alycass's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional inspiring mysterious sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I gave this book 5/5 but honestly I would give this book a 9/5 rating if I could. It is so good, I was rooting for Abitha the entire time and the way the author got me to absolutely hate the townspeople as quickly as they did.. I have no words. This was such an emotional read and I love it it had exactly what I was looking for.

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klsreads's review against another edition

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challenging dark funny sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

This book was not what I expected, but I had a fun time so ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.  The 1600's protagonist read like a modern woman, and the pacing was a bit odd. It is horror, so there is gore and explicit torture/violence. I was really excited for the last 20% of the book and it delivered. Beyond that, the discussions on ecocide and spirituality/religion really hit, as well as the rumination on the nature of evil. I loved the intermingling of Native American folklore, fairy tales, and Christianity.

Consider checking the cws/tws. The art in the book is super spooky and cool. I think it added a lot to the experience!

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cocopuff3438's review against another edition

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dark sad tense medium-paced

3.75

this was emotionally harrowing 😭 I appreciate and respect the commentary but that was brutal. It was like dark, disturbing Miyazaki—the visuals were really cool but instead of being a wholesome witch story it was a horror tragedy 

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solarel's review against another edition

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challenging dark sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

People suck. 

I’m conflicted a bit. While I enjoyed the main two characters, Abitha and Samson, I found the plot as a whole to be very… typical? 

Samson’s story was by far the most interesting plot line. I enjoyed watching him struggle to find who he really is. Is he the monster or the savior? Abitha however, her story felt not just predictable but inevitable. The last third of the book is pure torture porn, and she did not grow as a character. She is merely an instrument of a vengeance arc. 

I saw a lot of reviewers say this story was very white. And I think I see what they mean. I don’t know what the author’s religious background is, but this read as a very Christian framed story. People said this was a horror novel. I didn’t find it scary, only sad. People were the villain. Puritan culture was the villain. And yet it still felt like it was still validating their beliefs in the end with what was supposed to be the “horror”. 

I don’t know if that makes sense, but “pagan” aspects were not rooted in lore beyond that of Christianity. I guess that’s what made it feel like more of a fantasy masquerade of a pagan story of blurred good and evil. 

Stars for ambiance and entertainment only. 

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laurenthompson6290's review against another edition

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dark reflective medium-paced

4.25


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tinyegg's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

*nodding head in approval* good for her

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kingsteph's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

3.5


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twistykris's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

"If it is a witch they want, then a witch they shall have."

This is a book that will stick with me for a long time. It had a bit of a slower start, but I ended up reading the entire last half in one sitting; putting it down proved difficult.

The atmosphere was just impeccable- dark, moody, mysterious. And the writing was just so beautiful and rich. I empathized with both Abitha and Samson, and the conversations between them were delightful and enlightening to read (especially Samson asking
why Christ God can't save a girl from a debilitating case of measles- "they need a better god."
). There IS strong character development from both, but if you're looking for good-natured character development (i.e. "they decided to stop being violent after realizing killing is wrong and won't make them feel better"), you won't get it here. This is a story of righteous anger and vengeance that I absolutely ate up.

If you're looking for a book that will make you sob and laugh and clap your hands under witnessing the power of violent, primal feminine rage- this is it. There are many dark, horrible moments that lead up to it, but the payback is indeed, a witch.

Honestly? Good for her.

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toastrats's review against another edition

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adventurous dark hopeful mysterious reflective tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5


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liebstebunni's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75


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