Where I got it: ARC from publisher for review
Rating: 5 stars
Cover Rating: 5 stars (Gorgeous. )
Genre: Young Adult
Genre: Young Adult
Publication Date: February 7, 2012
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Page Count: 326 p.
Cate and her sisters are witches. Their mother was a witch too. Now that she's dead though, Cate is tasked with looking after her sisters and keeping their eccentricities a secret. You see, people don't like witches, they are considered wicked and are sent away...or worse. Cate's mother did not leave her very much advice on how to go on, she said no one could be trusted not even their father. Cate also has to worry about coming of age. If she doesn't pick a husband or choose to go into the Sisterhood, the Council will choose for her. With all this on Cate's shoulders it would be nice for her to have an ally. Someone who could know her secret and help her and her sisters stay safe.
I love historical fiction about witches, so this book had caught my eye right away. Look at that cover too, so I had high hopes going into this one. Luckily I was not disappointed. Jessica Spotswood crafted wonderful characters and an interesting town for them all to live in. Cate is an interesting character. I would have loved her if it wasn't for her appalling disregard for books. She talks about being in a bookstore as a horrid thing. Besides her lack of books in her life though, Cate was a good strong character. I really appreciated that she wasn't the perfect heroine. She was bossy, a bit clumsy and very much in love. Love does make strange things happen. Paul does seem like the perfect choice, he seems quite dashing. Love does not always take one where they intend to be taken though. Cate's sisters were also swell. They interacted and bickered just like siblings. Trying to keep magic a secret can be no easy task. This book was a bit slow going at times, but the content kept me constantly craving more. There were surprises and new information around every corner, and Cate was trying to figure it all out, while handling the entire household. I can understand how she can be so upset with her mother. She really didn't do a good job preparing the girls to be on their own. She left them with no allies and no one they could count on at all. She kept so many secrets from them, that seem more harmful than beneficial. There are people out to get them and Cate and her sisters had no idea. There were a few people who surprised me quite a bit. I would recommend that anyone who likes a good old-fashioned witch novel should pick this up. It is one of the best ones I've read.
First Line:
"Our mother was a witch, too, but she hid it better."
Favorite Lines:
"'...I just don't have the time to read anymore.'
'That's the saddest thing I've heard all day,' Finn says, swiping his hands through his messy hair. 'Reading is the perfect escape for whatever ails you.'"
I loved this one too!
ReplyDeleteThe characters in this book were great, especially the sisters....Nice favorite lines! Finn was awesome :)
ReplyDeleteI didn't take it as a book hating girl, she said she has read and that her tastes didn't match her sisters but she didn't say she would run away from them like a vampire from holly water.
ReplyDeleteOther then that I agree with you, if they've had allies maybe all this mess could have been handled differently, maybe if her father was around they would have felt safer, but that is Cate's reality and it is amazing how she tries to protect her siblings.
And Finn *SWOONS*