Seventeen-year-old Savannah is cursed. It’s a sinister family heirloom; passed down through the bloodline for hundreds of years, with one woman in every generation destined to die young. The family call them Hella’s girls, named for their ancestor Hella; the enslaved woman with whom it all began. Hella’s girls are always angry, especially in the months before they die.
The anger is bursting from Savannah – at the men who cat-call her in the street, at her mother’s disingenuous fiancé, even at her own loving family. Each fit of rage is bringing her closer to the edge and now Savannah has to act to save herself. Or die trying. Because the key to survival lies in the underbelly of Cape Town, where the sinister veilwitches are waiting for just such a girl.
I’ve always loved fantasy books that take inspiration from mythology. But it’s not every day that you come across fantasy based on South African culture and history. Set in Cape Town, Blood to Poison is the first book by Mary Watson I’ve read, but I am already itching to read more. The novel explores themes of anger, empowerment and racial injustice, all blended together with a twist of magical realism.
The novel takes place in a magical version of Cape Town. Watson fuses the city’s dark history with folklore and curses to bring the setting to life. I was fascinated by how she explores the scars of slavery still prevalent in the city, and how it affects people of colour today. Watching Savannah navigate the turbulent setting while brimming with the unfathomable rage of her family curse was absolutely engrossing, I couldn’t pull myself away from the book.
Blood to Poison is a furious and mesmerising story about discovering magic, historical rage and love in all its guises. This is a truly engrossing novel for young adult readers.
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