Six of Sorrow is a Dark YA Fantasy that is heavy on the witchcraft and light on the body horror, with a dash of complex relationships among friends and generations.

While most of the focus is centered on the six teenage girls (all mysteriously born on the same day and doomed to the same fate), there is a lovely narrative that explores the complicated relationships young girls have their mothers and vice versa. I found myself equally intrigued by the dynamic between the mothers and their daughters and the relationships within the two generations of friend groups.

I chose this book based on its beautiful cover (I know, I know), but was pleasantly surprised to find an entertaining, fast-paced, witchy story that was sometimes uncomfortable, but always charming. The plot was a bit predictable, but this did not take away from the story. I think the predictability actually worked in the book’s favor as it forced me to focus in more on the character relationships which, in my mind, is the bread and butter of this book.

I really enjoyed this book and I am planning to read the author’s other work as well.

*Many thanks to Amanda Linsmeier, Random House (Delacorte Press), and NetGalley for providing me with a free advanced e-book of this novel in exchange for an honest review*

Six of Sorrow started off strong. The first third of the novel was clever, atmospheric, and had a level of sophistication in its plot and dialogue that made it enjoyable to read as an adult, despite it being geared towards teens. Unfortunately, I felt like it lost that sophistication about a third of the way through, and, although I admit I am not the target audience, I had a hard time getting through it after that point. Between the noticeable gaps in logic in the plot, emotional beats that seemed inconsistent or unearned, and fantasy elements that went unexplained, I hate to say that the book felt like it still needed several more revisions and a bit more refinement. That being said, the storyline was sweet, the town of Sorrow was fleshed out and atmospheric, and I loved the sapphic subplot. While I can’t say I’d recommend this to adults, I think younger teens would love this cozy, witchy story. Thank you to Delacorte Press and NetGalley for the e-ARC!

Six of Sorrow by Amanda Linsmeier is a hauntingly beautiful novel that weaves a compelling tale of loss and resilience. Linsmeier’s evocative prose and deeply developed characters create a powerful and emotional reading experience.

I really enjoyed this book—it had a great mix of spooky and witchy elements that kept things intriguing. The story moved quickly, and the main characters were charming and likable for the most part. I especially appreciated how the book explored themes of friendship and young love.

However, I did feel that the ending was a bit rushed, leaving me wanting a bit more depth and resolution. The characters were engaging, but I found them to be somewhat one-dimensional. With so many characters packed into a relatively short book, it was a bit challenging to keep track of everyone, particularly the moms. I felt that more background on them would have added depth to the story.

Despite these points, the book did a great job addressing serious topics such as family struggles, sexuality, losing friendships, and alcoholism. It balanced these heavier themes with its lighter, more charming elements. Overall, it was a fun and thoughtful read with a lot of heart.

Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for providing an ARC of this book!

"Six girls born on a single day, though they they didn't know it. As the years passed, they became classmates, then friends, then best friends, held together not just by love but by fate."

There was so much I enjoyed about this book! It has great LGBT representation, and the pacing kept things moving right along. The horror elements and the tension building was truly a shining element. The scene where the first missing girl returns home sticks in my mind and continues to haunt me! This book is a great example of what YA horror has the potential to look like.

The volume of characters was a negative aspect for me. 6 teenage girls, their mothers, school friends, and siblings were a lot to keep track of for a relatively short book. I felt like I really only grasped 3 out of the 6 teen girls, and was constantly mixing up the remaining 3. The mother element also felt a little undeveloped? Would've liked a larger 'final scene' of the moms and daughters connecting to fight the evil.

I would highly recommend this book to any readers who also enjoy: American Horror Story, Practical Magic, or Gossip Girl

This is a really great creepy book! It's atmospheric and unique. The pacing is good and I was invested from start to finish. If you enjoy atmospheric creepy stories, I would recommend this! Thank you to Amanda Linsmeier, Random House Children's and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

"Six of Sorrow" by Amanda Linsmeier is a delightfully eerie read that kept me hooked from start to finish. Set in the atmospheric town of Sorrow, this book follows six girls, all born on the same day, whose once-tight bond is tested by a series of mysterious events. The main character, Isabeau (Iz), and her friends must uncover the dark secrets of their town to save themselves.

The spooky vibes are on point, and each girl has a distinct personality that adds depth to their friendship. The supernatural elements are woven seamlessly into the plot, creating a suspenseful and engaging story. If you're into tales of friendship, mystery, and a touch of the supernatural, "Six of Sorrow" is a must-read!

Six friends born on the same day, one goes missing and comes back changed – you just know there’s some supernatural stuff going on, and I wanted to know what was up.

These six girls were the best of friends until their thirteenth birthday. Iz isn’t sure what drove a wedge between them, but she’s been abandoned by all the girls except Reuel. After Reuel goes missing the night of their sixteenth birthday, she returns home, but she’s different. Although the docs can’t find a physical cause, she’s very sick and doesn’t remember what happened. And then another girl disappears and returns changed.

I liked how the girls set aside their differences and show up in support for Iz and Reuel the night of the disappearance. When Reuel returns, the six of them have a long overdue talk about what caused their estrangement over the past few years, and then they get to work trying to figure out what’s happening. Turns out, they’re connected by more than just a birthday.

Other than the three main girls, the other girls’ identifies blurred together, and I questioned more than once which was which. I also nearly DNFed this one because the pacing was slow for my taste, but comments from other reviewers made me reconsider. I liked the small town setting in Louisiana, and the story is full of atmosphere with a kind of gothic feel. Pacing really ramps up near the end, and I found myself flipping the pages quicker to see what would happen.

If you don’t mind a slower burn beginning, this is a solid horror story about the bonds of friendship and victims of circumstance and their determination to save themselves. I’m glad I made the decision to keep reading.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book's got some serious "Yellowjackets" vibes, mixing small-town drama with a creepy supernatural twist. It's all about six girls born on the same day who used to be BFFs until drama split them up, but now they're forced back together when one of them goes missing and comes back... different. The story ramps up the tension as the girls try to figure out what's coming for them before it's too late. It's a solid pick if you're into YA thrillers with a dash of the unexplained and a side of friendship drama.

Six of Sorrows is a creepy, dark YA fantasy that introduces you to six 16-year-old girls, who were all born on the same day. It's full of mystery and found family, the power of friendship with a bit of magic and occult intrigue and great LQBTQ+ rep.

"Six girls born on a single day, though they they didn't know it. As the years passed, they became classmates, then friends, then best friends, held together not just by love but by fate."

The book takes place on an island called Sorrow. Just a short ferry ride away from New Orleans, the island lore is that a powerful Witch named Sorrow was the first to live on the island, hundreds of years ago.

The author does a great job setting up the creepy, Gothic atmosphere. I was thoroughly unsettled at times, in a fun way.

Due to a miscommunication when they're 13, the friend group splits. However, the day after they turn 16, one of them goes missing. The group re-knits in search of their missing friend, only to discover there's a lot more at play and all of their lives are at risk.

The plot is quite good, interesting with some twists and turns. The pacing is also good. Aside from the end I would say it's on the faster end of medium. The end is fast. The book is a quick read, enjoyable read.

The prose is good. There were some passages that I loved the writing, but then others that I disliked it. One I didn't like was super choppy and pulled me out of the story. There's a bit of beautiful poetry in Six of Sorrow.

The characters are really good, but I wouldn't quite say great. There's a lot of characters and the book isn't very long (336pgs). It isn't confusing, but I would've loved for them to be more dimensional and more background. I would've loved more info on the mom's, I feel like I don't know any of them. Outside of 2 of the mom's, I'm still not sure which mom is which (not that it matters for the plot).

The cast is diverse, and I love that.

I love that it looks at serious topics like sorrow, sexuality, broken friendships, family struggles, alcoholism, and the strife that can occur between parent and child.

Overall, it was an eerily fun, quick read. It's kind of like if American Horror Story was toned way down to be YA, meets Practical Magic and a bit of Gossip Girl.

Thank you to @Netgalley and @randomhousekids for the eARC of this book. This is my unbiased review.

“Six of Sorrow" by Amanda Linsmeier, is a story about Isabeau and her five best friends who share a birthday. Their friendship had fractured, leaving Iz with only Reuel. On their sixteenth birthday, Reuel disappears and returns two days later, sick and with no memory of what happened. This event reunites the friends as they investigate the mystery. Another disappearance leads them to suspect a sinister connection to their shared birthday.

The book explores the complexities of friendship amid suspense and supernatural elements. The characters are well-developed, and the plot is filled with twists and turns. Amanda Linsmeier creates a gripping atmosphere that keeps readers engaged until the end. "Six of Sorrow" is a notable read for fans of mystery and supernatural fiction.

I am fully embracing Summer-ween and getting into my spooky era! This book was a perfect fit, with spells, witches, and curses. I enjoyed the legends about the town and the sisterhood among the six girls as they tried to figure out what was happening before someone wound up dead.

This is a quick read and I found it easy to fall into. I liked the characters and kept engaged through the end. As summer winds down, check this paranormal mystery out!

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Delacorte Press and NetGalley for the copy.

Love the concept but the execution was lacking for me. The storyline was flat and the characters weren't well developed. They could have all been the same character they just wore different clothes that's how undeveloped they were. The romance felt like an afterthought and the ending felt rushed. It felt like the author wasn't sure how to connect the clues that were scattered throughout the book.

Thank you to Delacorte Press/Random House Childrens and NetGalley for the arc.

Very fun, unsettling, and interesting. Such a quick read, loved all the characters, and the flow. Really enjoyed the relationships & interactions of the group of girls. Would make a great series or movie!

I sincerely enjoyed this story from the start to the end. The six girls sharing a birthday had a bit of a “My Soul To Take” vibe to it but I thoroughly enjoyed the route the storyline took. I don’t want to add any spoilers for those that haven’t had a chance to grab a copy yet, but this is one that I will be physically adding to my shelves.

It took me a while to get into this book. When I did I found it hard to stay engaged and the writing is not my personal preference. Had a lot of potential and very thankful for the chance to read an ARC of this!

I loved the concept and the atmosphere of this book but the pacing and execution really had it falling flat at times. I'm glad for the opportunity to read this novel and would read more from this author. I saw a lot of promise, I'd just hope there is a little more editing and tighter story telling.

Took me awhile to formulate thoughts on this one. I didn't dislike it necessarily, but I also didn't love it. I felt like there were pieces of the story missing, and the ending seemed a bit rushed. I did, however, enjoy the great atmosphere of dread and unease Linsmeier builds up. And while the main comp for Six of Sorrow is Yellowjackets (which I'll admit I haven't seen), I got some real Jennifer's Body vibes at times.

I liked the small-town creepiness and the mystery of what was happening to Reuel (and later Georgina), but there was something missing for me. The ending standoff felt a little underwhelming personally, but I enjoyed the book for what it was: fun horror and the importance of friendships.

**3.5-stars rounded up **

💕✨️💕✨️💕✨️💕✨️💕✨️💕😊💕

Six of Sorrow is a YA Dark Fantasy story from Amanda Linsmeier. This is the first novel that I've read from this author, but I'm excited to get to more.

This story is set in a small town, where six girls, all with the same birthday, have been thick as thieves since they were kids. More recently though, a misunderstanding has caused a fracture in their once tight group. Our main character, Isabeau, who goes mostly by Iz, only has one friend left from the group, her best friend, Reuel, who would never abandon her.

On the night of their 16th-birthday, Iz and Reuel are hanging out at Reuel's house, when Iz has to leave suddenly. When Iz leaves, Reuel is sitting on her front porch. The next morning Reuel is gone. News of Reuel's disappearance shakes the close-knit town and massive search efforts are put in place. This incident brings out the other girls from the friendship group and they begrudgingly begin talking to Iz again.

After all, one of their own is missing. It's time to put petty differences aside in order to find her.

Three days later, Reuel reappears. She's unable to express where she has been, or what has happened to her since she's been gone, but it's clear something is off. She's in rough shape, very sick and it's unclear as to why. The girls are all concerned and this concern ends up bringing them even closer together. Then another one in their group disappears...

We then follow the remaining girls as they try to figure out the mystery of their town and what's happening to them. They end up researching town history and local lore. Soon it becomes clear that they might all have more in common than just their birthdays. They've been connected by something much deeper, and darker, than that since before they were even born. Now they must stop an evil force before it destroys everything they love.

I had a lot of fun with this. Linsmeier quickly drew me into the story with the development of this quirky town. It's apparent that something is special about this group of girls as well. I mean, how can a group of six all have been born on the exact same day in the same small town?

The town was also atmospheric in an unsettling, yet intriguing way. There's a legend of a local witch and other things that just seem a bit peculiar. It's definitely a unique setting that added a lot of substance to the story. There were some interesting occult elements and I loved to see how the author used those to explain everything that was going on. There's even a Book of Shadows!

For me, the star of the show though was the friend group. They had interesting dynamics and I liked watching them band together and work towards a common goal. They had much more power together. Overall, this was a quick, compelling read. I like how the story evolved and played out. It's not perfect, but it's definitely a great time. As mentioned above, I'm looking forward to more from this author.

Thank you to the publisher, Delacorte Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. If you enjoy a Dark Fantasy story with strong friendship vibes, you should definitely pick this one up!