I really like the core elements of Blood to Poison, and the idea of embracing and exploring anger. Savannah is a fresh perspective as a young person who is allowed to be genuinely and uncontrollably angry, and I think connecting that to her family's past, and that of South Africa, was a good choice. Unfortunately, I just never really connected with the book, and I wonder if it's a question of balance. Rather than diving into Hella's story and intergenerational trauma more broadly, I feel the story got a little bogged down in details of the worldbuilding and unnecessary twists. I think I was ready for a more reflective read than I got. That's not to say this is a bad book, and I think it absolutely hits the brief for interesting real-world YA fantasy, but I wanted more from this genius premise.

Blood to Poison is an enchanting fantasy novel set in Cape Town, South Africa. Savannah is the latest woman in her family to take on 'Hella's curse'; powerful angry magic that seems to be consuming her and the city she lives in.

I'm not generally a fantasy reader, but I chose this ARC because of its location, which I know well. Cape Town felt like the perfect setting for angry magic, and the writers use of Afrikaans and Capetonian slang throughout connected so well to the story. The re-envisioning of Green Market Square was perfect.

It took me a while to get into it but once I did, I was hooked and didn't want it to end. I will definitely recommend this to friends who have been to Cape Town and I'm really hoping there will be a sequel.

Thanks Bloomsbury and Mary Watson for the ARC!

I was weary starting this book as i’m not a big fantasy reader, but i’m so glad I continued reading, this book has turned me into a fantasy lover.

The descriptive nature of Mary Watson’s writing made me apart of the world she had created; much like a movie playing in my head I could easily visualise people, places, and emotions easily. Eloquently written, you can feel the passion within the words curated. I especially love that South African English was mixed inside this beautiful book.

At points the storyline and how everyone connected confused me, but I truly believe that’s more a reader error than a problem with the book. It had me so excited that I kept skipping to see what would happen; for me that’s a great sign of enjoyment. (if you don’t have to cover the pages with your hand to stop you reading ahead then did you really enjoy the book?)

I’m trying my best to omit spoilers from this review because I loved reading this and it’s definitely an experience I want others to enjoy as fully as they can, so all i’ll say is trust no one.

The glossary was such an inventive aspect to the storyline I am obsessed.

Was a book that was o-k. I requested this on the proviso that I would love it. I could not get into this, the premise was what intrigued me but wasn't executed well.

I wanted to read this book from the blurb, curses, magic, fate. It sounded like the perfect book for me. And I wasn't disappointed, So much so that I forgot to look at the time and realised I had work in the morning.
Savannah is so angry, and there is so much angst that it feels so different from other YA reads.
I love how the book ended and look forward to reading more from the author.

Savannah has the family curse, one of Hella's girls - fated to die young, and every time she's angry it becomes clearer and clearer. Problem is, there's a lot to be angry about and the only way to deal with it is to walk into danger with Cape Town's veil witches and Night Market.

This was great, I loved the Cape Town setting and the drawing on the history as well as the magic. Some of the bad guys I saw coming (Kim's fiance is a creep from the beginning, even if the later details were less obvious), but I completely missed guessing who The Jackal might be. There was a lot of loss and past hardship for the characters to deal with as well, some of that was due to the history but also with family relationships and the way the curse worked. It felt like it took a bit of time to get going, but then I was hooked.

This book is so powerful, and so clever. On the surface it is a story of a cursed girl, trying to free herself from the fate of so many girls before her, doomed to die before their time. And beneath the surface, both of Savannah and the book itself, there is rage. Endless burning rage.

The story is set in South Africa, where the history of slavery and apartheid cast a long shadow. The book weaves the rage and hurt of generations into the story of a girl just trying to survive, and find her way in a world of magic she didn't know existed, but that she was born to enter.

There are so many twists and turns in this story, it had me utterly gripped, staying up late to read it, unable to put it down, gasping and weeping in turn. An absolutely astonishing read.

This was a fun read, with the modern element set in South Africa (which makes a nice change from it always being in the US) and mixing urban fantasy and some of the roots that make South Africa such a rich cultural mix. The main character was in no way annoying (which is also nice as I usually can not stand the "chosen one" whining) and the other characters around her add to make a believable take on family, friendship, and with the added magic element.

Like a different take on some urban fantasy, then this is a fun read!

Savannah is a girl cursed to die.
Every generation of women in Savannah’s family knows of the curse. An auntie, a grandmother, all the way back to their ancestor, Hella, who cursed the descendants of her abuser in her rage, not knowing she carried his child in her own womb.

Savannah’s fury is constant, it is a beast inside her, and it rages at everything. But when her anger begins to leave marks on her skin, her aunties start to whisper about the family curse, and what happened to her aunt Freda.

Meanwhile, the children of the Jackal are on the prowl, draining the magic and life force of local witches.
And for some reason, they have a keen interest in Savannah and her curse.

This is such a good book, I devoured it in under 24 hours. From the first page I was invested in Savannah. She feels everything so fiercely, it’s impossible not to be invested in her story. And because her anger is always simmering away under the surface, her emotions really pulled me in. She has really meaningful interactions with all of the many characters in the book, which made for an immersive reading experience. I felt her frustrations in trying to accept her mother’s fiancé. I absolutely loved the warmth and love she shares with her extended family, especially her many aunties and her uncle Harrison. Childhood friends Dex and Rosie also fulfilled a bit of found family which I’m always here for. I loved Dex in entirety. He’s got the “Call me and I’ll be there” vibes perfectly.

Even the magic practitioners trading in plain sight at the Market all have their own stories. In fact, I feel like every single character in this book is fleshed out enough for me to either care about them, or hate them appropriately.

I really enjoyed this. It’s well written, Savannah has agency and motivation for every one of her actions, the side characters are all wonderfully done (I particularly like Auntie Dottie!) and the plot and pace kept me reading right through to the end.
Brilliant book.

An absolutely mesmerising and powerful YA fantasy in which the injustice, trauma, and pain suffered by generations of POC in South Africa, is told by entwining real beliefs and history with the captivating powers of fantasy & magic.

A curse that has plagued generations is set to claim Savannah next. The rage she feels within is becoming stronger every day. With each outburst, her skin is marked and her days numbered. This cursed magic is seen as a weakness, but as Savannah sets about ending the curse for good, she soon discovered that there is strength in her anger.

This curse is rooted in the evils that blight such a beautiful country. Generations of suffering stemming from the horrors of slavery and the apartheid, with POC still being subjected to racial persecution and women dealing with sexism and violence daily. With such a heartbreaking history and present, the rage WOC feel is truly justified.

Mary Watson has infused witches and magic with everyday life in a raw & captivating way that has you falling in love with her bold storytelling.

Also, I can’t leave a review without mentioning the outrageous array of delightful & wacky family members. From Aunties & Uncles to childhood friends & neighbours that add to this enchanting story. They fill the pages with love, laughter, strength, courage, and so much joy.

I feel blessed to have read this and can’t wait to add it to my collection. Thank you.

2 final things:

1: The cover is even more stunning after you’ve read the book &

2: You (IMO) MUST read the author's note!

Thank you NetGalley & Bloomsbury Publishing for the gift of the ebook.

Savannah is angry, and understandably so.

And it feels good to read a story about a teenage girl who is allowed to be angry. But she's also kind, and driven, and someone I would have wanted to be friends with at 17.
Savannah is cursed, and as she learns about the curse and her history, she discovers that magic is hiding in plain sight in Cape Town.

I hope we will have a second book because I have a lot of questions !!

This was such a unique and interesting book full of magic, mystery and the supernatural. There were so many sensitive issues and dark periods of history that were dealt with in a really sensitive way that was also enaging. This book was so well written with good character development and a good storyline. I really enjoyed it.

Blood to Poison is a bold and unique YA contemporary fantasy, set in South Africa.

It's a slick story, with a compelling mystery, punchy action sequences and a well-wrought mythology. This is a Cape Town where magic lurks just beneath the surface, both beautiful and deadly.

I don't think I've ever read a book which deals with the concept of anger so cleverly, as both a weakness and a strength. Through the curse which has been passed down through generations of Savannah's family, Watson explores many of the issues that should make us justifiably angry: from everyday sexism and racial microaggressions to the weighty trauma of history, from slavery to the apartheid.

Without a doubt, one of the best YAs I've read in some time.

Thanks net galley and Bloomsbury ya for the digital copy in exchange of an honest review.

Blood to poison by Mary Watson came at the exact moment I thought “I really need to ready something that is not about werewolves or gays”, and I was lucky enough to got this gem.
Reading it was like walking down a street in the early morning of a very misty-cloudy day. The path was familiar -the afterwards of decades of violence against POC in Cape Town- but the land was a mystery. Watson decided to use magic as a subterfuge of the heavy burden that is the impotence and rage that we carry through ancestry. I was not disappointed. I loved Savannah at first sight. She’s this wild, creative, angry girl who wants badly survive her family curse. Through her journey, she makes mistakes, but it all fades away because navigates through one’s family history can be very traumatic and disoriented. I love that I got to know a little bit more about Cape Town and it’s landscapes, Savannah’s relationship with the aunties that felt very love warming despite her relationship with Kim not. Rosie and Dex were a surprise at each turn, and I really liked how we got to meet them through bits and pieces. BUT what really touched me about this book was how Savannah ended the curse. I got gut punched and sidetracked about the moral of the story. I feel like this book is a very great example to learn at school about black history and how we- the descendants- can do to deal, both mentally and emotionally, with all this retrospect knowledge about our history and family.