I really tried, especially with how great the reviews are so far, but I just couldn't connect with this book at all. I hate giving up so close to the end. I love the trans and nonbinary representation in this story and the queer themes in general, and I feel like that was the main reason I stuck with this story for so long. There's just so much happening here and it felt like the author wanted to address so many different things but it felt really rushed. I could definitely see why so many people like this, but it just wasn't for me.

Thank you Netgalley for providing a digital ARC.

Until the following items are met by the SMP team, I will be withholding any promotion or review of any St. Martin's Press titles (including SMP Romance and Wednesday Book titles):

1. Address and denounce the Islamophobia/racism from your employee.
2. Offer tangible steps for how you're going to mitigate the harm this employee caused.
3. Address how moving forward, you will support and protect your Palestinian, Muslim, and Arab readers, influencers, and authors in addition to your BIPOC readers, influencers, and authors.

I almost DNF'd this book, but kept going and it did get better. I was dieappointed because there is so much potential, but i found Gem to be really winy and I just couldnt get past that

I really wanted to love this book. When I saw the cover and read the synopsis I knew it was for me. I’m sorry I tried but I couldn’t get into the world building or the characters. I felt that the MC was artificial and irredeemable, nothing about them pulled me into wanting to know more. The live triangle did not work for me either because it was just a mess of miscommunication and not wanting to confront the issues to get to the heart of the problem and find solutions.

This book I’m sure appeals to people out there, I’m just not one of them. At first I thought that maybe it was the voice actor’s voice turning me off, but I also bought the book when it came out and still found it a difficult read I put it down a few times and every time I picked it up I couldn’t get into it. I’m not interested in continuing the series, but ideas and concepts themselves were so cool that I would give the author another chance and read a different book by them.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an Arc of the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

This one was meh. I found Gem really whiny and it made it difficult for me to pay attention to the story and I contemplated DNF'ing the story at 30%.

The story itself was an interesting premise but I will not continue to read this series.

Avi Roque did a good job narrating this novel.

Godly Heathens is one of the more clever plotted books ive read in recent years. I'm a sucker for a reincarnation/multi-lives trope and the spin of this one was perfect! I think the story telling was really strong with characters you cant help but love and root for. The audiobook was extremely well done and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Ancient gods face off against teenage angst (and each other) in this YA urban fantasy

The central plot is that a nb teenager named Gem finds out that the strange dreams and possibly their mental health issues can be attributed to the fact that they are actually an ancient god. Gem and all the other gods from the realm are now on Earth where they reincarnate again and again, then "wake up" and some point and remember who they are.

Gem made more than a few enemies in their original god-lives, so the action begins when a new student at their school attacks Gem in the school parking lot and the other new student protects them.

This is an interesting premise and I of course enjoyed the representation that it brought. The characters are hilariously snarky at times and there were scenes that made me laugh out loud, most notably is Poppy vs Willa Mae "It's Camp" debate, and also this exchange:

"Are you still feeling sick?"
"My tummy hurts a little."
"This is the least attractive you've ever been."

But it was a struggle to appreciate the characters as the story goes on because their decisions and personalities don't make much sense. After the gods regain their memories, we get some insight into their previous lives and they sounded interesting and motivated. Yet having these memories doesn't stop the gods from being bitchy teenagers obsessed with modern lingo and fighting in school with the main antagonist literally trying for prom queen??

Unfortunately due to this and some writing and pacing issues it was difficult to get through. The aforementioned funny scenes are what kept me going. That being said I'm annoying and rate queer books up so 3-stars from me.

Recommended for teens

Wow! This book was such a great take on the gods with the unique queer take. I appreciate the diversity and story telling! My past teenage self was loving every moment of this title.

Thank you to NetGalley and HE Edgmon for this ARC. All opinions are 100% my own.

Unfortunately this was just ok for me, and I'm so bummed because this was highly anticipated and I really thought I'd love it. the concept is amazing, the writing is good, and I love all of the fantastic rep, but the pacing felt off and it's a bit too long, and I just didn't feel invested like I wanted to. I tried multiple times, setting it down for a couple weeks then coming back to it again and again. It was just a struggle. (Note: I am NEVER this late on reviews... in fact I think this is the latest I have ever been. But this is a testament to how long and hard I tried to get into this book 😞).

I'd still give this author another shot at a later date ❤️

Avi Roque's performance is definitely the highlight here. Love them! And that GORGEOUS cover. Seriously breathtaking artwork. Since this is an audiobook and the narrator factors in, I am rating this 3 stars as an average. Thank you Macmillan Audio #partner for my gifted ALC.

This richly detailed fantasy balances a fresh new world, characters, and moral dilemmas with the complex world building and high stakes adventure that fantasy fans adore

Thank you for the opportunity to review this title - I was interested in the mythology, etc here but was not really able to get into the story and the characters and there was a little too much "dark romance" for my tastes. I see the appeal of this book but it is just not my personal cup of tea and I was unable to finish.

Thank you to Wednesday Books for an arc of this one.
Gem has never felt like they fit in their world, or even their human body. They're just trying to get by until after high school when they can move to New York with their best friend, Enzo and let their life truly begin. But when a mysterious new girl shows up at school and tells Gem they are actually a reincarnated god, plans have to change, and Gem has to fight for their life instead of just getting through high school.
This book was so so good from start to finish. I was immediately hooked with the writing style, Gem's crunchy exterior but soft insides, and the world this book began hinting at. Things just kept getting better with the addition of new characters (soulmates???), new conflicts, and more struggles that Gem had to work their way through. 
Gem is such an interesting character. I loved the god-complex at the beginning and how that affects their decisions throughout the book, and their understanding of themselves that develops. I really loved the interactions between Gem and Rory and Enzo, even though Enzo has a bigger role later in the book.
The poly-panic going on in this book is so good. Also love how Gem is dealing with literally inter-dimensional problems but spends so much time worrying about their relationships. Teenagers lol. 
CW: death, child abuse, sexual content, slut-shaming, mental illness, gore/body horror, transphobia, racism, animal sickness

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.

Good but not great.

The pacing threw me off a few times and I found the characters hard to get attached to. That being said, I do wish I had this book as a teen and I think it is definitely worth reading. It just wouldn't be something I would reread, which is usually the defining characteristic to me between four stars and five stars. I love the trans and non-binary representation in this, and really believe there is a NEED for more books like this. This definitely has its place and the complex emotions throughout the book are extremely well written and perfectly suited for the audience. The relationships were well done, the concept of reincarnated gods was also super cool.

Like I said, a very good read that is a must-read, but not something I would add to my list of annual rereads.

Gem Echols is a non binary Seminole growing up in a small town named Gracie, Georgia. The book comes with a great map of the town. I loved it!
I love Gem. The daily struggles as a teen living in a small town I could relate a bit to Gem. The strange dreams, and mental health that Gem is going through was a bit concerning to me, but I feel like it helped make Gem’s character relatable. The book was intense and I was hooked. I didn’t see a certain twist, so that was great. I listened to the audiobook and it was perfection. The narrator, Avi Roque is amazing. The variety of tones and inflections used for Gem was spot on. I was able to differentiate between the characters in the book. I listen to audiobooks at 2.3x speed so YMMV.
If you’re looking for a book that’s a bit of a coming of age, Gods, fantasy queer read then look no further. I highly recommend the audiobook.

A very special thanks to Wednesday Books and Macmillan Audio for the gifted copy.

I started listening to Godly Heathens and couldn’t put it down until I finished. If you liked the Percy Jackson or Magnus Chase books you will also like this. If you’ve ever wished that either Percy or Magnus was non-binary and morally gray, you will LOVE Godly Heathens.
I can’t wait for the sequel!

Godly Heathens by H.E. Edgmon was such a unique fantasy book. I loved the idea of these centuries old beings coming back as your modern day teenager. What could go wrong? I am looking forward to the sequel of this as well.

This was just not for me. The world building was okay and ai just couldn’t get into the MCs character where he hurts ones he hates and those he loves.


Audio: the pace was good but the voice was so irritating and grated on my every nerve.

This YA is just what it says YA-NOT TEEN! Just a warning for those thinking about letting their teens read this. I know many allow their teens to read YA, but many are not for the younger crowd.

I really loved this and would absolutely love a copy to put in my classroom. (Though I listened to the audio, personally.) What's not to love in this YA about gods from another dimension reincarnated in teens who love and hate each other? Perhaps I enjoyed it more because I listened to it so quickly, and if I had taken more time it would have annoyed me...I don't know. All I do know is that I'm annoyed the next book isn't out as an audio yet! So I guess I'll actually read the second book!

Thank you to Netgalley for the audio!

Gem, a nonbinary Seminole high schooler living in a small Georgia town, does not have an easy life. They don’t feel a genuine connection to anyone at school; their mom constantly worries about their mental health; and they are plagued by graphic and disturbing dreams. The only true connection they feel is with a long-distance friend who lives in New York.

Gem is counting down the days until they can apply to NYU and escape out of their small town, but those plans get upended when two strangers both show up the same day. One wants to help them, and the other wants to kill them.

And as it turns out, this is a cycle/dance/battle that they go through every few generations. Gem is a reincarnated god from an alternate version of Earth, and those other gods from that alternate version? Well, most of them aren’t happy with Gem.

There is a hefty set of trigger warnings listed at the beginning of the book, and I recommend heeding them. As I mentioned before, the book is intense. There are graphic depictions and descriptions that I had a visceral reaction to, and—fair warning— it opens with a vivid and stomach-churning nightmare.

Fantasy aspects aside, once I was past that first nightmare sequence, Gem themself piqued my interest, and as the fantasy pieces began to be layered on top of what I was learning about Gem as a character, I became more and more intrigued.

There are certainly gruesome and grotesque moments throughout the tale, but what I found most interesting was the way in which some of the god's grappled with the aspects of their humanity in their current incarnations.

Please note this is the first book in a duology.

Narrator Avi Roque is well cast as Gem, and their voice for the demon is super creepy. Their vocal choices for the character Buck Wheeler are my favorite in the audiobook. There are several characters in this book, and Roque maintains different voices for each one.

I received an advance copy the audiobook from Macmillan Audio and NetGalley. All review opinions are my own.