I really enjoyed the beginning of this book and I liked the writing. Unfortunately the ending was just so infuriating and disappointing that it made the entire book not worth it to me. I do still think Hannah is a talented author, and I appreciated the creepy vibes, but the ending totally ruined the entire thing for me.

Read if you like: Supernatural aspects, small towns, Indigenous representation

Wow. I loved the creepy vibes in this book. What an eerie town. It's the perfect amount of strange. It's very atmospheric. It read a bit on the slow side but I still enjoyed it. I couldn't put it down. The characters are very well-developed. I highly recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and St. Martin's Press/ Wednesday Books for the gifted e-book ❤️

This story revolves around 4 teenagers–young women who are fending for themselves after the strange disappearances of their mothers in the town of Bishop: a small Kansas town dominated by the supernatural and ominous presence of sunflowers and wind. From the beginning I felt on edge reading this story, that at any moment something disastrous or horrible could happen. The relationships between the 4 young women–twins Whitney and Jude, Delilah, and Bo–are central to this story. As are their relationships with their mothers–Ava, Indigo, and Cori–who are presumed dead after their disappearance two years ago. They must rely on themselves and each other to survive the looming threats around them. The supernatural aura of those threats also felt grounded in a familiar reality of patriarchy and power.

Despite the compelling theme and much that resonates about the four characters as they grapple with their experiences and identities as they enter adulthood, there were a couple plot points that didn’t make sense to me and were even inconsistent with the characters. The ending also didn’t wholly work for me. This book is for a young adult audience, and I think this is an instance where what would be satisfying for that audience didn't completely land for me.

I liked this story, but I didn’t love it.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this novel. 3.5/5 stars.

Overall, I liked this story mainly for the spooky atmosphere vibes in Kansas and how it discussed men and the power they hold over women (very much patriarchal power). There is a lot of discussion about women and men, and I enjoyed how it had the spooky magical element of the men controlling wind to keep the women in town (and inevitably murder them). Each of the four girls have their own POV chapters and it alternates telling their individual stories while they also figure out the story of the town (and their missing mothers).

Besides the metaphorical and power discussions, it was okay. The pacing was super quick though, and I wish more explanation had been given for the girls and their "powers" and also the ending felt rushed.

This would 10/10 make a good TV show though.

Creepy story about a small Kansas town that has a horrific past! I was all in for most of the story. I loved the setting, the characters, and even wish there had been more about the girls' relationships with each other. But there was one thing near the end that kind of killed the whole thing for me. The author had so many other options and I was incredibly disappointed that this was the avenue chosen for the story line. I can't say more and it doesn't ruin the whole story, but it did leave a dissatisfied taste in my mouth. So if the premise sounds good to you, go for it, but be prepared for the awkward plot hole at the end.

I loved this book. I think it's going to have such a huge readership in YA fantasy, YA horror, and general speculative readers. It's so interesting and a little bit odd, to tell the truth, but I thought that was a fantastic thing. The author did an amazing job and since this is her debut I can't wait to see how she grows with future titles if she's setting the bar so high here.

This was something unexpected. I'm such a cover buyer, and this was, no exception, a cover request - wanted to read it based on the cover alone. It gave some creepy, horror vibes and this book was not that, but still good.

It is a creepy and dark story, though not a horror. It is magical realism about curses, and secrets, and bad things that happen to girls.

It had so many great themes, the whole idea behind the book is so good - it is the darkest truths on paper, about what it is women have to endure, and how it is usually hidden behind beautiful coverings. It hits close to home, as I see women around me currently struggling with this, with being overpowered, abused, used, and all for what? Power? Self love?

The story is about a town, where something dark has been happening - women who are "different" (I say it in parentheses as I think we're all different and beautiful, and it is not a bad thing), disappear. And it is excused, oh that's normal for a girl who is too loud, who is too brash, who is a fighter, etc. All the excuses, and no care in the world as it is the norm of this town. Until one day, all the bad things start to fester, and it starts to attract attention. Questions are being asked, the secrets are being revealed. And the four girls that are the main characters of this story find out what their actual reality is.

One thing bothered me about this book, were the main four girls were not strong as separate entities, and their characters didn't shine. They did not have their unique voices. But maybe thats the point - to interlace them, and not separate them, as every girls' destiny in this town was still the same.

The writing was lush and oppressive. It had some gothic vibes. And after reading this book, you wont look at sunflowers the same. Overall a good book.

Wednesday/St Martin's press... thank you! Where Darkness Blooms is a fascinating addition to what I consider an needed trend in modern day gothic stories that empower readers to see the lived lives of adolescent females today and offers perspectives on strength, found families, and resilience (the CDC recently reporting that 1 in 3 adolescent females today are struggling with trauma... this book reflects important timely themes). The writing is powerful, the multiple POVs are resonant, and the symbolism in sunflowers is deft and nuanced.

Recommended for fans of Wilder Girls, My Grace Year, and fans of Courtney Summers work.

Where Darkness Blooms is a YA supernatural thriller about four friends who’s mothers have all gone missing in a town where dead and missing women is the norm. Two years after, the town is putting up a memorial for the missing mothers, and that’s when secrets start being revealed.
This book is a little different than my expectations. This book is as much about the supernatural undercurrent in the town that causes weird things, like the feeling of being watched and women regularly going missing, but it’s just as much about what happened two years ago at this bonfire all the characters went together that was also the night their mothers disappeared. There are secrets the town is keeping, but also normal teenager secrets that the characters are keeping from each other.
Speaking of, Delilah, Bo, Whitney, and Jude were all fine protagonists, but I think having four POVs was to the detriment of the book. Our attention was stretched too thin and that left some of the girls feeling flat. Really, Bo felt like the most fleshed out character of all of them, and I just wanted more and more from this angry, messy character.
I especially wanted more from Whitney, who’s mourning the loss of her girlfriend. I felt like there could’ve been more done with queerness in Middle America and what is said earlier in the book, how women who don’t “kick up a fuss” don’t disappear.
I rated this book 3.25 stars! The majority of the book was just ‘ok’ for me, but the ending really got to me.

Where Darkness Blooms embodies suspense from the very beginning. From chapter one, the reader knows that there's something sinister in this town. We aren't exactly sure what, but we know that ghosts haunt their steps and blood seeps out from the cracks. Hannah takes the reality that this community and the authorities which don't take the missing and dead women and girls seriously and adds a supernatural twist. In many ways, you can read it as a story which examines lives which go missing to 'serve' the powers at be, the narratives in place.

But Hannah creates a dangerous supernatural story as well. Of wind that whispers and gut instincts that twist our stomachs. You're never really sure if it's the wind or echoes of your own thoughts reflected back at you. There's a distinct sense of suspense and tension oozing from every page. And at the core of Where Darkness Blooms is friendship. Not only between Jude, Whitney, Delilah and Bo's mothers, but also between them. The cracks that form, the secrets we keep, and the hopes we harbor.

3.5

“Bishop just wasn't the kind of place that could satisfy restless, hungry women with sharp edges.”

A small town, missing women, creeping dread, and a mysterious curse. All of these are things that drew me to this book, and there were many things to like as relationships were tested, mysteries were investigated, and secrets were revealed.


Some things I liked:

🌻 The found family aspect of books is always my favorite, and I enjoyed seeing the different personalities each main character brought to their friend group.

🌻 There was some excellent creeping dread as the reader is trying to figure out what’s going on and why.

🌻 There are many flawed characters, and none of them are picture perfect.

🌻 I really enjoyed the symbols, like the wind and the sunflowers.



Some things I didn’t:

🌻 I felt like parts of the book dragged heavily, and it took me a long time to finish it because it didn’t quite hold my attention consistently.

🌻 One of the characters was kind of redeemed in a way that felt undeserved, and I can’t say I agree with this choice. Really, I’m just not sure I vibed with the ending in general.


Overall I did enjoy the book, but I felt like the premise was better than the execution. That being said, it was a debut and I’d definitely be interested in seeing what the author comes up with next!

Where Darkness Blooms is a uniquely haunting tale that leaves the reader emotionally depleted in the best way. It is a story about a town shrouded in mystery and riddled with secret magic going back to it's founding. With a slew of untimely disappearances and strange events, it was only a matter if time before someone noticed. Eventually, connections are made and the pieces start coming together.

I had no real expectations yet to my utter surprise, I absolutely loved it. The protagonists were all relatable in their own way while the antagonists were the epitome of human monsters. All in all, I'm incredibly glad to have stumbled upon this book and look forward to reading more from this author.

Voluntarily reviewed after receiving a free copy courtesy of NetGalley, the Publisher and the author, Andrea Hannah.

Where Darkness Blooms by Andrea Hannah is set in the town of Bishop, known for its recurring windstorms and sunflowers, as well as the disappearances of several women. When three more women go missing one stormy night, their daughters are left to pick up the pieces of their lives over the next two years while grappling with a lack of answers in regard to what happened to their mothers. With a belated memorial for their mothers looming, Delilah, Jude, Whitney, and Bo are forced to confront the lies they have been told and deal with the secrets they have kept hidden. The town of Bishop is revealed to have a dark history, founded on blood, and when the girls realize that the town is now craving their own they must find a way to either save themselves or become victims like so many before them.

The cover of this one is absolutely GORG and it's what initially drew me in, but the plot was really compelling to me as well! Something about this one reminded me of Practical Magic, which is not to say this is a witchy book, per se, but the vibes were similar. I did struggle through the book to tell each main character and their mothers apart as there was just a lot going on at all times, but over all this is a great YA and I think the target demographic will absolutely love it.

Thanks so much to St. Martin's Press as well as NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this title in exchange for my honest thoughts ahead of its release on 02/21/2023!

First off, that cover!

The town of Bishop was founded on blood and the land is thirsty for more. Famous for the fields of sunflowers, missing women and the wind. When three women go missing, their daughters are left to pick up the pieces and move on. But how?

Where Darkness Blooms is creepy and atmospheric. It is also quite different and unique. Big props to the author for that. But the pacing was uneven in parts. The synopsis piqued my interest, the cover dazzled me and the prologue drew me in, but I was never won over by the rest of the book.

Told through multiple POV’s, we get to know a bit about the four young women - some more than others. They have been living together and as the memorial for the dead mothers is approaching, they begin to uncover secrets and lies. There is a great deal of sexism going on in this creepy town. In fact, the men don't seem to care that the women are going missing.

This is a YA book, so it is light on the horror. The strongest parts of the book for me were the creepy vibes and atmosphere. Although I enjoyed it, I can’t say that I was wowed by it. Others are enjoying this more than I did, so please read their reviews as well.

3 best friends.
3 men that made them mothers and then left.
3 mothers disappear leaving their kids behind.

Sometimes living in a small town makes you feel trapped and never able to get out. Bishop is a town where you literally cannot leave.

Bishop is known for its massive storms and fields of sunflowers….and women who mysteriously die or go missing without a clue.

Three women go missing leaving behind four daughters. Two years later, a memorial is going to be erected for these women. A terrible storm interrupted the ceremony and uncovers a terrible secret. And so begins the search for what really happened to these three women as well as all of the other women that have disappeared from Bishop.

Delilah is the oldest and tries to take care of the other three girls even though she would like to move in with her boyfriend, Bennett, but his touch literally hurts her body.

Whitney not only lost her mother, she also lost her girlfriend, Eleanor, who dropped dead feet from her front door. Whitney thinks she hears Eleanor through a weathervane in the clearing where the memorial was held.

Jude is Whitney’s twin sister. Jude loves so deeply she can feel the town humming like her own heartbeat. She was secretly in a relationship with Bennett before he met Delilah.

Bo just wants answers. She knows that Bishop has a lot of odd things going on and Bo is sure that the townspeople know why.

Bishop was founded on blood and nothing has been able to satisfy it. One of the four girls might be it’s next victim.

This book was so original. I loved the characters. The writing was so vivid and descriptive. Absolutely beautiful writing. The story just grabbed me and would not let go.

I will definitely have to pick up other books from Andrea Hannah.

I received this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

The amount of twists in this book were wild, but incredible to follow along. Murder, betrayal, lust and love - it has it all. Hannah is able to tell this chilling story from many different perspectives which get the reader to be fully invested in all the female characters.

From now on, when I see a sunflower I will think of this book. And there is a good chance it will send a chill down my spine.

I got an ARC.

DNF around 20%.

There were too many narrators that were indistinct. I couldn't tell any of the girls apart. For a while I was convinced they were all sisters, because the text isn't even clear until around 20% that there were three mothers involved.

Cover is by far the best part of the book. I am saying that despite living in Kansas and needing a bloodthirsty sunflower horror to make me enjoy the flowers that are EVERYWHERE. This book could have kept me up and stayed on my mind just because Kansas is really into sunflowers. But I couldn't even finish it.

Book Review: Where Darkness Blooms by Andrea Hannah

Where Darkness Blooms is a young adult supernatural thriller about a cursed town and four young women stuck within it. It also contains elements of horror and mystery.

The town of Bishop, Kansas is known for fields of sunflowers, erratic weather and the unnaturally high death count of women and girls over the years. Twin sisters Whitney and Jude along with their friends Bo and Delilah are living together after their three mothers disappeared two years earlier. Tensions between them begin to mount as the weather becomes increasingly unpredictable and the city wants to honor their mothers with a memorial statue. Each girl is keeping a secret but if they want to survive this town and find their mothers they’ll need to finally work together.

Where Darkness Blooms is kind of a feminist Children of the Corn. There are definitely some parts where you’ll need to suspend disbelief a little to believe that four young women can be this isolated (no field trips? no school shopping in a nearby larger town? no family vacations to Six Flags? no true crime sub-reddits about that a weird deadly town this is?) but it is still an enjoyable atmospheric thriller about what can happen if a greedy family is willing to sacrifice the women and girls they pretend to love to keep the status quo.

I recommend it to young adult book lovers that enjoy paranormal stories with some mystery and horror.

4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The town of Bishop is creepy. Surrounded by sunflowers and plagued by random windstorms the population of this town is small and getting smaller, because people just keep disappearing, or showing up dead. The town seems numb to the deaths happening, and almost indifferent to the disappearances happening around them. Women are the ones vanishing for the most part, but there were a number of questions I had regarding some of the men in the town that also disappeared.

First, this novel had a very emotional impact on me. I had to wait a few days (weeks?) after finishing to write my review, because I am still super mad at those moms! To leave your children undefended in a town that you know is sinister really grinds my gears. I'm not a mother, but I just cannot wrap my head around the believability behind three women just leaving their daughters behind (particularly with targets on their back!). But isn't that what one of things a book should do for you? Make you a little bit crazy?

Each one of our main characters had a distinct voice and individual journey during the overarching storyline. It allowed for the reader to connect to each character individually. The tension was great, and I was constantly waiting for tragedy to strike or some sinister revelation, but I had a lot of questions about how this town worked within the contemporary world, which pulled me out a bit. I am confused about the functionality and believability of the setting. Bishop is existing in the contemporary world. The characters watch the same shows that are out now, they have cellphones, access to contemporary products and yet no one can leave the town. What happens during deliveries? When produce and products are brought into the town? Mail? Why are those people allowed to leave, why do we not interact with a single "out of town" character for the duration of the story while we are in Bishop? I'm not sure how the world worked so I wasn't able to full immerse in the story, but I found the overall story enjoyable. It was creepy, diverse, emotional, and kept me on the edge of my seat.

Thank you @NetGalley, @WednesdayBooks and @OrangeSkyAudio for the #gifted ALC of WHERE DARKNESS BLOOMS!

WHERE DARKNESS BLOOMS serves up deliciously creepy Kansas, small farm town, gothic vibes. Is that a sub-genre or did I just invite that?

Either way, I hope that gives you an idea of how this book is. I mean the sunflowers and vines creepily wrapping around a girl on the cover should have been your first clue.

There is something very wrong with the town of Bishop. Women keep dying or just disappear. And strangely, no one seems very concerned about it. WDB is told through the POV of Delilah, Whitney, Jude and Bo. Their mothers all disappeared on the same day two years ago without a trace.

I’m glad that the audiobook had a different narrator for each girl, otherwise I think I would have had a hard time telling them apart. Sometimes they seemed like one character. And I could not keep track of the different boys/men. They all blended together which I kind of wonder if that was an intentional choice by the author.

The first half was intriguing but slow. It wasn’t until the girls finally came together to share what they’d all discovered separately that the plot really picked up.

If creepy, small town mysteries with a hint of magic (and horror) are your thing, then check this one out!

WHERE DARKNESS BLOOMS comes out on February 21st!

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