⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️/ 5

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the gifted digital ARC!

Nora Wilder was not your typical mom: she took her girls on unplanned vacations, dyed their hair blue spontaneously, and sometimes didn't seem to be all there. Then one night, she disappeared. In the wake of her absence, sisters Zadie and Finn grew apart: Zadie shielding her heart and making a series of reckless decisions, and Finn seeking shelter in her foster family's normalcy. But when Finn graduates high school and the sisters set out on a road trip, the trail to their mother seems clear for the first time in five years. What will they find out about her - and themselves - along the way?

The Wilderwomen was an easy read, a road trip of discovery for two sisters. I enjoyed the changing perspectives, getting to see inside each character's motivations, as well as the flashbacks to round out the narrative. I felt that Ruth Emmie Lang's writing style was more successful, though, in the format she chose for her book Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance: a series of tangentially-connected micro stories. When her writing style is applied to a full-length novel like The Wilderwomen, the pacing became meandering. It was good, but not great.

Magical realism is one of my favorite sub genres of fiction, and The Wilderwomen didn't disappoint! This novel took me on an amazing journey despite feeling a little disjointed at times. (Which may not have been the writing; I had to keep putting the book down to finish other things). Ruth Emmie Lang is a new to me author and I'm going to look into her previous book now that I've finished Wilderwomen. I'm looking forward to more from her!

The Wilderwomen was a great read about sisters, coming of age, abandonment, and mystery. I loved the sisters' journey as well as the people they met. It felt authentic and the magical bits did not seem over the top.

Thank you Net Galley for an ARC of The Wilderwomen by Ruth Emmie Lang. This story was about 2 sisters searching for their Mom who had left without a trace. This book was a travel book, as they go from place to place to collect clues. Both sisters have psychic abilities. I did not connect with either character.

Interesting writing style: conversational in some chapters. Very metaphorical and lyrical. My mind would wander right along with the vivid imagery - and the distracted writing style. ("Distracted" is probably not the right word, but I am having a hard time finding a fitting synonym for "wandering" this early in the morning.)

So many themes are woven into this one. At one point I thought to myself: is the literary device of magical realism being used as a thinly disguised explanation for abandonment? or as an excuse/apology for the actions taken and decisions made during an episode of mental illness? I suspected that this was the case, based on very little evidence, but I will leave this up to future readers to decide for themselves.

I couldn't connect with these characters: to me, they were so other-worldly, magically endowed, and all of them were searching or escaping or on a journey of self-discovery.

I'm rating this one a 3 out of 5 stars. My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

This book had vibrant characters and so many themes of the power and meaning of family & finding and understanding oneself wrapped into a modern Alice in Wonderland-type tale. The contemporary meets the fantastical, the mundane meets the psychic, leading to questions of how the world works.

This book had beautiful prose and delightful relationships, and that wonderful meandering spirit of a road trip. But something about the pace made it hard for me to invest emotion into the book, and that made it hard for me to fully appreciate the quirky complexities of the tale.

Perhaps I should give it another go to fully understand this novel.

The world need more books like this one. But something about it didn't have the flare I hoped it would.

Summary: Nora Wilder mysteriously leaves her house one day and doesn't come home, abandoning her two daughters, Zadie and Finn. 5 years later, the sisters go on a cross-country adventure, using their special abilities to attempt to find their mom.

This book was unlike anything I've read before! I love books with magical realism elements, and this was no exception. I was intrigued by the mystery of what happened to Nora, and I felt connected with the two sisters and their emotions - particularly Zadie - throughout the book.

In my opinion, side characters can make or break a book. In this case, the side characters were phenomenal. The sisters meet a variety of individuals as they go on their journey, and we spend just enough time with each of them to make an impact, but not distract from the main plot.

This book gets a big thumbs up from me. If you're looking for mystery and a little bit of magic, this is for you.

Five years ago, Nora Wilder walked off into the night, leaving behind her two daughters, Zadie and Finn. The former moved on, writing her mother off as irresponsible and finding new relationships. But Finn, even as she prepares for college and receives an offer of adoption from her caring foster family, never gave up hope. And when the two sisters reunite for a summer getaway, Finn has other ideas: she believes Nora is still out there.

Together, and much to Zadie’s chagrin, the two set off not for the beach, but on a journey to find their mother. They’re not completely unarmed, though: each of them has a “gift.” Zadie has psychic flashes, though she’s suppressed them for years. Finn reads—or, rather, lives—memories left behind in different locations. As they follow vague visions and cast-off echoes, they discover that the world is full of people like themselves. Unfortunately, their mother’s gift may have been her downfall… and it seems to be hitting Finn now, too.

The Wilderwomen soars when it covers its more paranormal subject matter: Finn’s echoes, Zadie’s encounters with her mother in the year before her disappearance, the strangers they meet who paint prophecies on stones and hear the songs of the stars. But it somehow feels out of touch when addressing standard real-world anecdotes, like graduation parties and diner breakfasts. Fortunately, the worldbuilding and mysteries keep the mundane aspects of the story upright when they falter. The ending may leave a reader feeling as though there are still answers left unspoken; whether this is by design is hard to tell, but the true heart of the story is still admirably resolved.

(This review was scheduled to be printed in the Fall 2022 issue of Sci Fi Magazine before the publication's cancellation.)

I adored Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance and have been waiting (impatiently) for years for Ruth Emmie Lang's next novel. Let me start with the positives! The main characters, Zadie and Finn, are written so beautifully. As the sisters search for their mom, Nora, you get to see their own motivations, personalities, and hopes emerge. One of the things I love about Lang's writing is that every supporting character you meet throughout her novels is wildly fascinating. In The WIlderwomen you get to interact with a quirky group of settlers at a camp ground and a father raising three girls out near a forest- both groups are so compelling that I would read novels written about them!
For me, this book was a bit disjointed as far as Nora's storyline and the ending are concerned. I love the blend of fantastical ideas in Lang's writing but for me Nora's story/gift wasn't as clear as the other characters. If she had been a supporting character and less of a driving force in the novel I think it wouldn't have bothered me but as is, it made the ending feel a little less satisfying. With that said, I still thoroughly enjoyed this book and will be impatiently waiting for Lang's next novel! The Wilder women were passionate, strong, and chaotic in the best way and I'm so glad I got to spend some time with them. Solid 4 stars!

#wilderwomen by #Ruthemmielang was a great story. The story has adventure and family love. and a decent ending. I highly recommend it to everyone. Thank you #netgalley for giving me this opportunity.

Wilder Women is phenomenal read. The storyline was very interesting and kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I enjoyed this a lot! Would recommend to my friends for a quick and interesting read!

Thanks, Netgalley for giving me the chance to read this. I was obsessed with her first book and Wilderwoman is just as good!

Two sisters, half sisters, both with special gifts. I like the way they’re described later as a sixth sense. One day their mom Nora, disappears.

Five years later they go on a journey to figure out where she has flocked to.

I love the sister relationship here, so beautiful. Her descriptions of the nature they connect with along the way is so satisfying. Every chapter I wish I could jump in.

The only character I was like whyyy are you here, was Joel. I think he could have not even been in the book. But hey, road trips need goofy so why not .

Two sisters, Zadie and Finn set out on a cross-country journey to find their mother, Nora who disappeared five years earlier. At the time of Nora’s disappearance, Zadie was eighteen years old so on her own but Finn was younger so placed in foster care. The sisters had grown apart but decided to go on a beach vacation together for Finn’s high school graduation. Both sisters have some psychic or magical powers and apparently Nora shared this trait. When Finn experiences “echoes” of their mother’s struggles, she convinces Zadie to follow her clues or “visions” to make alternate vacation plans, unbeknownst to Finn’s foster parents. An interesting journey ensues with the girls meeting several other gifted characters along the way, as well as Zadie’s eccentric ex-boyfriend, Joel who travels with them part of the time.
I really enjoyed the creativity of the story and the magical aspects that were subtle (nothing too outlandish). The girls’ journey was difficult in spite of and often because of their magical powers. The secondary characters were intriguing - the “sixes” that they met in Sedona, the three young girls who could talk to trees, etc. A previous reviewer mentioned that Joel seemed like an unnecessary character but I liked the humor that he added to an otherwise potentially heavy storyline. My only criticism is that I would have liked a little more character development of Zadie and Finn. I especially felt like I was missing the past five years of Zadie’s life as the author gives us very little information about how she survived on her own after being abandoned at age eighteen. However, I definitely liked the writing style and creativity and will read more from this author.
Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy.

The Wilderwomen by Ruth Emmie Lang has just as much heart and soul and whimsy as her first book did and you’re going to love it! Nora Wilder loves her children but she is losing herself. When her daughters Zadie and Finn find her missing one day, all of their lives are changed. Five years later the sisters set out to find her, using their “gifts”. The ensuing adventure will leave you smiling, hoping, laughing, and excited for them. Definitely a fun book! With a great message about family and home and life. So thankful to get an advanced copy. Thanks to NetGalley. All my opinions are my own.

Received an ARC of The Wilder Women from NetGalley. I could tell from the 25% mark that this was going to be a five star read.

The language used is beautiful. The use of imagery, similes, and metaphors really has you picturing the world these women are living in while also trying to infer the deeper meanings in each sentence.

As the two daughters get closer to their mother, the flashbacks that led up to their mothers disappearance get more cryptic while also helping express/us understand her state of mind.

This book has kept me on the edge of my seat since page one. While also making me cry my eyes out towards the end.

This has made it into my list of contenders for number one book of the year.

I was actually enjoying this book, but I really felt the ending didn't do it justice. Great characters and possibilities and it culminated in a way that was surprising in how it seemed to sidestep all those possibilities.

The Wilderwomen is a beautifully woven multi generational story full of magical realism.

Zadie and Finn are sisters in the search for their mother who suddenly left them five years earlier. They have slight magical powers that help them in their journey. Their search takes them halfway across the country and introduces them to a whole host of interesting different people.

Lyrically written, just like Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance, Ruth Emmie Long wrote a beautiful tale of adventure and finding yourself.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review. My opinions are entirely my own.

Nora Wilder's disappearance has left Zadie isolated and lonely, separated from her younger sister--who she was not allowed to take care of and was placed with a loving foster family--and desperate to find Nora, to reunite their family. Zadie and Finn embark on a journey to do just that, chasing any trail they can across half the country in hopes of saving Nora, whom Zadie is convinced would never leave them of her own free will. Along the way, Zadie and Finn discover things about each other and about Nora they didn't know, things that help heal the damaged relationship. Complicating things is Zadie's discovery of her own pregnancy and the fear that she will repeat her mother's mistakes, not to mention the fact that Finn begins exhibiting some of the signs Nora had before her fateful flight from the girls.

There is an underlying lament in this book about the loss of mother-daughter relationships through no one's particular fault, a result of mental illness and/or dementia that surprises all who are touched by its destructiveness. I loved Zadie's and Finn's attempts to restore their relationship, and I loved that a foster family is finally shown in a positive light instead of as the evil monsters they are often portrayed to be. The choices Finn and Zadie have to face leave me feeling as anxious as the characters reveal themselves to be. I definitely recommend the book to those who are interested in generational trauma, mother-daughter relationships, and self-determination. Though the pace is slower than I'm used to, the story is very engaging because the characters are well crafted.

This was great! So many twists & turns. I did not know what was going to happen next. I loved that I didn’t know what to expect and that I felt like I was on the edge of my seat. The adventure was fun but some of the secrets were annoying. I love how the book ended and that it tied things up and the powers were really neat!

Magical realism is alway a little hit or miss for me, sometimes it's the book and sometimes it's just my mood. I did enjoy this book from Ruth Lang but I went in with no expectations and wasn't really sure what I was going to get and if I were to recommend this book to anyone that would absolutely be my advice. Thanks so much for a chance to read this book!