This was a book that I couldn’t put down. Loved the magic system and the commentary on government. Amazingly done!

I am thoroughly impressed that "The Poisons We Drink" is a debut novel! Bethany Baptiste wrote a compelling story with an interesting magic system while also incorporating what it's like to be a black woman in modern-day society and the racism that one may deal with. I loved the characters in this book and the lore surrounding the magic. This book had a fresh take on "witchery," and I just overall really enjoyed this story.

The cover of this book drew me in immediately! The magic system in the plot is extremely unique and overall has features relevant to societal issues that many teens will find relatable. I absolutely added this title to our cart for the library teen department and am excited to share it with patrons. I did feel like the plot had quite a few holes and found myself confused a few times while reading.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the e-arc!
Let me tell you, this book lives up to every expectation I had! In this book, we follow Venus, who brews illegal love potions in order to support her family. Brewing potions is dangerous, and getting caught means death, but when Venus's mother is killed, Venus is willing to do anything to protect her little sister. She is offered a chance to take revenge on her mother's killer, but at the cost of brewing a potion that enslaves very influential politicians. This promise blew me out of the water with how unique it is and how intriguing the plot line sounds.
The world-building in this book was excellent! The magic and the potions or so unique and complex. I love the use of potions in fantasy, and this book untitled them perfectly! The intrigue and the overall plot weren't too confusing but still extremely engaging.

The poisons we drink is a fantastic tale of humans vs witchers that’s filled with poisons and potions and magic. It’s also a story that tackles some big issues including racism, injustice, and oppression. The characters were wonderfully endearing, particularly Venus and the lengths she would go to to protect those she loves. I loved the modern day D.C. setting, it was super neat to see a place I’m familiar with filled with magic. I adored this one so much and will definitely pick anything else I find by this author. 4 stars.

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: The Poisons We Drink

Author: Bethany Baptiste

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 5/5

Diversity: Black American Sapphic MC, Black American characters, Indian American character, Sapphic character, Non-Binary character

Recommended For...: young adult readers, urban fantasy, fantasy, witches, queer, contemporary

Publication Date: April 30, 2024

Genre: YA Urban Fantasy

Age Relevance: 16+ (police brutality, violence, racism, gun violence, parental death, child death, PTSD, anxiety, depression, self-harm, gore, drugs, underage drinking, language, grief)

Explanation of Above: There are scenes and mentions of police brutality, gun violence, and violence in general. There is one on-page death of a parent and mentions of death of a child. There are moments of PTSD, anxiety, depression, grief, and forms of self-harm. There is some blood and vomit gore. There are mentions of drugs and underage drinking. There is some strong language. There are also scenes and mentions of racism and racist acts.

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Pages: 480

Synopsis: Love potions is a dangerous business. Brewing has painful, debilitating side effects, and getting caught means death or a prison sentence. But what Venus is most afraid of is the dark, sentient magic within her. Then an enemy's iron bullet kills her mother, Venus’s life implodes. Keeping her reckless little sister Janus safe is now her responsibility. When the powerful Grand Witcher, the ruthless head of her coven, offers Venus the chance to punish her mother's killer, she has to pay a steep price for revenge. The cost? Brew poisonous potions to enslave D.C.'s most influential politicians. As Venus crawls deeper into the corrupt underbelly of her city, the line between magic and power blurs, and it's hard to tell who to trust…Herself included.

Review: Oh. My. God. This book was EVERYTHING. I absolutely devoured this read and I can’t wait to re-read it. The book was captivating, the story was just so addicting, and I loved everything about this book. I loved the main characters. I love the mix of witchcraft and the LORE. I usually do not do well with urban fantasy style books because I’m more of a “magic fits better in my mind with medieval style settings” but omg this has made me reevaluate my stance cause this was THAT GOOD. I felt like the background was well set up, the worldbuilding was great, the characters were well developed, and just EVERYTHING. I LOVE THIS BOOK. Like I don’t know how else to say that? Uhh… READ THIS BOOK.

The only thing I would say was a slight ding was some of the pacing here and there was a bit off in places, but other than that I NEED MORE.

Verdict: I loved it. I need more =). Highly recommend.

Gorgeously written, magical, and truly moving. A YA novel that digs deep into family trauma, modern day poisons, and what it means to step into your power.

The Poisons we Drink has a captivating premise and a multifaceted and intriguing main character. This world where witches and politics intertwine is dangerous and hard to navigate for those who wish to be active players. I found the ending to be a little drawn out and felt the story could have been a little shorter. But I also enjoyed uncovering the secrets of Venus’s world with her.

The Poisons We Drink by Bethany Baptiste gave me the vibes THUG would have if it had magic in it. The word building was deeply rooted into the political climate that perpetuates the worse realities of racism in America, and I think that's what made this book powerful. The characters had personal stakes and political stakes that elevated the plot even more. I really enjoyed it, and I hope there is a sequel.
Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange of an honest review.

Usually, I am not the type of girl that likes to read books about magic, practical or not, but this was such a good book that I didn't even mind that it was stepping out of my usual comfort zone for books.

The Poisons We Drink by Bethany Baptiste is a captivating young adult novel that immerses readers in a world divided between humans and witchers, where magic, power, and betrayal intertwine in a dangerous game of survival.

At the heart of the story is Venus Stoneheart, a talented brewer who navigates the treacherous underworld of illegal love potions to support her family. As Venus grapples with her inner turmoil and the dark magic within her, her world is shattered when an enemy's iron bullet kills her mother. Suddenly thrust into a position of responsibility for her reckless sister Janus, Venus faces difficult choices and dangerous alliances.

Bethany Baptiste's storytelling is gripping and immersive, drawing readers into a richly imagined world where moral ambiguity and political intrigue reign supreme. Through Venus's eyes, readers are taken on a journey of self-discovery and redemption as she navigates the complex web of power dynamics and personal demons.

The character development in The Poisons We Drink is masterfully done, with each character exhibiting depth, complexity, and flaws that make them feel authentically human. From Venus's struggle with her magic to the ruthless machinations of the Grand Witcher, every character adds depth and nuance to the narrative, keeping readers engaged and invested in their fates.

What sets this novel apart is its exploration of themes such as power, revenge, and the consequences of our actions. As Venus delves deeper into the corrupt underbelly of her city, she must confront the blurred lines between right and wrong and grapple with the weight of her choices.

Overall, The Poisons We Drink is a compelling and thought-provoking read that will leave readers on the edge of their seats until the end. With its dynamic characters, immersive world-building, and suspenseful plot twists, this novel will undoubtedly captivate fantasy and political intrigue fans. Bethany Baptiste has crafted a spellbinding tale that lingers in the mind long after turning the final page.

I think this is a great YA fantasy to get into because it’s a bit more simple so you won’t get too lost. The cover is so stunning that you immediately want to read it and the themes of magic and loss are well done as well.

I tried multiple times, but I couldn't get into this one. I might try the audiobook route to see if the characters are more entertaining through narration. But I found them flat, and with so many of them, it was just tedious to read.

I was initially really excited to read The Poisons We Drink because it seemed like a fairly unique and timely addition the magical genre. Unfortunately it fell short of my expectations and that was primarily because of the magic system.

I will say that I liked the characters, though "like" is a strong word. The main character, Venus, is definitely an unlikable character but I do understand where she's coming from given the way her life is portrayed in the book. The same with her sister and her mother and most of the rest of the characters. They all have more than their fair share of struggles and you can see why they'd act and react the way that they do. And having such a cast of flawed characters would have been fine and less of a deterrent if, as I mentioned before, the magic system was explained better.

At first I liked how there were different types of magic presented. But the whole concept of how the poisoners and potions worked did not make sense at all to me. There weren't enough details as to why certain types of magic required more than others and why certain helpful magical items weren't used more often. (Exactly what goes into the enchanted protective ring that Venus was given and why wasn't that given to more witchers, especially potioners?)

In the end I would say that The Poisons We Drink was okay, I guess, but I wouldn't really say I enjoyed it that much.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for an honest reviews. All opinions are my own.

Enjoyable YA that focuses on magic, family bonds with fantastic world building.

Thank you NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Fire for access to an eARC of this fantastic story of family, loss, and fighting for what's right even when things seem hopeless.

Venus Stoneheart is a brewer of love potions in a world split between two sides: humans who don't believe witchers (magical people) should exist and witchers and their human allies. She has been brewing in her mom's place for years ever since her mom tried to brew a forbidden potion and was stripped of her powers. After her mom is murdered by someone who believes magical people should not exist, Venus is recruited by a witcher leader hoping for potions to influence important human government leaders to stop a vote that would make it impossible for witchers to lead normal lives. There are surprises good and bad around every corner and stellar world building. This book features important discussions of police brutality and government corruption.

5 out of 5 stars

I was entertained from the beginning to the end. It took me by surprise. I loved the book cover

I enjoyed the fantasy aspect of magic, witches, and political intrigue.

THE POISONS WE DRINK is a book about a group of characters trying to survive as a people who are discriminated against and find the truth of their past as they decide on their future. It's about friendship, family, loss, lies, greed, violence, hate, magic, manipulation, romance and sacrifice. It's a very gritty and dark story with some strong, violent themes.

This book was nothing that I thought it would be. I’m not exactly a fantasy aficionado, but I think that’s why I liked it. I was entertained from the beginning to the end. It took me by surprise even tho there was so much about it that I thought was also a little predictable. Ugh Idk, this is good and I hope y’all read it.

Ok so first off the plot of this was crazy. It was literally all over the place. I think that was the only thing I didn’t care for? I think it was trying to do too much? Like the mom thing was a small part of this whole thing, but I thought it should have been the big thing. And then there was the politics thing, it was at the beginning and the end and I was so confused by the time it came up the second time. And all of that put together was just too much.

Again, I’m not a huge fantasy person, but I feel like this was a good one to start with? There was the real world, but still the fantastical elements. And the poisons were very cool. And I loved the way she got her clients too lol I’m sorry I thought that was hilarious. I legit laughed out loud when I first read it. But that one person that got her out of no where was kinda crazy. I didn’t like how they got her, but at the same time I knew that was coming. And the way she was like making them in her kitchen like it was dinner or something lol

The main character was also pretty cool tho. I loved her pink hair and her spunk. But I was really weirded out about her… She was like really gullible. And I was scared of that because in a fantasy novel, nothing is safe lol And when I started reading this and got more into it, it showed that my fears were warranted. Because she got into a lot of shit. And I was glad her sister didn’t let her get away with all the lying she did either. She deserved it after the lying she did. It just seemed like a lot.

I’m trying very hard not to give any spoilers about this, but it’s been so hard. I really hope this is going to be a series. Everything was all wrapped up in the end, but it also left things open to a crazy situation. There’s definitely room for this story to grow, and I can’t wait!

I’ve declined to rate this book on Goodreads because it didn’t feel fair to bring the rating any lower after the Cait Corrain situation. I genuinely think this book just wasn’t for me. I couldn’t find myself really rooting for any of the characters most of them just irritated me. The magic and the world building felt weird and at times too convenient (the whole “they can sense us because of our high body temps” just being thrown in at the beginning is one example). It just seemed that “because we aren’t human” was used as a reason for everything with no real info given beyond that, and I don’t love that low effort world building style. I can absolutely see the merit in this book, I think for a lot of young people this will be a great book with great representation, but it just didn’t spark any strong feeling from me, I regret to say.

THE POISONS WE DRINK is a book about a group of characters trying to survive as a people who are discriminated against and find the truth of their past as they decide on their future. It's about friendship, family, loss, lies, greed, violence, hate, magic, manipulation, romance and sacrifice. It's a very gritty and dark story with some strong, violent themes.

I loved the book cover! I was completely on board with this author's premise and letter at the start of the book as I felt very similar. I liked the writing style. I liked the characters overall. Venus, Janus, Tyrell, Presley, Uncle Bram and Patches. Although, that is with the concession that I thought they were frustrating and I wanted to strangle them all. Lol! Except Patches. I just wanted to hug that one and have humorous chats (not that the cat could talk except with meaningful looks and actions). I liked the representation of a nonbinary character. For some that may be an issue. It was confusing sometimes with the English language being as it is, but I thought the author did a stellar job trying to make it clear when they were speaking or involved in a scene. I also thought the representation of how those who are discriminated against and the target of hate violence was accurate in all its terribleness as was the example of groups of people sabotaging each other for power and greed. I thought the storybook world was super creative and intriguing. I also enjoyed most of the last chapter as it gave a positive outlook on the future although that was a bit ruined by characters continuing to manipulate and control other people.

What didn't I like? This story was like a teenager's terrible shipwreck on high octane. There was so much drama. Characters (both adults, teenagers, and authorities) making decisions of hurt and violence without thought. A constant, intense whiplash of emotions. Resentment, anger, heartbreak. Family and friends not caring how they hurt each other. Hurt piled on top of hurt. So many terrible choices made by these characters. They wouldn't communicate anything honestly, which would have solved most all of the issues. No one wanted to ask for help. So many secrets, so much loss and violence, and almost all of it could have been avoided. There was the suspension of belief I had to use as one girl was the only one who could brew the needed potions out of thousands of witchers to save their people. Then there was the sadness and wrongness of messages that were promoted, like this one:

"Love was an awful, messy thing that made you do awful, messy things to prove you wanted it."

There were many views/messages/themes presented that were jaded and I disagreed with. And that's okay, but it's also pretty in your face without question. Such as never addressing that it's morally wrong to have teenagers brew potions that cause pretty harrowing damage to themselves, many times unsupervised with their guardians making them do it for money, and with the possibility that brewing could kill them. Also, it was never questioned that it just might be wrong to brew love potions that control other people. Or it being wrong to tie a man to a stake, give him a love potion that makes him fall in love with the idea of himself dying, and then burn him alive at the stake while he's crazily laughing since he's in love with himself burning to death and have a bunch of people watch as entertainment. It wasn't a story my heart wanted to wade through for hours. And it didn't leave me feeling better. More like inciting more anger and frustration. It's a miserable way to view life, and rather hopeless and heartbreaking.

In the end, was it what I wished for? This wasn't the right fit for me. It's a story that pours out grief and anger for all the discrimination and violence in the world with more hurt, violence and characters who make terrible choices in the name of love and change. Readers who are looking for this type of read, may connect with this book.

Content: Lots of swearing (mostly f-words), violence, a love scene between two teens, death (both murder and self-defense), self-harm for magic, vicious greed and manipulation. There is a warning in the book summary provided by the publisher/author. It's accurate and should be noted.
Source: I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through Turn the Page Tours, which did not require a positive review. All opinions are my own.