Thank you to NetGalley and Randomhouse Childrens/Delacorte Press for my arc in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

This was such a fun read and completely took me by surprise. Maude is a magicless witch who spent much of her time as a child running around and crafting stories with her friend Odette. When Maude lost the ability to work with magic, Odette left her. Years later, Odette has disappeared and rumored to be dead. Maude is told that the last place she was seen was Sicklehurst, an abandoned power plant that hides something dark and ancient. Maude can't help but follow.

This was a great read. Honestly, I thought I'd be annoyed with Maude (most of the recent teenage-age main characters I've read have done nothing but annoy me) but I really loved her character. She's desperate for approval and to be perceived as a "good girl" because nothing bad happens to good girls. As we find out, being a "good girl" is incredibly restrictive and damaging. I also loved Maude's relationship with her grandmothers. They were so sweet and although they did shelter Maude a lot, it was obvious from Maude's perspective that they loved her. The relationship that we're shown of Maude and her dead mom was rough not because it was badly written or anything but because of what her mom did to her (spoiler). Maude loves her mom a lot but from the beginning it was hinted at that the things she remembers of her mom were being viewed through rose-colored lenses.

Now, Odette and Maude's friendship was a turbulent one to read through. From the beginning, it's told to us that although Odette was Maude's first real friend and was there for her after the death of her mother, Odette was obsessed with magic. We're given glimpses into Odette's homelife through Maude and while it's sympathetic that she has a cold and emotionless mom who wants her to be this perfect daughter, I think it was hard for me to like Odette after finding out that she essentially stopped hanging out with Maude when she lost her magic. It very much was a toxic friendship both ways with Odette wanting to use Maude and Maude not being able to see who Odette really was. It was heartbreaking because best friendship breakups are painful, especially when it's been initiated by someone who you thought would be there for you through everything. All of that said, I do think that by the end of the novel, both girls have realized that they were both at fault but they both also realize that there's no real reason for either of them to go and pick at something that will no longer affect them. I think Maude put it like "we are no longer in each other's stories."

I do wish that there was more explanation about the rules of the magic system in this world and the lore that Maude kept hinting at that her mom had taught her. I found it super interesting and liked how Wilkinson described magic and the lines/strings of magic. It was so wildly cool and I would have liked to see more detail about that but I guess since we're in Maude's perspective, she really only knows so much. By the end, she is more curious about magic and mettle and about the lore she was taught. Since this is listed as Book #1, I'm hoping that in future books we get to learn alongside Maude.

Also before I forget, I feel like I should mention the gore in this book. It's surprisingly gorey. I mean some of the stuff that happens at Sicklehurst feels like something out of "Annihilation" but more pus and chunky blood. I'm not mentioning this because it's a bad thing, I really enjoyed the descriptions and body horror, but because it may catch readers with a weaker stomach. Personally, I loved it. It added a lot of character to what happened at Sicklehurst and created a lot of tension. It also took it up from just being another Fantasy YA.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It's not perfect but it's a fun and innovative story about magic and wild girls.

From the synopsis and cover, I was expecting to like this book, but I soon found out it wasn't for me.
In the first five chapters or so, this story resonated with some of my own lived experiences and I thought it would be a book I'd enjoy. But I didn't feel any connection to the characters and got distracted many times while reading.
Nevertheless, I though the world-building was interesting, something different and new from what I'm used to seeing in YA fantasy. A different plot/execution might have been more enjoyable to me.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc.

Promising story, but poor execution! The only thing that was captured perfectly in the story is the gothic creepy atmosphere. Should have probably dnf-d but I wanted to see it through. Would not recommend.

Thank you Delacorte press for the gifted ebook.

A Hunger of Thorns is a YA fantasy following Maude, a girl who lost her wild, uninhibited nature when she lost her magic. But when her old friend, Odette, is missing, Maude thinks she is the only one who can save her, just like she did in the stories she told growing up.
The first and second halves of this novel felt a little disjointed to me. Now I did put the book down about 50 or 60% in to come back to later because I was pretty bored, but not long after picking it back up it seemed better. When the plot really started moving, it almost felt like going on an acid trip (I mean this in a positive light). It was so crazy and horror-esque in ways that grossed me out and intrigued me at the same time. Once I got into it, I didn't want to stop reading. It was just a bit of a struggle to get to that part for a few reasons.
I don't always need likeable characters, but I disliked pretty much every character. I loathed Maude's connection to Odette despite how Odette treated her, and then how Maude sometimes reacted to Rufus really made me mad. She had no backbone with Odette through the whole thing, and I was hoping that would be an element of character growth we'd get from her because I feel it would have fit the story as well as the theme of girls being wild and free rather than quiet and perfect behaving little girls. I also felt that the build up to the climax just wasn't interesting enough most of the time, and the hints we got for where the story was going didn't give me the motivation to want to constantly keep reading.
The marketing for this story compares it to Melissa Albert's The Hazel Wood, and I think that is a fair comparison. There is a lot to enjoy from this story, and I really liked how we got to see the changes in the area after everything settled.

I thought the summary of this book sounded enticing - hence why I requested it. And this book was ****good****. There were some aspects of it that I enjoyed, and I’ll talk a little about those below.

This feels a bit like a dystopian/modern day world, but with magic. Or limited magic. This is essentially a story of persecution of a group of people. Maude was a good character because she balanced between the two lines, and she had her foils who were giving her information — or refusing it.

There is a bit of a mystery in this as well, which is the main focus of the book.

Some of the parts of the book that I enjoyed were:

-the magic. I liked how Wilkinson used magic in interesting ways. I felt that it was a bit of a unique take on magic, and yet, somehow familiar.

-I like how we had a shift of memories as well, as truths are revealed you get more information via Maude.

-the queer aspect in this book was well done. It was simply there, and no explanations for it.

-darker side of magic — I can definitely see why it is comped to ******The Hazel Wood.****** It had a similar feeling to it.

-I liked the writing style. I found it went well with the tone of the story, which I also enjoyed.

The book was slow paced and a bit meandering, and I felt it didn’t really get to the point until towards the end, and by then I was slowly losing interest. While I thought Maude was a good character, I didn’t find her terribly compelling, at least not until towards the end.

This book is very focused on stories, and the truth behind stories. It was a solid read!

I enjoyed the ending immensely — and thought it worked with the overall theme of the book.

This book could have been good, but it wasn't. I think the concept was good, but the execution was lackluster. I think the author was attempting a "female power" type of book, but was more saying it instead of actually doing anything. The world building was flimsy at best and I had no idea what was happening a lot of the time.

Wow this one was amazing!! I loved the adventure that this book took me on with the characters and the story. I can not wait to get a print copy of this one as well as book two!! This is one of those stories that you take your time with so you can soak up the entire thing. Don't rush this one!!

AS CAWPILE:
Characters: 1 | Atmosphere: 6 | Writing: 3 | Plot: 2 | Intrigue: 7 | Logic: 4 | Enjoyment: 1
Total: 3.43

This book was definitely a book. That's an attempt at finding something positive to say here. The book modernity felt confusing to me, a strange balancing act between "is this modern or is this in a medieval time?" I recognize this was a different world than ours, but it still felt too far removed from the rules of the world as we know it that it was hard to hold onto anything. There is also a constant reference to redheads that felt really odd and unenjoyable to me. Additionally, the characters are all horrible? None of them are redeemable. This book was hard to get through as I wanted to fistfight all the characters, and didn't really feel any of them deserved a positive ending. I don't imagine I would read this again.

I cry out for every girl who was told to comb her hair and wash the mud from her face. To keep herself contained. To be ashamed of her voice, her hair, her flesh. To be quiet and good and nice. Girls are not nice. Girls are wild and fierce and powerful, and I will not let anyone take that away. Not ever again.

I received a copy of this in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley.

First and foremost can we talk about this cover? It is sooo gorgeous and is part of why I requested to read the book in the first place! I am such a sucker for a good book cover. there is just so much going on while at the same time not being overwhelming... it just... is 10/10!

Anyways, after the intial chapter it started to become a faster paced book which is something I need in a book. I can't handle 10 pages describing the scenery, and I think the pacing in this one, as goldilocks would say was just right. I enjoyed the light and airiness of a magical witch story, and flowed very much like a fairytale which I also adored. This story is fun, and the characters are enjoyable.

Sadly this was a DNF. I just could not get into the story at all. It’s very slow paced and I kept getting distracted by other things. I’m sure others might enjoy this, but the writing style just wasn’t for me. All opinions stated are solely my own. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the arc in return for an honest review!

2.25/5 stars! I think the premise of this story was phenomenal. That, and the beautiful cover, had me extremely excited to read this book. Unfortunately, the story didn't live up to its potential. The world-building explanation of the magic didn't feel fleshed out enough and the pacing was very slow. It just wasn't "fun" to read; it felt like work.

I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

The synopsis sounded so good! I went into this with high hopes but sadly, this did not live up to them.

Maude loves with her grandmother’s. Her mother is dead and her former best friend is missing. Magic is controlled in this world. There is one place Maude thinks she can find Odette, Sicklehurst. An abandoned power plant build over an ancient forest that nobody remembers.

Maude is a snooze fest and frankly a little creepy. Not creepy Jan fun gothic way but creepy in Joe the stalker way. She goes on and on and on about the past and it just really drags down the story. Her magic if storytelling was a bright spot and really fun.

What I didn’t like is how much this book seemed to sexualize the young girls. These are teenagers and felt a bit gross to me. Odette accuses Maude of being obsessed with her and I feel she wasn’t wrong.

There are also some trigger warnings that should be listed:
Death of a parent
Death of a child
Death of a guardian

This book was so slow, and some of the deaths really felt not necessary especially something the mother did. That was just horrible and I wish I could erase it from my mind.

The book should have focused more on the magic of storytelling because that’s when the writing was the best.

I’d like to thank NetGalley and Delacorte Press for an eARC copy of this book.

Thank you to Random House Children’s for the opportunity to read rate and review this arc which is available April 18,2023.

It’s a story of witches, magic, weaving stories and finding your friend because she’s an idiot for chasing the forbidden Magics.

It was okay. Nothing remarkable. Kind of predictable as all young adult fantasy seems to be. Maude is fierce. Odette is nonce. It’s feminist but not annoyingly so. I would recommend it to 11-13 year olds. Any older and your eyes will be well familiar with your brain and it’s wrinkles.

I really enjoyed this! It has all of the airy magical elements of a fairy tale set in a world where magic has been regulated and exploited by a corrupt and greed laced system. We follow our main character Maude as she goes on a quest to save her childhood friend, and find herself.

- It is "leisurely paced" - not so plot driven that you're diving into action every other page. There is a lot of reflection/ flashbacks and memories from the main character. The other characters are diverse and fleshed out enough to be relatable in their own way. Maude is 17 and the book is suitable for a YA audience, but I thought that the writing was really well done and this can definitely can be enjoyed by older readers as well.

-The highlight of the book for me was the world the characters exist in. I'm not sure if this world is purely fantasy or if it is meant to be a dystopian like setting. The world and 'powers that be' are interesting and unique. Magic is a regulated commodity, where the people that naturally hold it are reduced to soft magic and massive corporations have free rein to exploit it and use it to cater to the rich. We have magic auditors, detention centers for those witches who dissent, and a resistance that Maude's mother was a part of and ultimately died for.

-There is also a ton and I mean a ton of specific herbs, spell ingredients, magical lore etc. You can tell that the author has done research on the topic, and she uses a lot of terminology that might be really cool if you had an underlying understanding or interest in that sort of thing. As someone with very little knowledge of the topic, it sometimes got a little overwhelming/ repetitive as sometimes we are given lists of plants and spell ingredients with little explanation.

** Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC ***

Maude has spent her witchy childhood running wild through the woods with her best friend Odette. Her gift is storytelling, and she knows what happens to people who lose their way in the woods. So, when Odette goes missing after wanting to search for forbidden magic, Maude is positive she is the one who will save her bestie but can she face the monsters within herself and the forest?

Give me all the fairytale vibes forever! A HUNGER OF THORNS definitely has the magic of Sleeping Beauty, and Alice in Wonderland. The writing is exquisite. I always appreciate a book with strong world building that can draw you 'down the rabbit hole'. (Or in this case, into the forest)

What I loved: Twists. Any book with twists that I don't see coming or barely have time to see coming is an A+ in my book. I also love strong heroines working through themselves to help others.

What I thought could change: I did love the world building, but I think I would have liked it more if it had been a purely fantasy world. But that's me.

A HUNGER OF THORNS is out April 18, 2023 and is available for pre-order.


My thanks to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I made it 50 pages into this book and had to DNF. It was not for me.

The writing is all over the place. Instead of moving forward with the story, Maude is constantly remembering parts of her childhood or explaining her magical world. It was very confusing to transition between so many different thoughts that frequently. Plus, every little thing is described thoroughly with too many similes and metaphors.

I also was confused why Maude even wants to find her “friend,” Odette. In the flashbacks, Odette seems very toxic and had abandoned her completely years ago. Sounds like an abusive friendship to me. Not interested in the rest of this story.

I really enjoyed the uniqueness of the magical elements in the story and the darker twist on the Sleeping Beauty theme (not sure if it’s an exact retelling, but I was getting Sleeping Beauty vibes). The detailing of the world was very thorough, and I loved the LGBTQ+ representation!

Although I enjoyed the magic system, the story itself just wasn’t for me. While the magic was a unique twist on witchcraft, the actual rules around it were a bit confusing (for instance, non-magic users being able to seemingly use magic when they shouldn’t, or non-magic users receiving “gifts” that stemmed from magic). At times, the pages were bogged down by over-explanation causing me to skim through the details. The jumps between past and present were oddly placed at times and I found myself getting pulled out of the story. I was becoming increasingly frustrated by the main character, Maude. I wish she had found her voice when confronting her toxic friendship instead of falling trap to the reality she believed to be true.

Overall, it was a very interesting concept, but the story itself didn’t grip me the way I wished it did. Although it wasn’t a top read for me, if you love complex magic systems, seeing how magic might be modernized in an urban society, LGBTQ+ representation, and sweeping fairytales and quests, then this may be for you!

Thank you so much to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!

Okay so this book. This book. Well I loved this book! I loved the way the story was weaved with such beautiful descriptions. That the main character, Maude, was naturally flawed and it took time and development for her to see it and to be able to move on. The story was so well written and well layered. The characters were in Sicklehurst were beautiful and untouchable in the way any magical creature should be. And what they went through on the daily made me ache for them. I really enjoyed this book so much! It actually is the first finished book I have put into my reading journal. I have told friends to be on the lookout for it when it publishes and I plan to own a physical copy of it.!

A Hunger of Thorns was absolutely fantastical! Wilkinson wrote a story that was so well written I found myself flying through the pages, unable to put the book down, pondering what would happen next. My favorite piece of this entire story was how believable the characters were.

The writing is clear and clean, and very immersive. The book hums along at a good clip, but the pacing makes sure we're given time to breathe between plot-intensifying moments. The story was absolutely engaging and the work that went into the settings was noticeable and superb. I felt absolutely transported and I'm so incredibly glad I was able to read an arc of this story.

I received a copy of this in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley.

Let me just start by saying, I really really wanted to love this. Maude intrigued me as a character some of the time, but annoyed me at other times. I constantly felt like I was waiting for something... MORE.. to happen in the storyline. Everything just fell kind of flat? The storyline was .... basic, and slightly boring at times. There's something good there in the storyline and concept... but the author just didn't put in that final oomph to make it work. The execution was just lacking.


The cover of the book is gorgeous though!