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A review by bookishandlegal
These Witches Don't Burn by Isabel Sterling
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- 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
4.0
I really enjoyed this on! Solid YA set in Salem, MA with queer main characters and witchy vibes. I mean honestly, what else can we want out of our YA's than that? This book had mystery, intrigue, romance, and so much more. It was a super quick read and I just kept going until I finished it.
There is a looooottt of toxic relationship, emotional abuse, and manipulation going on with the main character from her ex-girlfriend (who also happens to be the only other teenage witch in her coven in town, which ends up throwing them together a lot more often than they would like). Victoria is honestly one of the most manipulative and abusive characters I've read about in a long time. I wanted to reach into the book and yell at her so many times! But I found that Hannah did a really great job of standing her ground, expressing her disapproval of how Victoria was treating her, attempting to set boundaries, and not letting herself be treated badly anymore/recognizing she deserved better. There were downfalls and she forgave to quickly sometimes, but she's 17 and no one's perfect.
This really was such a fun book and trying to work out what was happening in the town and who was after Hannah and her coven was entertaining. The story/plot kept up nicely and was engaging and interesting throughout. The characters were well developed and were likable and you were rooting for them. I didn't see the ending coming or who was behind the targeting of the coven. I definitely will be picking up the second one in this series to see how the story continues.
There is a looooottt of toxic relationship, emotional abuse, and manipulation going on with the main character from her ex-girlfriend (who also happens to be the only other teenage witch in her coven in town, which ends up throwing them together a lot more often than they would like). Victoria is honestly one of the most manipulative and abusive characters I've read about in a long time. I wanted to reach into the book and yell at her so many times! But I found that Hannah did a really great job of standing her ground, expressing her disapproval of how Victoria was treating her, attempting to set boundaries, and not letting herself be treated badly anymore/recognizing she deserved better. There were downfalls and she forgave to quickly sometimes, but she's 17 and no one's perfect.
This really was such a fun book and trying to work out what was happening in the town and who was after Hannah and her coven was entertaining. The story/plot kept up nicely and was engaging and interesting throughout. The characters were well developed and were likable and you were rooting for them. I didn't see the ending coming or who was behind the targeting of the coven. I definitely will be picking up the second one in this series to see how the story continues.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Homophobia, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Biphobia and Death
Minor: Animal death