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Gifts From Crows
Set far in the future, Gifts From Crows follows a young girl called Everest as she navigates the trauma of enduring a collapsing society, and losing her only family. (Which the latter she believes to have happened by her own hand.)
After befriending an unlikely companion, she must decide if she will try to survive the deep winter alone, or journey out into unknown territory to find civilization.
Navigate this story alongside Everest as she carries the burden -and voices- of her dead family, and faces her own mortality more times than she can count.
. . .
Gifts From Crows is a young adult dystopian novel, perfect for the reader who is not looking for a 'the chosen one' story. It differs from many other publications in its genre, wherein its world was not born from some cataclysmic event (nuclear war, zombies, etc.) and is instead a commentary on a society in which current world issues are ignored. The narrative also shifts the focus away from one 'hero teen protagonist' out to save the earth or start rebellion, to a normal girl and her struggles to find a place for herself within that new world.
Read Gifts From Crows to follow Everest on her journey of loss, survival, and self-discovery.
You’ll love this if you enjoy: The City of Ember, Coraline, Arcane, The Last of Us, Hatchet
After befriending an unlikely companion, she must decide if she will try to survive the deep winter alone, or journey out into unknown territory to find civilization.
Navigate this story alongside Everest as she carries the burden -and voices- of her dead family, and faces her own mortality more times than she can count.
. . .
Gifts From Crows is a young adult dystopian novel, perfect for the reader who is not looking for a 'the chosen one' story. It differs from many other publications in its genre, wherein its world was not born from some cataclysmic event (nuclear war, zombies, etc.) and is instead a commentary on a society in which current world issues are ignored. The narrative also shifts the focus away from one 'hero teen protagonist' out to save the earth or start rebellion, to a normal girl and her struggles to find a place for herself within that new world.
Read Gifts From Crows to follow Everest on her journey of loss, survival, and self-discovery.
You’ll love this if you enjoy: The City of Ember, Coraline, Arcane, The Last of Us, Hatchet
- GenresDystopia
163 pages, Paperback
Published September 2, 2023
9 people are currently reading
227 people want to read
About the author
Peighton Marsh
4 books20 followersPeighton Marsh is a Connecticut author with a love for speculative fiction. Her debut book ‘Gifts From Crows’ was published September 2nd, 2023, and the following sequel, 'On Copper Wires', was released June 1st, 2024.
When Marsh isn't tapping away at her keyboard, she can often be found at her local elementary school as a full-time paraprofessional, or lounging on the couch with her wife and cats.
Marsh also enjoys crafting, sewing, thrifting, and binging fantasy lore videos.
Currently, Marsh is hard at work on the final installment of her YA Dystopian series, and a speculative middle-grade fiction titled 'The Summer of Pandra'.
When Marsh isn't tapping away at her keyboard, she can often be found at her local elementary school as a full-time paraprofessional, or lounging on the couch with her wife and cats.
Marsh also enjoys crafting, sewing, thrifting, and binging fantasy lore videos.
Currently, Marsh is hard at work on the final installment of her YA Dystopian series, and a speculative middle-grade fiction titled 'The Summer of Pandra'.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
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April 27, 2024This was a beautifully-written YA dystopia, in turns evocative, compelling, depressing AF, and hopeful.
“So you’re the crow speaker”
“So you’re the crow speaker”
January 2, 2024
my friend recommended this book to me and i thoroughly enjoyed it, it felt really special to me😭 also freemont owns my heart 🫶🏼
December 25, 2023
Deeply moving, poetic and satisfying. A deep look into grief at a young age with a dystopian backdrop. The setting was beautifully vivid and the journey was visceral.
July 29, 2024
Great story of bravery and resilience!!
August 31, 2023
(Thank you to Peighton Marsh for kindly gifting me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!)
I absolutely ADORED this book. It was something so incredibly unique and special, and if this is the author’s debut novel, I truly cannot wait to see where she goes from here.
Gifts from Crows is a wonderful debut novel from Peighton Marsh. It’s a one-sitting kind of read; within the first chapter, you find your mind completely immersed in the story, narrator, and setting. It left me wanting the next installment immediately in my hands, and I am incredibly excited to see what the Marsh releases next.
I absolutely ADORED this book. It was something so incredibly unique and special, and if this is the author’s debut novel, I truly cannot wait to see where she goes from here.
Gifts from Crows is a wonderful debut novel from Peighton Marsh. It’s a one-sitting kind of read; within the first chapter, you find your mind completely immersed in the story, narrator, and setting. It left me wanting the next installment immediately in my hands, and I am incredibly excited to see what the Marsh releases next.
September 2, 2023
Despite being out of the Young Adult age range but loving the dystopian genre, I gave Gifts From Crows a try. I was NOT disappointed. It’s a beautiful story of a strong teenage girl Everest who is trying to survive in a future post-war era after her life has been devastated. The way Peighton Marsh, the author, weaves in the past and present of Everest’s life made me love the characters and I quickly became invested in the story. Fremont, the crow Everest befriends, is the cutest providing hope in a seemingly hopeless situation. I love the way Ms. Marsh provides images of the notes delivered by Fremont. They are adorable and add a touch of uniqueness to reading the story. I ended the book wanting to read the sequel that I understand is in the works. Peighton Marsh is truly talented and I cannot wait to read more from her.
August 13, 2023
(ARC reader review)
Gifts From Crows is a perfect book to curl up on the couch with a giant mug of tea. The book draws you in so deep you won't want to put it down. If I had to describe the 'tone' of the story, it would be like watching a suspense movie but in black and white. Even if something funny or lighthearted was happening on screen, there is always this eerie darkness lingering in the foreground.
The ending was perfectly well-rounded and fulfilling, but there is so much more to be explored.
I need a second book!
Gifts From Crows is a perfect book to curl up on the couch with a giant mug of tea. The book draws you in so deep you won't want to put it down. If I had to describe the 'tone' of the story, it would be like watching a suspense movie but in black and white. Even if something funny or lighthearted was happening on screen, there is always this eerie darkness lingering in the foreground.
The ending was perfectly well-rounded and fulfilling, but there is so much more to be explored.
I need a second book!
June 17, 2024
I really enjoyed this book! The writing style is really beautiful and the story just feels…sort of warm? Almost cozy? I don’t know how to explain it; “cozy” definitely doesn’t seem to fit given how many dangerous things happen but idk. That’s just how it felt to me. And despite being a narrative, written in prose, this book felt very much like poetry to me. Sorry I don’t really have many words to explain the story, just feelings for some reason.
Fremont is amazing. Everest is a great POV character—I was surprised how well the story flows with one singular human character almost the whole way through. The plot twist, if you will, caught me by surprise. Uhhh what else. The world felt almost more like a slow apocalypse than a dystopia but that might change in the second book.
Also the fact that the chapters are pretty short made it really easy for my terrible attention span lol. It didn’t necessarily have me on the edge of my seat, but it kept me invested enough to finish the book and be intrigued for the sequel!
Overall a very enjoyable book!!
Fremont is amazing. Everest is a great POV character—I was surprised how well the story flows with one singular human character almost the whole way through. The plot twist, if you will, caught me by surprise. Uhhh what else. The world felt almost more like a slow apocalypse than a dystopia but that might change in the second book.
Also the fact that the chapters are pretty short made it really easy for my terrible attention span lol. It didn’t necessarily have me on the edge of my seat, but it kept me invested enough to finish the book and be intrigued for the sequel!
Overall a very enjoyable book!!
March 28, 2024
I wasn't expecting to finish this in a day - but wow, what a book! This is such an intriguing story with a fascinating world and a main character you absolutely must follow. Nadine's story is adventurous, brutal, and very, very emotional. Living in this post-apocalyptic world, you feel the loneliness coming through the pages, the struggle to live, the grief for those lost and the desperate desire for their love and advice. My favourite part was when she discovered the quiet town. This was so well described, it was eerie and haunting.
I recommend to people who love dystopian stories or someone looking for something short and gripping to read! Ideal for older or younger adults.
I recommend to people who love dystopian stories or someone looking for something short and gripping to read! Ideal for older or younger adults.
September 12, 2024
Beautifully written
I came in blind and left absolutely breathless.
This bite-sized book is everything you hope for when you pick up a good dystopian book—the atmospheric descriptions of a world abandoned, a main character driven to survive by a haunting past, and a world that seems to hate them and throw every challenge their way. It was absolutely beautifully written, paced to a tee, and sucked me in anew with every turn of the page.
I will be picking up the second one! What a treat to read.
I came in blind and left absolutely breathless.
This bite-sized book is everything you hope for when you pick up a good dystopian book—the atmospheric descriptions of a world abandoned, a main character driven to survive by a haunting past, and a world that seems to hate them and throw every challenge their way. It was absolutely beautifully written, paced to a tee, and sucked me in anew with every turn of the page.
I will be picking up the second one! What a treat to read.
February 21, 2024
I LOVED how unique this story is!! Dystopian literature has a bad rep now after the dystopian craze that overtook the book community when the Hunger Games and Divergent were in their prime, but Peighton’s book has a wonderfully unusual vibe to it, it’s nothing like any other dystopian I’ve read. I was on my toes the whole time, dying to find out what happens to Everest. I cannot wait for the release of the sequel and will 100% be buying it on its release day!!
April 7, 2024
5/⭐️
I am such a big fan of YA books and this has to be one of my favorites that I’ve read in SUCH A LONG TIME! Despite being way older than Everest I still am able to relate to her and her hopes to find a better life for herself. Freemont was a great companion, he helped take a serious situation and added a bit of humor that only a crow could bring. Everest, Freemont, and the story as a whole has wormed its way into my heart!🐦⬛
I am such a big fan of YA books and this has to be one of my favorites that I’ve read in SUCH A LONG TIME! Despite being way older than Everest I still am able to relate to her and her hopes to find a better life for herself. Freemont was a great companion, he helped take a serious situation and added a bit of humor that only a crow could bring. Everest, Freemont, and the story as a whole has wormed its way into my heart!🐦⬛
July 26, 2024
A dystopian story of survival, family and coming of age.
Gifts From Crows is a beautiful story of Everest’s survival in a dystopian world wrought with danger. A beautiful friendship developing with a crow despite the total and utter loss of her family blooms into a gorgeous story of pure heart and triumph in the face of overwhelming adversity.
Peighton Marsh pens some gorgeously poetic storytelling throughout this book. Gifts From Crows has been on my TBR for a while after a recommendation and I’m so excited to have finally read it! What was I waiting for!! I moved straight onto the follow on ‘On Copper Wires’. Peighton is a beautiful author who’s storytelling is utterly divine! There are so many emotions on hand during the read of this book and each of them vary quite drastically! You can be feeling calm and collected, then feel intense anxiety and fear, flip to anger and pain and then all the way back to blissful happiness.
Gifts From Crows is a quick read at 112 pages! Don’t do what I did and wait so long to read! If is a gorgeous story and one that I guarantee will have you reaching for the second like me! A glorious dystopian survival story stuffed with heart and passion. Plus, crows are probably one of the best animals on earth, so that’s a plus too!
Gifts From Crows is a beautiful story of Everest’s survival in a dystopian world wrought with danger. A beautiful friendship developing with a crow despite the total and utter loss of her family blooms into a gorgeous story of pure heart and triumph in the face of overwhelming adversity.
Peighton Marsh pens some gorgeously poetic storytelling throughout this book. Gifts From Crows has been on my TBR for a while after a recommendation and I’m so excited to have finally read it! What was I waiting for!! I moved straight onto the follow on ‘On Copper Wires’. Peighton is a beautiful author who’s storytelling is utterly divine! There are so many emotions on hand during the read of this book and each of them vary quite drastically! You can be feeling calm and collected, then feel intense anxiety and fear, flip to anger and pain and then all the way back to blissful happiness.
Gifts From Crows is a quick read at 112 pages! Don’t do what I did and wait so long to read! If is a gorgeous story and one that I guarantee will have you reaching for the second like me! A glorious dystopian survival story stuffed with heart and passion. Plus, crows are probably one of the best animals on earth, so that’s a plus too!
January 2, 2024
What a perfect winter read. Everests story is haunting and hopeful. I absolutely loved it and felt on the edge as it kept moving forward, especially in chapter21. I can’t wait for the next book!
October 24, 2023
I can't say that young adult or dystopian are genres I typically engage with but if there was ever a book to change that, it would be Gifts from Crows. The book introduces us to Everest, a fifteen year old girl who seems to have all the cards stacked against her as she navigating healing traumas and chasing a new future. It's impossible not to become immersed with the quirks of Everest's companions, the visceral setting and the quick moving plot. I cannot wait for the next installment and highly recommend for anyone looking for a unique reading experience.
September 14, 2023
I really enjoyed this debut novel by Peighton Marsh. The story was so interesting I had a hard time putting it down. I really missed the main character when I finished this book and I hope Peighton writes a sequel to this story so I can see what happens next!
October 31, 2023
An exciting and well-written debut!! I was hooked the moment I started reading, and couldn't put this book down. I will certainly be looking out for more books by Peighton Marsh in the future.
January 15, 2024
What a beautiful little story. It’s sad and haunting and full of hope all at the same time. I read this in two sittings this evening. It’s only a short book, with only one (human!) character, but the perseverance of Everest/Nadine, paired with the dystopian backdrop, made for a perfect novella. Unlike most dystopian stories this one feels quiet and raw, not filled with action but rather loneliness and grief, a study of how a young girl survives a year alone in the wild. The ending was bittersweet and satisfying. I believe there’s a sequel to come and I really look forward to seeing what this author does next!
August 13, 2023
I was an ARC reader for this book. This book was very intriguing and always kept me wanting to read more. All the foreshadowing and interactions were INCREDIBLE in this story. Everything was explained in perfect detail, but just enough to keep the imagination of the story flowing. The mystery that the book has was encrypted perfectly. The cliff hangers behind each chapter always made me wanting for more! If you’re in for a fun and yet thrilling book that always keeps you guessing, this book is definitely a must read.
June 18, 2024
This book is going down as one of my cozy favorites. I already can’t wait to read it again!
Every scene, every sentence every tense moment played in my head like a beautiful dystopian anime.
Peighton’s writing pulls you in. She makes the slow quiet moments loud with emotion. You feel Everest’s joy, anguish and excitement through small movements, like gentle falling snow.
I’m eagerly awaiting the next leg of the journey, to see these characters soar on the wings Peighton worked so hard to sew. (And an anime adaptation, because my GOODNESS would this make a delightful anime.)
Every scene, every sentence every tense moment played in my head like a beautiful dystopian anime.
Peighton’s writing pulls you in. She makes the slow quiet moments loud with emotion. You feel Everest’s joy, anguish and excitement through small movements, like gentle falling snow.
I’m eagerly awaiting the next leg of the journey, to see these characters soar on the wings Peighton worked so hard to sew. (And an anime adaptation, because my GOODNESS would this make a delightful anime.)
October 8, 2024
I loved it. It took me some time to finish it, cause I didn’t read every day, but it’s been so worth it.
It’s like a walk in the park, like the breeze in your face, like relaxing on your porch at sunset. It was very calm but nice.
We get to see Everest’s strength, her doubts and worries, her love for others.. She is an amazing person who terrible things happened to her, yet there she stands. Our fierce girl.
I finished it yesterday, and today I bought the second book, you cannot leave me like this, Peighton.
It’s like a walk in the park, like the breeze in your face, like relaxing on your porch at sunset. It was very calm but nice.
We get to see Everest’s strength, her doubts and worries, her love for others.. She is an amazing person who terrible things happened to her, yet there she stands. Our fierce girl.
I finished it yesterday, and today I bought the second book, you cannot leave me like this, Peighton.
September 5, 2023
Gifts From Crows by Peighton Marsh is truly a captivating page-turner. Set far in the future, the story follows a brave young girl and her only companion— a black crow. It was one of those books that I could not read fast enough! I had to know why Everest was the way she was, where she was going, and what would happen to her in the end. Gifts From Crows is the perfect book for anyone looking for an easy yet profound read. I can’t wait to read what Marsh will write next.
July 13, 2025
what a beautiful and heartwarming book! i really fell in love with the main character and her little bird companion. the author has a way with words that makes you want to just continue reading all day long and even though it’s a short book the world building was fantastic. i felt really immersed in the story and loved to imagine Nadine/Everest on her journey through the different terrains of her world. i can’t wait to read the second book!
March 9, 2024
A dystopian story about a girl surviving in the wild and having a friendship with crows. I think the writing is beautiful and the story has a great pace to it. I loved reading about our MC and the world she is living in. I don't want to describe too much as I think its best to go in blind and just enjoy the story. I want to thank @hayley_a_writes for recommending this to me.
December 1, 2024
A YA dystopian novella about a girl surviving on her own until she gets proof other people are out there from a crow, so she sets off in winter to reach a new community. We don't get a lot of hints about what happened in the past, or how she ended up alone, but that adds to the cold, wintry atmosphere. Really solid, and I'm interested in continuing the series!
December 9, 2023
Quick read. Well done for a first novel. Like the ending twist
May 4, 2024
Just lovely! Why would this story be the absolute most perfect cozy game? 🤭✨
September 4, 2024
An atmospheric read, easy to enjoy in one sitting, that will leave you wondering how well you'd do in the aftermath of an apocalypse, and where to find a crow to befriend.
April 10, 2024
This story felt like a cozy night spent sipping cocoa on the back porch of a cabin in the woods, watching the stars wrapped in a blanket and telling ghost stories— but in book form.
Gifts from Crows is the story of young girl who must navigate a collapsing society and process her own trauma with the help of a spunky animal companion. Everest is alone for the majority of the book, save for her crow friend, Fremont, and her journey, which starts as a race against nature to find civilization before the winter comes, becomes an important, introspective quest for healing.
I feel strongly about including themes surrounding mental health/illness in literature. For many, reading about characters going through struggles similar to their own can be cathartic, empowering and even healing. ❤️🩹
I hope others, especially young people, find in this book the same kind of empowerment and hope that Everest discovers for herself. I think kids from 10 and upward could easily grasp and enjoy it, although it’s important to note again that some of the themes are a little heavy.
I also hope that anyone who reads it enjoys the whimsical thrill of having an animal companion as much as I did. Seriously, that was one of my biggest childhood dreams. 🤭
I'm excited for book two and hope we'll learn more about Everest's backstory!
Gifts from Crows is the story of young girl who must navigate a collapsing society and process her own trauma with the help of a spunky animal companion. Everest is alone for the majority of the book, save for her crow friend, Fremont, and her journey, which starts as a race against nature to find civilization before the winter comes, becomes an important, introspective quest for healing.
I feel strongly about including themes surrounding mental health/illness in literature. For many, reading about characters going through struggles similar to their own can be cathartic, empowering and even healing. ❤️🩹
I hope others, especially young people, find in this book the same kind of empowerment and hope that Everest discovers for herself. I think kids from 10 and upward could easily grasp and enjoy it, although it’s important to note again that some of the themes are a little heavy.
I also hope that anyone who reads it enjoys the whimsical thrill of having an animal companion as much as I did. Seriously, that was one of my biggest childhood dreams. 🤭
I'm excited for book two and hope we'll learn more about Everest's backstory!
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews