Member Reviews
Thanks to NetGalley and publishers for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review!
This was a really cute book full of teenage love and magic! Definitely not world changing, but if you are interested in an easy YA light fantasy I would highly recommend. It moves at a brisk pace and is the perfect length for a story like this.
A cute story with just the right amount of mystery. Perfect for witchy fantasy lovers. It had romance, intrigue, and spell binding magic!
George is a witch, a death witch. She is about to ascend and her powers are going through a transition. Felix is her sympathetic sidekick and new girl Trixie her romantic distraction.
George has had issues with her magic since early childhood, not helped by the fact she is supreme in waiting, currently the position is held by her gran. She has the death touch, she sees a person's death if she happens to touch them and is seriously shaken when she appears to see Silas's death at her hands. This gives her new motivation to pass her tests, learn about her magic and make amends with her coven, who resent and hate her. She is mentored on this journey by new gal pal, Trixie. Throw in a few familiar animals visiting ghosts and this is the scene George faces as she contemplates her future. Stereotype dysfunctional youth/witch/emo with blue hair, black clothes and DM's and of course lace gloves. Firstly, this is very familiar and I felt the touch and seeing people's fate has been done before, a lot. Secondly, it it told in present tense, which is always uncomfortable reading for me. And thirdly, the LGBTQ stuff again. Each to their own but it is not my thing so I abandoned it when it became "the" story at 40%. Maybe it should be mentioned that this is the subject as it isn't to everyone's taste. I believe in choice and I would like to have one.
I was actually very surprised by the romance in this book. I did like the sapphic element to, and the fact that she was able to be just friends with the charming, and attrative MMC. I enjoyed their magic as well, although the life/death magic between the couple was a bit cliche, it was still an enjoyable read over all. I feel like the story could be continued if the author choose to go that route, but it also had a nice conclusion to it.
We LOVED this book. Witches, friends and lovers. A gentle love affair and great friendships. Coven of witches and small town secrets. Nothing greatly jarring or surprising, just a great read. Buy this now !
I knew I would like this book from the moment I saw its cover! I was immediately hooked by the premise of being able to experience a person's future death with just a touch. Then you throw in a witchy coven, ghosts, and magic—absolutely perfection! I particularly loved the romantic element of falling in love with someone she was unable to touch. Oh, the tension! Overall, I loved this author's impeccable voice and character development throughout this well-paced novel. Instant five stars!
I loved this book. The word play and the storyline are great. I would have liked this better if they were a little older like in college or in grad school. The era of high school for the characters might turn a lot of readers off.
I did really like the plot and that it's something new that hasn't be been rewritten a million times
The cover is OK
George experiences a person's future death with just a touch. Sixteen year old death which Georgiana “George” Colburn can’t seem to catch a break. The ghosts are always trying to talk to her but George has learned how to deal with them. George accidentally bumps into the new student Silas and experiences his death by her hand. Silas disappears. While waiting for her history class to begin, the new student Silas sits in the seat before her. He gives her the “creeps.” A recent classmate Jen has died. Even Jen’s ghost, the recently deceased popular girl who ignored George in life, won’t leave her alone. George is convinced her life can’t get any worse. Jen doesn’t know she has died. George has to help her remember her death. Her grandmother known as Gran is the Supreme and George the Rising Supreme. George doesn’t want to be the Supreme or have anything to do with magic. Gran insists that she studies for the next tests that she must pass to become a witch. Trixie a fellow witch studying to pass her tests offers to help George with learning witchcraft. The night of George’s trials have come. Her test is looking. Into the “Veritas.” George thinks the coven must hate her. This test has been known to drive one crazy or learn more about them. She passes it. What is still disturbing George is all the deaths in the town over the years. Will George be able to find out why so many die in her town?
The author has written a witchy novel that she writes dark elements in the mystery novel. It’s a novel that includes witchcraft, friendship, romance, and loyalty besides learning responsibility. I enjoy following George’s path as she learns about herself and what she wants/needs to do. I appreciated seeing her failures besides the wins. I am hoping the author wil give us a continuation of this story.
As a mood reader, I'm easily tempted by a cool cover or an intriguing title. However, I won't necessarily stick around if the plot or characters don't grab me. That's exactly why I picked up "Touch of Death," and to my delight, I enjoyed it so much more than I anticipated.
The main character, Georgiana, is a death witch. To make life even more challenging for a teenager, if she touches another person, she experiences their death. This unique ability complicates her social and personal lives significantly.
Despite the typical teenage struggles and occasionally poor decisions, I found George to be a likable protagonist. Her motivations, though sometimes impulsive, made sense for a teenager navigating such a peculiar existence.
My only critique is that the side characters, especially the other witches, could have been more developed. I would have loved to see more of the coven and less of the high school setting.The writing style was simple and flowed well, making it a great debut for the author.
I'd recommend this book to fans of "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" and "Ghost Whisperer"—two shows I loved as a teen. This book captures a similar vibe, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Expect magic, mystery, loyal friends, a familiar, a sprinkle of sapphic romance, and spooky vibes. This would be a perfect read for a spooky Halloween month.
Disclaimer: I received an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is a beautiful sapphic witchy mystery and thriller. Was I surprised with the important twists? No. But there was still a lot of things happening I didn't see coming and kept the tension high. The main baddy genuinely gave me the creeps. The romance is cute and made me happy!
I wanted to read this title because I know the author trough some literacy communities. I really like the main elements of the story and I know this is the kind of book I would´ve LOVED as a teenager. Sadly, it´s not my cup of tea at this stage of my life and though I enjoyed it, it was a bit hard for me to read.
I think this is a great book for its target demographic. It´s entertaining, refreshing and easy to follow. It also has positive messages about love, friendship and inclusivity. That´s always a plus.
I would definitely recommend this book to younger readers!
THIS IS SUCH A 5 STAR READ FOR ME. SO COOL THIS BOOK. LOVED EVERY SINGLE SECOND OF IT. LOVED! I RECOMMEND EVERYONE TO READ THIS
Georgina is a death witch. She doesn’t cause death, but she can experience death if she touches anyone. Apparently this talent usually means the death is eminent, but her ability allows her to experience if even if it is years away. She can also see ghosts, of which there appear to be a lot of in her town.
So, she has to wear gloves.
And then she accidentally touches a classmate, and the death she experience is that of her killing him. Which would make her a murder. She has no idea why she would do such a thing. And she doesn’t want to tell anyone, because she fears they will prejudge her.
This book is fun, while still being a sort of romance and a mystery at the same time. It also is witty, with lines like:
I would be surprised if you found an issue with whom I have a crush on after accepting that I’m a witch and ghosts are real.”
“Fair point. But the world is crazy and people are *ssh*les.”
I love the budding sapphic romance. I love the mystery, though some clues are dropped to help us figure things out. The only issue I had was that Georgina is supposed to be a writer, but we never see her write, or read what she has written. But that is just me being picky, because I am curious about her writing.
Good quick story, and I raced through the book as quickly as I could to see what would happened.
This book is being published the 17th of September 2024. Thanks to Netgalley for making this novel available for an honest review.