by Shea Ernshaw
♦publisher: Simon Pulse
♦release date: March 6th, 2018
♦hardcover, 320 pages
♦intended audience: Young adult
♦stand-alone
♦source: from publisher for honest review
Welcome to the cursed town of Sparrow…
Where, two centuries ago, three sisters were sentenced to death for witchery. Stones were tied to their ankles and they were drowned in the deep waters surrounding the town.
Now, for a brief time each summer, the sisters return, stealing the bodies of three weak-hearted girls so that they may seek their revenge, luring boys into the harbor and pulling them under.
Like many locals, seventeen-year-old Penny Talbot has accepted the fate of the town. But this year, on the eve of the sisters’ return, a boy named Bo Carter arrives; unaware of the danger he has just stumbled into.
Mistrust and lies spread quickly through the salty, rain-soaked streets. The townspeople turn against one another. Penny and Bo suspect each other of hiding secrets. And death comes swiftly to those who cannot resist the call of the sisters.
But only Penny sees what others cannot. And she will be forced to choose: save Bo, or save herself.
Where, two centuries ago, three sisters were sentenced to death for witchery. Stones were tied to their ankles and they were drowned in the deep waters surrounding the town.
Now, for a brief time each summer, the sisters return, stealing the bodies of three weak-hearted girls so that they may seek their revenge, luring boys into the harbor and pulling them under.
Like many locals, seventeen-year-old Penny Talbot has accepted the fate of the town. But this year, on the eve of the sisters’ return, a boy named Bo Carter arrives; unaware of the danger he has just stumbled into.
Mistrust and lies spread quickly through the salty, rain-soaked streets. The townspeople turn against one another. Penny and Bo suspect each other of hiding secrets. And death comes swiftly to those who cannot resist the call of the sisters.
But only Penny sees what others cannot. And she will be forced to choose: save Bo, or save herself.
{My Thoughts}
If you tell me there's a story that blends magical realism and witchery, that takes place in modern times with modern teen situations but has a rich and dangerous historical backstory, that makes you feel like your head is a little foggy with it's haunting and bizarre atmosphere, that is steeped in a mystery that you may think you have all figured out until it turns everything inside out and upside down---I can almost tell you without a doubt that I will love it. And that was certainly the case with The Wicked Deep.
The town of Sparrow is cursed but it's deadly legacy has become more of an urban legend, drawing tourists and curiousity to it's shores. But Penny knows the stories are true, and when Bo comes to town she finds herself drawn to him, wanting to keep him safe. The Swan Sisters legend makes for an intense and quietly heart-pounding anticipation as you read on, waiting for the first death to strike. Waiting to see who will get taken. The tension of the plot is masterfully done and keeps you absolutely on edge.
Interwoven into Penny and Bo's story are glimpses into the lives of the Swan Sisters, far in the town's past where three sisters arrived who were just a little too different and mysterious and beautiful for the townsfolk to let them be. I loved this part of the story, finding out who these sisters were and how their fate played out.
With a gorgeously atmospheric small town seaside setting and a quirky and at times unreliable protagonist, The Wicked Deep is perfect for fans of April Tucholke, Alice Hoffman, and Cat Winters. Read it, read it, read it. I hope you'll find it as bewitching as I did. A new favorite of mine!
•ABOUT THE AUTHOR•
Shea Ernshaw is an Oregon native and YA author. She often writes late, late, late into the night, enjoys dark woods, scary stories and moonlight on lakes. She drinks loads of tea and believes sunrises are where unicorns hide. She lives with her two cats, a dog, a husband, and a stack of books beside her bed she still needs to read. Her debut THE WICKED DEEP will be published by Simon & Schuster/Simon Pulse in 2018. She currently calls Boston home, where she manages an independent bookstore, drinks too much Diet Coke, and pets every dog she meets.
Purchase the book: Indiebound • BookDepository • Amazon
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