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A review by laurenjpegler
The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw
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!
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!