This book is so hard to describe without spoilers... honestly don't even read the blurb, go in blind! Women are disappearing, the townsfolk know more than they're saying, everyone has secrets, creepy sunflowers...
If you like a twisty creepy ya novel with a touch of the supernatural, this book is for you! I love the cover btw, it's what drew me to this arc in the first place. Thank you for the chance to read it!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions contained within are my own.

There’s something about a thriller/horror that’s set in a small, closed off location that really speaks to my soul. The eeriness, the isolation, the struggle all combine into what I consider my favorite kind of horror. The kind that stays with you long after the book is read or the movie is watched. That’s why when I read the synopsis of Where Darkness Blooms and realized that it took place in a small town in Kansas, I was immediately drawn to reading it.

This story follows four young women who live in the small town of Bishop, Kansas. Delilah, Bo, Whitney, and Jude are four young women who also share something: their mothers have all gone missing. They try their best to continue living their lives and holding themselves together. When tragedies start to stack up, however, they all begin to question why so many women in Bishop end up dead or missing. And they won’t like what they discover.

Y’all, this book took all the elements that I love about an isolated horror and made them shine! The eeriness of this story practically oozes off the pages. It’s one of those books that made me anxious because I could feel how alone and frightened all four of our main characters felt. The writing has moments that felt a little repetitive, I will admit, but it was still atmospheric and creepy and had me eating this book up. I enjoyed that we got to see the story from each of the four main young women, as well. It made for a more nuanced and intriguing story, in my opinion. I coulda done without the epilogue, if I’m being honest, but it does wrap things up in a decent way.

As for the characters, though I think they were incredibly well-written, something about all of them left me feeling a little bit wanting. I think it was the fact that their characterization felt a little nebulous, like it would shift with the wind. Like certain decisions that were made in the middle book didn’t fit with how the character acted at the beginning of the book and then it would happen again near the end of the book. I can get behind characters not being consistent with their decision-making, but these changes left me feeling a little whiplashed, not gonna lie. Still, in the end, I found I couldn’t look away from any of them, that I really cared about what was happening to them, and that’s always a sign of a great character in my book.

Overall, this book had a lot of the elements I love in a horror or supernatural thriller. The atmosphere was top-notch and I loved how well the author draws you into to the town of Bishop. The characters were compelling if, at times, a bit flimsy. The tension, the multiple POVs, and the slow reveal of devastating secrets kept me hooked into this story until the very end! And I definitely want to check out whatever this author writes next.

I asked for this read for the slow gothic-horror ambience promised in the description of the story. I will say it achieved what I wanted, though I do feel some information about world building was given too fast in the prologue. However, the tone of this story was CHOICE! Exactly what I wanted and expected. I love the sapphic arc, the magical realism, and the sunflowers that were always watching.

3.5 stars!!!

This was a fun and creepy YA horror! The minor paranormal aspects did leave me wanting more but overall I was happy with it. Who the overarching villian was surprised me, I thought of everything but what it actually was. I also loved that there were queer relationships that weren't a big deal, they just existed! That's exactly what I want when it comes to representation. The whole "us against the world" trope is something that I don't always love, but I think the author did a good job making it more realistic. I also think the teenagers in this are realistic, they talk like teens and they think like teens and it was really refreshing to see. I'm looking forward to reading more horror from this author!

Holy moly. Not only is the cover stunning and eye catching but the story will capture the reader until the very last page. Well written and thought out plot that will leave you wishing for more.

Thanks to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is probably closer to a 2.5 star book? I was excited for the promise of plant horror, and I do think the book did a beautiful job of setting up the feel of Bishop and the paranoia and desperation in the town. The winds and the sunflowers were always so perfectly described, and interwoven into the book in a way that showed how much they were burned into the character's psyches.

However, the character voices in this all felt super same-y, which.... isn't great when you have a book with four different pov characters! I wish they had felt a little more distinct, because it was so hard to get into this book when they all kind of blurred together.

Anyway, once I got into it it was a cute little creepy read, but not one I would super rec to other people

A beautiful and haunting read with elements of dark magical realism. Many characters to keep track of, but all with distinct personalities and relationships. Lyrical writing.

I was first drawn in by the beautiful cover illustration and stayed for the incredible creepy atmosphere and mystery and wonderful strong characters. I definitely will be recommending in readers advisory, although will recommend not reading the entire synopsis since I think going in blind is the best way to enjoy this work!

"Okay, calm down ya'll! I haven't even read this book. yet." said me who waited ENTIRELY too long to read this book. OMGoodnesssss!! I was hooked from the first page. I didn't want it to end. I hope there is a follow-up or at least another book set in the world of these characters. The beginning was unsettling, the middle was addictive, and the ending was OH SO SATISFYING!!! Loved every minute of it.

A truly haunting story that stays with you long after the heart pounding conclusion. This YA thriller is filled with so many things that make up a satisfying read from distinctive characters, powerful themes and an unforgettable plot.

The creepy cover truly gives you a hint of the creepy town this story is set in where women keep seeming to die or disappear, including three mothers two years earlier. Their teenage daughters continue living together in the town disturbed with how little was done to find their mothers and are plagued with worries about what happened to them. From Delilah desperately trying to hold them all together while dealing with her boyfriend, heartbroken Whitney also mourning her girlfriend, delicate Jude hiding a secret forbidden love to rage filled Jo who just knows someone in town knows something and is determined to find out. They each have secrets and set out in their own ways to live their lives but something sinister is keeping an eye on them.

If you love character driven thrillers this is a good pick with it's harrowing and heartbreaking scenes. Full of themes about complicated families, standing up for yourself, and the power of women this is a fantastic read.

Thanks to Netgalley and St Martins Press for access to the ARC for an honest review.

An engaging YA horror/mystery about a group of girls in a cursed town. Interesting and very individual characters!

*eARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley for review

Where Darkness Blooms lured me in with its hauntingly creepy cover. How can I resist a cover featuring sunflower vines coming out of a girl’s face?! The cover is sheer perfection. 😍 The book’s synopsis also got my attention since I love stories set in small, creepy towns. The town of Bishop is definitely creepy. Women go missing or end up dead, the men don’t seem to care, and there’s something going on with the sunflowers. It’s an all around creepy af town. I was excited to read this book, but it ended up being a little underwhelming. It was more of a teenage drama with supernatural elements, and I was hoping for more horror.

The main characters in this book are Delilah, Bo, and twins Whitney and Jude. Each chapter is told by one of the girls’ perspectives. I think the multiple perspectives got to be too much and it broke up the flow of the story. I also couldn’t stand many of the characters, especially the side characters. The teenage boys were horrible. Also, Delilah got on my nerves with her endless pining for her boyfriend. There were some creepy parts in the book, but there was too much teenage drama for my liking.

3/5 stars

Talk about the right book for the right mood. I wanted something eerie, spooky, a little different and meaningful too. This definitely covered all of that. It's dark too in some spots and that fit the overall tone well.

I haven't read this author before but want to look up other books now. Loved the writing and the entire feel of this one. This would make a perfect Spooktober read and one I highly recommend for those TBRs.

I sincerely appreciate Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the review copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

Actual rating: 4.5

This had Erin Craig vibes and I did enjoy it. I’m a big details person though- I either need none or lots. This book had a medium amount which frustrated me. How did the girls get food? How did the town get food? Did no one ever leave? Go to college? What time period is it? One of the moms works tech support and mentions the cloud but do they not have social media?

Anyway, these details- or lack of- bugged me but I did enjoy the book! It would make a good screen adaptation.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read!

My thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday books for providing me with a digital copy for review.

Overall I liked this book but there were times where the pacing was off and everything fell into place just a little too easily. I liked the differences in the characters. I thought the plot was somewhat unique, if nothing jaw dropping. This would make a great summer read. Younger fans or horror, or those who like just a splash of horror will enjoy this.

Four girls are left in the strange town they grew up in when their mothers vanish one night. Bishop is known for disappearing women. Delilah, Jude, Whitney, and Bo are not okay with letting their mothers' disappearances go as accidents. Too many strange things have happened, and they want answers. The wind seems to be calling to them as well as the sunflowers that are everywhere in the town. Creepy sunflowers. This was an entrancing and very creepy story that part of me wanted to put down, but the other part of me couldn't. 4 stars. Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC.

This had all the makings of a spooky, weird YA horror… and I don’t think it was bad book by any means, but I struggled to connect with the perspectives & the writing style didn’t work for me personally. That being said, I’m sure it will work for lots of readers!

Thank you so much Netgalley & Wednesday books.

this book was REALLY good i feel like it starts off fine but it takes a little bit to truly get into the minds of all the girls as this book has 4 povs but once you're there, i feel like you're there. this book was really good at giving me. for lack of better words. the ick. and i felt the blend of real life issues women face in society paired with the sort of supernatural horror works REALLY well and just the atmosphere is there and the dramatic irony works incredibly well SINCE you're in everyone's head when one girl is discovering clues that fit to another girl's findings you're left there connecting the dots (this not only happens for clues but when certain actions happen to certain people and it's like a horror movie where you're screaming at the protagonist to run..well they finally do!) it really allows for the investment in the story. i feel like the last third of the book is good but you know. a tiny suspension of disbelief must occur. (nothing wrong with that! i will happily do so but ik thats like a dealbreaker for some)

overall i um. cried but im blaming that on the atmosphere i read it in SOLID book i enjoyed and i love love love the cover never stop with the flower horror <3

I really wanted to love this, I mean just look at that gorgeous cover! The synopsis is what hooked me as I am a sucker for a good mystery and thriller but unfortunately this just didn't hook me. There are a lot of themes this book tries to cover, and some they do successfully while others just fall flat. There are four characters and each chapter is a different POV but all the characters seem to have the same voice, sometimes I just lost track of who was narrating. This would have benefitted with one (or two if absolutely needed) main character and the others being side characters. I think it would have helped focus the story more and make it more cohesive.

There's not too much I can say without giving away the plot, but there were a lot of things that didn't seem to make sense and a lot of plot holes. Maybe Hannah needed to split the book and make it a bit longer as the author seemed to want to add so much but only had a limited amount to do it. There are also a lot of unanswered questions I was left with. Where Darkness Blooms took me longer to read than I would like as I kept stopping and almost didn't finish it but I was really hoping this would get better.

Overall, not for me but it might be for you.

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a chance to read Where Darkness Blooms.

I would highly recommend it to fans of young adult fantasy and horror. The writing style was pretty unique and pulled the reader into the story and builds the atmosphere really well, it reminds me of other thrilling books I've read that at the end catch you with "Wow", I didn't expect that.

So definitely a book I would recommend!!!