A super fascinating retelling of Goblin Market with all kinds of queer rep! I really enjoyed this one, especially for its depictions of sapphic longing, dark atmosphere, and sharp body horror. Told through two timelines spanning decades, the first POV follows Lou as she learns of the Goblin Market's existence and travels within it to save her aunt. The second POV follows past May as she's sucked into a dark and discomfiting romance with the exact creatures her family is trying to eliminate. The stakes are high and the prose gorgeous, but the pacing lost me a little in the first half of the story. It's a slow start that requires commitment, and once I was in the meat of the book I enjoyed it much more. The sapphic rep is so well done, full of yearning!!! and I loved Eitra's character.

I was provided with an audio ARC and while I found it a generally enjoyable experience, I think this is a book that I would have rather read it as a physical book. The narrator was good but a little too monotone at times. Overall, Not Good for Maidens is a gorgeous retelling that builds to an exciting story!

Goblin and witch star-crossed lovers, the latter nearly escapes with her life after the Goblin Market tries to kill her for being the enemy. A generation later, the Market tries to take the witch’s sister for its own by luring her with delights and promises of adventure. Once again, the Wickett witch family must stand against goblins, but what if they’re not all awful? Or is it just another goblin trick?

This book has excellent LGBT+ representation. It’s a YA that borders be NA with its heavy descriptors of gore, cannibalism, and a handful of F-bombs. It is written in dual timelines past and present (which was unfortunately difficult to follow on the audio version). Overall, I recommend if you like fantasy, witches, and forbidden romances.

If you're looking for a quick, spooky read with great characters, this is the book for you! The characters are very well developed even with jumping between two storylines. The horror elements were just enough to have you a little on edge and creeped out, but nothing super intense that you wouldn’t be able to sleep at night. The perfect read for someone who is looking to get into the horror genre, especially if you tend to enjoy more fantasy books. The only reason why I did not give this a five-star is because there was no wow factor or major plot twist. I also wish there was a bit more development in the character saying she's asexual. As someone who identifies as asexual, I wish there was more about her journey and experiences than just mentioning it once. Overall I highly recommend and will be buying the physical book when it comes out!!!

Thank you to Netgalley and RB Media for sending me an early copy of this audiobook! All opinions are my own!

A sapphic love story between a witch and a goblin?! I didn't know I needed this in my life but man oh man I sure did!

I think my favorite thing about this book was how the creepy factor was so well balanced with the romance factor. The book pulled me in right away with the creepiness and the (original) fairytale aspects of it. But then I stayed and was sucked in by the romance and watching the characters grow into themselves. The dual timeline was done really well for this because it kept it just slow enough that I wanted nothing more than to keep listening and find out what would happen.

I also really enjoyed the characters and their stories. They each learned who they were and who they wanted to be throughout the story. It was really refreshing to watch these strong women grow into themselves and discover the power that they hold. It added another depth to the story that I hadn't expected but that was very relatable and enjoyable.

I felt like I was at the market myself, and throughout the book, I kept having to remind myself that I was safe! It was very immersive, fun, and all-around well done!

If you're a fairytale fan, you definitely need to check this book out!

First I would like to thank RB media for sending me this audiobook. The narration was done beautifully the emotions were conveyed perfectly.
Now for the book review: my favorite part of this book was that it was taking place in two separate time periods which kept the book intersecting.( the older story overpowered the one happening in the current time a lot though)
the book is a retelling of the goblin market story which in itself is quite exciting and was made even more exciting by having two queer main characters
what I didn’t enjoy about the book was the unexplained magic system it was mentioned quite frequently how they are witches and hoe supposedly they have magic powers yet we saw nothing of it
second I would have loved if the scenes were described more in detail specially the goblin market, because the glances we got were all too short and vague
also it was extremely hard to feel any emotional connection to the lo ( sorry if I miss spelled her name, I listened to the audio book ), and we how she reacted to the big revelation mid book wasn’t at all realistic
over all due to the fact that the book is relatively short, you can enjoy it

3.5 stars

I really enjoyed the beginning and end of this book but my engagement really dwindled in the middle. I think part of the reason this happened was that the dual timeline nature of the story did not feel well executed. May and Lou's perspectives read as almost the exact same character. The audiobook narrator's voices helped differentiate them for me but not much. I would sway between only caring about May to only caring about Lou. I almost would have preferred for the book to be entirely May's story. Though I recognize that Lou's timeline added an interesting twist to the narrative, the connections to the past were very obvious.

I appreciate how the author committed to the gruesome atmosphere. The Goblin Market was enchantingly creepy. The last 20%, once Lou entered the market, recaptured my attention. The ending felt a bit abrupt and I wish we had seen some of the conversations that were mentioned in the epilogue.

I have read discussions about the original Goblin Market and its antisemitic themes. I was a bit disappointed that Not Good for Maidens did not address the problems with the source material. It felt as if the author was either ignoring these problems or was unaware of them. The naive approach makes me hesitant to widely recommend this book even though I did enjoy it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Page Street Kids for advanced access to the audiobook of Not Good for Maidens by Tori Bovalino in exchange for an honest review.

CW: gore, death, body horror, violence, torture, kidnapping

Bovalino writes an intricate, gothic novel retelling narrative from the poem "Goblin Market" by Christina Rossetti. I had never heard of this poem before, so I took the time to do a bit of a dive into the poem, its interpretation, and its history of controversy. This is such an interesting backdrop for a retelling! I wish I knew more about the historical context before I started listening to this audiobook, because I think having that understanding would have enhanced by understanding of the beginning of this book.

This is a YA book, but don't let that fool you, this is not a book that shies away from difficult topics and graphic content. It is an absolutely wild ride from start to finish. The vibe is creepy and gross, and that's exactly what was intended.

My main positive for this book is that it is a sapphic retelling (we're always here for that), and the main character is Ace. I have not had the pleasure of reading about many Ace MCs, so it was a delight to see this representation.

Primary critiques are:
1. The plot was a tad convoluted at times. I had trouble following pieces of the plot, and I'm not sure that the intended YA audience would be able to pick up on all the nuance here.
2. The dual timeline was not well-executed. I had a very difficult time differentiating which timeline we were in, despite the announcement of the POV at the beginning of each chapter.
3. There was not much depth to the any of the main characters. This book is heavily plot driven, and while this is not necessarily a bad thing, it did contribute to my difficulties in understanding which timeline we were following, and kept me from fully engaging with/rooting for the characters.

The final scene in the Goblin Market oddly reminded me of the final trial scene with Feyre and Tamlin at the end of ACOTAR? Idk, maybe that was just me.

Overall, I am unsure how I feel about this book. I think it has a very specific audience, and while I thought I was a great fit for this book, it just missed the mark for me. If you are a lover of the horror genre, I would definitely recommend! The paranormal/spiritual elements of this book give it a particularly spooktastic kind of vibe, so I would recommend to fans of Stephen King and Silvia Moreno-Garcia's Mexican Gothic.

I went into this one with really high expectations because The Devil Makes Three completely took me by surprise when it comes a well crafted story within the realm of gothic/dark academia. I desperately wanted this story to recreate those vibes, but it just didn’t quite get there.

Don’t get me wrong, Bovalino still maintains incredibly atmospheric writing and really nails the horror and body gore that the Wickett women experience at the Goblin Market. I also loved that there’s so much casual queerness in the storyline (an ace MC and a f/f relationship).

I don’t think the dual timelines where we get the flashbacks of May’s story 18 years prior in contrast to Lou’s current timeline worked for me. The biggest reason for this was that May and Lou didn’t feel like unique characters/voices, so it was really difficult to remember who was talking and in which timeline we were in. Because of this, the pacing felt choppy versus being very fluid.

While this one wasn’t a favorite, I am still looking forward to Bovalino’s next book.

Thank you to Recorded books for providing a review copy. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.

I was immediately sucked in by the cover, stayed for the description and loved that I wasn’t disappointed! The book was creepy and enjoyable! The world building itself is atmospheric and intricate. The goblin market was fascinating to the point I’d THINK about visiting. The alternating timelines were also done well. There is LGBTQ representation with an ace MC and a star-crossed sapphic storyline. Overall this was a great retelling!

Everything about this book was phenomenal.

The cover is gorgeous, and the narrator of the audiobook is absolutely hypnotic. The retelling itself is so beautifully done, and the book has such an eerie and dreamy quality to it. The queer representation is amazing, as well.

The cover brought me here and the promise of an ACE MC and a starcrossed sapphic romance kept me here!

This book sucked me in with its atmospheric storytelling at the get go. The story follows 2 timelines 18 years apart narrated in 2 different POVs. 17 year old Lou never ever thought that there might be an actual reason behind all the superstitions that her mom Laura and aunt May believed in and followed, until one day when her youngest aunt Neela frantically calls her for help after being lost in 'the market'. Having no idea what the market is or about the secrets her mother and aunt has kept from her all her life, Lou finds herself unravelling the tale of past and present, history and future, magic, goblins and witches as she tries to find a way to rescue her best friend.

The story is medium to fast paced and the switches between past and present, i.e., Lou's POV and May's POV. The switch is quick, yet somehow melds well. I loved how the entire story completely revolved around women and how they all potrayed different sexualities. Though at the crux, it is a romance, I kind of forgot that with the need to know how the story will be solved.

Usually when a story alternates between past and present, I always find myself interested in one, more than the other, however, this book kept me hooked equally on both the tracks!

The little bit about Lou's character evolving into self acceptance and finding her own place, her people, and family history, sort of gave me Legendborn vibes. I also truly appreciate how the bicuriousness was represented and it played a part in the story. The cast contained biracial rep, though ethnicities didn't really play a part in the story.

Having said all this, I had my moments, when I absolutely wanted to throw a book at May, roll my eyes at the kind of 'insta love romance' and shake Lou out of her self wallow.

I would also have loved a bit more of witch-goblin history, like Lou reading a bit more of May's journal or something like that, mostly because, even though the story is over, I feel a sense of incompleteness.

Anyways, may be, you just can't have it all!!

TW: Trauma, Violence, Gore, Cannibalism?

Many thanks to Netgalley and RB Media, Recorded Books for the ALC of this book.

The worldbuilding in this was magical! I loved the market and getting to read a story with goblins as the main magical creature! The characters were lovable and I found myself rooting for them the entire time. It was nice to see different people's approaches to the market and how their experience level changed their views of the market. I enjoyed the narration of the audiobook. I really like the narrator's clear enunciation. Some narrators make it hard for me to speed up the narration and still understand them, but I didn't have that problem with this book.

The premise of this book is intriguing and the story was very atmospheric. I loved the whole idea of the market and the horror vibes. It was eerie and at times gory, and I was really here for it. The author did a good job with the body horror, it's not for the faint of heart haha.

The writing style was good too, it pulled me in and kept me interested and I enjoyed a lot the dual timeline. It all connected really well in the end!

One thing I wasn't a hundred percent about, is that though the main character was Lou, because of the dual timeline and the whole story development (the other timeline being 18 years before from the point of view of Lou's other aunt, May) A bit more of character development for Lou for balance would have benefit the story.

While I absolutely enjoyed the love story line, at times it did feel more like a romance (with horror) than anything else. Nothing wrong with it, it just wasn't what I expected!

Despite these things, I really enjoyed experiencing this story, loved the diversity, and the strength of the characters! A quick inmersive read that I would recommend to anyone who likes creepy, atmospheric fairy-tale-like stories!

Not Good for Maidens, by Tori Bovallino was one of my most anticipated reads of 2022, so imagine my surprise when I got the arc for the audiobook through NetGalley.

Narrated by Laura Knight Keating Not Good for Maidens was everything I expected; my complains are very minor, mainly the stubbornness of the main character, Lou, but that is to be expected from a teenager (ugh, I’m getting old) and Lou’s almost unhealthy attachment to her teenage aunt Neela, but overall I had a blast. Major Kudos to the narrator, Laura, for reading for so many female characters and making them all sound different.

Not Good Maidens gave me the same feelings as House of Hollow and Mexican Gothic, so if you read any of them and wants to read something with similar vibes I would highly recommend it.

Thanks to Netgalley for this, it was so good. The writing was beautiful, but not in an overly flowery way, it just managed to capture all the dark feelings of this book. Lou is a really interesting character to follow as well. The way she feels like she somehow doesn't fit into her family, but she's never been able to understand why, and the way that she decides to figure out who she is on her own and what kind of person she can be.. just really good. The whole goblin world was also enchanting in a really dark and disturbing way.
Side-note: this book has an asexual lead and a bisexual lead.

This... didn't make any sense at all. I understand and support the continued need for subversive retellings and welcome any and all diversity added to known narratives, but what on earth was everything else going on? This plot is so forgettable, I can hardly come up with enough points to write a review. I'll try, though:

Let me state this once and for all: Goblin Market is already sexy enough as it is. Many people have tried to be *deep* about it before, but that's just unnecessary. The "forbidden fruit" and "mouths" and "juices" are already there in Rossetti's manuscript. Good old erotic imagery! We get it. Young adult readers get it. It's about sex and temptation. You don't have to rewrite it to frame it in a feminist coming-of-age narrative... it already is one.

So what does Bovalino have to offer then? Nothing new, really, except maybe allusions to semi-cannibalism. I have never seen a dual-timeline narrative being used so poorly. Normally, one or the other plotline would gradually reveal information to complete the picture, which could be used to the advantage of greater plot twists, but... no? There are literally two rescue missions, one taking place in the past, one in the present, with little to no suspense to either. The end.

Romance... who is she? I can live with instalove when it's well-executed, but one can hardly expect me to believe that two nights spent walking through a marketplace selling human body parts or drinking coffee at a 24/7 café is basis enough for a ride-or-die, elope-with-me, life-sacrificing love that shatters the foundations of York's supernatural societies.

Do I, after finishing this novel, understand why The Market (tm) is so irresistible to the youth of York when all locals know it can end in torment and disfigurement, if not manslaughter? When there is literally no way to be forced into it and countless magical countermeasures to take? What even are the goblins? What work do the witches/guardians do outside of market season and poultice mixing? Isn't this the bare skeleton of a story rather than a finished novel?

I'm being so mean about the book, when I'm really just fed up with the last several YA works I've read... this is just the straw that broke the camel's back. The writing itself is not bad at all. But if I have to hear "Come buy, come buy" or "Are you coming to Scarborough Fair" one more time, I swear to god --- Some goblin is going to catch these hands.

(Note: I listened to this on audio, with the narrator choosing to do... that accent, but also to give every other character a nasal sort of voice that makes them sound stricken with a serious case of sinusitis. Neela got the worst of it, in my opinion. Is this a York cliche I am not aware of?)

If I could give this book ten stars for atmosphere alone alone I would. It was a gorgeous duel narrative about two women 18 years apart experiencing the horrors of the Goblin market.

I was in love with May's story a little more, a tragic, sapphic tale of star crossed lovers. While I don't think Lou or her story was quite as compelling I still enjoyed it. One thing I would say is that I found their voices too similar and sometimes I would find it a little difficult to tell which story I was in if I lost concentration for a moment.

I was given access to the audiobook and the narrator had such a smooth, comforting voice. I don't think I know accents well enough to comment on how well she performed them but it was very consistent nonetheless. Perhaps a different narrator for each timeline might have helped distinguish characters.

I feel very lucky to have had the chance to read this, thank you RB Media for allowing me.

If I could give this book ten stars, I truly would.
The author had me hooked from the very first chapter and I hung on every word, enjoying the twists and turns of the story that reminded me very much of the twists and turns of the market.

Heart-achingly beautiful storytelling with characters I absolutely loved and felt for, especially as a fellow sapphic person. The romantic love story between the two women had me by the heart and made me feel just about every emotion.

I loved how the main character, Lou, is asexual (and possibly demi-romantic?), but that didn't make her any less capable of love and warmth. Her biggest love story of the book, however, was the love story with her family. Another aspect of the book the author portrayed perfectly.

If I somehow ate goblin fruit and forgot this book, I wouldn't be entirely upset because that would mean I would get to enjoy the story for the first time all over again.

Wow. I didn't know how much I needed a Goblin Market retelling! This is one of those cases where I actually think having some familiarity with the original text will greatly improve your reading experience, even if that means just reading a summary!

I loved the two timelines and how atmospheric this book was. I will never think of the song Scarborough Fair in the same way!

Spooky, atmospheric, memorable characters, and extremely immersive!

I will definitely be buying a physical copy for my shelves because not only did I love this but I also am I love with this cover!

Thank you NetGalley for my ARC!

This unique modern retelling of the Goblin Market had me sucked in from the first chapter. I literally could not stop listening to this audiobook. Strong family bounds saved May from the market; but can they save her little sister 18 years later? Louisa is the niece of May and daughter of Laura. She’s grown up in Boston under the caring eye of her aunt and mother, but they’ve always refused to talk about their past—until Neela, their baby sister and Louisa’s best friend, goes missing. May and Laura are forced to share with Louisa who they really are and only Louisa can save Neela from the Market.

While I did absolutely love this book, I wanted to slap May more than once. Also, like all books with an alternating POV, I found myself really enjoying Louisa’s POV and being annoyed with May’s towards the end (sorry, just my opinion).