the beginning of this book provides the reader with an interesting mystery, and the rest of the book promptly goes on a wild goose chase to solve it. by that i mean: no one does anything to push the plot forward until the last third, and by then it ends so abruptly you’d think pages were ripped out. if this had been a novella or a short story, this might have been an effective gut punch of an ending — as it stands, for a novel, particularly a novel for children, it’s just kind of “meh”

I was engaged from the tagline "Sweet Tooth meets The Raven Boys" and it had that element that was promised. this was a strong fantasy novel and worked well as a concept and from the storyline. I enjoyed the way the characters were written and how it was used in this plot. I thought the use of the dragon shifter worked well to tell the story and was glad it was so well done. H.E. Edgmon has a strong writing style and am excited for more.

Unfortunately, I really didn't like anything about this. The writing style just didn't work for me. The story was very boring. I'm still not sure what the point of the book was. It just felt like we got a glimpse in the lives of random creatures when not much happened. The book was multiple POV and duel timeline and the author broke the third wall on multiple occasions. The book was just bouncing everywhere and going nowhere.

I'm disappointed with how much I disliked it. Dual timeline is one of my favorite things in books, and even that did nothing for me here. This was not the book for me.

I feel like this book took risks and feels different from other YA, with lots of earnest and important themes, but I’m not sure it was totally successful.

Five teens (Bird, Hugo, Felix, Cal, and Eamon) live in the Caravan, a community made up of folks who aren’t completely human and possess magic powers or non-human features. One morning, the five wake up to realize everyone else in the Caravan disappeared. They set off on a trip to figure out what happened, and unravel the secrets they’re keeping from each other and about what’s happened to the Caravan.

It starts with an author’s note that explains the idea behind the story and gives some context, which is helpful because the beginning doesn’t explain much at all, so it took me awhile to get grounded and understand what’s happening. There’s not really a lot of plot, as the characters are basically roadtripping for like 20%, 35% is backstory, 40% is a lot of monologuing, and 5% is upper case repetition. It’s slow, and more about uncovering why the characters are the way they are now. There’s not really much development either, and the book itself is aware the characters aren’t the most likable. It doesn’t focus too much on the powers or magic, and feels like a character study on what happens to teens who are raised in an isolated/unsafe environment but have nowhere else they can go or belong.

The writing is quite good, though there were some parts here and there that I had trouble parsing but I’m not sure if those were errors or intentional. There was queer rep and maybe neurodivergent rep as well, but I was a little confused on how these teens raised in isolation don’t know what gravity is but do know what ableism sounds like; it just felt a bit consistent on what the characters do and don’t know in the wider society. And while the author’s note was helpful in setting up context, I don’t think a story should need it for it to make sense, so I do wish the Caravan was more established before the conflict began. And for Felix’s chapters, the narrator/author’s voice came in to address readers directly, but I’m not sure that was very successful. It’s like the ultimate telling not showing, and it told me things that I didn’t pick up from the story itself, which was a bit annoying. Like the story wasn’t carrying its weight.

I can see this book not appealing to everyone, and while I feel like it was pretty unique within YA contemporary fantasy, I don’t think it was entirely successful with the risks it took. I can see plenty of people relating with the themes here, though, like queer teens who don’t feel like they belong wherever they live and wonder if they’ll always be stuck.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

We can never leave by H.E. Edgmon is a queer YA fantasy about what it means to belong.

The story follows 5 teenage travelers who wake to find their community has disappeared overnight. They will have to work together to figure out what happened as each of them are trying to deal with their own secrets. With each truth revealed it's becoming clearer to the group it's not about what happened to their community but what happened to them.

I am not a huge fantasy reader but was able to see past all the half human-ness of some characters for the underlying story. I did find it disjointed when the author paused to speak to the reader in random parts throughout the book. I think that would make more sense in a movie versus a book.

Thank you to H.E. Edgmon for working with NetGalley. I received an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion and review.

You can find this book in the bookstores June 10th.

The multi-POVs was a bit disorienting to follow, and I was left confused more often than not. I think there's a lot of potential laid down here, though, and the story itself is both haunting and evocative.

I tried really hard to follow this book but I just found myself getting constantly confused with the switching perspectives between five different characters. It was just way too much back and forth and I could never keep anything straight.

Which is kind of disappointing because parts of this book that I was following were really good and very interesting. I loved the concept of this book and It seems like there was really storytelling in the world and environment you were in. It's just the characters constant pov change was really throwing me off.

Thank you so much to the publisher for reaching out and allowing me to read this book.

Bird belongs to the Caravan, which exists to take care of creatures that are part human, part animal. Bird was born into the Caravan, and has grown up in the community with their mother and grandparents. One morning following one of the community's moon festivals, five teenagers wake to find that everyone else is missing. Now Bird, Hugo, Felix, Eamon, and Cal must travel to the next Caravan community and try to find out why everyone has disappeared overnight. They all have their own secrets and along the way they start to discover dark secrets that have been kept by the very community that is supposed to protect them.

When I saw that We Can Never Leave was compared to Sweet Tooth, I was all-in, because it is one of my favorite series! The book definitely has a similar vibe to the series, introducing characters who have varying half human/half animal attributes. I really loved the mystery surrounding the emergence of half humans/half animals and the questions of how they can into being. I think I would have enjoyed the story even more, if the "sci-fi" aspect would have been explored and fleshed out more, instead of so much time spent on the characters relationships. I was really invested in the questions behind their existence and the secrets being kept by the cult-like members of the Caravan. I didn't mind the relationship aspects to the story, but it would have worked better for me, if equal or more of the story followed the sci-fi arc.

The writing was beautiful, and I loved the imagery that Edgmon created. There's a great sense of mystery as the five characters travel to find answers, and the varying POVs kept the story interesting. I also loved that Edgmon had some fourth wall breaks, that brought humor to the story, as well as insight into one of the characters. The book reads as young adult fiction, but there were some small moments of horror in the story, that really elevated the storytelling, for me.

We Can Never Leave is a captivating story of fantasy and science fiction, that follows complicated characters, dangerous secrets, messy family relationships, past traumas, and struggles with identity and seeking to find your place.

This is a gritty YA horror-fantasy, steeped in our world, with moments of shocking joy interspersed throughout. The character building is breathtaking --and more often than not a gut-punch--and I loved the numerous POV switches. It's not an easy books, but it's a massively rewarding one.

I will be honest, I did not know what to think of this book when I first finished it. Don't get me wrong, it was beautifully written and compelling. But I just wasn't sure it was for me.

We Can Never Leave is about a Caravan of people who are not quite human. They have magic, or don't look totally human. They travel around and collect children like themselves who seem to forget where they came from. That is until one morning all the adults seem to have disappeared leaving the teens to figure out what to do next.

Right off the go I was intrigued by this ground of weird, queer oddballs. All the characters are so flawed, even the book narrator agrees that there's really not an obvious choice of who to root for in this story. The author gives you glimpses of their pasts and personalities, just enough to see there is a lot of trauma here but never a clear picture.

As the group discovers more about themselves and the situation they're in things begin to unravel until a lot of little things really begin to make sense and come together around the end of the story.

This book is not a fluffy queer adventure. It is quite dark. The author pulls not only from the trauma of not fitting in as a queer person but also of being raised in a religious cult that you can't seem to escape from.

I am still thinking about book. I initially gave it 3 stars but upon thinking I'm going with 4 stars. This is a story that will stick with you and was beautifully written. Highly recommend if you're looking for something a little bit different.

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I want to start by saying that just because this book didn’t work for me doesn’t mean it won’t work for others. We Can Never Leave has an intriguing premise and a unique atmosphere that I think will appeal to many readers, but unfortunately, it wasn’t the right fit for me at this time.

I made it about 30% of the way through before realizing I wasn’t engaged the way I’d hoped to be. While the concept of a vanished traveling community and the supernatural elements were interesting, I found myself struggling to connect with the characters and pacing. I also found the story a bit confusing at times, and it was hard to keep track of the large ensemble cast of characters. I think readers who enjoy thoughtful world-building, themes of identity, and a slow-building supernatural mystery will find more to appreciate here.

This could very well be a case of wrong book, wrong time. I might give it another try in the future when I’m in a different reading mood. For now, though, I’m stepping away from it. I appreciate the opportunity to read this early and encourage those intrigued by the premise to give it a shot—it just wasn’t for me right now.

I’ve given this book a 3-star rating as it wasn’t the right fit for me personally, but I believe others might enjoy it.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is about five teens who grew up in a religious cult trying to figure out what is going on when they wake up and everyone else is missing. This is a book focused on religious trauma, identity, not belonging, and all the pain and anger that those issues bring.

This book's description intrigued me, and deals with topics I'd normally be very interested in. But the execution just wasn't for me. Having the book jump between 5 POVs that move about in time from past to present often left me confused at times, let alone without the fourth wall breaking that felt very jarring. It felt like the book was just a lot of characters being cruel to each other and fighting with very little plot movement, and I admit I often found myself skimming trying to get to the meat of the story. And all the time and POV jumping felt unfocused. It felt like the points the author wanted to make got lost along the way for me.

In the end, this book just wasn't for me, and it left me very confused.

I have mixed feelings about We Can Never Leave. It was a unique queer story with a unique set of characters. The plot was hard to follow at times, as some chapters would jump to different points in time, and then you would be back at the present. It's 3rd person POV, which I didn't mind really. Each chapter would have a different character as the focus. This would be one of those stories where I would recommend to push through to the end if able to.

This book was a bit confusing with all of the POV's. I did appreciate the different type of fantasy, however, I felt like I couldn't properly follow it.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review. Unique and emotional story filled with an eclectic cast of characters.

This was confusing and not well written. I've read better qeer religious books like anything from Andrew Joseph White and this one is just so confusing and there is so many changes in perspective that it lost me a lot. And the 3rd person writing really clashed with what the story was supposed to be so I have to say that I did not like this.

I am DNFing this at 20%, unfortunately.

I'm noticing a trend with Edgmon's characters across his novels, and it just doesn't vibe with me. The tendency for unnecessary cruelty between characters reaaaallly makes it tough for me to read.

In We Can Never Leave, the chapters switch between all of the teen characters within a close-knit community of social outcasts... and each and every single one of them is so incredibly horrible and mean to the others. Like, how am I supposed to believe that? If this is the social atmosphere within a safe community for alike people, why the heck is it SO HOSTILE? In their Ouroboros duology there was some great character development away from this same type of teen hostility, but it took a long time to get there and I don't have the willpower to do it again. The catty, knife-twisting one-liners are also a very jarring jump from the otherwise poetic and meandering internal monologues.

Hopefully there is some good character growth and my one star is not deserved, I just can't sit through more of this meanness and NetGalley requires a star rating.

The characters in this story are raw and messy. It is a story that had me confused from the moment I started reading it but I absolutely fell in love with. I could not put this book down from the moment I started reading it until I finished it and that says a lot. It will captivate you from the moment you pick the book up.

H.E. Edgmon's "We Can Never Leave" delivers a haunting and compelling narrative that lingers long after the final page. The premise, a world where amnesiac, inhuman creatures find a fragile sanctuary in a traveling community called the Caravan, immediately pulls you in. When that sanctuary vanishes overnight, leaving behind five disparate teenagers, the story shifts into a gripping mystery laced with emotional vulnerability.

Edgmon masterfully crafts a diverse and complex cast of characters, each grappling with their own unique struggles and hidden pasts. The half-human seeking redemption, the troubled brothers, the venomous girl with a hidden soft side, and the enigmatic shadow-boy all contribute to a rich tapestry of interwoven stories. The dynamic between these five is the heart of the novel, and watching them navigate their distrust and forge tentative bonds is both captivating and poignant.

The mystery of the Caravan's disappearance is skillfully woven into the characters' personal journeys. Edgmon doesn't just focus on the "what" of the mystery, but delves deeply into the "why," exploring themes of identity, belonging, and the weight of past trauma. The phrase "You can never go home..." resonates throughout the narrative, not just in the literal sense of the Caravan’s vanishing, but in the emotional sense of each character’s inability to escape their past.

The writing is evocative and atmospheric, painting a vivid picture of the Caravan's nomadic life and the strange, often unsettling world they inhabit. Edgmon's prose is both lyrical and sharp, capable of conveying both the beauty and the brutality of their reality. The pacing is well-balanced, alternating between moments of quiet introspection and heart-pounding suspense.

"We Can Never Leave" is more than just a fantasy thriller; it's a deeply human story about finding your place in a world that doesn't always understand you. It's a tale of finding family, confronting your demons, and the difficult process of healing. This book is highly recommended for readers who enjoy character-driven narratives, intricate mysteries, and a touch of the uncanny. Edgmon has created a world that feels both familiar and utterly unique, and I eagerly await their future works.

Thank you Wednesday books and Netgalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. An interesting concept! Bird, Hugo, Felix, Calliope, and Eamon live in a world where some people are half human. Others have animal characteristics and magic. Some like Bird animal characteristics aren’t as noticeable and can pass for human. Others like Hugo, who has antlers, cannot. Luckily the Caravan is a traveling commune that provides safety to these people. But do they really? For some they were born into, others just existed one day with no memory of their before. Every new moon they celebrate and this is Bird’s first since their failed attempt to live among human’s. The day after the new moon the five of them wake up to discover that everyone else has disappeared. All their stuff is still there but the people are missing. The five will set out to find a safe place and see if they can find their missing people. But there is so much anger and distrust among them that they are just as likely to kill each other before they do. They each hid secrets and some of them may know more about what’s going on than they’ve said. Can they survive? I did have some slight confusion at parts, the words, while beautiful, could be a little hard for me to follow at times. That being said I still couldn’t put the book down! There was just something about these 5 characters and what they were going through that had me absolutely hooked! And I loved the concept of animal characteristics and magic! I found the backstories to be super engaging and desperately wanted to know how they all came to be! I loved the mysterious and dark side as well! Anger, angst, tortured love, and queerness make H.E. Edgmon’s We Can Never Leave a fantastic and compelling read!