Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood

Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood

2012, Putnam Juvenile

Series: Book 1 of The Cahill Witch Chronicles

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Rating

Synopsis: Everybody knows Cate Cahill and her sisters are eccentric. Too pretty, too reclusive, and far too educated for their own good. But the truth is even worse: they're witches. And if their secret is discovered by the priests of the Brotherhood, it would mean an asylum, a prison ship—or an early grave.

Before her mother died, Cate promised to protect her sisters. But with only six months left to choose between marriage and the Sisterhood, she might not be able to keep her word . . . especially after she finds her mother's diary, uncovering a secret that could spell her family's destruction. Desperate to find alternatives to their fate, Cate starts scouring banned books and questioning rebellious new friends, all while juggling tea parties, shocking marriage proposals, and a forbidden romance with the completely unsuitable Finn Belastra.

If what her mother wrote is true, the Cahill girls aren't safe. Not from the Brotherhood, the Sisterhood—not even from each other.

Why read: Received for review from LibraryThing's Early Reviewer program

What impressed me: Damn near everything. I loved the dynamics of the Cahill family, both in how they relate to each other and how the three girls were so different from one another. I loved the magic and how its necessary secrecy made every use both special and dangerous. I loved Cate as the main character, her struggle with her sisters and trying to keep her word to her dead mother. The girls venturing into society after living a reclusive life for so long was really interesting to see. And the ending just blew me away. Never saw it coming and it made me completely desperate for the next book in the series.

What disappointed me: The romance disappointed me, but in a good way. It didn't make me happy, many times made me want to pull my hair out, but I was always so very concerned what would happen next in Cate's love life.It was frustrating in a realistic way that impressed me while making me unhappy.

Recommended: Definitely. Born Wicked is probably the best YA witch book I've read in quite a while.

Continue series: Absolutely. I'm totally involved in what's going to happen to the characters next.