ending though; I guess I expected more emotion and the big reveal didn't really wow me. I wish Zadie's and Finn's characters had been more fully developed so I would have been more invested in their story. While I was entertained, I never became completely immersed in their world.

I don't think "The Wilderwomen" was as good as "Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance," but I do think it will still appeal to a wide audience. For me, it lacked the power that this author's previous work had. It was a bit too YA for my taste.

I have so many mixed feelings about this book, but the major takeaway is that I thought it was such an amazing reading experience…until the end 😂

Ruth Emmie Lang has such an amazing ability to create characters you fall in love with instantly. It was my favorite part of her last book (Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance), and it’s my favorite part of this book. I love Finn and Zadie like they’re my own family.

The journey of this book was so much fun to read, but at the end I felt like I was left with so many unanswered questions. I felt like it wrapped up too quickly and didn’t give the resolution the time it deserved. Up until the last 40 pages, I was certain this was going to end up as a favorite of the year, but I’m not so sure anymore 😭

I still highly recommend this book because I had a really great time reading it. The characters and the unique magical elements make it totally worth your time! Just be prepared to not be totally satisfied by the wrap-up.

3.5 stars rounded up!

This is a really unique read about two sisters searching for their mother, but add in some magical realism with a coming of age story and you’ve got a really atmospheric read!

This book is unlike my usual reads! Magical realism isn’t my go-to, and this felt like such a unique storyline. The characters are well-developed, and I loved the flashbacks where you get to know Nora. The build up to the mystery was great, and I was so excited to see where this story went.

Once the sisters got on the road, I thought “yes! Let’s see where their journey goes!” But their journey was very meandering, and I thought it would all tie together a little more at the end. After I finished, there were a few parts of the book where I wasn’t sure why certain things were included. If they had taken a more direct path, I think I would have liked it more and probably given it 4 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the gifted copy in exchange for my honest review!

This book was a good read! It was full of adventure, magical realism, friendship, and heartbreak. I enjoyed reading every part of the story and following the sisters on the adventure of a lifetime, and all the memories and shocking revelations that were found on the way.

* Thanks to St Martin's Press and Netgalley for an advance copy for review purposes *

Two estranged sisters with special powers set out on a roadtrip to find their mother, one of them reluctantly, the other filled with hope and expectations. The character development is superb, and the sisters' abilities adds to the underlying theme of self acceptance. The mystery of what happened to their mother is a little forced, constructed by funneling information through switching back and forth between past and present, however, the mystery itself is secondary to the growth of the characters.

💜𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲💜
THE WILDERWOMEN
🤍𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗲: magical realism
𝗠𝘆 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: 4 ⭐️
📖 326 pages
🥳 𝗣𝘂𝗯 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲: 11/15/2022 (today!)

🎉!𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝗽𝘂𝗯 𝗱𝗮𝘆!🎉

Thank you @stmartinspress & @netgalley for this #gifted copy of this beautiful hardcover ARC.

This was such a beautiful story and really pulled me in. At times it even reminded me of Practical Magic with the 2 sisters at odds over their differences and struggling with their magical gifts. I also really liked the alternating POV’s between sisters Zadie and Finn throughout.

It’s funny bc even though I really enjoyed this, at the same time it felt like not much happened? Or maybe I just read it so quickly it felt like that somehow 😅 . Whatever the reason, this story really enraptured me and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it 😊

With the temperature drop in Chicago this past weekend and the first snow ❄️ today, I couldn’t help but put my Christmas 🎄 decorations up. Bring on #cozyseason

The Wilderwomen is a long road trip, but this book is worth every mile...er, page.
I liked the large cast of characters, especially Joel and the Van Houten girls. Finn and Zadie...well. They are well-written characters, but I had a hard time connecting with their hunt for their mother. The author did a great job of tying together the main plots and side plots with the lovely locations. If you like the road trip part of the Britney Spears, Zoe Saldana, and Taryn Manning movie Crossroads and the sisterhood of Practical Magic, this book is for you.

When Nora Wilder disappeared her eldest daughter Zadie was not worried, her mother had been disappearing and losing time, but she always came back. But that was five years ago and not being able to keep custody of her little sister Finn, Zadie is all alone.
When Finn announces that with or without Zadies help she is going to find their mother, Zadie has no choice to go along with her sisters plan.
This sets in motion an adventure that will test their limits, and the closer the girls get to finding Nora, the further Finn slips away from her sister.

I’m usually not a fan of magical realism. But this had just enough magic that I didn’t know what to expect, and not too much that it took over the story.
This was a story of hope, resilience, and the power of family.

This is definitely a MUST READ for any and everyone! There are a few very talented writers who manage to take a story line and build it into something more. Ruth Emmie Lang has joined that list for me. I have not read her first book but I'm adding it to me TBR list. This book is a journey. It is traveled through the lives of 3 women.

Two sisters have reached a point in their lives when they must face who they are in order to become who they should be. Their mother started her journey five years ago, leaving the sisters to grow apart. Due to their circumstances, they have both changed and they cannot decide if that is for the better, yet. Each sister has a gift, one can see the future, one can feel the past, but they have never tried to develop their gifts until now. Their journey starts as a search for their mother but each step will take them further into their own life story.

This book had my attention from the first. Ms Lang wove a web that kept me reading "just a few more pages" and thinking about the story when I wasn't reading. It's hard to describe this feeling but other readers know what I'm saying. We are always hunting for books that give you this experience. Read this one.....it's a winner.

Wow do I feel warm and fuzzy after finishing that one. What a feel good book that didn't feel too cheesy or cheap. This was just the perfect amount of magical realism for me while also staying grounded in reality. I loved the authors debut and am SO happy that this one did not dissapoint as well!

Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for a gifted eARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

The Wilderwomen is a story about two sisters reconnecting and going on a road trip to discover what happened to their mother who left suddenly 5 years ago. It’s a mix of magic, adventure, mystery and sister-bonding. I’ve never read Lang’s other book but plan to very soon!

The plot is a bit meandering at times but I enjoyed the writing style and didn’t mind if parts were slow-paced. The magic is subtle but a very present aspect of the story! You will need to ditch your logical brain and just go with the flow, I think appreciating the experience rather than the explanation behind it makes it a much more enjoyable read.

If you’re curious about this one, it’s definitely worth the read with beautiful writing, engaging characters and some magic ✨.

4.5/5

I didn't know what to expect from this book but in the end, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Reminded me a bit of an Alice Hoffman book with the magical realism throughout the book. It was a unique story that pulled me in from the start. Not having any sisters myself, I love reading books about sisters. These characters were magical, and the story was beautifully written. A wonderful book with a little magic, a little mystery, and the beauty of family love.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the review copy.

Two sisters search for their missing mother in Ruth Emmie Lang’s THE WILDERWOMEN. Whether their mother left from anger or just wandered off, her daughters have spent the intervening five years struggling to understand her departure as well as their own developing psychic abilities. They’ve also grown apart and a trip together, in search of their mother, may at least provide an opportunity to rebuild their relationship. Part trek, part magical realism, this tale holds enough mystery and love to capture and hold readers’ interests. I received my copy from the publisher through Netgalley.

Overall, a really neat idea. However, I had trouble connecting with the characters. I guess this just wasn't my type of book.

The Wilderwomen by Ruth Emmie Lang is mind blowing combination of magical realism meets mystery and women’s fiction!

THE WILDERWOMEN by Ruth Emmie Lang was an intriguing story following two sisters, Finn and Zadie, on a search to find their mother, who has been missing for years. These two sisters each possess a special gift, which helps them on their search. This book is for lovers of magical realism and family dramas.