Note: I received and ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The book hits the shelves this July!

The Gist: Two girls, Natasha and Della, forge an unlikely friendship whilst searching for Natasha’s lost sister. More girls go missing in the cursed river bend, and a bloodthirsty shapeshifting madwoman is afoot! It’s up to Della and Natasha to vanquish the monsters of the bend before it’s too late!

What worked: I enjoyed the spooky atmosphere surrounding the bend and all of its enchanted winged creatures. The mystery of the missing sister was well spun, leaving me with so many questions the moment they found her abandoned car out in the woods. I do enjoy a good whodunnit—especially one with magic and shape-shifting monsters lurking in the woods. There’s also another mystery within the mystery involving Della’s mother, her dead aunt and some woo woo magic—such fun!

What irked me: Female empowerment is great, and I love that it’s becoming more of a trend in pop culture. That said, the “we don’t need men in this world” message in the final chapter of this book didn’t sit well with me. I like to think of myself as a left-leaning feminist, but I’m not down with misandry.

Overall: Needless to say, I have mixed feelings about this one. If this becomes a trilogy, I may give it another chance since there’s so much more to Natasha’s story nowt that she knows a bit more about herself and what’s fueling her deep-seated rage. Also, I’m interested to see what else is lurking in the cursed bend!