This was a really fun read! Having grown up in Massachusetts, not too far from Salem, it was fun how the story incorporated elements of the area's history and folklore into its own universe. The part-contemporary, part-fantasy world in which some people are aware of magic and others are not can be tough to pull off, and Sterling does it very well. I loved how the book touched on a lot of themes having to do with the pull teens can feel among family/community, friends, and crushes/newfound love. Really looking forward to the sequel!

This was just okay. I felt like the characters weren't well fleshed out.

I received and ARC from NetGalley for review

“I step closer to the flames, until I feel the lick of heat against my face. The energy cascades over me, through me,driving out the lingering hurt from seeing Veronica. Numbing bad memories like a magical Novocain.”
Thanks to the author for sending me a review copy of this book through netgalley.

This is the second book I read in LGBT genre and now that I have read it, I can definitely say that it did not disappoint me at all. So the book started with the usual dramatic scene between Hannah and her Ex Veronica. Let me tell you another tiny detail, I haven’t read this kind of dramatic scenes in quite a while, so clearly I loved it in this book.

But here’s the thing, Hannah and Veronica, both are Elemental witches and belong to the same coven. No matter how hard Hannah tries to avoid her ex in the beginning, she just can’t. One by one the mysterious things keep unfolding in Massachusetts, Salem.

This book contained such a mysterious vibe along with romance and drama. I literally got engrossed in this story although it was kind of slow paced. I loved the fact that there was a detailed history about different types of witches who exist. An interesting thing was, even these witches had stereotypical beliefs among them.

One thing that irked me was that a few of the male characters were shown as kind of problematic. While I am all for the female empowering characters, there should be a kind of balance.
Over all it’s a very fun, romantic and intense read with all the witchiness …haha. I’d say, it’s a good summer read and would recommend it to all the readers out there.

Hannah is 17, a recently-out lesbian, and an elemental witch. There aren't a lot of actual witches in Salem these days, but she and her family are - of course - in the same coven as her ex-girlfriend, Veronica. As if that wasn't bad enough, now there are weird things going on that sound a lot like they're connected to the blood witch that attacked her on a school trip to New York, and she and Veronica both are targets. (Plus, this super cute new girl who might actually like her? I mean... can you say DRAMA?)

My notes: So good! I really loved Hannah and her family and friends, all of whom seemed very well thought out (even the background characters didn't seem flat). I hope there's a sequel so I can find out more!
*Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC of this title, in exchange for an honest review.*

If I had two use a word three words to tell you about this book it would be quirky, spells and dramatic! I found that some parts were so drama-filled yet it was fun! That was a lot going on in this book however it all fits together and flows in a well-done plot.

We follow Hannah who is an elemental witch with the power to control fire, earth, water, and air. She lives in Salem, Massachusetts! (How cool it that!) But her magic is a secret. However, even those magical powers can't help her avoided her ex-girlfriend and fellow Elemental Witch, Veronica, enough. Veronica is a bit intense and can be seen as an abusive ex-girlfriend. When evidence of dark magic starts popping up around Salem she believes it's the work of a Blood Witch. Now she has to team up with the last person she wants to Veronica. When Hannah meets Morgan a new girl in town, she's now trying to balance dating and fighting off an evil that is growing.

This book does have some light rep, not all of the reps slightly come out and say but there is a lot of hints in the magical world.

Even though the idea of secret hidden witches isn't a new idea, these characters are what make this story. This is a story of young love, their magical powers and the good vs bad. This witchy love tale of spells, powers and saving a modern Salem!



Content warnings and triggers for blood, animal death, toxic abusive, car crash, homophobia, murder, funeral.

Enjoyable read and a definite title that will be purchased for the library. Perfect for the season of October ( fall )
We will have this book on a display for our Halloween books and video to read and view.
Thank you for the chance to read this book before release

I really liked this book. I felt that it laid out clear definitions to the magic used and how it works. The cast is diverse and enjoyable. Overall I probably would have given it 5 stars but did not know this was a start of a series and was disappointed about that.

I was first attracted to the story by the tittle. Then I saw what the story was about and I just HAD to read it. It did not disappointed at all. This book had everything from mystery and suspense, all the way to amazing characters. I always tend to like a lot side characters, and the side characters of this book were amazing to read about. Hannah, the main character, is also really interesting. I was also intrigued by the magic and witch aspect of the story. I loved the way the author developed the magic and made it fit so well with the setting. Element magic has always been very interesting to me to read about, so I was excited for that, and was not let down.

Clearly the start of a series, this witch book hits all the right elements- magic, danger, friendship, first kisses, and family.

This has been called "the gay witch book" and, yeah, that pretty much fits.

As an avid lover of Cate Tiernan's Sweep series, I'm always on the lookout for witchy YA books that inspire even a fraction of the wonder that Tiernan's books did, while simultaneously being aware that what I feel for Sweep is fueled by youthful naivete and nostalgia. In any case, while I didn't fall head over heels in love with These Witches Don't Burn, I found it to be a fun ride, modernized for the era.

The main character is a lesbian, she has a crush on a bisexual girl, her ex is a lesbian, and there is a minor trans boy character, so there's quite a bit of diversity on the gender and sexuality spectrum! It was really cool to read a witchy YA book where the queer experience was so centered, not sidelined or excluded entirely. I was kind of surprised by the lack of racial diversity, though.

The plot is pretty well-paced, I thought, with just the right amount of mystery and catastrophe, and the stakes are real. We get tantalizing hints of the world of witches: there's three different clans, various covens spread across the US, ties to the Salem Witch Trials, Witch Hunters, and a Witch Council. Personally, I would have wanted to see a bit more of the wonder of witchcraft, but that's just me. After all, this isn't a book about someone discovering witchcraft, it's about someone who is already entrenched in it, so it makes sense that she's not basking in the novelty of magic.

Anyway, a fun, enjoyable read, perfect for reading as we near the end of summer and head into the witchiest of seasons, autumn!

I thought this book was super fun, though the plotline was predictable and most of the characters felt one-dimensional (Gemma is only ever the best friend, Morgan is a cute dancer who Hannah has a crush on) and I wish I'd seen more of the life on the coven. The most interesting character dynamic is between Hannah and her ex-gf Veronica, and there were some pretty good discussions. Overall, it was a fun and short read.

I love witches. A lot.
Now add in some LGBT+ characters that aren't high and mighty about their sexuality (or confused and ashamed) and it makes it even better. The representation. Oh man.
Give me lesbians and transgendered characters every day and I'll be happy.

There were parts of this book where I wish the author delved deeper into the magic. We learn about them using crystals and blood symbols, but they are only really used once or twice and forgotten. I wish there was more of a presence.

Hannah is not dealing well with her breakup. While trying to have fun at a party, she gets in yet another fight with her ex, Veronica. They are interrupted by a blood-soaked pagan ritual, and her summer gets exponentially worse. People making animal sacrifices isn't exactly unusual in Salem, so it's difficult to get the authorities to take it seriously. Even when the authorities are Hannah's grandmother, the leader of their coven of witches. Strikes a good balance between the fantastic elements (Hannah's secret life as a witch) and the mundane (her fumbling attempts to woo Morgan, a new girl in town).

These Witches Don't Burn seems like a very authentic novel of the LGBTQ+ experience for a young woman in high school - but with witches! Witch hunters! Bad/evil blood witches!

I loved this story, mostly because the story revolves around the characters. The characters are well-thought, flushed out, and interesting individuals that are not ***so*** unique that you can't see them walking down the hall in your own high school. I'm so glad this is a series and can't wait for book two.

Not exactly an original story, but still good. It definitely leaves you wanting more, so thank goodness there's a book 2 coming. Yes it has gay witches, which might turn some people off of reading it.... but on the other hand might bring in different readers as well. There's plenty of action and mystery to the story. The romance it's a bit hidden under that, but it's still there. Over all an entertaining read.

I did enjoy the storyline of this novel with the different classes of witches. That part of the plot was fascinating. However, I did find that the character's relationships really bogged down the story in places.

Oh my god. Okay, so I thought I knew what I was getting into when I started reading this book. I thought I was just going to be reading some cute love story with some witchy drama on the side. I don’t know what made me think this was going to be a light novel, but it wasn’t. This book nearly made me cry (the only reason I didn’t was because I was at work)

This book does start off at a really light pace and does such an excellent job at introducing you into the world and the different classes of witches. Hannah was a great main character to follow around and her story was just so interesting. Seeing her handle her emotions and her past while trying to move on with her life was amazing. I honestly like almost all the characters and had no clue who could have been behind all the bad that was happening. I thought I knew for like a moment, but I was completely wrong.

This book took such a turn that I never saw coming and it honestly broke my heart. I’m really hoping this is going to be a series, because this book was fantastic.

Had some parts that seemed forced and felt like the LGBTQ was a bit over done...like everyone Hannah meets is gay or bi it seems like, just made it seem less realistic.
I enjoyed the three types of witches and the coven interactions. The overall story line was interesting and I am planning on reading the next book. The whole break up with Veronica was a bit dramatic, but they are teens and will have to continue to see each other since they are in the same coven, so I guess.

First book in a long time that I could not put down. In this contemporary mystery/magical realism with a little bit of romance, Hannah is a teenage elemental witch living in Salem MA. After a bad breakup with her girlfriend, Hannah is just trying to spend the summer hanging with her best friend and working at the Fly by Night Cauldron. Until there is a blood sacrifice at the end of the school year bonfire. Someone bad is in town, and if Hannah doesn’t figure out who it is, she could be in trouble. The mystery kept me guessing until the very end, and I thoroughly enjoyed the rich characters and storytelling.

I was really looking forward to a fun, witchy, queer YA romance/teen drama with this one but those pieces never quite came together for me. Honestly with all the never-fully-expanded-upon references to what happened between Hannah and Veronica and to some of the witch lore I thought I missed a whole first book! It ended up keeping my interest when the pacing of the mystery of who’s after the coven picked up but I don’t think I’ll read the sequel.