I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I only gave it four stars because it was as expected. I figured out what was going to happen before it happened. I figured there was no way it was that obvious, but it was. So, to me that was unfortunate. It lacked the element of surprise.

It is very similar to Hocus Pocus as stated in the synopsis description. We've got three sisters who were tried and murdered for practicing witchcraft, except they were not actually witches. So wrongful death, revenge, coming back every summer to take that revenge, you get it. Essentially, we are in that time frame of the sisters coming back in this novel. There's lots of murder mystery going on.

There is not really a lot one can say without giving away too much and spoiling the story line. Just know this is a dark and twisty mystery. It is magnificent for a debut novel, but it is one that really lacks the unknown.

I really loved this book. It was full of the magical atmosphere that I wanted from it. I just enjoyed reading it and getting swept up in the story of these poor girls who turned to vengeance after being drowned after a witch hunt 200 years ago. There was mystery throughout that was fun to unravel and even though I guessed what the twist was, it was still fun to read. The ending was kind of rushed and odd for me but overall it was a great story. I’m always a sucker for magical stories.

Title: The Wicked Deep
Author: Shea Ernshaw
My Rating: 4.5 stars

What it's about:

Sparrow Oregon is a town with a curse. 2 centuries ago the people of Sparrow drowned three accused witched in the harbor, and every summer since then, they've come back from revenge, taking over the bodies of young girls and luring boys out into the water to meet their depths. Penny Talbot is the only one who know just how true the rumors are. She knows that it really is the Sparrow sisters taking revenge on the town, because she can see them. The question is, will she do anything about it?

What I didn't like:

Like many young adult books, everyone gets paired off pretty quickly.
It also has a bit on Insta-love happening.
The thing that really bothered me about the story though is something toward the end, that I obviously can't talk about...because spoilers. Just know that it wasn't enough to detract from the story.

What I did like:

I love nearly everything about this book. It was sold to me as Practical Magic meets Hocus Pocus, and it wasn't wrong. I devoured this book. I finished it in less than a day. I enjoyed the characters and their stories. I felt real emotions for these people. Penny who'd lost her father, and her mom, who'd lost her husband. Bo, who..well.. I can't say because spoilers.

I loved the atmosphere and the magic in this story. A tiny little town, plagued by a curse it brought upon it's self years and years ago.

My favorite part of the book though, was the story of Hazel and Owen. I could read a full length novel just about the two of them.


Overall:

I loved this book. I was so excited when I received an advance ecopy from NetGalley. I'll definitely be picking this book up when it comes out in March!

The Wicked Deep was as wonderfully enchanting as I had anticipated, and the story drew me in so swiftly that before I knew it I was on the last chapter. The flow of the book made it seem like a quick, but pleasant read, and my curiousity was constantly piqued just as I thought I was approaching a lull in the story - bringing me back over and over again.

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.

When I first heard about this book, all I could think about was how much I loved Practical Magic and I was so excited. It didn’t disappoint at all and definitely had the feel of it while at the same time telling it’s own original story. We have a town, we have a curse and we have it being made into a tourist attraction. Now while Penny and Bo did both have their mysterious, I was entirely focused on the Swan Sisters. I wanted to know everything about them and where their story was going to go.

As the novel started off, there were moments when the author was trying to write in a very poetic type of way but it didn’t quite stick until further in. Then the words started flowing better. While I did pick up hints about the truth on who the Swan sisters were possessing, it was still fun seeing that twist and how other characters reacted to that knowledge. I didn’t completely love the ending however, I felt like the book finally hit its stride and was turning into something really great but ended in a bit of a weak note.

The romance between the two main characters was great but Bo completely concerned me with his anger and thoughts towards killing innocents in order to achieve his vengeance. I feel like if maybe the story was a little different then maybe it would have been justified, but all I kept thinking was how he was 18 years old and ready to kill. Though it took the ending for me to understand why Penny wasn’t as freaked out as I was about it, but still.

Overall it was a good read and I flew through the pages. The Swans Sisters definitely deserved more in the end and I would love to read a book centered on just them.

I've seen this book advertised as a mix between Hocus Pocus and Practical Magic. While I can see a bit of each of those in this story, both of those movies/book were so much better. While The Wicked Deep was still a good quick read, I feel like I was expecting more witch craft from it. Throughout the story it's stated that the sisters were not witches and did not do witch craft. To me they almost seemed more like sirens than witches, which was disappointing. The "love" story was ok. Sort of your typical YA supernatural love story with a little twist. I saw it coming but other may not. I feel like the reason the sisters/town were cursed was never fully stated. I also feel like certain character's stories were left in a weird place at the end. Overall though, the story was entertaining and fun. I read it in a day, no problem. With all the drinking in it I don't think I can take it on my Jr. High book talks though.