caseythereader's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Graphic: Alcohol, Gore, Animal death, Blood, Self harm, Death of parent, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Suicide, Injury/injury detail, and Violence
karcitis's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Gore, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Car accident, Emotional abuse, Injury/injury detail, Death, Religious bigotry, Mass/school shootings, Genocide, Drug use, Child death, Self harm, and Murder
Minor: Bullying, Death of parent, Addiction, Classism, Animal death, Alcohol, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, and Confinement
amberinpieces's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Blood, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/injury detail, and Gore
Moderate: Self harm, Grief, Religious bigotry, Body horror, and Car accident
Minor: Racism, Child death, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Toxic relationship
venetiana's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Violence, Body horror, Blood, Injury/injury detail, and Death
Moderate: Alcohol, Death of parent, Murder, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Classism, Self harm, Stalking, Abandonment, Car accident, Child death, Cultural appropriation, Gore, Grief, Toxic relationship, Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Gaslighting, Murder, and Suicide
abookwanderer's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I was first introduced to this book when it showed up as an ARC (advanced readers copy) in my spring book subscription box from The Strand Bookstore. I loved the cover, and the synopsis that made the book sound like a perfect blend of The Raven Cycle series and Harry Potter—but diverse! I was even more excited when iReadYA sent me a finished copy along with a set of character cards, which helped me get to know the large cast of characters quickly while I read. (I'll be passing along my ARC copy to one lucky blog reader!)
Immediately, the reader is introduced to Logan, a “baby witch”, new to the school and her powers. She’s been taken in by The Red Three: Iris, a deathwitch; Thalia, a greenwitch; and Jailah, a leader in the Junior Witchery Council. The reader joins the group on Halloween night with a kind of unofficial initiation of Logan into their circle. As the book progresses, we get each girls’ back story and how they all came together. Isabelle did an impressive job of weaving the present and past together, keeping the story fresh and exciting.
The large cast of characters does make the story a bit hard to follow in the beginning, so I recommend taking notes (or have the character cards with pictures and descriptions on the back close by!) until you learn everyone. It helped me to follow along more quickly and enhanced my reading experience even more. This is not a book to read when you can’t devote your full attention. Each detail is important and rewarding, and the book deserves complete immersion.
There’s a little bit of everything here for any fantasy fan: a well-established world, a mystery to be solved, magical cursed wolves, and even some romance. I especially loved the diversity of The Witchery. The representation within the large cast only enhanced the story and made it richer and more charming. Now that the world is established, my fingers are crossed that there will be a book two. If you’re a seasonal reader, The Witchery is perfect for the fall. It’s definitely one I would love to reread someday, as well. And please, someone develop an adaptation!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to iReadYA for providing me with a copy.
Check out my reviews and playlists at A Book Wanderer
Moderate: Violence, Death of parent, Blood, Self harm, Gore, and Body horror
bookcaptivated's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Car accident, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Injury/injury detail, and Violence
Moderate: Body horror, Death of parent, Murder, Self harm, and Grief
Minor: Colonisation
changreads's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Child death, Animal death, and Murder
Moderate: Blood, Racism, Religious bigotry, Injury/injury detail, Grief, Gore, Fire/Fire injury, and Car accident