This book tows a line well between mental health and fantasy. The very first chapter really sets the tone for the darkness that is to come through the description of Gem's dream.

Yes this book is full of angst and darkness, but the author does a great job at creating vivid imagery and making all of the messy characters feel real.

This book touches on a lot of sensitive topics so it is not for those that can't handle going into the depths and letting the emotions just happen. The willingness for the author to address all of those taboo topics like transphobia, mental health, self-harm, and gory violence gets major props from me.

This is definitely a YA book a lot of reader's will enjoy, especially those who want to get out of their comfort zone.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for providing me a copy of this ARC for my honest review.

The idea of gods from another world being reincarnated every few generations on Earth for the past thousand years and who happen to be warring with each other was interesting. The issue is all these gods present day are in the bodies of teenagers and despite living on Earth for 1000 years, and in another world for eons, they communicate like they’re teenagers. As soon as Gem got their memories I expected the fighting to feel less juvenile due to them having all this knowledge, and maybe they could sit down and actually have a conversation instead of endless fighting. Sadly I should've known better since all we see of Willa Mae/Rory, they have all their memories but every time Gem shows emotion or does something they don’t prefer they sigh like their parents are taking away their iPad for sneaking out (and let me tell you that got annoying real fast). Despite all my hopes, this book felt mediocre when it wasn’t annoying.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this eARC.

Godly Heathens follows highschooler Gem who has been having mysterious dreams, which culminate in the real life discovery that they are, in fact, a reincarnated god.

I loved the worldbuilding in this book, and the way Gem's dreams, what was going on with the gods in the past, and the modern day bits were woven together and leaned on each other. Though there were parts of the story structure that I thought could have been executed better, I did think that overall the story was incredibly fresh and interesting.

In all, though this was a bit of a darker YA contemporary fantasy, I think this will be a hit with a wide swath of readers, and I am so so excited to pick up the next book.

I was really drawn to this book because I found the premise so interesting. While the beginning was promising, it fell flat for me. This isn't a bad book at all, but I found it disappointing. At first, I found the character of Gem interested and I liked them as a protagonist. Unfortunately, as the book went on, I liked them as a characters less. I also struggled with the other characters and the relationships they had with Gem. None of them felt well developed so I had a hard time finding the character's decisions believable. While I liked the ideas presented in the book in theory, in practice, it didn't work as well as I'd hoped. One of the biggest examples of this is found about 2/3 into the book when multiple characters who haven't been introduced yet are shown to the reader via a text. I didn't enjoy how so many of the characters were introduced really far into the story, making the stakes and pacing always feel off. Overall, the premise of this book was really interesting, but the actual plot and characters fell flat for me.

Firstly, I love it when I manage to find a fantasy romance with queer rep, and this book provides that tenfold. The majority (maybe even all) of the Gods are queer, and they’re running around plotting and scheming and falling in love, and it's everything I love in a YA romance.

This story also deals with some incredibly difficult subject matter around topics of mental health, self-harm, and the queer experience - and handles it with such vulnerability and care.

The read was paced well and I felt thoroughly entertained the entire way through - I read it in less than 24 hours

There wasn’t much I can objectively dislike about this book, it was fast paced, the characters were engaging, and the storyline felt unique and fresh. The only thing I will say is that this definitely lends to a YA audience - which is great because it's YA lol - but the writing style/narrative was very clearly catering to that younger audience so at times it may feel juvenile or distracting to an older audience.

A massive thank you to St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books and NetGally for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I requested "Godly Heathens" by H.E Edgmon from NetGalley mainly due to the description that it followed a Seminole teen that was nonbinary and secretly a reincarnated God. As excited as I initially was, that excitement quickly died, and it has taken me over a month to read and review this book.

I was initially excited to see Indigenous representation in text since there are not many YA books for my students that have this... but this fell really, really short... if it wasn't for the blurb about them being Seminole I would never have gotten that from the text. It felt like this was going for more of a edgy shock factor... Gem just read as the kid who's only focus is sex... and how attractive people are. Also, I get that people that are struggling with self image, abuse, and identity sometimes over compensate by becoming overly sexual... but this didn't read as fully realistic. Also, as someone who struggles with mental health issues - I didn't see that truly represented in here either, outside of 'something is wrong with me' and 'taking medication' - it should be more clear what they were struggling with.

About 75% of the book read as a fanfiction that revolved around texting, complaining, and how commentary on how attractive people are. Maybe 25% of the book focused on flashbacks to their past identity, and the showdown at the end of the book. The last part of the book was the only part I actually enjoyed.

I don't think this is something I would recommend.
2/5 (for the ending)

DNF @ 20%

this book is just not for me. I appreciate the idea and the characters, but the pacing is too slow and I was struggling to latch on to the story in a way that made me want to keep reading.

the writing is well done and I think it will connect with an audience, but unfortunately I am not that audience.

thank you to netgalley and Wednesday books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

THIS WAS SO GOOD.

I'm not surprised at all by how much I loved this because I loved this author's debut duology. This book has a similar level of realistically enchanting and mysterious characters and elements. It is absolutely wild and will keep you on the edge of your seat. I need the sequel immediately. I will be unwell until I have it.

Thank you Netgalley and Wednesday Books for this ARC!

- I really struggled with how to rate this one! It’s an incredible concept, and I love how Edgmon writes these detailed, raw queer characters. At the same, the pacing felt off and the worldbuilding was simultaneously a lot and not enough.
- I thought having gods reincarnated as teenagers is so interesting, but I struggled with how at some points Gem's mom and their school were such huge parts of their motivations while at other times they go unmentioned for large parts of the plot.
- I love having the book be set in the middle of nowhere in the south, and I think the idea of feral God teens running around wreaking havoc in a swamp in Georgia is such a fantastic backdrop.
- This book had something that also frustrated me with Edgmon's first book, and that is how powerless the main character is. So much of the book feels like Gem is just experiencing the plot instead of actively participating in it, and that was more frustrating in this one where they are supposed to be the most powerful god.

So, I'm standing there, trapped in one of my favorite nightmares, discussing gender euphoria with the demon who lives rent-free in my head.
"None of them know what to think when they look at me. They can't decide if I'm their god or their monster."
Well, maybe not everyone's idea of gender euphoria, but certainly mine. Boy? Girl? Unspeakable horror.

alright besties, real quick "will I like this book?" quiz. if you;
A. liked Edgmon's The Witch King (specifically the mc Wyatt), give this book a shot. the mcs are basically the same person, except imo Gem is significantly worse
B. did not like Edgmon's The Witch King (especially Wyatt), skip this book. like I said above; the mcs are kind of hilariously alike
C. have never read Edgmon before but in general like (really, really) shitty mcs, check this book out
D. have never read Edgmon before but typically need an mc you can root for, do not read this book lmao
E. got recommended this book so you could read something with a complicated & queer mc; eh, you might like this book? but honestly I'd refer you to Andrew Joseph White instead, esp Hell Followed With Us


I unfortunately did not clock why the author's name was so familiar until I'd already requested the book. I had a very difficult time with The Witch King; amazing premise, really interesting world-building, but I absolutely despised Wyatt. I'm the kind of reader that needs an mc to cheer on, and this doesn't even necessarily mean they have to be a good guy !!! but they do have to be someone that I can at least kinda like, and Wyatt and Gem both fall very short.

if this book hadn't been an arc I probably would've DNFed it like 30 pages in. that being said, it still took me 21 days to read, and that is abysmally bad for how short it is and the rate at which I usually read.

I've decided to include a tldr under the spoiler bar below, for anybody who is really curious to know the twists but is struggling with getting through the book. it would probably also serve as a helpful reminder for anyone sitting down to read the second book and needing a refresher on how this one ends lol.

here there be spoilers !!! turn back now if there's any hesitation in your heart. there will be no further warnings.


SPOILERS BELOW HERE
okay, there's kind of a lot of gods and everybody has a bunch of names, so let's just start with a brief who's who of the pantheon.

the gods ;;
the Sun, the Moon, the Inferno, the Caretaker - all start out dead, way back in the Ether
the Hammer - Zeke King, dead, killed by the Shade (like at the 70% mark maybe?)
the Evergod - Buck Wheeler, alive
the Magician - Gem Echols, alive 😒
the Shade - Enzo Truly, alive
the Mountain - Aurora “Ruby” (Willa Mae) Hardy, alive
the Muse - Indigo “Indy” Ramirez, alive
the Librarian - Rhett Clancy, uhhh presumably alive (but 2 inches from death lol)
the Reaper - Poppy White, dead ?? (on very last page lol)
the Lionheart - Marian Colquitt, alive ??? but since Poppy gets her head blown off I just can't imagine she's chill
the Siren - Murphy Foster, alive
the Stillness - name unknown, dead, killed by the Mountain for some stupid ass reason back in like the 1800s
the Cyclone - Zephyr Beauregard, dead, killed by Gem on the very last page (thank u Gem for singlehandedly ruining this stupid fucking balance you've been blabbing on about for 300 pages)
the Heartkeeper - name unknown, still back in the Ether (mayBE, tbh I think Gem's uncle was at least a manifestation of them bc similar forgettability)

the tldr ;;
Gem is the current living manifestation of a god known as the Magician. way back when, in their original world (called the Ether), the Magician sided with a shithead god called the Shade and killed a whole bunch of people (specifically the Sun, the Moon, the Inferno, and the Caretaker) for retribution. this was somehow related to uh ,,,, balance? because the Shade was treated unfairly for reasons that are never told to us, and then the best resolution the Magician could come up with was murdering a bunch of gods and giving their powers to the Shade. but like, whatever.
the Magician belatedly realizes that their plan is stupid, and now the Shade is extra super-powered and the balance is mega outta whack. the Mountain, their kinda on-again, off-again soulmate, comes to them to beg them to stop this. the Magician decides to yoink everybody to our world, a la boring contemporary America.
the Shade stays behind. the Magician brings along (w/o asking literally anybody for their consent btw) the Mountain, the Hammer, the Evergod, the Muse, the Librarian, the Reaper, the Lionheart, the Siren, the Stillness, and the Cyclone. (but KatieLee, I can hear you say, it says Enzo is the Shade! yes, bless your hearts, Gem's long-distance bestie slash true love is in fact the Shade, because after the Magician pulled the wool over everybody's eyes and made them go to the real world they left behind a one-way door for the Shade. I guess just in case he decided he missed the Magician enough to go after them, idek.)
and why exactly does the Magician make the pantheon come with them to the real world? well definitely not for any compassionate or empathetic reasons; the Magician is worried that if not enough gods come over, there won't be an acceptable power base. so after our dude here has slaughtered some gods (btw, the Sun and the Moon were twins so rip, but the Inferno was the Siren's husband, and the Siren is the Mountain's sister, so riddle me that one. and even worse !!! the Caretaker, the literal god of life, is the Reaper's twin, and they died brutally. so, not sure why Gem ever expected anybody to like them again, but gotdamn they sure as shit were surprised when folks hated them.)
blah blah blah bunch of shit here. gods start waking up, the Shade resurfaces as Enzo, there's a brewing polya romance, whatever. Gem, the Mountain, the Shade, the Reaper, and the Lionheart all agree to tentatively work together to kill the Cyclone, bc homie is the worst and needs to be put down. they discuss who gets to kill him, bc whoever kills a god inherits their power. this was the turning point of the book; I was actually briefly emotionally involved and really excited to see everybody come together.
then surprise !!! the Muse and the Evergod work together to make time stop and tell Gem oh no, something horrible is about to happen. you need to change what happens here. Gem decides okay, they can do that, but then they find out that the Lionheart apparently uh ,,, hired a sniper? or brought somebody? who tf knows. anyway, they are currently aiming at where Gem was standing, and the Lionheart sent a text that says "Now". because Gem has the emotional maturity of a frustrated toddler, they say some dumb shit like "if everybody expects me to be the villain, then why would I do anything else?" and then swaps positions with the Reaper so when time restarts she's the one who gets shot in the head and Gem is the one stabbing and killing the Cyclone (and consequently taking his powers).
now this whole book has been about the Magician boo-hooing over ✨ balance ✨, like everything they've done previously has been to try and restore balance and blah blah whatever. this is where Edgmon lost me for all future projects, as I doubt I'll ever willingly pick up one of their books again. like isn't the fun part of people expecting dumb shit from you breaking their expectations??? anyway, Gem has now singlehandedly thrown the world's balance off whack (again, may I remind you) and that's how the book ends. you're welcome for sparing you from reading that yourself lmfao.


final thoughts; Gem is genuinely funny, though the number of times they shoot themselves in the foot got frustrating fast lol. still, dialogue was often worth a laugh, especially when they were talking. and the premise is so interesting! if Gem had been even vaguely more likeable I would have enjoyed this book so much more. unfortunately, that is not what happened, and I'm walking away satisfied with my 2 star rating.
ENZO: You mean to tell me you intend to spend time with a Gracie resident in full dress? Not a single asscheek out?
GEM: i mean, i have no control over whether or not she decides to she show me her asscheeks. but that's not, idk, my PLAN.

queer rep - polya pansexual demiromantic nonbinary transmasc mc, trans queer love interest, trans (she/they) queer love interest, side trans characters, side sapphic characters
thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the arc ✨

Edgmon folds spectacular plot, compelling and hilariously snarky characters, and fantastic worldbuilding into an amazing book. Definitely a favorite of the year!

Thank You to @wednesdaybooks , @netgalley , and @stmartinspress for this Arc! I've been holding onto this one almost the whole year and finally got the chance to sit down and read it.

For those who don't know Godly Heathens comes out on November 28th which is in two days!!
…

This month has been a quick one for me but the last couple of days I've been eating up books. Today I finished Godly Heathens by H.E. Edgmon and while it took me a bit to get into it this year I am glad to be done.

If you are into Gods, reincarnation, and drama then this is the one for you. Gem Echols is a non-binary teen living in Gracie, Georgia which is a small town in the middle of nowhere. Gems a player through and through but is dealing not just with anxiety but with vivid dreams of Gods doing the unthinkable.

Then one day Gem is bombarded by Willa Mae who freely gives out information that to a normal person would only be in fairytales. There's instant attraction to Willa but what about Enzo who's all the way in Brooklyn? Also the God of Death is on Gems tail.
…

Honesty is my policy…always. I finished tonight and it was overall a good time because of the world building and I love anything that has to do with Gods and Goddesses. Also the ending definitely has me wondering how things are going to play out for Gem. 👀

Though, some things were not my cup of tea per se. It felt more like a drama in some ways and it may be because of how much dialogue there is. I also struggled with the relationship dynamics a little bit. I would still recommend though for those who like mythology and Gods just as much as me.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for sending me a copy of this book! All opinions are my own!

This book had so much potential, but it felt like it was so far from what I had expected that I had to mentally swerve and never truly caught back up with the actual plan. It might have been the discordance between the cover and the story, or something else entirely, but I had notions going in that just were not lived up to.

I think my biggest issue with the book was how predictable it was. Literally every big plot twist was something that I saw coming from a mile away. Which can be fun sometimes, but not with every single plot point in the book. My other issue was how much I disliked the characters. Gem was constantly annoying me, and maybe it was meant to be more of a morally grey hero type, but that was not well executed. I couldn't connect with anyone because I was just constantly annoyed by all of them.

The best part of the book is by far the representation. It's an extremely diverse book, and I loved "there are no cis gods." It does a great job of touching on homophobia/transphobia and weaving that into the character arcs. Not to mention the polyamorous rep and how this is the first big fantasy book I've actually seen that in!

This book might be much better for other people, but it just was not for me.

Godly Heathens is dark and violent, yet the characters feel very YA.

The book got off to a slow start introducing the world and characters, and the magic/main plot wasn’t introduced until later on as it’s very much a ‘learn with the character’ book. There were some interesting twists and turns, and it definitely picked up the pace in the second half.

I personally found the characters to be quite young - they were very teenage dramatic which makes sense for a YA book - and this felt realistic for some of them, but for others who remembered their past lives/hundreds of years of being alive, it didn’t necessarily make sense to me.

Overall, I think Godly Heathens was an interesting concept and would be well suited to teenagers looking for a darker/more horror twist on their fantasy.

WHERE IS BOOK 2???? Trans and indigenous story omg yes! I loved the first duology from this author and this one is starting off just as good! Please add this to your tbr!

1.5 rounded down. 🙈 This sort of had its moments, but overall was a mismatch for me. I hate love triangles. I LOVE why choose. But this was a combo of both in the worst way that had me extremely frustrated for basically the entire read. I get it. Reincarnated gods. Gods can scheme, they backstab, they kiss and make up and then some. But I struggled with the MC when they were unintentionally hurting both of the people they cared about because they just Loved Them Both So Much they couldn't help themselves. 🥲 It truly does just feel like we're watching someone have two relationships, which is what we get for the LONGEST time. Both of the love interests also rarely talk to each other, are justifyingly + clearly hurt that the MC is interested in someone else without actually communicating to them what's happening and why the attraction is there.

On top of that, it didn't help that I honestly liked Willa Mae and Enzo WAY more than Gem, but we only have Gem's POV. 🤣I know that part of that is intentional in Gem's character development and hey, I can understand that Gem does have his appeal. I also do like Gem's relationship dynamics with Willa Mae and Enzo respectively, and I get there's a push and pull and everything. BUT the miscommunication Gem had with both of them was very blergh. Even when there were conversations, some of it just was tough to reconcile with the Gem's logic or explanations for me. They're lucky that they have two lovers who absolutely love them NO MATTER WHAT. 😂

The worldbuilding was so-so, but overall, I've had more fun with the concepts presented here in different books that felt like they had more depth as well. While certain things were explained, I do sort of wish we got more show than tell. The buildup with everything pulled me in a little bit, but then lost me every now and then. With all that said, I would probably give Edgmon a chance with another book, but I'm not interested in the sequel.

HIGHLIGHTS
~heartbreakingly human gods
~past lives biting you in the ass
~wanting to live doesn’t make you a villain
~come for the god of magic and you better not miss
~‘burn the world down for you’ polyamory

Suggested theme song: GODS ft NewJeans by League of Legends

No shade (ahem), but in hindsight, now that I’ve read Godly Heathens, Edgmon’s first duology – the Witch King books – feel like the literary equivalent of dipping a toe into the publishing waters to check the temperature. Was the world ready for their weirdness?

Oh? It was?

Well then – TIME TO UNLEASH THE REAL GOODS. Because Godly Heathens is a hands-off-the-wheel, no-holds-barred, without-a-parachute plunge into unmitigated and unapologetic feral queer weirdness – one with teeth.

<“There are no cis gods,” they scoff.>

Gem is stunning; Gem is magnetically mysterious; Gem is a sex deity magnanimously bestowing their favours upon anyone brave enough to ask. But behind the carefully crafted facade, Gem is Not Okay; desperate to be loved, anxious, locked in bitter standoff with a mother who seems determined to see the worst in everything Gem does and is, swallowing down meds for depression, and terrified of inheriting their dad’s schizophrenia. That last one is a little too on the table, as Gem has been consumed by strange, intense, too-tangible dreams and visions for as long as they can remember. Dreams they have no intention of sharing with anyone – especially Enzo, the best friend they’re helplessly in love with, for all that he lives far off in New York and all their communiques must, by necessity, be digital.

For now. Because Gem is going to graduate and get the hell out of their tiny Southern town, and when they do, they’re heading straight for Enzo. (Though there’ll be nothing straight about it, hopefully!)

It’s a plan they treasure. One that shatters like glass in their hands when they discover that they’re a reincarnated god from another world; this life is just the latest of hundreds they’ve lived out on Earth. And the rest of their pantheon? They’re here too, and with a few exceptions, they want Gem annihilated.

And Gem might even deserve it.

<maybe a happy ending was never possible for me. Maybe some people don’t deserve one, and maybe I’m one of them.

If that’s the case, I’m still gonna fight like hell to get as close as I can.>

Godly Heathens is a mind-fuck to explain: the worldbuilding and set-up are easy to understand and absorb quickly – there’s nothing especially complicated about the gods Edgmon’s created, nor the world they originally came from, nor their conflict with Gem. Even Gem’s powers, while thrilling, aren’t hard to wrap your head around. There’s a Quest Object that needs to be found, a magic knife that’s the only thing that can kill a god for good – okay, sure! I’ve got it. It’s exciting, but not hard to follow. Even the writing is direct and unornamented – to be honest, it’s much plainer than I usually prefer my prose.

But the thing is, nothing about this book is simple at all. It just looks that way at first, briefly – like a child’s scribbled sketch, all easy lines and primary colours. But page by page Edgmon turns that sketch into something else; adding detail, more colour, shading, depth, background, foreground, layer after layer of paint that slowly but completely transforms the simplistic little picture we thought we were looking at.

And what you have at the end? Is a gods’-damned masterpiece that, to continue the metaphor, should be hanging in the freaking Louvre.

<The bogeyman has come to call, and with him comes proof that I crawled willingly beneath the bed.>

Take, for example, the idea of gods in human bodies. Edgmon could easily have just… left it at that, but instead Godly Heathens really digs into what that means, what the implications of it are, what questions arise when you have gods in human forms. What value, if any, do their human identities have against their godly memories and past incarnations? Are they a part of our world, now they’ve lived so many lives here, or do they still belong to their world of origin? How do their aspects and powers change over time, as the world changes, as what-they’re-gods-of changes? And Gem: do they really bear responsibility for the sins of their past self? Are they a different person now, or the same one? Is it fair, is it right, to punish them for things another version of them did? Is it on them to fix those things, or not – and if not, then who is it on?

<“We are not just gods walking around steering human bodies. We are also humans housing the souls of gods.>

Even the less-dived-into parts of the worldbuilding are fascinating, like the relationships between the different gods – Life and Death being sisters; Death and War being girlfriends – and the divisions Edgmon chose to make in creating the pantheon – for example, rather than having one god of nature, Life, Land, Water and Weather are all separate gods, and I wish I could ask Edgmon why, because I would love to hear the thought process that went into that!

<the whole world could put their hands on you, and it wouldn’t make you any less mine–I’ve left you stained deeper than they could dream of>

And all the ways that Edgmon fucks with the usual tropes, with The Way Things Always Go, is just *chef’s kiss* Nothing here is tidy, nothing here follows the expected patterns, absolutely fucking nothing here hews to convention and thank fuck for that, because my gods, I needed this book. I needed Gem. I needed a story that says ‘discovering you’re the Chosen One/a superhero/a literal honest-to-god god does not explain away, or fix, all the ways in which you’re Not Okay.’ And I wanted this book, this story; I wanted the sharp edges, and the monstrous love, the fucked-up MC who will fuck you up worse if you touch the people they love…but is still fragile and desperate to be loved, themselves, underneath the badassery.

<“If they kill him, no one will be safe from what I do next.”>

What I’m saying is, Godly Heathens has the vibes and aesthetic and wildly beating heart of someThing I’ve been hungry for, starving for, for a very long time; someThing I suspect there’s no English word for, but that Edgmon clearly knew we needed. I am grateful; I am ecstatic; I am both sated and deliriously ravenous for more, and not just because of that ending.

(Thank the gods we don’t have long to wait for the sequel!)

<I’m gonna fix this. I’m gonna make this right. Because I deserve everything I want.

And even if I don’t, I don’t care.>

What about the plot, you say? Don’t die. That’s – I think that sums it up okay. There are enemies coming at Gem and their allies from every direction – including their own pasts and human families – and the main, major goal is to survive, to defend, to fight back, to find what they need to do that (like the knife). That means finding each other, (re)discovering and mastering their powers, trying to keep their human lives from falling apart as they go to war against their fellow gods – you do not need to worry about their not being enough story, enough action, to more than balance out the under-the-surface complexity of emotions, introspection, self-discovery.

And of course, there’s the Mountain-moving, breathtakingly intense, delicious-and-wondrous love story that spans aeons and eternities, that poor Gem somehow has to wrestle into something humans can hold.

<If human minds are not meant to hold the burden of our memories, how is my human heart expected to carry the weight of the eternal devotion with which I’ve loved these two?>

Oh – did I not mention the polyamory??? Gem’s two love interests, and the relationship they start to build together, is everything I could ever have asked for, and I would really like to write a freaking THESIS on it, but I cannot because SPOILERS! Gods damn it.

<“I am the god who has ruled alongside you since the dawn of another time. And I have known and loved you in your every flawed iteration. Every name you have gone by, every face you have worn, I have been at your side. My soul knows yours, and yours knows mine, and if I have to wait a little while for you to remember, that’s fine. I’m gonna keep saving your ass in the meantime.”>

Look, just – come scream in my comments about your Feels when you’re done reading this book, okay? I’LL BE WAITING MOST EAGERLY.

(THE SCENE WITH THE SNAKE. You’ll know it when you get to it – and I defy you not to cry at the snake on the book’s cover afterwards. WHO PUT THAT THERE, AND HOW DARE THEY?)

<On the one hand: I think kissing her might be life-affirming. On the other hand: everything else.>

There’s no denying that Godly Heathens is a book that goes hard and pulls no punches – but it also manages to be hysterically funny, in very queer ways–

<He’d disappear if he weren’t built like a tank. (Though, I notice homosexually, he is smaller than Willa Mae.)>

very real live teens ways–

<“Do you have clothes here I can sleep in?”

My first instinct is to say Clothes? Why would you need clothes? because I am terrible and horny–not related to each other, just equally true.>

And some that just make you cackle–

<Are you trying to get me to embrace my magic by reminding me young Republicans exist and I could hex them?”>

Godly Heathens is a book with no easy answers; one that does not talk down to its YA audience, and will crack open the heart of any adult who dares to pick it up. It’s raw and vital and absolutely feral, slicing through so many layers of but we don’t talk about that; revelling in the kind of savage emotion we’re not supposed to feel, let alone acknowledge out loud; gripping you by the back of the head and forcing you to take a good hard look at how fucked-up and chaotic and messy reality is, even before gods get involved. It’s about love untamed and unleashed and unstoppable, about fairness versus justice, about how the nice pretty ideals we tend to hold up in Fantasy, particularly, aren’t so neat and easy to apply in the real world.

In that way, this is so much a story for those – teens and otherwise – who feel (who are) let down by the genre; those of us who stand on the outside looking in; those of us who’ve always felt more in common with the monsters than the heroes; those of us who are messes, damaged, not-nice.

This is a book for us.

<For anyone worried you might be the villain in your own story.

Maybe you are.
I think you deserve a happy ending, anyway.>

Godly Heathens is a book that injects itself straight into your veins and hits you like lightning, cracks your ribs open and rips your heart out–and do not expect to get it back. This is not a book you will forget, or that you get to walk away from whole; this is a book that will leave you with scars…but scars you’ll treasure.

And seriously – when you start crying about the snake on the cover, hit me up.

Godly Heathens incarnates next week – and missing it would be a sin. Preorder it, beg your library for it, get your local indie to order it in – I don’t care how, but you have to read this one.

Gem Echols is a nonbinary Seminole teen living in the rural town of Gracie, Georgia. They are known for being their peers' queer awakening. Gem would rather be wanted than forgotten. The only person who knows who Gem really is, is Enzo, another trans kid who lives many miles away in Brooklyn.

However, even Enzo doesn't know about Gem's dreams, haunting visions of magic and violence that have felt way too real and close to home for Gem. So how does the strange new girl to Gracie, Willa Mae Hardy know? She acts like she and Gem are old companions and seems to know things about them that they have never told anyone else before.

When Gem is attacked by a stranger claiming to be the Goddess of Death, Willa Mae saves their life and finally offers some answers. She and Gem are reincarnated gods who've known and loved each other across lifetimes. But Gem learns that they have not always been a benevolent deity. They have made a lot of enemies in the pantheon - enemies who, like the Goddess of Death, will keep coming and trying to kill them. Everyone has something to hide when the past comes crashing into the present.

So I think I want to rate this 3.75 stars because I would get into the book but then it would kind of stale out in certain parts and I would get annoyed with Gem. I think that it was a good story line and I would get caught up in the drama of it but maybe I just was not such a fan of the character of Gem. They just seemed very selfish and melodramatic and I would get annoyed with them. There were some really good parts and plot twists within this story that I really enjoyed and I do feel invested enough that I have to know what is going to happen in the next book!

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I am deeply grateful to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with the opportunity to read Godly Heathens. This novel was an absolute rollercoaster. I found myself loving and hating every moment of my read. I personally struggled with the pacing and world building. There was a lot happening but also felt like nothing happening at all. I also felt the constant name changes made it difficult at the beginning. What I did love were the complicated relationships. Nothing was perfect, it was refreshing. And of course, I loved the queer representation. It fit perfectly in the book and made a lot of sense within the storyline. Overall, I think I enjoyed my read. I don’t know if I will recommend it to others, but maybe the right person.

Gem Echols is a nonbinary Seminole teen living in a tiny town in Georgia who uses charm to disguise their deep anxiety and sense of not belonging. In their dreams, Gem Echols is also the reincarnation of an ageless deity who has committed unforgivable sins. When other reincarnated gods start popping up around town, Gem’s two worlds collide.

To quote Rebecca’s Roanhorse’s stellar review because she said it best:

? I do think that if I had read this as a teen, it would have become my favorite book hands down, the kind that changes your reading life, and maybe your larger life because you finally feel seen. The kind you force into your friends' hands and shout, 'Read this now!'. The kind where you fall in love with every character who is messy and sexy and terrible in their own way. But, alas, I am an old, so my enthusiasm is a bit dampened. That's not to say I didn't very much enjoy the book. The world-building is fun and creative, the twists are generally satisfying, and it is super queer in the best way. I have a few quibbles about length and structure and story logic, but I don't think they'll matter that much to the average teen reader who will find plenty to love."

So yes, SO much to love. This has some of the most engrossing first chapters I’ve read in recent memory– dark, compelling, sexy, and brilliant. Interesting world building. But as Roanhorse points out, there are some issues with pacing and structure. Gem experiences a big change in the book, which I won’t spoil, and I would have expected a MUCH bigger impact. The ending felt messy and unsatisfying, but again, I think gobs of people will LOVE this.

Great for fans of Andrew Joseph White’s Hell Followed with Us and F.T. Lukens’ Spell Bound.