This book hooked me pretty quickly with a main character who couldn't be arsed being social at a local party - all while SKA of all things blasted over the music.

It's quite a fun romp, the juxtaposition of supernatural and real is a good riff on various matters, although (ironically) I wouldn't have minded a deeper dive. The 'Duppy's' (ghosts) are really interesting and cool, but the story's frenetic pacing and more comedic approach gives a Ghostbusters Vibe rather than Haunting of Hill House. (there's even a Pitch Meeting reference of all things "super easy barely an inconvenience")

And there isn't too much else to say about River Mumma, which is probably the main flaw is there simply isn't much else to this book. There is enough potential of a full novel length here, but the story is played as more for laughs, it does prevent the book from becoming too heavy, but actually I would have liked a bit of heft!

I absolutely loved this short and sweet novel. So utterly relatable as a child of the diaspora. Such a clever and heartfelt reintroduction of island stories to give outsiders an understanding of what they mean to our community. I so thoroughly enjoyed her first collection of stories, Frying Plantain, that I couldn't wait to read this and was not disappointed. A relatable caste of characters and wonderful exploration of relationships with friends, family, and oneself.

I really enjoyed the Caribbean mythology aspect to this book and the characters were interesting and well written. I really wanted to like it more than I actually did. I just sort of lost the thread part way through and , although did finish the book, did not find it ultimately satisfying. Maybe just not for me.

Magic, fantasy, mythical quest, Jamaican folklore…all elements in the book description that piqued my interest. Unfortunately, I chose to DNF at 53% because the pace was too slow for my taste.

Alicia has been tasked by River Mumma, the Jamaican water deity, to find her missing comb in 24 hours. Over 50% into the story, and there really hasn’t been much progress. For such a short deadline, it would make more sense for the plot to move along more quickly. I tried to give the story a chance, but there wasn’t enough tension and excitement to make me want to finish.

I love that this story shines a light on Jamaican folklore. That’s my favorite part of what I read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington for the advanced eARC.

Jamaican folklore and tradition in the heart of Canada. This book is absolutely gorgeous. Main character Alicia, who I absolutely adore, has a precarious relationship with River Mumma, I mean, what right does River Mumma have to come striding into her life as an adult? She was just a childhood fantasy, right?

I love magical realism, especially when it is done this well! From the introduction of the duppies, I was hooked. Maybe because I'm rereading Percy Jackson, but this might just be the book millennial readers need right now. From chapter one, the author drops you into Alicia's world, and the ride can only be described as EPIC! And her unlikely band of heroic adventurers are each well-rounded as well. (And a nod to Wizard of Oz? Yep, it's there.)

"But today? I'm catching a vibe, Mars, and not a good one."

A young black woman, disenchanted with her job and life prospects, is stunned to be chosen by a Jamaican deity to complete a quest. Magical realism, bordering on horror.

A vibrant and entertaining 3.5 debut that I'm rounding up because it's the kind of book that sticks with you - either in small ways or lines or the characters themselves. The cast is wonderfully representative of different facets of diasporic identity and either the connection or disconnection felt, and the ways those manifest. I loved each time Alicia interacted with River Mumma and the way each highlighted a different aspect of both the goddess and of trying to bring traditional beliefs into a new context (Toronto winter, which does feel just /so/ opposite Jamaica that it does force Alicia to face some of her own internal doubts and prejudices).

While the book is very much an exploration of diaspora communities, it's also a reminder of just how connected we all are - just because Alicia is in Toronto doesn't make her connection to her Jamaican history any less strong, nor does it mean that she is disconnected from being affected by the ghosts of Toronto's past as she tries to retrieve River Mumma's comb.

I also appreciated that the book utilized Patois as much as it did, the characters switching between English and Patois as the situations switched; once again highlighting the central theme that if someone is solid in their identity and self, then no matter where they are taken by the river of life, they will be themselves and carry on.

You know me, I saw Jamaican folklore and requested this book so fast, which was good because River Mumma turned out to be a truly amazing read. Filled with heart, humour and a true deep dive into Jamaican culture and folklore, I absolutely powered through this book and at the end just wanted more.

Alicia doesn't necessarily believe in all the folklore she learnt about growing up, but when a Jamaican deity sucks you into a river and tasks you with finding their lost comb or they will disappear taking the rivers and lakes, and oceans with them... well you can find yourself believing in a lot when it's giving you an ultimatum. Alongside her two friends, Heaven and Mars, Alicia finds herself with less than 24 hours to return the comb back to River Mumma herself, but there are dark forces at work, forces that don't want Alicia to succeed and she will have to delve into, not only her past, but deep into her culture and folklore if she is to find the comb and return it in one piece.

I loved Alicia, she felt so real to me. She isn't perfect, isn't necessarily a 'good person.' Not someone happy with their lot in life, she wants something more, she just didn't expect that to come in the form of a Jamaican deity asking her for help. She has a complicated relationship with her culture, never one to dive to deep or look too hard at her past, but taking part in this task has her delving into both, and I loved seeing her open herself up to, not only her roots, but also the generations of women who have come before her. Heaven and Mars are the two friends that decide to help her with this task and the pair absolutely added some humour to the story ( the amount of LOTR jokes had me cackling), but they also made Alicia question herself, question her annoyance at being chosen for this task. They both bring something to the table, and I enjoyed seeing their friendship develop throughout the story.

Reid-Benta gives us a true deep dive into Jamaican culture and folklore, because it's not only River Mumma we meet along the way. There are other, darker forces who come to try and stop our trio from succeeding, but I think my favourite parts by far were the moments when Alicia was given visions of her ancestors, seeing how the past can so easily mirror and impact the future. We see Alicia go from someone who has a complicated relationship with her roots, to someone who learns to accept them, and herself for what they are. There are themes of identity, culture and cultural appropriation, but all told through a slightly lighthearted lens which means the story never feels to heavy, even with the danger our characters get themselves into.

The story itself is incredibly fast paced and most definitely plot driven, something I'm not usually a big lover of but it worked with this book. Reid-Benta's writing style lends itself to a fast, action driven plot, though there are plenty of slower scenes where we get to see the characters and magic develop. It's laugh out loud funny in parts, heartwarming in places, and nail biting action in others, but it's also a coming of age story, despite our character being an adult. It's a story of someone looking to uncover their true identity and gradually finding it through their culture and the generations of people who have come before them.

Reid-Benta has clearly done her research, and her passion for folklore and Jamaican culture leaps off the pages, though the slang used, though Alicia's visions, and through the trio's 24hr journey through Toronto facing, not only River Mumma, but Duppies, and rolling calf, beings that become even more sinister with the modern setting. If you're looking for a fast paced read, engaging and realistic characters and a coming of age story steeped in folklore I can't recommend this enough. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and can't wait to see what Reid-Benta graces us with next.

OOOh love some magical realism - loved even more having it being some Jamaican folklore. This was a dope story and I loved the sprinkle of patois, definitely helped it hit home. I liked the friendship that evolved over basically a day between Alicia, Heaven and Mars. I'm definitely recommending this one.

I had such a good time reading this! It was adventurous, exciting, suspenseful, a bit scary at times, and had a meaningful message too about holding on to your cultural roots -- your ancestral birthright -- in the diaspora.

Alicia is struggling to find meaning and purpose in her post-grad life, but that all changes when a walk home from a holiday party brings her face to face with the Jamaican water deity River Mumma, who tasks Alicia with returning her stolen comb before sunset on the following day. This being set in Toronto in the middle of winter, sunset doesn't leave her with very much time! She has no clue where to start, but after being joined by two of her co-workers, Mars and Heaven, and chased down by some pretty terrifying mythological Jamaican ghouls, the journey ends up sweeping the three of them away.

The three main characters were great, each with their own character arcs and emotional baggage to overcome. I loved seeing how this hero's journey pushed each of them to look inside themselves and push through what was holding them back. It was moving to see their friendship evolve, too, through their shared experience.

I loved loved loved all the folklore that was brought to life in these pages: River Mumma herself, of course, but also darker entities like Rolling Calf and the other duppies. Alicia's visions and "journeys" also take the reader back in history to what at first appear to be beautiful, moving moments in Alicia's Jamaican ancestry and spirituality (with some gorgeous descriptions of the lush island landscape), but that end up having a meaningful connection to some chilling historic events as well.

In terms of the plot and pacing, I pretty much couldn't put this down. With lots of mini-challenges leading up to the climactic finish, I feel like I was consistently looking forward to see what would happen next. The one part that may have slowed down a bit might be when they had the duppy sickness, though I will say that it included some important story development points. But all in all, I devoured this book in like 24 hours because I couldn't stop turning the pages.

This was one heck of a ride, and I'm so glad I got to go on this quest with Alicia, Mars, and Heaven!

4.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for this ARC to read and review.

"Issa Rae's Insecure with a magical realist spin: River Mumma is an exhilarating contemporary fantasy novel about a young Black woman who navigates her quarter-life-crisis while embarking on a mythical quest through the streets of Toronto.

Alicia has been out of grad school for months. She has no career prospects and lives with her mom, who won't stop texting her macabre news stories and reminders to pick up items from the grocery store.

Then, one evening, the Jamaican water deity, River Mumma, appears to Alicia, telling her that she has twenty-four hours to scour the city for her missing comb.

Alicia doesn't understand why River Mumma would choose her. She can't remember all the legends her relatives told her, unlike her retail co-worker Heaven, who can reel off Jamaican folklore by heart. She doesn't know if her childhood visions have returned, or why she feels a strange connection to her other co-worker Mars. But when the trio are chased down by malevolent spirits called duppies, they realize their tenuous bonds to each other may be their only lifelines. With the clock ticking, Alicia's quest through the city broadens into a journey through time - to find herself and what the river carries.

Energetic and invigorating, River Mumma is a vibrant exploration of diasporic community and ancestral ties, and a homage to Jamaican storytelling by one of the most invigorating voices in today's literature."

The setting and magical realism give me a big Scott Pilgrim vibe, but from there it's all its own magical adventure.

You guys, this is my first 5-star read in a long time. I absolutely devoured this book. I love a book that is outside my culture and provides a viewpoint that I'm not familiar with. Alicia is a young Black woman with Jamaican heritage, and that heritage is like another character in this book; I absolutely loved it.

I loved learning more about Jamaican beliefs and culture. The relationships that Alicia had with her family and friends, as well as the use of Jamaican patois, were chef's kiss. The River Mumma herself was described so beautifully that it sent me on a Google spiral searching for more information about Jamaican/Caribbean culture. River Mumma is a water deity that senses Alicia has the gift and summons her to help her find her stolen comb. If Alicia fails, all the world's waters will dry up.

After meeting the River Mumma, Alicia starts her quest both physically and spiritually. Alicia ropes her coworkers/friends Mars and Heaven (who are also Jamaican) into her quest. What follows is a journey that is more about finding yourself and generational trauma. I don't want to spoil anything, but I literally could gush about how beautiful this book is. Seriously, no notes.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books/Erewhon for the ARC.

Jamaican mythological being wreaks havoc on Toronto!

For me this was entertaining to read, much like watching a thriller movie. I loved the initial description of main character Alicia Gale: "Four years of undergrad completed in three, another eighteen months in New York, earning an MA and founding a graduate lit mag, and internships at two boutique literary agencies." I really wanted to see the progression of her character arc, and was disappointed I didn't get to see it go very far, beyond inferred sad plummet. On top of that, it took me a really long time to get used to the vernacular. I really liked Alicia's family and friends, but being completely unfamiliar with River Mumma mythology I felt confused by the plot, and missed the connection between Adelaide, Alice and Alicia.

Thank you to NetGalley and Erehwon Books for this ARC, River Mumma will be available for sale Feb 20, 2024.

I really really wanted to love this because it's everything that I typically love in fantasy; mythology, magical realism and quests, but I think this book is just not for me so I didn't manage to finish and gave up around 41%. This is not a slight on the book at all, in fact I think that it was well written and I loved the depictions of the gods and the main characters were likeable and had good chemistry. My issue was just that this book wasn't written for me. It's audience is probably young, most strongly second generation immigrants and probably Canadian. I'm none of things haha. I struggled hard to understand the dialogue and a lot of the plot points felt unique to the culture of the characters and the city they lived in. All of that to say that this book is good and I only take off stars because it wasn't for me. I think that ultimately a group of readers will find that this book is written 100% for them and that's super important!

River Mumma was a beautiful read. The story that I didn’t know that I wanted or needed. It was so insightful and reminded me the cost of forgetting your roots. It was a very nostalgic story blending past and present.

This is the first book I have finished in 2024. It was a good reading experience, a good start to the year.

River Mumma tells the story of Alicia, a woman who is a bit adrift in the world. She's graduated college and all the dreams she had didn't pan out. She's got a retail job and some work friends, but life isn't what she wants. Then one night she meets the River Mumma and gets assigned a quest to return a stolen comb....

I really enjoyed the mix of urban fantasy and Jamaican folklore. And I always like a book where characters wind their way through a city on a deadline. Alicia, Mars, and Heaven make for good protagonists, and there are some very real and compelling character moments throughout the book.

I did feel that the pacing was a little off in the middle of the book, but this didn't stop me from truly enjoying this read. I look forward to seeing more from Zalika Reid-Benta.

This is one of the books I finished in the end sprint of 2023. Refreshing combination of urban fantasy with Jamaican lore, and I haven't seen a book focus on the freshly graduated like this in a while. I did have trouble keeping track of things at times, and there were parts that felt a bit info dumpy, but honestly, for a debut, this is fantastic. (This also possibly looks so good in comparison to one of the other books I finished around then being so bad.) Either way, this was a fun, funny read that was great to wrap 2023 with, and I'll be watching for more from this author in the future! (And if you're having trouble with the dialogue, just sound it out!)

Great start, meandering middle, satisfying conclusion. Percy Jackson by way of Neil Gaiman, Zalika Reid-Benta's River Mumma is a short yet compelling urban fantasy novel inspired by Jamaican folklore that explores the importance of ancestral ties in the modern world.

Set in Toronto, our main character is Alicia who is very much going through a quarter-life crisis after finishing grad school. she's now 'stuck' in a retail job she neither likes nor is particularly gifted at, and tends to isolate herself from others. Alicia's humdrum existence is brought to a halt by River Mumma, a Jamaican water deity, who appears to Alicia and tasks her with a time-sensitive quest: Alicia has 24 hours to find River Mumma's missing comb. Much like Percy Jackson, Alicia is not alone in her quest. By her side is Heaven, who is very knowledgable in Jamaican folklore, and Mars, whose participation in this possibly life-endangering adventure is reluctant at best. I really liked the banter and friendship between Alicia, Heaven, and Mars, and I also found Alicia's current 'predicament' (feeling lost after finishing grad school, unsatisfied but unable to leave the world of retail), all too relatable. The fantasy elements and the various 'obstacles' that present themselves along the way to finding the comb were imaginative and engrossing. What I did find repetitive and somewhat of a 'filler' were the scenes featuring these flashbacks into Alicia's ancestors. I just thought that they detracted momentum from Alicia's 'present'. Maybe I would have preferred it if these flashbacks weren't so samey, both in their vocabulary and imagery, and I would have felt more of a connection if, like in Reid-Benta's previous novel, the focus had been on her more immediate family (her mother and so on). Still, I did find River Mumma to be a captivating read that succeeds in imbuing a contemporary coming-of-age tale with folklore.

It's nicely written and I found the characters likable. That being said, the pacing feels off sometimes and the story's protagonist's lack of agenda may be tiring to some readers. Still worth a read.

I so loved that this book was set in Toronto, and that it reminded me slightly of Nalo Hopkinson's "Brown Girl in the Ring",which is also set in Toronto, albeit a dystopic version of the city.

In this book, Alicia is out of grad school, working in retail as she has no other job prospects. She hates her job, lives with her mum, who constantly texts her news stories and reminds Alicia of things to pick up from the grocery store.

After leaving a party she was invited to by her Jamaican folklore-loving coworker/friend Heaven, Alicia has a scary encounter with River Mumma, a Jamaican water goddess, who tells Alicia that she has twenty-four hours to recover River Mumma's missing comb.

Alicia begins having visions, and ropes in Heaven, and coworker Mars, on her quest, mainly because weird stuff starts happening to the trio and Heaven refuses to abandon Alicia to her fulfill her quest alone. They travel through a snowy Toronto on public transit and taxis (I loved this detail, as who wants to drive and park in Toronto??), are chased by duppies, and realize that they can't find the comb without relying on their connections and history. Alicia's visions also provide her with clues to the comb's and her own past, which eventually leads her to a some unusual locations and people around the city.

Even while Alicia and company are rushing about the city, we see the difficulties this generation of people has with finding their identities in their Toronto Caribbean community, as well as the hurdles and bigotry they encounter professionally and personally, as people of a diasporic community.

This story came to life immediately for me, and kept me hooked as Alicia's malaise transformed into a greater focus on her life and aspirations through her one day's many mundane and terrifying experiences.

Author Reid-Benta's characters are so well drawn, and I could see the trio arguing and bantering their way around the city, as well as figuring out how to evade the many odd spirits chasing them down. Jamaican folklore is skilfully integrated throughout Alicia's story, and it was wonderful seeing strange beings of these tales on Toronto streets.

This was a fast-paced story with great characters, wonderfully realistic dialogue and character dynamics, and a compelling situation. I look forward to reading more by this talented author.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Penguin Random House Canada for this ARC in exchange for my review.