A refreshing, contemporary novel that explores the power
dynamics between a group of female activists who are
fighting for the right for women's voices to be heard in
the fight against sexual abuse, violence and harassment
against women

Unfortunately I DNF'ed this. It has my interest all over it, a "spiritual goddess retreat" as a hen do, with implied thriller vibes, However I would say more than half the book is backstory on how the characters met and became "friends". The topics are important ones; race, intersectionality, #metoo, all of which I would and do read about. However I just think this book is sat between two genres and it is dampening the pace/my expectations. I either want a literary intriguing read which the flashbacks are trying to do, or a thriller paced creepy wellness hen do (which could definitely still comment on the important themes of the narrative).

I couldn't read this as an ebook for some reason so will get it when it comes out! Sorry! (Leaving a 4 star review to be fair.)

Goddesses by Nina Millns is a novel that delves into the complexities of modern feminism, activism, and the dynamics of sisterhood. The story follows Ayesha, a budding stand-up comedian in London, who finds herself thrust into the limelight after her response to a sexist heckler goes viral. This act of defiance leads her to an exclusive group of women, each with a unique gift, dedicated to making a change in society.
The narrative takes a turn when Ayesha and her friend Yaz are invited to a hen do, which turns out to be a Goddess Retreat. The retreat promises a weekend of empowerment and sisterhood, but the reality is far from what they expected. As the retreat progresses, the events take a darker turn, and the true intentions behind the gathering begin to unravel. Goddesses is a thought-provoking read that offers a biting critique of performative activism and the challenges of navigating feminist spaces.

Nina Millns' book "Goddesses" presents a captivating concept, but its execution left something to be desired. Although the exploration of female empowerment and the reclamation of ancient goddesses showed potential, the narrative often felt disconnected and lacked cohesion. While the characters were well-intentioned, they failed to create a deep emotional connection with the reader. Millns' writing had moments of brilliance, but the overall pacing and character development were uneven. The book makes a commendable effort to highlight important themes, but it struggles to find its footing. If you're looking for a refined and immersive feminist mythology experience, "Goddesses" may not quite meet your expectations.

This is a thought provoking, interesting read that focuses on hard hitting topics. It held my attention and had me thinking.

It's always disappointing when a book doesn't live up to our expectations, especially when we were looking forward to it based on the blurb. It can be difficult to connect with characters when we don't care about them, and it sounds like this was the case for you.

Couldn’t finish this. Thought I’d be reading about an awful white feminist group and its potential takedown but the MC was so naive and contradictory, I have no idea why she cared so much about the “goddesses” bc from the moment she first met them she found them problematic

I was compelled to pick this up because the story delves into themes of sisterhood, the complexities of feminism, and the struggle to find your voice in a noisy world. As a young adult reader, I appreciated the book's sharp commentary on modern activism and the power dynamics within women's groups. The contrast between Ayesha's desire to belong and Yaz's skepticism creates a dynamic that many can relate to in today's world. The "Goddess Retreat" becomes a battleground of ideologies. It's a compelling narrative that keeps you engaged as you question the authenticity of sisterhood in the face of personal agendas. "Goddesses" is a thought-provoking and timely read for those interested in the complexities of female relationships, activism, and the quest for authenticity.

Maybe my degree in political communication clouded my judgement on this a little bit, but the gender politics in this just didn't work for me. I get where the author was trying to go but the change in the narrative and the different storylines just made it a little too difficult to follow unfortunately.

The story flits between the present day and past events of a group of ‘friends ‘ who are attending a hen do - although when they get there discover it’s more of a retreat and they should be referred to as Goddesses.

I thought this was okay but found myself not really caring about the characters and got about halfway through before I stopped reading, which is a shame because I was looking forward to reading it as was intrigued by the blurb.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for my eARC

This book is a necessary read, especially in today's fraught world of gender politics. I found the exploration of white feminism in activism fascinating. The plot and characters felt all too real, for better or worse.
The book was constructed really well, darting in and out of the past and people's stories to drip feed us information, always leaving us wanting more.
A surprisingly dark, gripping read.

Unfortunately a very rare DNF from me. I got about halfway through and was struggling to stay engaged or keep the thread of the plot. Seemed like an interesting premise but a frustrating reading experience.

This book chaellenges sterotypes well, and got me thinking. It had unexpected twists and turns that keep you reading. I would like to see more character development.

The next time someone wonders why feminism needs to be intersectional, I’m showing them this book. This is a searing exposé on the way mainstream, white feminism forgets that women of colour and other women didn’t have the same journey as them, and shows us the darker side of activism when it’s in the wrong hands. This was a blindingly impactful story that not only weaved a brilliant narrative but punched hard and landed hit after hit as we saw the machinations of manipulative people, the power of brainwashing and extremism at its most dangerous.

The way the author created this beautifully idyllic retreat and juxtaposed it with the undercurrents of fear and tension was perfect — an uncomfortably reflective parallel to a lot of things going on today and it had me wanting to take up biting my nails again because it was so damn INTENSE.

Ayesha and Yaz were absolutely amazing narrators. Their characters felt realised and fleshed out, and we get to know them and their styles right away. The first moment we meet them made them relatable; we find them in an awkward situation that just immediately made me think of all the times I’ve seriously not found myself on the same wavelength as everyone else and of course those horrific almost universal experiences of misogyny that has followed them. But as get to know them, it just makes us care and fear for them even more as this break gets worse …

We move fluidly between the present day and little snippets of the womens past with a steady, slow but easy pace that gives us little bits at a time but constantly leave us guessing. From the get go everything just feels off — these subtle moments that start a quiet, subtle nervous energy until things start to unravel and everything falls apart piece by piece.

A dark and thrilling story with a serious edge that definitely needs to be on your bookshelf.

Goddesses offers a lot - challenging stereotypes and assumptions in current Western society, particularly about wellness, feminism, and skilfully spotlighting how class, gender and race infiltrate every aspect of our world, even when people think that they are actively challenging themselves. The women who populate these pages pride themselves on being activists and community champions, tearing down patriarchal barriers, but they are still as blinkered as others in a lot of ways. They are appropriating other cultures as it suits them, but using other women to further themselves, despite their rhetoric.

From the opening pages with Ayesha and Yaz approaching the Goddess retreat (definitely not the hen do that they were expecting), you can feel the awkwardness and tension that was building within the participants in the Goddess group; the objections and arguments between the members was almost painful to read.

As the retreat goes on, and the Goddess group take part in more out of body experiences, the story took an unexpected lurch as psychedelics and hallucinations kicked in, with lasting repercussions for more than a few of the members!

An interesting read that gave me lots to think about - and check out the other reviewers for their take!

Thank you as always to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this book!

Unfortunately, for me, this book wasn't great. I found it really hard to follow, the timelines were all over the place and too much was happening, and ultimately I ended up DNFing it just over half way through.

This debut book presents a uncomfortable story filled with unexpected twists and turns. It is described in one section as the group being the expert, voice, and survivor, relying on the trauma of others for its success.

The author adeptly explores the power dynamics within activism and white feminism. Although the blurb suggests a portrayal of sisterhood's power dynamics, I would hesitate to describe this group of women as a cohesive sisterhood. Initially, the author leads readers to believe in the existence of genuine friendship, but as the book progresses, it becomes apparent that these women have little in common beyond their shared activism. Nevertheless, the book is captivating, and I appreciated the author's narrative technique of seamlessly transitioning between the present events at the goddess retreat and the events leading up to that point, all through the perspective of Ayesha.

However, where the book falls short is in terms of genuine character development. Ayesha's ethnicity remains enigmatic for a significant portion of the story, leaving her with an ambiguous identity. The references to Grenfell also lack depth and exploration. Perhaps this reflects Ayesha's struggle to unravel her own experiences and shape her identity. While her background is pieced together, it never truly coalesces, leaving me with a desire for more knowledge by the end.

I did not end up finishing this book.
I got to what my Kindle says is 88% and just gave up.
I don't believe this story to be best formatted in a book. It might have been better as a script for a movie or TV show as for me it just doesn't translate well in book form. I honestly found most of the characters to be incredibly aggravating. Most of them supposedly trying to build women up but realistically were catty and backstabbing. I really had high hopes for this book and hope some people will like it but it just isn't for me.

I think that there is too many themes happening in this story. The different timelines feel disjointed.