Reviews

The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw

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ozziemarie's review against another edition

5.0

Predictable but so damn good, I read the whole thing in one sitting. I’ll be thinking about this book for a while. Also I’m crying

“From the black water of the harbor, their song sinks into dreams, permeates the brittle grass that grows along steep cliffs and rotting homes. It settles into the stones that hold up the lighthouse; it floats and swirls in the air until it’s all you can taste and breathe.”

kassimesserly's review against another edition

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3.0

A solid 3 read. This book was a little underwhelming. The concept was totally intriguing and had my interest immediately. I will say towards the end of the book, it does get better and more juicy. I really did enjoy the ending. The beginning and middle, though, was pretty bland. I didn’t really care for the characters all too much. It was still a fun read and enjoyed it for the most part. It just could have used more of something.

laurenjpegler's review against another edition

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2.0

Right, I'm sure quite sure on this.

The main - and only - reason I liked this was because of the witches. I love witches, okay, so any book gets brownie points for having witches in it. I liked how Ernshaw showed a different perception of witches - she played into various stereotypes, like them being sexual temptresses, but she also didn't depict them as wearing pointy hats and flying broomsticks. It was unique. And she put her own spin on this idea of a witch.

The atmosphere was also brilliant. Very dark and mysterious. It kept me guessing, and, actually, shocked me a few times.

However, I had an issue with the fact that these witches came back every summer to get revenge. They came back to murder and drown as boys as a punishment for their own brutal murder in the 1820s. It had no morality to it at all, and the agenda felt a little forced at times. I think there is a difference between writing a powerful story where women defy society's expectations or find their own voice, etc. and writing a story that is simply misandrous (if that's even a word).

I just couldn't get on board with it and it really ruined the story for me. Otherwise, I think it would have been a lovely YA (I say that because I rarely read YA nowadays and it would have gotten such a higher rating if it didn't frustrate me so much). I think I would have really liked this when I was a teenager!