“If a woman disappears, it means one of two things: she was murdered or she was a witch. And if your mother is a witch, well, what else can you be?”

WOW, this is a stunning book. After reading Megan Giddings’s debut novel Lakewood earlier this year, I knew I would pick up everything she writes moving forward. I’m floored by how perfectly calculated Giddings’s writing feels, and how effortlessly it captures both the beauty and horror (whether that horror be subtle or explicit) in everyday mundanities.

This book had me furiously underlining and annotating my copy while thinking a LOT about craft, world building, and creativity. Jo was one of the most compelling and relatable main characters I’ve read in a long time in a way that I feel is totally universal but also deeply personal to me. I love her so much and was always rooting for her.

The only complaint I have about my own personal reading experience has to do with the book’s pacing. Overall, it’s a slow, quiet novel that’s very reflective and philosophical. That’s not a bad thing by any means, but I found that the beginning and end of the book REALLY packed a punch, while the middle seemed to drag and even fall flat in some places. I debated putting this down from time to time, but I’m so glad I didn’t, because the payoff was really incredible.

Regardless, I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend if you’re into exploring dystopian worlds, delving into timely social commentary, or are just looking for a unique spin on the sad girl millennial novel. READ IT.

I loved this novel! It reminded me a bit of Margaret Atwood. Very prescient considering what we are going through in 2022. I enjoyed the main narrator in the book very much — she seemed very real. I read that Megan Giddings went to the same college I graduated from, Indiana University, so I was especially proud that she created such a cool fictional world with this novel. I also loved the setting in Michigan since I am familiar with the U.P. Wonderful book!

The Women Could Fly is a timely, feminist novel about a world where witches are real and still being prosecuted. Jo, the main character of the book, is trying to move on from her mother’s disappearance years ago, but it only gets more difficult as she approaches her 30th birthday - the year when if she’s still unmarried, she will have to enroll in a registry that will have her constantly controlled and monitored. When Jo is offered a chance to honor her mother’s last wish, she decides to take it - she wants to make moving forward easier, but the last request opens a door for her that she never even considered possible.

This book was a perfect way to wrap up my October: it’s a bit strange, very witchy, and creepy - but not in a horror way, more in a ‘this feels a bit close to home’ way. In this story, Giddings uses witchcraft as commentary on human rights in our society, especially when it comes to People of Color and the LGBTQIA+ community. It’s a brilliant, witty read that had me confused at first (the magic system Giddings creates is very original), but once I figured out what was going on, I was completely hooked. It’s definitely more of a character centered read rather than a plot-focused one, so it might not be for everyone, but I personally loved it and I’m excited to read more of Giddings’ work!

I'm not sure how to feel about this one. While the writing was good and I enjoyed the style/structure, it was almost too literary for the story. The writing almost bogged down the story, taking me out of what was happening at times. It took a bit for me to become invested and appreciated the commentary on gender and racial discrimination, feminism and marriage, and reproductive justice. While I'm glad I read it, I'm not sure who I would recommend it to.

I was totally suprised that I enjoyed this book so much. The first one from this author was not a favorite of mine, and I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about this one. But I do have to say, I really enjoyed the theme and the aspect of this book very much. It truly kept my attention from beginning to end. I almost want to say something like what happened in this book could never happen in real life, but from the looks of things about what's happening to women in the US, I can totally see these types of events happening in real life. It felt like the life's story of Joan of Arc, if she were a black woman and if she lived in modern times. It was such an interesting, enjoyable and well written story.

I received a copy of the book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review of my own thoughts and opinions.

I liked the story well enough, with many parallels to real life. I did find the prose to be a bit heavy-handed at times. We get that in both the story and real life, the world works differently for women and other folks with multiply marginalized identities. In some sections, this insistence is off-putting, although the author does an otherwise wonderful job of demonstrating this through most of their tale.

I absolutely loved this. Giddings' execution of the story was well paced and intriguing. She can invoke feeling so easily and subtly in a way that packs a huge punch. I love witch stories, and this is one of my favorites of the year with its focus on feminism and freedom. It's unsettling and moving. Highly recommend!!

Megan Giddings’s sophomore novel brings a dystopian world to life, where women must marry or register themselves by 30 to avoid suspicion of witchcraft. The world Giddings creates is all too plausible and hard to get lost in.

Josephine’s mother disappeared when she was a child, and her father wants her to fit into the world they live in without causing problems. Josephine looks for a place in her world, but comes up short. As Josephine nears the age where she must marry or register she is forced with a series of choices of how she wants to belong in her world.

The premise of the novel is great, but there was something lacking in its execution. I loved Lakewood, Giddings’s debut novel, but The Women Could Fly was unbalanced in its pacing.

Giddings' sophomore novel had the claustrophobic atmosphere and misogyny made flesh plot reminiscent of Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale. Unfortunately, just like The Handmaid's Tale, it wasn't fully for me. The book is set in a world similar to our own except witchcraft is real and because of this women can't be trusted and must be monitored at all times by men. If they are not married by 30, many rules go into place to try and regulate their lives.

For such an intriguing premise, the book was oddly slow for me. There was a lot of telling instead of showing and the plot seemed to plod along through pieces of the story that I didn't care much about. The world-building, pace, and characters all seemed fairly inconsistent and it was hard for me to follow the rules when the MC had to list them as situations came up because things changed.

Like her last book, the writing itself feels hypnotic and like it's dragging you along the story. I wish I enjoyed this one as much as her last. I like what the author is trying to do but I think with this one being so short, the story and characters needed to be more precise. I never got a full sense of the dystopian aspect of the world.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC!

I was hoping to like this one more than Lakewood, but I found it to be just as enjoyable. Megan Giddings writes good stories and I look forward to reading more.

A mystery, an alternate reality? A book truly about the power of women and the future of the world. The Women Could Fly is a novel I couldn't put down and likely to be on the top 10 must-read lists of 2022.

Thank you to NetGalley and Amistad for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was pumped for this book, but unfortunately it fell short of my expectations. I enjoyed the first half more--the allegory was heavy-handed but appropriate, IMHO--but around the middle of the book I lost engagement/interest with the plot. I did love LAKEWOOD, so I'll still read whatever Megan Giddings writes next.

My feelings on this book fluctuated a lot as I read it. Not quite love/hate, closer to like/dislike. I like the concept and when it ended I was left feeling overall satisfied, but I don't feel like I really connected with any of the characters, and I didn't really enjoy the writing style. There were some moments where I felt very understood by the writer and highlighted a sentence. There were other moments where I had to reread a paragraph over and over thinking to myself, "What is even being conveyed here?" I think this all balances out to 3 stars, which is to say I thought it was just good.

I loved this one in a way that one can enjoy a story of a time when women were burned for being different (witches) or Black, or gay, etc. Saying I enjoyed it feels weird because of the topic but I think the author did a great job writing a timely, yet timeless, story about the power of women living their truths despite the stupidity of men.

I received an advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

The Women Could Fly is an ambitious story that is part dystopian novel part social commentary. In this world witches are real and women are heavily monitored - being married before 30 and women, especially queer women of color, have no autonomy. We follow Jo, whose mom disappeared when she was a child, and learn that everything is both complicated and not exactly how it seems.

I enjoyed the premise, and the concept and characters were rich but the story got muddled by the larger commentary, for me. Overall I think this is a meaningful read that helps shed perspective on the plight of Black Women and worth a read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Amistad for the ARC - The Women Could Fly is out now!

Josephine Thomas, daughter of a missing suspected witch, faces her reckoning in an alternate United States where women are surveilled by their husbands and the government for signs of witchcraft.

The concept, characters, and style are the strongest features of The Women Could Fly. I wish I had Jo's best friend, and her lukewarm love interest is fleshed out as well. Megan Giddings' choice of language augments the Jo's feelings and pace nicely, and social commentary folds in naturally with the plot without feeling thick or preachy.

The setting was a rich opportunity for worldbuilding, which I felt to be a little lacking. We got a taste of the regulations and how they impacted modern women, but not much about how this fit into the global picture or American political landscape. Maybe it was the intent, but I never was able to figure out if magic was actually real in this world. I lost interest a bit about halfway through, and wished to get off of the island and learn more about the intriguing world Giddings had created.

Note: I received a free ebook copy of The Women Could Fly from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A very thoughtful mix of fabulism, outright fantasy, and dystopian speculative fiction based on an alternate history. Somehow more reality based than reality. Though it had some confusing bits that I felt sort of meandered away from the plot, I loved it. The things it had to say about society and misogyny hurt, but in a really cathartic way.

Eek this is meant for a niche audience and I am apparently not that person even though it sounded intriguing. If you aren't into witch, supernatural, etc. plots I would skip this and thus I am skipping it after starting to read it. It just isn't for me. However if that is what interests you I feel like this could be a really, really great read!

I love the subtle and sometimes not-so-subtle social commentary. The Women Could Fly is dystopian fiction focusing on the premise of bodily autonomy while also dealing with issues of race, gender roles, and freedom. It is slow-moving, but this would be the definition of a character study. We are following Jo as she struggles through many, and unfortunately, similar struggles that women face today.

I had a hard time staying "in" this book and I could have used a bit more world developing a bit more context. The characters were great and I really enjoyed them I just had a hard time with the world I didn't feel like I knew the rules, the history, the facts enough.