Monday, March 19, 2018

Review: The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw

The Wicked Deep
Shea Ernshaw
Series: n/a
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal. Romance
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads
Hocus Pocus and Practical Magic meets the Salem Witch trials in this haunting story about three sisters on a quest for revenge—and how love may be the only thing powerful enough to stop them.

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.
I remember reading the first few lines of the synopsis for The Wicked Deep, and thinking how much I needed this book. It sounded like it would be amazing. I mean, a curse, revenge, and romance all in one story sounded like it would make for an incredible reading experience, and I am happy to report that it did.

I am going to go all fangirl on this one, because I loved each and every part of this book.

The Characters

It was so easy to care about Penny. I liked her from the first moment we encountered her, and my adoration for her just grew and grew, the more I got to know her. What I found interesting, was how much I cared for the Swan sisters. Ernshaw was able to tell their story in such a way, that I was able to shed some tears for a trio of murders. Good job, Shea Ernshaw!

I must also include Sparrow as a character in this book, because the town and all its inhabitants played such a huge role in this story. There was so much happiness, joy, pain, and suffering tied to this town, and I loved the way Ernshaw incorporated it into the story.

The Writing

The writing was so wonderful! I was highlighting passages like crazy, because the prose was so gorgeous, and I just couldn't stop inhaling Ernshaw's words. She magnificently created an atmosphere that was ethereal and lavish and totally wrapped itself around me.

The story is also replete with emotion. The longing, pain, sorrow, and fear just bleed through the page, and I was taken through each and every emotion with these characters. And like I said, there were tears.

Ernshaw seamlessly blended timelines to give us the full story of the Swan sisters. I really enjoyed flipping back and forth between the past and the present, and I appreciated the way she thoughtfully placed those historic vignettes. Each new piece of the Swan sisters' backstory we received, made me want more and more.

The Story

I am going to have to super vague about the plot, because it's so much better going into it blind. What I will tell you is that I loved how it all unfolded, and I really enjoyed collecting all the little pieces to construct the big picture. I had so many "yes", "no way", "aha", and "that's what I thought" moments, and with each and every new discovery, I found myself reading faster and faster, because I had to know how it all ended.

The Romance

I know there are going to be people crying "instalove", but people, these were intense times with high stakes, and sometimes that pushes people closer faster. Being in Penny's head, while she shared her feelings about Bo, made this sap extra sappy. I could have stayed in the cottage with those two forever.

Overall

A captivating story of love, loss, revenge, and sacrifice, that kept me turning the pages.

**ARC received in exchange for an honest review.









Have you ever seen Hocus Pocus or Practical Magic?
Let us know in the comments!

36 comments:

  1. YAY! I loved this one too! I agree about the writing, definitely. SO beautiful. She is now an author on my watch list!

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    1. Right, her writing was gorgeous. I definitely want to read more from Ernshaw.

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  2. I love when a location becomes a "character" in a book, it makes the story so atmospheric. I want to know more about the curse, too! Great review!

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    1. Yes! I love when the author takes such care to build the backdrop, that it seems like a part of the cast. The curse was crazy and I have seen some amusing commentary on it, but it worked for me.

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  3. This is a must read for me. Glad you loved it!

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    1. I hope you get to read it. I thought it was great!

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  4. I need this book! The plot sounds really great and exciting!

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    1. This had a great plot AND great characters, which is what always wins me over. I found the concept fascinating, and thought it was well executed.

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  5. This one sounds amazing! I love that you really enjoyed it!! I need to read this one! Great review!

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    1. I hope you love it when you read it. I really enjoyed every second of it.

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  6. yaayy I'm soo happy you loved this book! I just got it from the library and can't wait to get to it (eventually). It sounds really twisty!

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    1. You will have suspicions about some things, but some will come right out and hit you over the head. It was fun to let it all unfold.

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  7. I have an ARC of this one and I am so eager to read it after reading your review. I will keep an open mind about the romance.

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    1. Paranormal is not my go-to genre, but this one strikes a nice balance with all its elements, and creates that atmosphere that attract me to other similar books.

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  8. Oh nice! Hearing amazing things about this one, so I'm glad I bought it with little hesitation after I saw that cover! Lol! Glad it was an awesome story! Sounds like one I will enjoy! Nice review!

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    1. I hope you do enjoy it. The paranormal elements were pretty cool, but what really pulled me in was the little bits of mystery and the way Ernshaw revealed the truth.

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  9. Ahh, I'm so happy to hear you loved this one, because I've had my eye on it. I LOVE books about witches, and I also love books where the writing pulls you completely into the world. The setting and the romance sound great, too! I can't wait to check this one out-- great review, Sam!!

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    1. The setting was excellent and me and romance go hand in hand. There is NOT a ton of witchy stuff, which I think annoyed a lot of people, but there is a Salem Witch Trial feel to the flashbacks.

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  10. I'm really glad this one worked better for you than it did for me. I agree with you about the Swan sisters though. When I was reading, I kept thinking I'd love a whole book devoted just to them.

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    1. The book worked for me. I would have liked more of the Swan sisters, but I really enjoyed this one overall.

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  11. Yes, yes, yes! I really liked this book too, Sam. Penny is such a great MC, and I also loved the Swan sisters. Shea Ernshaw's writing is absolutely beautiful and her descriptions of Sparrow
    (and the island) completely swept me away. I did find the romance to be a tiny bit lacklustre and I was hoping the ending would have more oomph, but I'm definitely going to be reading whatever Ernshaw writes next!

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    1. Most of my life was spent writing technical documents, so it amazes me how much I love pretty writing, but Ernshaw's writing was just exquisite.

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  12. Yay I love fan girl reviews AND I love to see a good review for this book! glad to hear the writing was gorgeous and that you connected with Penny from the get go.

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    1. There was just something about the combination of the writing and the way the story unfolded that I loved so much.

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  13. I LOVE Hocus Pocus. This sounds really great. I'm glad to hear you loved it so much. :)

    -lauren
    www.shootingstarsmag.net

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    1. I picked it up because of the witch movie references, but the vibe is more Practical Magic then Hocus Pocus.

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  14. Wahoo! I'm so glad to hear you liked this one! I just snagged it from my local library! :)

    Erica | Erica Robyn Reads

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  15. I've been seeing a lot of great things about this! Great review. :)

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    1. It was a great read for me. It had so many elements, which I loved, and the writing was beautiful.

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  16. Wow, this one was certainly a winner! That’s awesome! Despite seeing the cover around a lot, I haven’t heard a lot about this one but it’s definitely intriguing. I love when a writer creates a character so well that you just fall in love with them. Sounds like Penny was like that for you. :) And the fact that the town and its inhabitants played such a big part is even better. Just makes for a richer story. Great review, Sam!

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    1. This book was a combination of so many things done so well, at least in my opinion. The atmosphere, the characters, the story, the writing -- I really enjoyed it all.

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  17. I have just read another glowing review for this one the other day and it sounds so intriguing to me! I kind of want to read this one now. And thank you for letting us also going into this one blind. Some plots are just better that way ^.^

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    1. Reviewers seem a little polarized on this one, but I loved it. I thought Ernshaw delivered a solid story, that was well written, stacked with some great characters, set in an interesting world.

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  18. I honestly thought I'd reviewed this post before but then I saw it was still in my 'to read' bookmarks so maybe I read without commenting. Anyway, I didn't even know about this book until I suddenly saw everyone reviewing it. I'd seen the cover on Twitter and thought it seemed cool but since no one had been talking about it I figured maybe it wasn't one to read but now it's everywhere! I love the sound of it and I am so so interested in what happens so I will definitely be buying.

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    1. I liked it a lot. I tore through it, because it had the romance and the lore and family drama. So many things to love.

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