Mary Watson

Blood to Poison

Narah Quinn

Blood To Posion is a YA, contemporary fantasy, coming-of-age tale full of family curses, witches, and justifiably angry girls. Rooted in South African history, and blending magic into the daily backdrop of Cape Town, expertly - and sensitively - exploring  generational trauma and the horrors of slavery, racism and sexism, you are about to see the world around you in a new light.

Seventeen year old Savannah is one of ‘Hella’s girls’, so named for her enslaved ancestor with whom it all began, she is the most recent descendant destined to die young at the hands of a blood curse.

Savannah, though, unlike her relatives, doesn't plan to die like the women before her and plans to break the curse, and so begins her journey into a world of hidden magic, family secrets, and warring witch factions.

I really loved Savannahs character. She was emotional, vulnerable at times, navigating a rage that felt bigger than herself, and a multitude of familial relationships with her mum, aunts, uncles, and long lost friends. 
Her own magic is wound together with her rage, and her relationship with this anger is beautifully developed as the story progresses, strengthening her, and developing her character into a truly formidable young woman who knows not only herself, but her place in a world thats stacked against her.

The slow burn friends to lovers was perfect, the fast pace, high stakes, twisty plot keeps you entirely invested from start to finish and throws in an enticing edge of darkess for a little added extra something.
This is a solid 4.5 star read, and as a last note, I personally think that you should be sure to read the author's note first.

Victoria Justice

Thanks to Netgalley and Bloomsbury for this early digital copy in exchange for an honest review. 

Blood to Poison is a powerful and uniquely magical exploration and justification of anger. It follows seventeen year old Savannah and her family heirloom; a curse passed to one woman in each generation, causing them to die young. 

This book is exquisitely written in the way it explores so many themes within South African history (generational trauma, slavery, racism and misogyny to name a few), justifying and giving fuel to Savannah's anger. 

The writing was immersive and descriptive, really bringing the Cape Town backdrop to life, while building an intricate magic system within its roots. 

The plot contained so many little twists, which constantly kept you guessing and created an unexpected and climatic ending, guided by complex and relatable characters, especially Savannah and the way you felt her emotions alongside her, her anger especially and how deep it flowed. 

Blood to Poison promised imaginative storytelling and originality, which did not leave me disappointed.

Blood to Poison

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