Blood to Poison

​Author: Mary Watson
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Reviewer: Hazel Makuzeni
Blood to Poison is the third novel from author Mary Watson. I’m sorry I missed the first two because if this book is anything to go by, then The Wren Hunt and The Wicker Light, must be spellbinding books to read.
Seventeen-year-old Savannah is no ordinary girl. She is cursed and the curse runs through her bloodline. It all began with Hella, her ancestor who had been enslaved during colonial times. 

​As the author says, “The story is inspired by the very real historical trauma and injustice of enslavement and discrimination in South Africa.” Hella’s anger has been passed down from mother to daughter.
Back to the now. Savannah and her close-knit family live in Cape Town. They live in secret fear of the curse that her aunties believe claimed the lives of her grandmother (who died suddenly at twenty-nine years old), and her aunt Freda who lost control of her car on the highway. She perished just aged twenty-seven. Hella’s curse: You will die before you have fully lived.
Freda was like a second mother to Savannah as she looked after her so that Kim, Savannah’s mother, could finish school. As difficult as she was as a child, prone to frantic meltdowns and tantrums, Freda always found ways to soothe her. When Freda died, her world imploded. Now Savannah is fury on two legs. Not afraid of anything; especially misogynists and veil witches out to get her. Her wrath knows no limit. Hella’s girls: The angrier they are, the younger they die.
Savannah doesn’t want to die before her time. It’s a frantic race against the clock as she confronts danger and brutal moments from her past.
The author deserves a ten out of ten for this thriller. It’s vivid and tragic at the same time. Once I started reading, I couldn’t put the book down. Even at midnight, during load shedding, I had to make use of my mobile phone torch until the electricity came back on – two hours later! It’s awfully engrossing. Witches, forbidden magic, and incredible twists churning in my head as I type the review.  I commend the sensitivity shown by the author when dealing with past trauma, enslaved people, race, inequality and violence against women.
Kudos for a superb book that kept me fascinated from beginning to end, and made me think about my own history. I hope it can reach as many young adults in this country.
“Like Savannah, enslavement is almost certainly part of my own family history, and the book ‘s underlying themes of trauma and historical rage resonate deeply for me,” Mary Watson.