I love books with complicated relationships within families. I had mixed feelings about Finn's foster parents. They weren't bad people and it was nice that she had people that cared about her, but I think it was unfair that they treated Zadie like she was nothing but a bad influence and I don't think that they should have been considered to be Finn's parents since they were only taking care of her for 5 years. I think I would feel differently if they considered Zadie to be a part of their family too. The story dragged a little at times but, other than that I really liked it.

Wow, what a phenomenal book! I loved every single second of reading Wilderwomen. I was sucked in right from the start and did not want to put it down!

Zadie and Finn are sisters each with a unique gift. They use their gifts on a trip to try to find out why their mom disappeared 5 years ago. I felt so many emotions as the two traveled. Between characters they met or experiences they had, I was able to create such vivid images and felt as if I was right there with them. This type of book is not my typical go to genre, but I would absolutely recommend it to someone who enjoys wholesome, family literature.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an early release of this book.

I didn't really know what to expect from this one, but it was a pleasant surprise. I was instantly drawn into the story of these sisters, with special abilities, and their quest to find their missing mother.

Thoroughly enjoyed this read!

Zadie and Finn's mother, Nora, left them five years ago without so much as a goodbye. In a spur-of-the-moment decision, Finn convinces Zadie to go on a cross-country trip to find answers. Their mission, however long it takes, is to find their mother and learn why she left. In their journey, they reconnect with people from both their past and their mother's past, and are able to learn more about themselves in the process.

I absolutely adored this book, and finished it in a matter of hours. I fell head over heels for the lush, ambient scenery of the story, and found myself enamored with the characters. The author's characterization of the main three--Nora, Zadie, and Finn--as well as the more minor characters--Joel, the Sixes, Kathy, and others--is absolutely outstanding. Lang writes these characters like she has known them her entire life. Additionally, the magical realism of this story is something that fits perfectly within the narrative. I tend to shy away from these types of novels, as I feel the genre can get a bit cheesy, but this book did not disappoint in that regard.

I don't have any major criticisms of this book, but it could be that I am floating on a post-book high due to how much I loved it. However, I will say that if you are someone who does not like somewhat-sappy family-oriented novels, this one may not be for you. Additionally, be ready to suspend some disbelief, as is necessary with any magical realism book.

Overall, I rate this book 4.5 stars out of 5, but will be rounding up to 5 for Goodreads' sake. If you liked Malibu Rising, The Time Traveler's Wife, or The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, this one may be for you.

Thank you to both Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC!

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.

The Wilderwomen is a journey through family ties and heartbreak with a veil of magical realism. Two sisters, Zadie and Finn, reconnect after five years of drifting apart to search for their missing mother. Their mission to find their mother, Nora, forces them to face their own demons and come to terms with their magical gifts.

While the story was engaging, there were times where the writing seemed to wander and left me a bit lost. That being said, The Wilderwomen is a great read about rediscovering familial love and connecting with our truest selves.

Rating: 4/5

I received an eARC of this book for my honest review

This book was not what I was expecting but was pleasantly surprised by it. I thought the plot was well made and did not have any flaws in it. A heartwarming story of two sisters out to find their mother who had left them years ago, to see these two strong women grow throughout the book and find themselves among the chaos of the world and just where do they fit in. With the magical realism in this book, you really get to be taken away on the adventure of their lives.
I thought the fun banter between both sister and other characters really made them easy to connect with. You get the fun, free spirit sister Finn and the serious/fearful sister Zadie. My favorite out of them would have to be Finn, I just loved her energy, but Zadie did grow on me more and more throughout the book and at the end I did shred a tear of joy for the girls but mostly for Zadie.
I thought all the characters that the sisters met throughout the book really helped bond the sisters together and helped them really find out more about themselves. I really enjoyed the time that the sisters got to meet the group of sixes and the time that they spent in the mountains.
For me this was a fast paced and easy read, one that left me wanting to call my mom afterwards to let her know that I loved her.
I would recommend this book to all my friends and bookish community who would like a quick and interesting read.

I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I read Ruth Emmie Lang's BEASTS OF EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES earlier this year and it hit such a special place in my heart. Magical Realism is difficult to get right and Lang just knocks it out of the park. I finished BEASTS wanting more magical realism and a strong desire to watch Big Fish (one of my favorites when I was younger and I watched it on repeat). All to say - THE WILDERWOMEN was precisely what I hoped and dreamed it would be. It feels remarkably similar to the vibes of her previous novel.

The core of this book is two sisters, separated when their mom left five years ago, whose relationship has deteriorated plan a beach vacation but instead end up on a road trip up the west coast searching for their lost mother. Both sisters have powers (later referred to as a "sixth sense") and their trip brings them to others who share their own unique abilities. Here is where I dive back into the Big Fish comparison where we have a larger story (searching for their mother), re-building a relationship between the sisters, and these self-contained side stories of the people they meet.

The writing is beautiful. The characters are so well done and a dual POV allows us to dive into their own hurts and hopes, Lang is top-tier at writing side characters they were all so distinct and fleshed out. It made me want to hug my mom and my sister and also maybe go camping (WHAT!) and talk to strangers (WHO EVEN AM I?).

I recommended this already to many friends and my sister but would also make a great gift to friends and loved ones and people you just have no idea what to buy them. It isn't really a happy book but it makes you feel so warm.

THE WILDERWOMEN by Ruth Emmie Lang is an intriguing and magical story of sisters and family that kept me engaged from beginning to end. It blends family drama with mystery and a bit of magical realism. Sisters Zadie and Finn Wilder became separated when their mother, Nora, vanished without a trace five years prior. Zadie is now twenty-three and has just left her boyfriend. Finn is seventeen and living with her loving foster parents. Zadie and Finn each have special “gifts”. Zadie can see the future and Finn can sense other people’s memories in addition to her own. When Finn experiences a strong memory that turns out to belong to their mother, she is sure that her mother is still out there somewhere, hoping to be found. Finn talks a reluctant Zadie into going together to search for her. The sisters use the echoes of Nora’s memories to guide their travels as they try to retrace Nora’s footsteps leading up to her disappearance. As their journey progresses, secrets from the past are gradually revealed and the sisters begin an emotional reconnection that is heartwarming and poignant. I enjoyed this unique and moving story and highly recommend it. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read and review an early copy.

The Wilderwomen is a story about two young women embarking on a journey to find their mother who abandoned them 5 years prior with no plan or clues aside from their "sixth senses". I really loved the magic/paranormal aspects of this story and the way it is told from both Zadie and Finn's points of view. This was my first book by this author and her writing is delightfully descriptive and atmospheric. The aesthetic of this book was a bit gray and moody which was so nice for a fall read. I enjoyed how the ending wrapped everything up nicely (and happily) but felt that it ended a bit abruptly. Maybe that's just a testament to the story and me not wanting it to end. As mentioned above I haven't read Ruth Emmie Lang's other book, but thinking I'll try to move it up on my TBR now.

Lastly, I'm not sure this book is marketed as a Young Adult read, but I believe it fits that genre.

You may like this one if you're in the mood for:
- a family mystery
- female protagonists
- paranormal abilities
- an atmospheric read

Sisters Finn and Zadie haven’t seen their mother since she disappeared one night and left them behind five years ago. The sisters have a bit of magic. Finn can see memories, she calls them echoes, and Zadie gets psychic visions that are difficult to interpret. Can they use their gifts to find out what happened to their mom once and for all?

This book traverses the girls’ lives with their mother and without. We watch their bond, through the difficulty of losing their mother, of living apart, and in their attempt to find her. Zadie was a tough character to like. She was singularly focused on retaining her sister, and she didn’t much care if that got in the way of things. But I adored Finn. She has a way with people, they are drawn to her, and she can make friends everywhere.

I liked how seamlessly the girls’ gift worked with the storyline. I especially loved the campground and all the people that lived there. I would love to see more of those characters. The Wilderwomen is richly descriptive, and I felt I was everywhere the sisters were. This is such a lovely story. Thank you, St. Martin’s, for sending this along.

The Wilderwomen by Ruth Emmie Lang
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Zadie and Finn are sisters whose mom disappeared five years ago. Finn is 18 now and Zadie is excited to spend a week reconnecting with her this summer at the beach house she has arranged. But Finn has a different plan for their summer vacation….looking for their mom.
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What I liked:
-This book kind of felt like a “quest” book. I love stories with a quest.
-The Wilder sisters have gifts that they talk about throughout the story. I loved learning about them.
-I loved Joel. 💜
-I wasn’t expecting how the story ended and not sure I 100% understand it either, but I liked it. The end was better than where I thought the story was leading me!
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4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"The Wilderwomen" by Ruth Emmie Lang is a blend of Family Fiction and Magical Realism!

"Nora Wilder was supposed to be a bird. At least that's what she thought when she looked at herself in the mirror and saw arms where wings should be."

"Although her wings were imaginary, Nora felt an almost continuous desire to stretch them, to unclench the knot in her back that tied them down and with one powerful flap, lift off into a cloudless sky."

Nora loves her two very special daughters, Zadie, and Finn, even though five years ago she simply flew away and disappeared from their lives.

For the past five years, twenty-three-year-old Zadie, and seventeen-year-old Finn have been forced to live apart because of their ages. Zadie, mostly with boyfriends, and Finn with a loving foster family.

What makes Nora's daughters so special? Zadie can see things before they happen, and Finn can experience other people's memories, she calls 'echoes'.

On the afternoon of Finn's high school graduation party, she experiences a powerful 'echo'. She wakes up to find herself on the floor of an aviary, remembering a woman and a song about a bird she's heard before. Finn realizes it was Nora's memory from a decade ago. She's convinced Nora is reaching out, asking to be found.

Finn talks Zadie into a road trip following Nora's tracks guided by Finn's 'echoes' of Nora's memories with hopes of piecing together a path leading to their mother and discovering why she left five years ago...

I loved this author's debut novel Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance and was more than hopeful for a similar experience with her sophomore novel. It was a quick and easy read, however, I didn't realize it would have a YA feel to it. With that said, this is thoughtful storytelling with topics that will linger with you long after you finish. It's a mother-daughter story that will, without a doubt, appeal to a wide audience.

The Magical Realism surfaces throughout the entire story, not just little dabbles here and there. With this book, you've hit the 'Mother Lode' of magical nuggets. Yay!

What I appreciate most from this story is the depth of symbolism. The roads Zadie and Finn choose in their travels leads them to unexpected people and places. As a reader traveling along with these sisters, I experienced unexpected moments when I discovered various 'pieces of importance' in the story. These were always fun "Aha Moments"!

A beautifully written story that I highly recommend to readers who enjoy stories about family, magic, and the magic of family! 4.25 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Ruth Emmie Lang for an ARC of this book. It has been an honor to give my honest and voluntary review.

Oh, how I loved tagging along with Zadie and her younger sister, Finn, on their journey to find their mother, Nora Wilder, who left suddenly years before. Each chapter tells either about where Zadie and Finn are, or flashes back to the moments leading up to Nora’s disappearance. I loved the characters more than the actual story itself, but this was beautifully written.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Ruth Emmie Lang takes readers as well as her main characters Zadie and Finn Wilder on a journey in The Wilderwomen . Their mother, Nora, disappeared five years ago when Zadie was 18 and Finn 12. Why did she leave them? Where is she? Is she even alive?

Why didn’t Zadie see the disappearance coming? After all, she is a psychic and can see into the future. Finn’s ability is to get echoes of other people’s memories that have been left behind. At her graduation party, Finn gets a particularly strong echo that she realizes belongs to Nora. Finn convinces Zadie to use their beach vacation time to unravel the mystery. They plan to use her echoes to retrace Nora’s travels and find her. However, this is easier said than done.

While Zadie and Finn are likeable characters and well developed, they each have flaws that would seem to make them feel realistic. However, it took a while for me to connect with Zadie. She feels alone and abandoned. Finn was placed in foster care and they gradually have become more and more distant as the years passed. She was wrapped up in her new life and turned down invitations to meet with Zadie. Both go through transformations as events unfold, but Zadie has the most dynamic changes.

The story is atmospheric and somewhat sad with some stressful and suspenseful moments. There are several twists and turns that I didn’t expect. I felt like I was on the road trip with the sisters. The rhythm and cadence of the writing was somewhat lyrical and used strong visuals. However, it is written in a meandering fashion that tends to subdue the suspense and mystery. Additionally, there are chapters that go back in time to before Nora’s disappearance. These chapters tend to disrupt the flow.

Magical realism, great dialogue, a mother’s disappearance, an unforgettable journey, and sisters reconnecting, combined to make this novel unique and enjoyable. The characters the girls meet on their journey add another layer to the story. There are heartwarming moments that drew me into the story even more. The ending wraps everything up nicely. However, it has some surprises that readers may not expect. Themes explored include family, sisterhood, guilt, being different, anger, forgiveness, and mending broken relationships.

Overall, this story is fascinating, thought-provoking, and emotional, with great world-building. Despite the lyrical writing style, it held my attention and was very moving.

St. Martin’s Press and Ruth Emmie Lang provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date is currently set for November 15, 2022. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.

2/5 stars

The Wilderwomen by Ruth Emmie Lang is the story of two sisters, with interesting magical abilities, who are on a journey to find their mother who disappeared five years ago. Through a winding tale of them using their abilities, they come across many wanderers and travelers who help them on their way; they also discovery they are not alone in their abilities. On this journey, will they find their mom or only uncover more secrets about each other?

To be completely honest, this book fell very flat for me - the characters did not do a lot to grasp my attention and the writing seemed...disjointed. It was rather difficult to tell which point of view we were in, and there wasn't clear lines of switching. I feel like the magical realism could have been dug into deeper. There were some great moments of sisterly bonding and underlying tones of finding yourself through life's crazy path, but it it just wasn't enough for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Since their mother’s disappearance Zadie and Finn have grown apart. Zadie is an adult living on her own and her younger sister Finn is being raised by a foster family who care deeply for her. After Finn’s graduation the two sisters decided to take a trip to reconnect and find clues about their missing mother. The girls have what is referred to as a “sixth sense”. One refuses to use her gift while the other gets lost in hers while trying to follow her mom’s footsteps. Each clue brings them to closer to finding their mom and the answers to why she left.

This book was a great mix of urban fantasy and mystery. I loved the bond the family had and the characters they met along the way. The ending was completely unexpected but perfectly done. I was sucked into the story and didn’t want to put it the book down.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read this book for an honest review.

The Wilderwomen by Ruth Emmie Lang is a powerful novel about finding your roots and the importance of family. Both Zadie and Finn who are sisters are dealing with something that happened in the past. Alternating between timelines this story takes deeper into the lives of the Wilders. It's a fast paced novel and I am not sure though if it would be considered a fantasy or a literary fiction.
Woven with magical realism this story goes deeper into the bonds between a mother and her daughters. Both the sisters take a road trip where they meet interesting people and start building the puzzle of their mother.
This story tackles a lot of issues without naming them. Forgiveness, family, abandonment, finding yourself, friendship, sisterhood and ultimately love are tackled by the author in a very lyrical way. I can imagine the stars without light pollution and I can hear the songs Ursula might have written. I really enjoyed reading this book.
Thank you St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the advance reader copy.

Why did Nora leave and where did she go? Those are the questions that plague her daughters Zadie and Finn and now, five years later, they've set off on a quest to find her. They are guided, sort of, by Finn's ability to sense the memories of others, which in this case tell her that their mother went west. Finn has just turned 18 and she's left behind the foster family that has just asked to adopt her. Zadie, older than Finn, has two secrets- first that she's psychic and second that she's pregnant. The charm in this novel lies in the people they meet on their journey, such as the women at the campground in Arizona. The practical reader in me was incredulous that simply driving across the US would lead the two to Nora but the sisters are committed to Finn's sixth sense ability, which honestly was a but muddled to me. A quibble- Finn and Zadie are repeatedly referred to as "the girls," a convention I'm sure didn't bother some but which nagged at me (why not just refer to them as "the sisters?) Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Interesting read with an ending that, no spoilers, raises as many questions as it answers.

Five years ago: Nora Wilder disappears without a trace. Youngest daughter, Finn, is placed with a foster family. A lovely family from who she is keeping a secret -- she can hear echoes of peoples memories. Eldest daughter, Zadie, is suddenly on her own and doing her very best to avoid any premonitions intent on making themselves known to her. The sisters do their best to stay in contact with weekly fro-yo dates, but life has a way of...well, getting in the way.

Present day: Finn is a high school graduate and Zadie recently discovered she is pregnant. Together the girls set out on a cross-country trip in hopes of finding their mother. This unplanned trip is guided solely by Finn's echoes and gut instinct based on memories from Nora's past. The more time Finn spends in Nora's memories, the more difficult it is for her to hold on to her own. It soon becomes clear to Zadie that there is a lot more riding on finding Nora -- if they can't do it, and soon, Zadie may lose her sister and her mother indefinitely.

Wow, what a wild ride. This story was woven together so beautifully, with yarn of nature, magic, and the power of love. The bond between the sisters is truly beautiful, but the lengths they are willing to go to for Nora is incredible. Especially for Zadie, who wasn't certain she wanted to find her from the get-go. The character development is unlike anything I've ever experienced. All three women grow so immensely from beginning to end and it is communicated so well -- to each other, and to the reader.

I am in awe of what I just read. And it is worth noting that I read it in one sitting; I absolutely could not put it down (seriously, I skipped dinner).

Thank you to NetGallery and Saint Martin’s press for this ARC. I love this book and the characters the cover is the most beautiful thing that I’ve ever seen. I love the magical realism of the book and seeing what happens next on each page. I devoured the book in two days and can’t wait to read what is next from this author.