I'm finding it rather difficult to rate and review this book. There were aspects that I loved and aspects that kind of fell apart for me. I absolutely loved the story of sisterhood, friendship, falling apart and back together. The support these characters had for each other was wonderful. The spooky vibe was great as well. However, the actual horror and mystery/thriller aspects fell a little flat for me. It felt like there was not enough of the story revealed, that things wrapped up too quickly and easily. So, as an empowering friendship book, I truly enjoyed this, but as a horror/mystery/thriller it was not my favorite. I think there are plenty of readers that will enjoy this, especially those that prefer spooky vibes rather than actual horror.

This horror novel tackled girlhood, friendship and made me think of the more recent Pretty Little Liars tv show remakes with parents keeping secrets or lying to their kids. The origin story felt a bit shallow to me but I would read more from this author again in the future.

I really, really wanted to like this book. Unfortunately, it dragged on for me, and I felt like the pacing and plot were mismatched in a way that was hard to actually enjoy.

3.5⭐️ rounded up. I was really excited about this book, and I found myself to be a little disappointed.

I enjoyed the theme of sisterhood in this book, and the horror elements were pretty good. It reminded me A LOT of the movie Jennifer’s Body, which is one of my favorite movies.

I would have liked a little more elaboration on what drove the girls to split up in the first place(it was touched on but it could have used more explanation), and I also would have liked a little more elaboration on the girls reuniting. I felt like all of that was kind of glossed over when it deserved more of the spotlight, given that the overarching theme of this book is friendship.

I also would have liked more time spent on the stories of the parents, and the origin story of the “entity”. This book is pretty short and I feel like if there had been more development of both the plot and the characters, this book would have felt more complete.

Overall, I liked the concept of this book but the execution lacked for me.

Thank you to Random House Children’s and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this advance copy!

pride month book #2! thank you netgalley for the arc!

i actually really liked this. while there was no huge 'twist,' the atmosphere was consistently spooky and despite having six protagonists they didn't really blend together much---they all had their own distinct personalities and made for a good group. also i honestly loved the character names for all of the main six, isabeau is an AWESOME name. i am writing it down.

the spooky island delivered as a spooky island and the girl sleepover friendship delivered blood pacts and unyielding devotion. about what i wanted from it really!

i know i was complaining about the amount of adjectives at the beginning but honestly i only really noticed during the less tense scenes in the beginning and the end. when the stakes were high the writing changed to reflect that, which i respect, and i enjoyed the book a lot more because of that!

also damn look at that gorgeous pink cover

One of the best explorations of complex female friendships I've ever read. Linsmeier has a fantastic grasp on writing horror that is so starkly human that the reader cannot look away. I will be thinking about this one for a long time.

I loved the story, the world building and meeting the different characters. I felt completely immersed in the story and couldn't stop reading it.

Thank you, NetGalley and Delacorte Press, for my free E-book for review.

Pink covers always reel me in, and "Six of Sorrow" did not disappoint! Beneath that gorgeous exterior lies an absolute gem.

Two aspects of this book stood out to me.

First, "Six of Sorrow" is a precious read, delving into themes of best friends, reconciliation, and self-discovery. The portrayal of a group of six friends breaking up is both heartbreaking and deeply resonant. The emotional weight of their division and the impact on their young hearts is palpable. Additionally, the fragile and burgeoning relationship between Isabeau and Reul adds an obvious spark, creating a sense of anticipation and discovery.

Secondly, the book is filled with secrets, set in a town steeped in witchcraft history and blood pacts. The atmospheric setting draws the reader in from the very beginning. The fast-paced nature of the story, revolving around disappearances, friends banding together to solve a curse, and the looming danger, kept me thoroughly engaged. The element of a ticking clock, with two individuals slowly succumbing, heightened the stakes and added a sense of urgency. My favorite scene occurs towards the end, at the cemetery where the characters confront the villain. It was both alarming and gripping, keeping me on the edge of my seat.

"Six of Sorrow" is an engrossing must-read that seamlessly weaves together elements of friendship, horror, mystery, and danger.

A great premise and promising beginning followed by an ending that just missed the mark.

“Six of Sorrow” weaves toget her a tale of six girls connected by a shared birthday but this year the group is fractured with no clear path towards resolution, that is until one of them goes missing and the rest have to rally together to determine who, or what, is hunting them down.

The set up for this book is great with small town lore, the shared birthdays and the strangeness in the disappearances and the consequences of those absences (trying to be vague to avoid spoiling) all of which drawing the reader into this mystery and racing to see the conclusion, however, the biggest drop off is what was supposed to be the payoff. As the tension rises and they work to keep each other alive and solve the mystery of their mothers the answer came pretty easily and somewhat randomly given the bits of information we were given. I’m not sure if maybe I was so caught up in the group dynamics I blew past some of the exposition to make it make sense but ultimately I was disappointed at how underwhelming I felt the end was given how great it had been up until then.

The characters were fine though I think more could have been given to three of the six who faded into the background when around the group to the point that I couldn’t tell you their names despite finishing it a minute ago. Same goes with the mothers who had such a large role in the mystery but next to nothing in the actual story.

I’m not sure how I feel about this one as it definitely feels like it has so so much potential to be great but the last 20% didn’t quite match it though I hope I’m in the minority and other readers find enjoyment with the story!

**special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing arcs in exchange for a fair and honest review**

Six of Sorrow is an ode to teenage girl friendship. Yes, there's a magic element, but overall, this is a love letter to the friends that you've always had. You don't always remember how you met, you've just always known them.

Six girls, living in a town called Sorrow, all turn 16 on the same day. They used to be best friends but after they turned 13, they stopped being friends. Two of the girls celebrate with a picnic in the cemetery and a sleepover, but the next morning, one of the girls is gone, without a trace.

Amanda Linsmeier has written a love story with Six of Sorrow. Love in all its forms. Parental, friendship, romantic. This is a fun read for anyone who has strange connections with their lifelong friends.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for providing me with an eARC of this title.

This was a pretty solid YA witchy story. I really enjoyed the spooky town, and I am always up for a witch story. I liked the set up with these girls who all share a birthday and this town that is cursed by a witch. I think I may have enjoyed it more had it leaned a little more into horror an gone the route of being really scary. As it is, it was good. I was pretty invested in the mystery. There were some creepy moments. The atmosphere was great. There was just something missing here that kept me from really falling in love with this book. I did enjoy it though and would recommend this title to people who enjoy witchy stories and YA.

"Sixteen years ago, six girls were born on the same day—and now, on their birthday, one of them is missing. From the author of Starlings comes a story about small-towns, friendships, and the terrifying things your parents don't tell you, that's perfect for fans of Yellowjackets."

Thank you to Netgalley along with the author Amanda Linsmeier for letting me read & review this advanced book copy. This is a three star read that entail a young adult mystery.

So this was an interesting book. It started out a bit slow for me and I found it kind of hard to follow along b/c the main character would make these vague references to the 6 girls friendship that no longer existed. But it held my attention well enough that once I got about halfway through, it started to piece together nicely. The terrifying experience with one friend, Reuel, brings them all together, and they realize that they are connected on a much deeper, dangerous level. Something, or someone, is intent on destroying them. And only together can they figure out how to stop it and save themselves. Nicely done and brought out my inner 15 year old girl who totally thought she’d be a Wiccan one day.

Thank you for the advanced copy.

In my opinion the book was good. Not great, but good. I feel like YA would really love this book. It was well written and the characters were developed. I enjoyed the suspense of the book.

Unfortunately, a DNF for me. While I liked our main character, it took way too long for the story to start for me. By the time it did, I'd largely lost interest. I fully acknowledge it may have been my own mood, but I was unable to engage.

I really did not know how I would feel about this book and I enjoyed it so much. There were moments that seemed so outrageous it made me chuckle but I always enjoyed myself. Love the characters, enjoyed getting to know them all and the friendship they formed and learning their secrets. I think there's something for everyone in this story

Sixteen years ago, six girls were born and were fated to be best friends. They lived in a town called “Sorrow,” named for a long dead witch no know in town seems to know much about. By their sixteenth birthday, the group has split, but Isabela’s and Reuel remain best friends. When Reuel goes missing, the girls band together to support each other. When Reuel shows back up, something is definitely wrong. Then another of the group goes missing. It all seems to go back to the girls’ mothers and something they did as teenagers. And if the girls are going to survive this crisis, they need to figure out what’s going on and fast.

This was a quick YA read, with a nice supernatural twist. The storyline was pretty straightforward, though I would’ve liked more if an explanation of what the moms did back in the day. But I think we got a fairly good picture. And things were pretty creepy when it came to the problem hitting the girls. I don’t want to elaborate too much, but it’s pretty gruesome, mostly because it’s believable. It feels like it could actually happen. *chills*

There’s also the normal teen drama thrown in there, which wasn’t too bad. I thought the friendship between all the girls was really sweet, and the fact that they looked out for each other was really endearing. I was rooting for them!

This is a great book for anyone who likes TA mysteries with a little witchy element. It won’t disappoint!

Unfortunately this one was a struggle to get through, the major plotline felt unfinished and I understood the underlying message about girlhood, the mystery and supernatural elements fell flat.

This Cover is stunning!!!!

Six friends, One Birthday, Many secrets.... YES please great synopsis to a book.

Sorrow is the town and oh the witchy vibes. Reminds me alot of Pretty Little Liars just more spooky.

Things take a creepy turn when one girl goes missing. The books is great and really keeps you engaged and is fast pasted and wonderfully written.

Thanks NetGalley for letting me read and review.

Six former best friends, all born on the same day.
A small town called Sorrow that lives under foreboding tales of a witch.

When one of the girls goes missing, things take an eerie turn.

I loved this book. It's fast paced, beautifully described, and incredibly gripping.

Basically: "Pretty Little Liars" but make it witchy. ✨