Reviews with content warning for Grief - These Witches Don't Burn

Now I came in expecting a light cozy mystery with witches and lgbtq rep. This book is definitely not cozy, has a handful of tragic moments in addition to homophobia & manipulative ex’s who gaslight/emotionally damage their ex girlfriend’s. Hannah on her own of course has a lot going for her as do Gemma and Morgan. Unfortunately, a few of the plot lines I kind of sort of already saw planned out when certain key words from the dialogue jump out at you. Overall, I do wish there had been more people of color (for a novel set in what I assume is “present day” Salem you would think more diversity in skin tone would have made an appearance ? But you write what you are familiar with and possibly Sterling wasn’t ready yet to write a poc character.)

Content Warnings

lindseyhall44's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

These Witches Don’t Burn follows Hannah, an elemental witch living in Salem, who must uncover the truth behind mysterious events affecting her her and her coven. Of course, amateur sleuthing is not a one woman job, and she must team up with a band of unlikely allies: her (recently) ex girlfriend, non-witch best friend, and new crush. Easy right?
I read this book as one of my fall reads, and would absolutely recommend (especially the audiobook). The characters are fleshed out and complex, the plot is engaging, and the relationships are heartwarming to read. However, the writing may not be for everyone, but I did not have too much of a problem with it.
This is a thriller, which I did not necessarily realize when picking it up, so please check trigger warnings before reading.

Content Warnings

theespressoedition's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

So, the story behind reading this book goes a little something like this:
1) I saw the cover for the sequel, loved it, and added it to my TBR (completely unaware that it was a sequel).
2) Upon finding out it was a sequel, I removed it and added the first book in the series to my TBR.
3) It happened to be available on Libby at the start of October, so I checked it out as an audiobook.
4) After listening to it, I was immediately thankful for the fact that I'm not a cover-buyer and that I wait to purchase books after I've read and loved them.
5) As fun as the cover is, I was not the biggest fan of the book itself (and I'm still debating whether or not to read the sequel).

This book wasn't a fun read in the slightest. It featured incredibly toxic characters in even more toxic relationships. It had a huge focus on death and grief that really altered the vibe of the book at a certain point. There were so many dark, heavy moments that it took away from any of the interesting, mysterious plotlines. The entire time I was listening, I kept hoping that it would pick up and things would be more of the typical "YA pep" I was in the mood for, but instead, I felt very melancholy by the end.

This just wasn't for me. I think the writing was good and so I gave it stars for that, but I just didn't enjoy the story much at all.

Content Warnings

bookcheshirecat's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

4.0

“She'll never understand. The realization washes all the fight out of me, leaving behind only heartache. I gently pull my wrist from her grip. "Because," I say, my voice so soft it's nearly swallowed up by the trees, "I'm standing here, telling you how much you hurt me, and you can't hear it." Tears fill my eyes. I've lost the strength to hide them. "You broke my heart, and you didn't even notice. How can I ..." My throat closes up, I look away. "How could I ever trust you to put the pieces back together?”

➽ These Witches Don't Burn is perfect if you love small-town Fantasy books and all things witchy! The story follows Hannah, an Elemental Witch who has to keep her identity hidden from normal humans like her best friend Gemma. I loved the magic system in this story, as there are different witch covens, from Casters to Elementals to Blood Witches. The latter have a bad reputation though and are seen as monsters. That's why Hannah is horrified that one of them might be running around in Salem! I really liked her friendship with Gemma and the blossoming romance with the new girl in town, Morgan. The story also explores the toxic relationship with her ex-girlfriend Veronica, who still hasn't understood how much she hurt Hannah and keeps trying to get back together with her. The bad guy was a bit predictable, but overall I loved the small-town and witchy vibes!

Content Warnings

rain_baby's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous emotional lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Content Warnings

emilyrose_isreading's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

I surprised myself a bit by how much I enjoyed this book however it helped that I felt that it was almost adjacent to a cozy mystery, with Hannah working in a witch themed shop for tourists and becoming an amateur sleuth almost in order to figure out what was going on. The romance was sweet and felt very realistic (some LGBTQIA+ books make same sex couples 'normal', which would be nice irl but the mild homophobia and having characters in the closet brings the story to life despite the magical elements).
The witchcraft was also worked in nicely in a way that still made the book feel realistic, witches can't do everything with their magic and because they're hiding in plain sight they were just like normal people but with a secret.
This is a novel for teens so they characters felt a bit young at times however I enjoyed it enough that I want to read the sequel and would suggest this to other young adults who don't mind younger characters.

Content Warnings

jadehusdanhicks's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

Loved this reading. Magic and covens with sapphic riddled through out - including not only the MC’s first ex gf but also another budding potential love interest.

Unexpected villians and betrayals left me shocked and I’m so glad I own the second as ill be reading it asap.

Content Warnings

sarahsbookss's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous emotional funny hopeful mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

Content Warnings

More...