[Book Review] Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood

Summary (from Amazon):

Blessed with a gift...cursed with a secret.
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.

 

 

 

My sister was actually the one to introduce me to this book. She heard of it and was immediately interested in reading it. Then back in February, Jessica Spotswood was a part of the Breathless Reads 2012 tour so she came to Houston. So, I bought the book mostly for my sister because the genre was more her kind. She read it about a week ago or so and fell in love with it. She told me I had to read it next. So, of course I did.

So, you can understand how much I loved this book, you have to understand one thing; I’m the kind of girl that reads 50 pages of a book at a time and then comes back to it the next day and maybe reads 60 or so. Not the case in while reading this book. Last night while watching Breakout Kings (9c) I started reading it again (I was on page 92). I read while watching the show. I read after the show. I read lying in bed. I read with the lights off and a flashlight. I got up in the middle of the night and read some more. (Yeah, it’s that good). So within the last 24 hours, I’ve read 238 pages? That’s a record for me!

Now to actually talk about the book. There’s three things that a book needs to have for me to consider it a good novel – good characters, good plot, and lastly (and on my account most importantly) a good romance. Jessica Spotswood does a really good job at making the three combine perfectly.

Cate grows in the book (I won’t spoil how… go read it yourself!). I loved getting inside her mind (that’s what I call it). One moment she’s feeling one thing. One moment, she’s feeling the completely opposite. That’s so true to how teenagers are.

The first 40 pages or so of the book does have a slow beginning, but a very necessary stall. Instead of spreading backstory throughout the entire book like I’ve seen a ton of authors drag out, Jessica Spotswood gives all the necessary information as soon as possible. That’s not to say that there aren’t some discovered secrets from the past because believe me there are! If you’re a reader that loves twisted twist, then you’re going to love this book plot!

And lastly my favorite part, the romance! Spotswood will make you flip from Team Paul to Team Finn chapter after chapter. My sister would ask me “which guy do you like better” and I would seriously respond “I don’t know!” Both main guys have their way of being sweet. Both main guys treat Cate with respect. Both main guys have the potential to be great husband for her.

Gasp! Was that a spoiler? Maybe! But if you go out and buy it then read it yourself, you’ll understand!

5 out of 5 for Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood.