So, Rick Riordan’s released the cover for The Mark of Athena, and I’m not quite sure what to think!
That sure looks like Jason vs. Percy, doesn’t it? But Percy’s back in orange, and Jason’s wearing purple? And no Annabeth? I really wanted Annabeth on the cover. :(
Here’s the released synopsis: In a fantastical ship called the ArgoII, seven demigods journey by air across the United States and by sea to Rome on their quest to defeat the earth mother, Gaea. Meanwhile, war is breaking out between the Roman and Greek demigods they left behind, and only Annabeth holds the key to restoring peace.
Disney-Hyperion’s also released the full first chapter, which you can read HERE. Be forewarned, though, that OF COURSE, it ends on a bit of a cliffhanger!
Can you be nervous before a book even comes out? I don’t want the Greeks and Romans to fight! I like both camps!
…
Is it October yet?
EDIT: Here’s the full synopsis, courtesy of Rick Riordan’s website: Annabeth is terrified. Just when she’s about to be reunited with Percy—after six months of being apart, thanks to Hera—it looks like Camp Jupiter is preparing for war. As Annabeth and her friends Jason, Piper, and Leo fly in on the Argo II, she can’t blame the Roman demigods for thinking the ship is a Greek weapon. With its steaming bronze dragon masthead, Leo’s fantastical creation doesn’t appear friendly. Annabeth hopes that the sight of their praetor Jason on deck will reassure the Romans that the visitors from Camp Half-Blood are coming in peace.
And that’s only one of her worries. In her pocket Annabeth carries a gift from her mother that came with an unnerving demand: Follow the Mark of Athena. Avenge me. Annabeth already feels weighed down by the prophecy that will send seven demigods on a quest to find—and close— the Doors of Death. What more does Athena want from her?
Annabeth’s biggest fear, though, is that Percy might have changed. What if he’s now attached to Roman ways? Does he still need his old friends? As the daughter of the goddess of war and wisdom, Annabeth knows she was born to be a leader, but never again does she want to be without Seaweed Brain by her side.
Narrated by four different demigods, The Mark of Athena is an unforgettable journey across land and sea to Rome, where important discoveries, surprising sacrifices, and unspeakable horrors await. Climb aboard the Argo II, if you dare….
Sixteen-year-old Lex Bartleby has sucker-punched her last classmate. Fed up with her punkish, wild behavior, her parents ship her off to upstate New York to live with her Uncle Mort for the summer, hoping that a few months of dirty farm work will whip her back into shape. But Uncle Mort’s true occupation is much dirtier than that of shoveling manure.
He’s a Grim Reaper. And he’s going to teach her the family business.
I’ve been in a bit of a slump regarding books, having a really hard time finding something that really drew me in and held my attention (seriously, I have four that I’ve started and set aside just in the last couple of days). That was cured by Croak; I started this book and didn’t even THINK about reading anything else until this one was done. This book is very charming and has a wonderful sense of humor about it – sometimes sarcastic, sometimes just LOL-funny – which is especially interesting for me personally considering the subject matter. I mean, Grim Reapers and death isn’t really all that laugh-worthy, right? But in the world of Croak, and especially in the narration of our main character, Lex, it totally is. I loved every single second of this book.
First off, Lex is probably not what you would consider a wonderful main character, considering that when we first meet her, she’s in the principal’s office with her parents after getting into yet another fight. But the fact of the matter is that her inner monologue is simply hysterical; there’s really no other word for it. She has a very dry outlook on life, and it shows in her inner musings. She says exactly what she thinks, and doesn’t really care if her opinion bothers other people. And while she’s suddenly given in to these violent tendencies, the truth is that she doesn’t know why they came about or what happened to cause them, she doesn’t know where the anger has come from, and she doesn’t know how to stop herself from lashing out. You can tell that she’s just as confused as everyone else. So when her parents decide to send her to her uncle, she is of course hurt that they’d send her away, because they’re her parents and they’re supposed to love her unconditionally and put up with all her crap (not to mention that she doesn’t want to leave her twin sister, Cordy).
But then she meets Uncle Mort, and things suddenly become crystal clear: she’s angry and lashing out because she’s hit the age where her Grim Reaper blood has stirred. And this is when things got really fun and exciting. She meets a whole group of Juniors – kids around her own age who all have their own stories and histories and can exchange stories about their own falls into delinquency – and it’s at this point where I was just completely charmed by the entire world, all the characters, and the story itself. Lex is thrown headfirst into the art of Killing and Culling souls, and of course is paired with a ridiculously attractive guy named Driggs (who was also taken in by her uncle) and t~e~n~s~i~o~n starts to form between them, but it was done in such a way that it didn’t feel ridiculous or overdone and definitely couldn’t qualify for insta-love (which, thank God, seriously, because I would have hated to take away any stars!). On top of all of this, Driggs and Lex start to realize that something weird is going on, in that people are dying who aren’t supposed to be. And this is where the mystery and danger start to come into play and things got really exciting.
Now, I have lamented the fact that I have read several books already this year that use the “teenage girl tries to solve the crimes instead of leaving things up to the proper authorities” trope, but, again, this was done in a way that was different and refreshing, and, yes, I’m going to use that word again, just utterly charming. Mixed in with the strange deaths are all of these humorous asides like how random people have died (shooting themselves in the chest with a nail gun to kill the mosquito that had landed there, choking on a hamster, getting run over by an airlines luggage cart, etc.), and the fun things that Lex and her fellow Juniors do for fun (I especially loved the board game mashup!). It really helped keep the grimness (yes, pun intended!) of their occupation from getting too dark or overwhelming.
And then you had the mythology of the Grims, and the story of that one frightening Grim who took his powers and disobeyed the laws and killed for fun, which turns out to be a main focal point of the book and the overlying mystery. I probably should have seen the “bad guy” before it was revealed, but was so caught up in Lex and Driggs’ adventures and growing relationship that I didn’t. Needless to say, that part of the book – just like the rest of it – was well done and completely captivating.
The ending’s a little achy-breaky, though, and definitely sets itself up for the second installment (I believe there’s going to be three total), so be forewarned about that. But this was just such a well-written, fun and different book that I was utterly enchanted from beginning to end, to the point where I could hardly put it down. If you’re looking for a book that’s a bit different but utterly fantastic and hilarious, give this one a read. I would highly recommend it!
Some favorite quotes:
“The more bizarre deaths Lex observed, the more she was forced to admit that a lot of people were just plain imbeciles.” (pg. 172)
“Lex herself built a Jenga tower on Boardwalk, sank Driggs’s destroyer with a double word score, and captured a bishop in the Peppermint Forest with Mrs. Peacock, making it obvious that years of family board game nights had crafted her into a force to be reckoned with.” (pg. 193)
“Driggs gave her a look. ‘Don’t do that.’
‘What?’
‘That lame thing that superheroes do, where you push me away because you think you’re putting me in danger. I can make my own decisions, thanks.’” (pg. 304) (I just love this part because I HATE that trope just as much as Driggs apparently does.)
[SPOILERY QUOTE]“All I know is that I had never seen anyone like you, and your stupid smile was infectious, and I fell in love with it, and ever since you got here I’ve been falling in love with the rest of you, and now I’m so far gone there’s not a damn thing I can do about it. Okay?” (pg. 305) ♥ ♥ ♥ to infinity! [/SPOILERY QUOTE]
Also, a quick note on the cover: this picture really doesn’t do it justice. It is shiny and metallic and so awesome that, even if I hadn’t enjoyed the book itself so much, I would have been tempted to buy this book just to have the shiny on my shelves. As it is, the book IS awesome, so I don’t have to stress about buying a book I didn’t really like. Guess what I’m going to use part of my Barnes & Noble giftcard on?
In Abby’s world, magic isn’t anything special: it’s a part of everyday life. So when Abby learns that she has zero magical abilities, she’s branded an ‘Ord’—ordinary, bad luck, and quite possibly a danger to society.
The outlook for kids like Abby isn’t bright. Many are cast out by their families, while others are sold to treasure hunters (ordinary kids are impervious to spells and enchantments). Luckily for Abby, her family enrolls her in a school that teaches ordinary kids how to get around in a magical world. But with treasure-hunting kidnappers and carnivorous goblins lurking around every corner, Abby’s biggest problem may not be learning how to be ordinary—it’s whether or not she’s going to survive the school year!
You guys, I ADORED this book. Like, I’m sitting here having finished it and just want to draw hearts all over it. There is so much about it that I just loved – our main narrator, her fantastic family, the whole point that you can be so much more than people think you can, the entire world itself – that I’m afraid I’m not going to be able to find the right words and am just going to end up gushing all over this, which probably isn’t helpful to anyone reading this review. But I am SO putting this on the list of books to buy for my students! So much good stuff in this book, seriously.
Okay, fangirling done, or at least it will be tempered a bit from here on out. This book was like a reverse Harry Potter, in which, instead of realizing she’s a wizard (like Harry does), Abby is born into a world where everyone can do magic, and it’s expected that she’ll be able to do magic because everyone just does. But it’s discovered that Abby is what the world calls an “ord” – as in ordinary, as in no magical ability whatsoever. In this world, most “ords” are sent away from their families because their status reflects badly on everyone around them, but Abby’s family isn’t normal, see, because all of them – her amazing parents and her awesome siblings, all of which I loved to pieces (I think Gil is my favorite) – actually LOVE her, and therefore try to figure out what to do to help her and keep her safe.
“It was weird, I felt exactly the same today as I did yesterday. Shouldn’t you feel different after you find out that you’re, you know, totally useless? I guess not. You’re born an ord, I knew that. So I’d always been useless. I just didn’t know it until yesterday.” (8%)
At this point my heart was pretty much breaking for Abby, but I had faith that things would get better, and they did, for the most part. See, Alexa, Abby’s eldest sister, runs a school for “ords”, where the kids can go to learn how to live without magic (you know, in which they learn to do things like all of us do, unless one of you has actually received a Hogwarts letter). It’s at this school where Abby starts to discover herself. She makes friends, and goes to classes (most of which are pretty mundane and normal, but they do have a self-defense class with a really kick-ass instructor), but it’s totally not boring to read about because throughout it all Abby is making these self-discoveries and becoming such a strong person. And there are all of these funny asides and humor integrated seamlessly into the narrative that the entire reading experience was just completely engaging and fun.
The book does have some darkness in it – see, ords sell for a lot of money on the black market, and Abby has a run-in with a pair of thugs who desperately want her early on (in which Alexa is completely awesome), who then spend the majority of the rest of the book in pursuit of her – and there’s some sadness and danger and absolutely gripping scenes that left me white-knuckling my Kindle and wanting to read faster than my eyes can actually move so I could see how things would turn out, but the entire thing was just so perfect that I was through it in a few hours and wanting more (because this seems like it’s definitely the first in a series, to which I say, bring it on!).
I also like the little hints that something may potentially happen between Abby and Peter somewhere down the line after they’re both much older (since they’re only twelve here), because I really adored their “friendship” (I use quotes because Peter maintains that they’re not friends, thank you very much), plus I’ll be interested to see what happens when her parents realize the truth about Alexa’s love life (which I totally saw early on). But really I just want more of this world, more of Abby, more of Abby’s family and friends, just more, more, more!
If you want a really wonderful book about learning to accept oneself that also incorporates magic, fabulous characters, and a unique world, definitely give this one a read. I wholeheartedly recommend it.
RATING: 5 of 5 stars
An e-galley was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Quote taken from an uncorrected e-galley.
This Is Not A Test by Courtney Summers St. Martin’s Griffin, 2012 RELEASE DATE: June 19, 2012 [Goodreads | Amazon]
It’s the end of the world. Six students have taken cover in Cortege High but shelter is little comfort when the dead outside won’t stop pounding on the doors. One bite is all it takes to kill a person and bring them back as a monstrous version of their former self. To Sloane Price, that doesn’t sound so bad. Six months ago, her world collapsed and since then, she’s failed to find a reason to keep going. Now seems like the perfect time to give up. As Sloane eagerly waits for the barricades to fall, she’s forced to witness the apocalypse through the eyes of five people who actually want to live. But as the days crawl by, the motivations for survival change in startling ways and soon the group’s fate is determined less and less by what’s happening outside and more and more by the unpredictable and violent bids for life—and death—inside. When everything is gone, what do you hold on to?
I’m going to preface this by saying that this review is probably going to be a little all over the place, as I’m having a hard time really putting my feelings into words. There were aspects of this book that were absolutely brutal to read; the main character, Sloane, is pretty much done with life and wanting to end it all. You get a pretty good look at why she feels this way – her father abused her and her sister, Lily, and even though Lily promised they’d run off together to escape him, it was really only Lily who ran away and escaped – but her thought processes are so depressing that there were times I had to put this book aside and take a break. Then on top of this, the zombie apocalypse has arrived, and the dead are taking over. Sloane and five others have managed to barricade themselves in their high school, but the dead are right outside, sometimes pounding down the doors. There is an overwhelming sense of despair because of this, which just makes what Sloane is feeling about ten times worse to read about.
However, with that being said, there was something truly gripping about this book. To call this a zombie book would be doing it a disservice, because while the book is set during said zombie apocalypse, the whole point of the book is Sloane’s look at life while the others around her – particularly Cary – are doing anything and everything they can to survive. Her point of view is completely at odds with everyone else’s, and there are all of these little asides that she says or thinks that really just get to the reader, particularly when it comes to them having to make some hard decisions: “I know we’re not bad people, not deep down inside” (pg. 183). For someone who is pretty much living only because she hasn’t been able to off herself yet, Sloane is a very compelling character, and I kind of spent the whole time wanting to shake her, and for her to realize that she really could do something with her life even though Lily left her. And what better time to do so then when the world is falling apart and she’s finally got a bit of freedom, in that she’s out from under her father’s thumb? But instead of focusing on how to survive (although she’s very good at this, even if she doesn’t mean to be), she keeps thinking of these elaborate ways to go out. There was one line that really struck me about Sloane, and it came up towards the end: “[We won't be able to see our deaths coming] and I haven’t once imagined a death that was out of my control since this started” (pg. 291). Kind of puts her whole thought process into focus, you know? She’s full of these contradictions and keeps doing and saying these things that go are a direct opposite to what she’s thinking in her head, and I just couldn’t help but be pulled in.
And then you have all of these things that happen because it is the end of the world, and Sloane keeps pointing them out and making note of them, and it just makes you think the entire time you’re reading the book, something along the line of, “I wonder if this would have happened or if x would have done this under different circumstances?” And in one respect – [SPOILER]i.e. the relationship that happens between Sloane and Rhys, which I couldn’t help but love[/SPOILER] – I would certainly hope it would, because I think it would have helped, but you can’t help but think of it as an “end of the world” thing (which is exactly what Sloane says about something else that happened that I won’t get into to avoid giving out any other spoilers).
Even if you’re not a fan of zombies – and I would definitely put myself in that camp – I think you could find something to like about this book. The parts with the zombies are frightening and horrifying and terrible, make no mistake, and there is that sense of overwhelming despair, but Sloane’s personal journey is something that anyone would be able to connect with. This Is Not A Test will be out in North America on June 19, 2012. I definitely recommend it.
RATING: 4 of 5 stars
An ARC of this book was provided for free via a Goodreads First Reads giveaway.
Stacking the Shelves is a new weekly meme hosted by Tynga’s Reviews, which is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. You can read more about the creation of Stacking the Shelves by visiting the official launch page here.
I thought I’d have a fairly small week this week, but then two books I’d requested came in at the library, and I got several approvals from NetGalley and Edelweiss. I’m really excited that I’ll finally have lots and lots of time to read, though, since the school I work at just got out for the summer, so hopefully I’ll be able to get caught up on my reading soon.
I’m really excited about reading Enchanted, as I absolutely love fairy tale retellings. I actually requested that the library purchase this one, so I sure hope I end up loving the book!
Facing the Hunchback of Notre Dame (The Enchanted Attic #1) by L.L. Samson Zonderkidz, 2012 [Goodreads | Amazon]
A hidden attic. A classic story. A very unexpected twist. Twin twelve-year-old bookworms Ophelia and Linus Easterday discover a hidden attic that once belonged to a mad scientist. While relaxing in the attic and enjoying her latest book, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Ophelia dozes off, and within moments finds herself facing a fully alive and completely bewildered Quasimodo. Ophelia and Linus team up with a clever neighbor, a hippy priest, and a college custodian, learning Quasimodo’s story while searching for some way to get him back home-if he can survive long enough in the modern world.
Since I work with elementary school kids, I read a lot of middle grade and children’s titles. When I saw the blurb for this on NetGalley, I was immediately intrigued; I mean, the book promised magic, and fictional characters in the modern world, and adventure! It pretty much screamed “your students would love this!” And now that I’ve finished it, I really think they will. This book was a lot of fun to read.
The book has a bit of a Lemony Snicket feel to it, in that it’s told from another narrator’s point of view (in this case, a custodian at the University’s English Department, who’s a bit of a curmudgeon), and also explains the definitions of larger, less-known vocabulary words (I was a really big fan of this, especially when his definitions got a little snarky). He tells the tale of how Linus and Ophelia, who are twins, and their friend, Walter, get caught up in an adventure due to a mishap in an enchanted attic that winds up bringing Quasimodo forward in time, right out of the pages of Victor Hugo’s book. He has all of these pretty funny asides, where he goes off on tangents about the professors of the English department, or when he thinks people are boneheaded, and it’s all done in a very humorous way that I think kids would love. I know I did, and while I’m not a kid, I am definitely a kid at heart, so there you go.
I loved the description of the twins, especially how they complemented each other but were quite different. I also loved the little back story of Walter, and how he’s using his trip to the US to turn over a new leaf and do things differently. And Father Lou, the neighborhood priest, was likewise entertaining, particularly the bit about how he used to be a bounty hunter. All of the characters were so unique, with these little idosyncracies that made them really stand out on the page (or e-reader, in my case). And then, of course, you have Quasimodo, who was really such a gentle soul that I couldn’t help but love him.
The adventure in this book comes courtesy of the deadline imposed on the magic, which says that Quasimodo must be returned 60 hours after he first appears in the world or he’ll die. Several things end up having to happen in order to make sure things turn out all right, and this is heightened by the fact that it’s raining cats and dogs throughout the book, and the dam is not in the best of shape. So you have this urgency (even though I was pretty sure everything would turn out just fine, this being a kid’s book and all) that makes you want to keep reading just so you know everything will be okay. As I said before, I just really had a lot of fun with this book.
If you’re looking for an easily accessible middle grade book, definitely check this one out. It will introduce students to the story of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and give them a really fun adventure filled with excitement and magic (not to mention talk about how people shouldn’t be judged by their outward appearance). I will definitely be purchasing this title for my library and book talking the stuffing out of it!
RATING: 4 of 5 stars
An e-galley was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I don’t know if they’re doing any official cover reveal or not, but I just noticed that Days of Blood and Shadow (Daughter of Smoke and Bone #2) by Laini Taylor has a cover now! I haven’t read the first book yet – it’s on my to-read list, I just need to find the time! – but I always thought the metallic cover for the first book was gorgeous, and this one looks just as pretty.
So, what are your thoughts? I pretty much think they couldn’t have done any better. :)
I’m going to start a new “feature” (if you will), in which I talk about my favorite children’s book series (hence the title, known as FCS from here on out). Since I work with elementary school kids, I see lots and lots of picture and early chapter books. Some of them are truly phenomenal, and deserve lots of attention, so I’m going to use this feature to talk about them. First up: Fancy Nancy!
Fancy Nancy by Jane O’Connor
Illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser HarperCollins, first book published in 2005 GENRE: picture books
The Fancy Nancy books feature our main character, Nancy Clancy, who is a very girly girl and loves all things fancy (shocking, I know!). Nancy lives with her mom, dad, and younger sister, JoJo. The book mentioned here is the first in the series, and deals with Nancy wishing to “fancy up” her family members, who are decidedly drab when compared to Nancy. The other books deal with several other topics: a new friend, being unable to attend a birthday party, breaking a Christmas ornament, staying up too late, not doing her homework, etc. All of the books feature really wonderful, very colorful illustrations courtesy of Robin Preiss Glasser (although there are a few that are done only in her style, and not actually by her) that really bring Nancy and her fanciness to life. (Also of note to those who are old enough for beginning chapter books, Nancy now has a chapter book series as well. I am REALLY excited to check these out!)
The biggest thing I love about these books, however, is the vocabulary that they teach the reader. Nancy, being a fancy girl, loves France and all things French. She includes numerous French words in her narrative, but also uses advanced words, particularly when it comes to describing how she’s feeling. This is a really great way for younger readers to expand their vocabulary, and become familiar with words that will show up as they progress through school.
My students – particularly the girls – absolutely adore Fancy Nancy. If you’re a mom with a young daughter, definitely check them out. I think everyone can use a little fancy in their lives, and Nancy brings it like no other. You can see the rest of the books in the Fancy Nancy series HERE.
The Lost Code by Kevin Emerson Katherine Tegen Books, 2012 [Goodreads | Amazon]
WHAT IS OLDEST WILL BE NEW, WHAT IS LOST SHALL BE FOUND.
The ozone is ravaged, ocean levels have risen, and the sun is a daily enemy. But global climate change is not something new in the Earth’s history.
No one will know this better than less-than-ordinary Owen Parker, who is about to discover that he is the descendant of a highly advanced ancient race—a race that took their technology too far and almost destroyed the Earth in the process.
Now it is Owen’s turn to make right in his world what went wrong thousands of years ago. If Owen can unlock the lost code in his very genes, he may rediscover the forgotten knowledge of his ancestry…and that less-than-ordinary can evolve into extraordinary.
When I first saw the blurb for The Lost Code, I immediately thought of the Percy Jackson books, and knew I had to give it a read. While it is another of those post-apocalyptic/distopian titles populating the YA shelves, it had a fresh feeling to it, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. There’s adventure, mysteries, and even a bit of romance, plus a pretty fabulous main character in Owen. His journey from someone who didn’t fit in and just wanted to be like everyone else to the strong, capable person he becomes at the end of the book was really wonderful to read. I loved that he finally decided to take action, to not rely on others’ opinions, and to do what he felt was right. I think Owen and I are really going to get along well.
I loved the set-up of this story. This book is really all about Owen finding himself and taking charge, but there was so much more to the story. See, Owen is at a summer camp in EdenWest, which is enclosed in a dome that’s supposed to protect everyone from the harmful rays of the sun. You either live in these domes, or you live underground, because the sun’s rays are so strong that they cause radiation poisoning if you’re out in them for too long. There’s a lot of questions about what’s going on at the camp, and what’s going on with the campers, and it keeps twisting and turning around on itself so much that I was constantly guessing. And then there are the little bits of the mythology that are revealed throughout, particularly what happened to Atlantis and what it means for Owen’s world. I found the mythology particularly interesting, again, because this is a pretty big reading kink for me personally, and it was nice to see something new in that respect.
And then you have the romance, which I felt was really true to teenagers, and Owen in particular, who is so afraid of doing something wrong and not fitting in. There are all those awkward moments where he’s afraid he’s said the wrong thing, or doesn’t know what to do, and I kind of adored the entire thing. Lilly was a really well-developed character, with an interesting back story. I found her to be a really strong character, but with her own weaknesses, and am eager to see how her story will turn out.
This book definitely sets up the rest of the series; very little, aside from Owen’s ancestry and their overall goal, really happens. There’s a lot of time spent on daily camp life, from crafts to various activities, and then you have the growing romance between Owen and Lilly. The action doesn’t really kick in until about 60% into the book, but once it does, be prepared to be unable to put the book down; I literally read and read until it was done, it was so engrossing. But as the first book in a new series, this sets up the world, introduces the characters and problems, and gets the reader interested in the story quite well. It’s a really great start to a new series, and I enjoyed every word of it.
The Lost Code will be available in North America on May 22, 2012. I’d definitely recommend you pick up a copy.
RATING: 4 of 5 stars
An e-galley was provided by the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2012 [Goodreads | Amazon]
Everybody knows Cate Cahill and her sisters are eccentric. Too pretty, too reclusive, and far too educated for their own good. But the truth is even worse: they’re witches. And if their secret is discovered by the priests of the Brotherhood, it would mean an asylum, a prison ship—or an early grave.
Before her mother died, Cate promised to protect her sisters. But with only six months left to choose between marriage and the Sisterhood, she might not be able to keep her word… especially after she finds her mother’s diary, uncovering a secret that could spell her family’s destruction. Desperate to find alternatives to their fate, Cate starts scouring banned books and questioning rebellious new friends, all while juggling tea parties, shocking marriage proposals, and a forbidden romance with the completely unsuitable Finn Belastra.
If what her mother wrote is true, the Cahill girls aren’t safe. Not from the Brotherhood, the Sisterhood—not even from each other.
Born Wicked tells the story of an alternative nineteenth-century US where witches once ruled but were overthrown by the Brotherhood, who believe that witches are wicked and should be punished and eradicated. Cate Cahill is the eldest of three sisters, all of whom are witches. This makes them the focus of a prophecy which states that one of the three will be the most powerful witch in the world, who will either bring the witches back to power or drop them into another dark age.
With a story and setting like that, I was hard-pressed to resist this book, and immediately suggested it as a purchase for my local library, so I could read it. I was expecting danger and magic and witchery and exciting happenings. But that’s not exactly what this book provided. The truth is that this book focuses on Cate, who is determined to keep her sisters safe, per a promise she made her dying mother (who failed to prepare Cate for anything to do with the prophecy). Cate is a bit of a difficult character to like at first: she believes the Brotherhood that witchery is wicked, and that therefore she, too, is wicked. Her constant “but wicked girls don’t deserve x” or “but I’m wicked, so deserve whatever I’m getting” mindset at the start of this story was maddening, and I wanted to reach through the pages and shake her. But she grew on me as the story progressed, particularly once she falls in love with Finn and starts to stand up for what she wants and believes in. I also absolutely loved her relationship with her sisters, particularly the youngest sister, Tess.
Knowing that this book is the first in a planned trilogy, I wasn’t expecting things to be fully resolved. But I was not expecting very little to actually happen. Cate and her sisters get a new governess, Elena, and Cate spends most of the book from that point on being distrustful of her, jealous of her sister Maura’s friendship with her, and generally being disagreeable where Elena is concerned. These feelings are not entirely unwarranted, mind you, but when the majority of this book – which I’d thought would be dealing with magic and witches – is instead taken up with feelings of distrust and the back and forth of “can I trust her”, it starts to get really tedious. There is also absolutely NO forward movement with the actual prophecy; we are just as in the dark about this at the end of the book as we were at the start.
What saved this book for me – and accounts for much of this rating – is the romance between Cate and Finn. I found Finn to be utterly charming, and absolutely loved watching their relationship progress. I do want to mention that there is a second guy in this book, Paul, who is Cate’s childhood friend (and the guy everyone thinks she’ll marry), and there are some love-triangle-ish things happening, but it’s pretty clear whom Cate has the deeper feelings for and which way she’s going to go in that respect. That being said, the ending kind of broke my heart. I get why it happened; as I said, it’s the first book in a trilogy and there’s so much to do with the prophecy left to sort out, so it’s too soon for happily-ever-afters. But I still wasn’t quite expecting that particular ending, and am worried about how things are going to be resolved to my satisfaction (as if I’m the only one who matters, of course).
This book is definitely not what I’d call “action-packed”: there’s a lot of going to teas, visiting bookshops, and weeding in gardens, but not so much in the way of magic. This had a very “historical fiction” feel to it with just little dabs of paranormal. But the romance, for me, was good enough to pull me through the book, and make me eager for the second installment. All in all, Born Wicked is a decent start to a new series, and I look forward to seeing what’s going to happen next.
