A review by theespressoedition
These Witches Don't Burn by Isabel Sterling

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.
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