Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for providing me this ARC for review!

When I read the summary of The Poisons We Drink, I was excited because I'm from the DMV, so what's not to love? Witches, power, potions, and politics. As it turns out, this book was not what I was expecting at all - while the overarching political plot is there, to me it was a bit overshadowed by all of the family secrets and betrayal that frequently became revealed throughout the story. It's very fast-paced in my opinion, with a new piece of drama or something going off the rails as soon as you start to get invested in a plot point - bam! We've moved on.

My favorite character ended up being Presley because they were written in such a clever way. Initially, I was a little annoyed that I couldn't categorize them in SOME way (my mind was making a movie and it was glitching, figuratively speaking) - Baptiste intentionally lacks descriptions of Presley that would reveal their "traditional" gender - but then it clicked for me. Isn't that the point? They're non-binary and there are behaviors or physical descriptions that could lean either way, leaving it up to the reader to visualize them based on their own interpretations, which I thought was pretty dope. Tyrell was also a lighthearted, fun, and valuable addition.

The original plot came back together nicely at the end of the book, but overall, I didn't connect to it as much as I would have liked because the side drama and power struggle became such a focal point. And yes, this book has profanity and violence, but I would still very much consider it YA. Older YA, but YA. Either way, it will certainly keep you on your toes and teach you a few potions.

3.5 rounded up. What I enjoyed: the VIBE. It really showed the experience of living in a racist world in a visceral way. The plot was interesting and twisty. What I didn't like: the writing style. The disjointed sentences really made this difficult to read, and I think kind of ruined the emotional impact of some of the things that happened. It read as very melodramatic rugby from the get-go, and things like a fight with her mother were treated with the same level of drama as a character being killed. I liked the diverse character set

Wow! This book was INCREDIBLE! Thank you SO MUCH SourceBook  Fire for the ARC. Usually I don't really go for urban fantasy but this story was amazing! The political intrigue was *chef's kiss*. Venus's untangling of the web around her? Her beautiful relationships with her loved ones? Incredibly written, deeply complex, and stunning. The magic system was so unique and fresh! It made sense and it felt natural! The Poisons We Drink was heartfelt, intense, and I was frantically trying to untangle the web along with Venus. I was so pleased with myself when I worked a few things out before they were revealed, it felt like completing a puzzle!  But there were other things that complete caught me off guard too so I was always guessing! The analog of our society for people of color to their society for Witchers was heart-breakingly realistic and obviously very personal for the author, which added an even more genuine layer of emotion. Also bisexual MC with a nonbinary love interest? Hell yes! This book was a 10 out of 10! Go and pre-order it RIGHT NOW!

The cover of this book was absolutely stunning and drew me in before I even read the blurb, which sounded like such a unique take on witchcraft.

I adore witchy books, especially ones which move from the traditional lore based witchcraft and move into new realms of possibilities for witchcraft creating new magic systems. This had so much potential to be a book that I loved.

Unfortunately I DNFd this book at 25% as the writing was not for me. The short, disjointed sentences interrupted the flow of the story so much that I wasn’t able to stay engaged, it was hugely frustrating to read. There was also a lot of language use that didn’t make sense to me “hoping his words would sand down hers” as an example. I’m certain this writing will be a wonderfully fresh approach for many to enjoy, but I wasn’t able to myself.

One element I enjoyed was Venus’ family and the way that they interacted with one another. It felt so realistic and made for some interesting conversations. Exploring their connections with one another and how they expressed these connections was enjoyable.

Perhaps the most disappointing element of this story was the idea of consent within the potion making and forced ingestion. I felt hugely uncomfortable that this wasn’t considered.

I found many questions popping up within this magic system, and can only assume that they would be answered if I was to continue. Things like, why is Tessa brewing potions which take such a huge toll on her, what motivation could explain the desire to continue? How does she afford super expensive third tier potion every single day just to keep her sentient magic from destroying her?

Hopefully many people enjoy this uniquely written witchy story more than I did.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the ARC, I’m sad that it wasn’t the book for me.

Woah...there was so much going on in this and it was tied together so beautifully by the MC. I do have some pacing issues with the middle but it was definitely worth it to push through.

See the link below for my honest review. It has already been posted to Good Reads. Thank you for this opportunity to read this title :)

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for a honest review.

This was an insanely good debut. The world building was intricate (but executed in just the right way so that the reader could figure out what was happening without having an info dump) and kept me intrigued (even if it did take me a few chapters to get the hang of it/the terms used). I loved Venus as a main character and really connected with the way Baptiste wrote Venus' relationship with Janus. It felt like a very real sibling relationship, which is sometimes hard to accurately portray in books. I also loved the nonbinary rep in this book! I'd be interested in seeing how the world further expands and am hoping for the chance to revisit Venus and her world with a new story in the future.

The Poisons We Drink is a very fresh and fun premise, with a fun MC, but it ended up feeling very mid to me. For how long this book is, I finished it and felt like nothing really happened. The first third or so is slow, and I struggled to maintain interest.

I knew from the first pages this book would be rough for me. The opening scene includes meeting half a dozen characters who talk about what’s going on in the world, which is one of my biggest book pet peeves. I don’t know these characters, I don’t know what they’re talking about… and the conversations feel unnatural, like they are saying things and info dumping world building details just for the reader. It would have been much better to jump right into the action, but instead we sit around talking about things, then go experience the things, then come back home and talk about it some more… that makes it very hard to feel grounded in the story. And for how much talking there is, I still didn’t fully understand the potions and magic system.

Although I didn’t particularly enjoy this, I anticipate it will find a large audience of fans. Venus is a snarky, brave, and ruthless MC who I think many readers will find themselves in. Stylistically, The Poisons We Drink is a big miss. So much literal telling (the constant dialogue) instead of showing, but this seems to be the trend more and more in contemporary fantasy. While the magic and fantasy elements of the story are lacking, the characters and character development are strong.

Born into a family of witches, each member has their own powers and abilities. But there is one Grand Witcher who wants it all and is willing to pit humans and Witcher’s’ against one another at any cost, even if it kills them all.

This is an absolute powerhouse of contemporary urban fantasy. The clear parallels to current systems and general society through magic make it immediately relatable. The book weaves great social commentary into the plot of the story. As with most fantasy, the beginning of the story is spent trying to figure out the world and orient the reader to the situation; but once it is all established, the book it a great twist.

I think this book pulls to the older side of YA, but includes a lot of really engrossing themes to support critical thinking and encourage readers to really consider the world that thy live in. There is nothing about this book that I can specifically point to that I disliked. It kept me really engaged and interested in what was going to happen next.

3 star reviews are the hardest for me to write. Did I love this book? No. Did I hate this book? No. It took a minute for me to get into it but I am glad I pushed through. it. I liked the world building but I was having trouble understanding the magic system. I just couldn't wrap my head around the rules and why Venus paid a different price. So I think between that and the pacing it took me out of it some.

4.5 stars...thank you NetGalley and publishers for this ARC. I really enjoyed this book. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars was some grammatical errors which I'm sure will be fixed by the time the book is released. I laughed, I cried, I wanted to punch some people in the face. This book was close to home, though it was California for me when all the hate came to the surface for those targeted by the right wings antics. The author had a very creative way of showing that devide but through magic and humans. This book was political, magical, thrilling and it was kinda gross in parts and funny in others. I definitely recommend this book when it comes out to my fellow SFF readers or even someone looking for something out of their normal genre.

The Poisons We Drink is a rage-filled, visceral story of revenge and grief, and already a favorite read of mine.

Our main character, Venus, is a witcher, illegally making potions to support her family, and along with complicated family dynamics, there is also danger everywhere, especially when tragedy strikes.

I loved the political and social commentary that is embedded within the story, and the journey Venus must navigate - this is an uncomfortable read at times. It should be. Because Black kids in our world don’t need to be doing anything illegal to be the victims of police brutality and a corrupt system.

Venus is rightfully filled with anger, and her desire to make things right may end up leading her down a path she didn’t quite mean to follow. The potential for controlling those in the highest seats of power is there, as is the possibility of completely derailing everything she means to set right.

Thanks to Bethany Baptiste and netgalley for allowing me to preview this book.

The Poisons We Drink takes place in modern day DC. Witchers have been known to live amongst humans. Humans naturally are very fearful of the witchers even though they’ve lived side by side for a long time and never knew.

The humans are not completely unwarranted in their fear. At anytime a Witcher who can shape shift can take on their identity and commit a crime and the human can’t prove a Witcher (much less which Witcher) did the crime. They can also consume a potion that takes away their free will and not know it happened. Obviously, not all witchers are going to go around and commit crimes like this.

On the flip side: brewing potions comes at a huge cost to the brewer. Brewing even one potion can be deadly. Witchers are also very sensitive to iron- just being near it causes them to feel very sick.

18 year old Venus is a Witcher who brews love potions. This can range from romantic love to love of an idea. She is “strongly encouraged” by the grand Witcher to brew potions to use on politicians so the new registration bill doesn’t pass.

This idea reinforces the reason for human fear BUT I also believe that the Witchers are backed into a corner and don’t have much choice if they have any hope of knowing peace. There’s a moment in the book when Venus is going to a store and she mentions that there are stores owned by humans that don’t mind having witchers shop in their store but they get so much pressure from the humans that they are forced to “iron up” which makes it impossible for witchers to enter the building. This is a good example of why the witchers feel they have to go to extreme measures.

Overall I enjoyed The Poisons We Drink. It definitely had me constantly trying to see issues from multiple viewpoints. There is a list of potential triggers at the beginning so make sure you read through them before starting the book. There are some gruesome moments throughout so I’m not sure if I would label this YA- I think since the main characters are all teenagers that where the rating came from? I would say older high school and up would be ok but again check the trigger warning first.
I received a copy via NetGalley to read and review.

This was a great story! Very twisty and juicy! I loved the overarching theme of family. Venus was an intriguing MC, i l loved that there was a lot of plot twists esp towards the end concerning the witcher advocacy roots!

"The Poisons We Drink" had an intricate plot and very compelling characters and I really loved the twists and turns that took place by the end of the story. It had me gasping and kept me up late as I finished the rest of the book. I enjoyed the parallels between witchers and the real-life equivalent of Black minorities and even the discrimination within minority communities when it comes to mental illness or queerness (or both, however, one wants to interpret it) via the metaphor of the magical deviant voice in the main character's brain. I thought it was written in a way that was easily understood by the reader. I also enjoyed the normalization of Presley (the love interest of the story) being nonbinary and everyone uses gender-neutral terms for them and there wasn't a need to explain their existence, they just exist.

The beginning of the story though is unfortunately really hard for a reader to get into as easily. It was very slow and there was a lot of exposition dump to the point that I remember none of it. Not only was the exposition dump very heavy, but there were a lot of characters being introduced all at once as well which made it so much harder to keep track of and understand information in the beginning. All the exposition and worldbuilding information that I understood came from the second half where the plot and the use of the magic system and other in-world politics. There are also excerpts of text from within the world of the story at the beginning of every chapter and I feel like that could've alleviated some exposition in story but instead, it pushed all the exposition to be very heavy for this book in general.

I would recommend this book is more suited for 20+ year olds and 18 year olds at youngest. There's a lot of scenes that involve a lot of blood that got to me even though I'm not a very sensitive person to gore in general somehow it got me mildly disgusted. Great to get me feeling since I like feeling when reading but not so great when it might affect a younger reader negatively. There's also a sex scene that lasts only a page or two and I didn't find it to be super graphic but I couldn't think of a justified reason for this scene to be in a YA specific book. If this was an adult novel, I wouldn't have taken note but for a book being advertised as YA I had to give pause. I am all about sex education and sex positivity for younger generations but I am also on the side of making space for those who may be uncomfortable due to age or being on the asexuality spectrum. If this scene still had an intimate moment between the characters and did a fade to black, I think the message of the characters' relationship development would have been fine.

I overall enjoyed this story once it actually got going and feel satisfied in the ending. If someone is curious about purchasing this title for a younger reader, take extra precautions and verify if the reader is mentally ready for the more mature parts of the story.

For years, I've been looking for a book where a witch wreaks havoc with love potions. It was a concept in my head that sounded thrilling, but I couldn't find a proper execution myself. Thanks to Bethany, I need to look no further and I finally have read the book I've been looking for!
The thing that first drew me to this book was the cover real (absolutely gorgeous) and, once I read the synopsis, it became one of my anticipated reads for 2024. I was so happy when I got approved for the ARC (thanks NetGalley!).
The Poisons We Drink is a story about love. Familial love, romantic love, love for an idea, the yearning for love and the ways love can be twisted and manipulated by someone's selfish intentions. The pain and joy that comes with loving and being loved, and the sacrifices that are made in the name of love.
It's not an easy book to read at times, it explores the harsh reality that BIPOC people in the US face everyday and is honest in its anger, but it ends on a positive, albeit bittersweet, note of hope for the possibility of change and the construction of a better future.

DNF. The storyline didn’t pull me in and there were too many characters/different magic combinations to keep up with. I couldn’t get through it.

With this, Bethany Baptiste really hit the mark! Venus Stoneheart is a witch and maker of love potions, and her story is told in a fast-paced, heavily plotted manner. In this novel, Venus deals with a wide range of challenges, including her complex romantic and familial connections, congressional persecution of witchcraft, and coping with her own sadness after a loved one passes away. She will go to any lengths to keep the people she loves safe, even while some of those measures have deadly repercussions.

The author begins with a personal note that is without a doubt the best description of this story: "I made THE POISONS WE DRINK with two cups of Practical Magic, a gallon of Black girls, a sprinkle of bad witches, and a pinch of unbreakable bonds. But when everything's all boiled down, this story is my heart."

This is the perfect read for witchy season, and an absolutely stunning representation of why fantasy & magical realism is such an intoxicating genre. More than that, it's an eye-opening, scathing window on reality.

It’s a story full of grit, growth, conflict, controversy, cultural relevance, parallels to modern-day political issues, and even internal battles between the good and evil within us, as seen in the protagonist Venus. Internal family problems, lies, telling those we love that we love them a little too late, and facing literal and figurative demons when having to grow up too fast while being different in a country that doesn’t accept you for being different.

A lot is going on in this story, and you can tell that Baptiste poured emotion and probably a lot of herself into this story. But it wasn’t for me. Getting into the story took me a while; it didn’t start as compelling as expected. It was a slow start, and when it built up momentum, I wanted to ask Venus what was happening. Because a lot is going on (I know I said that already), the magical action felt wonky, and maybe that was intentional because the characters are young and learning about themselves while learning about their magical skills; I could read where the author’s influences were coming from; they were apparent, but I wanted less of the Witcherpedia explanations and more from the characters providing the insights.

On top of the struggles and battles (literal and internal), there’s the emotional imbalance that comes with growing up and challenging adults and authority figures. If you’re interested in a new view of a magical world conflicting with political agendas while trying to prove yourself as a responsible “adult” to your family, this story is for you. If I could give it two ratings, I would give 4 stars for the story concept and 3 for execution. I was not a fan of the definitions and explanations at the start of each chapter, those could have been woven into the story.