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Jan 14, 2012

Wendy Darling rated it:

Well, I read the first 150 pages of this novel and then skimmed another 50, but this one just isn't holding my attention, I'm afraid. The writing and mood are actually rather nice, and the language seems pretty appropriate to early 20th century New England (albeit an alternate history version) aside from some jarring words here and there.

There just isn't enough witchery in this book for me, however, since the book seems very heavily centered around the romance. And unfortunately, th More...

53 comments like (39 people liked it)

Dec 29, 2011

Tatiana added it

Whatever I am going to write here will probably sound hypocritical in the light of the recent ramblings about genre/commercial/popular (whatever you want to call it) fiction that I started in my Angelfall and Under the Never Sky reviews, but here it is.

I've only read a couple of chapters of Born Wicked and thus far there are no objective issues with this novel that would justify my giving it a low rating or a bad review. It is written like everything else popular in YA right now, do More...

12 comments like (25 people liked it)

Dec 19, 2011

Miranda rated it:

This book is one you can't miss. I'm already dying to know what happens in books 2 and 3!

Jessica Spotswood is an enormously talented author whose prose is gorgeous and full and lush and makes me want to live in the world she's created, an alternate history of America in the 1890s. The author's style reminds me of Kristin Cashore's -- the imagery made me want to attend the tea parties and wear the dresses and hang out in the gardens. I seriously loved this book, and had a hard time put More...

1 comment like (9 people liked it)

Dec 19, 2011

Minli rated it:

This will definitely appeal to certain types of readers, but it's really not for me. Some parts were interesting, and it was compelling in the sense that it wasn't bad enough for me to give up on.

Cate Cahill and her two sisters, Maura and Tess, live in an alternate history 1870s New England, where a religious order called the Brotherhood extrapolates the Salem witch trial era. Except witches and magic are actually real (though quite rare, so we're told), and if they're caught, the Brot More...

3 comments like (11 people liked it)

Dec 19, 2011

Ellen rated it:

I'm so crazy about this book that not having book 2 and 3 right now is literally eating away at me! I love that it is about witches. I love the historical feel to it - and yet it's alternate history bent. I love the Cahill girls and the setting and I love the romantic interest - I mean heart poundingly love it!

I know I'm gushing. I need to stop gushing but I can't. I just know people are going to go crazy about this series. I mean look at my reaction? the last time I reacted like thi More...

1 comment like (8 people liked it)

Dec 19, 2011

Aleeza marked it as to-read

THIS COVER, YOU GUYS. THIS COVERRRR. *swoons*

3 comments like (7 people liked it)

Dec 19, 2011

Kayla rated it:

Oh man, you guys, I so totally enjoyed this book. It's not a particularly fast read, but it's definitely a satisfying one—it has one of those worlds you get to linger in, populated with fabulous, secretive characters. On the note of characters, I really enjoyed all of them. They seemed so real, the sort of well-written characters who jump off the page and come to life. The plot and character motivations were super-cohesive, something I always appreciate in novels. Also, the love triangle is one More...

1 comment like (5 people liked it)

Dec 19, 2011

Jess rated it:

I was lucky enough to win an arc of this from the author's blog, and wow, am I so glad I did. The prose was lush and evocative, beautifully painting the world Cate lives in. The idea of a world where women, and witches especially, are supressed by an all powerful "Brotherhood" was compelling, and the worldbuilding felt genuine. All the characters had their own personalitites and issues,and I never felt like the secondary charactors were just a backdrop to the action. The main romance o More...

0 comments like (5 people liked it)

Dec 19, 2011

Christie rated it:

I stayed up till 3:00am finishing this book. I thought it was a fast read. I couldn't wait to see what would happen and now I'm dying for the next book in the series! DYING to read more.

I didn't even read the back of this book before I read it. I saw the lovely package that the publisher sent and decided just to go for it. So the alternate history and some of the other aspects were a total surprise. Alternate histories are my current favorites! I love the combination of magic and ro More...

1 comment like (5 people liked it)

Dec 19, 2011

Caitlings rated it:

I really, really liked this book. The writing was so well done, and the characters, especially the sisters felt so real. And the issues were so conflicting. And then the ending....it was just the right type of cliffhanger. The type that had every plot thread end in such a way that you need to know what would happen next in their lives.

*Proper review to come.*

0 comments like (4 people liked it)

Dec 19, 2011

Lauren rated it:

Spotswood's enchanting debut is instantly addictive! It features a strong female protagonist (my favorite!) and plenty of forbidden romance and dark magic. Don't miss out on this sensational new series!

0 comments like (4 people liked it)

Feb 07, 2012

Nicole (All I Ever Read) rated it:

So back in August 2011 I got my first glimpse of the cover of Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood and it was love at first sight. I even went on to feature the book as one of my Waiting on Wednesday picks because a cover that pretty deserves to be shared with others. Then I read the synopsis and I knew that I needed to add this one to my wishlist. The only downside was that I had to wait until February 2012 to get my hands on a copy…except I ended up getting a copy at the end of August. I tried More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Feb 06, 2012

Shannon rated it:

Born Wicked was a novel that I was sure I was going to love since it has a historical setting, witches, and romance. While all three of those things are done extremely well, I felt the novel's slow pace and lack of intensity really hurt the story.

One of my biggest issues with the story begins with the protagonist Cate. Although I liked Cate, I didn't love her. She's actually quite judgmental and overbearing. She thinks very little of the other girls in town, despite the fact that she More...

1 comment like (4 people liked it)

Dec 19, 2011

Kim rated it:

This is one of those books you don't want to put down and you want to smack the author for leaving you hanging until the next installment. I have to wait longer since I read an ARC and the book breaks in Feb.of 2012. Put this on your TBR and you will NOT regret it!

Three sisters, one prophesy. Reminders of the burning times,religion gone wrong,politics,and secret plots abound in this fantastic first book to a new series. The author plays freely with reality and history, and you will More...

1 comment like (4 people liked it)

Feb 16, 2012

Julie (Manga Maniac Cafe) rated it:

Holy CRAP! One of the best books so far this year! Could not put it down - loved all of the characters and the setting is so intriguing. It will be a LONG wait for book two in the series!

Full review here:

http://www.mangamaniaccafe.com/?p=6010

0 comments like (3 people liked it)

Dec 19, 2011

Amanda rated it:

I pulled this off the ARC shelves of the bookstore where I work part time, hoping to finally find a YA trilogy I could really enjoy and handsell the crap out of. I think this may be it- I didn't LOVE it, but I can see why other people are going to.

This was a weird combination of Practical Magic, The Handmaid's Tale and The Secret Garden. I read it very quickly and appreciated that the paranormal powers were held by the female protagonist while the male love interest was all WTF I AM More...

0 comments like (4 people liked it)

Jan 29, 2012

Lisa rated it:

Originally posted at Read Me Bookmark Me Love Me

In a society where girls should be nothing but proper ladies, falling for the common gardener is scandalous, especially when your rich and attractive childhood friend has expressed his intentions to make you his wife. Not only is Cate Cahill torn between two boys who she shares equally close bonds with, but she's burdened by a secret that could have fatal consequences if discovered. She and her two sisters, Tess and Maura, are witches a More...

3 comments like (3 people liked it)

Dec 19, 2011

Mrs. rated it:

Spotswood's enchanting debut is instantly addictive! It features a strong female protagonist (my favorite!) and plenty of forbidden romance and dark magic. Don't miss out on this sensational new series!
--Review by Lauren

0 comments like (3 people liked it)

Dec 19, 2011

ExLibris_Kate rated it:

Jessica Spotswood has created a world that is highly entertaining and, at times, terrifying. In this alternate reality of the 1890s, witchcraft is forbidden and witches are hunted down by The Brotherhood and sent away to horrible prisons. Women are taught to be meek and should either serve their husband or serve The Sisters, the female wing of The Brotherhood. For the Cahill girls, life is a minefield of protecting their identities as witches and navigating life without their mother. The bur More...

6 comments like (3 people liked it)

Dec 19, 2011

Amanda rated it:

Okay, let me start this review with full disclosure: I really wasn't that interested in Born Wicked. In fact, I only read it because I had the opportunity to read an advanced copy of the book, and thought: Why not? From the very first page I was very pleasantly surprised at this book: start, unique, well-written and honest characters in a truly compelling plot that's unlike just about everything else in the YA genre right now.

Set in an alternative version of turn-of-century New England More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Dec 19, 2011

Jena rated it:

Born Wicked is a riveting and thrilling story that goes to show, that sometimes you must sacrifice the things you love most to keep the people dearest to you safe.

Born Wicked starts off with Cate Cahill and her two sisters Maura and Tess, who are witches... powerful ones. After their mother dies, Cate is left in charge and soon she discovers a terrible fate for her and her sisters if she doesn't do something about it. Now that Cate is almost 17 though, she must decide between marriag More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Feb 16, 2012

Angel rated it:

You can find this review and many more at Mermaid Vision Books!

Release Date: February 7, 2012
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile (Penguin)
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 326
Format: Hardcover
Source: ARC received from Penguin Canada

Tell Me More: Out of all the paranormal entities in popular culture, the witch has to be my favourite. The word itself conjures (pun very much intended) up images of cauldrons and broomsticks, but it's their role as female icons More...

1 comment like (1 person liked it)

Dec 19, 2011

Queen rated it:

I blew through this book. When I wasn't reading it, I was thinking about reading it.
At first I was a little weary of this book, as I've read so many books about witches and witch trials. But that soon disappeared as I got sucked into the Cahill's lives and Cate's troubles and worries.

One thing I really loved about this book is how Spotswood really got into Cate's mind and poured out all her thoughts and feelings. I could really understand Cate's struggles, and why she made her dec More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Dec 19, 2011

Natalie rated it:

Those of you anxiously anticipating the release of Jessica Spotswood's novel Born Wicked in February will not be disappointed! After drooling over the cover for months now, I was lucky enough to receive an ARC copy, and eagerly began reading it as soon as it was in my hands. I was literally hooked from page one! If it hadn't been for my pesky assignments and the fact that I had to wake up for class at 7 am, I probably would have read the entire novel in one night! Without revealing any spoilers, More...

1 comment like (2 people liked it)

Dec 19, 2011

Jake rated it:

It has taken me a long time to put my thoughts about this book into words. I'm not sure why. Probably because it wasn't what I was expecting.

BORN WICKED is about three sisters who are witches. They keep their powers secret, though, because the Brotherhood arrests anyone suspected of witchcraft. Cate is the oldest sister, and considers it her duty to protect her family from suspicion. When her father decides to hire a governess for the girls, concealing their powers becomes a lot More...

3 comments like (2 people liked it)

Jan 11, 2012

Great Books rated it:

The Cahill sisters three are all witches. Eldest sister Cate promised her mother before she died that she would protect her sisters from the Brotherhood, a group that controls society and hunts down witches. Just before her 16th birthday Cate learns her mother kept many life changing secerts from her. A great new series for those looking for a page-turner like the Hunger Games. Reviewer 1

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Dec 19, 2011

Parker added it

Definitely recommended for fans of THE VESPERTINE by Saundra Mitchell. BORN WICKED revolves around a very sweet (and believable!) romance that presents Cate with difficult choices. Should she marry for love, even if it means hardship, or should she marry to secure her social standing and her family's safety? Or must she and her sisters forgo marriage and join the Sisterhood in order to escape persecution for their magical talents? The decisions only get more difficult as Cate uncovers secret aft More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Jan 15, 2012

Caroline rated it:

I was lucky enough to read an early draft of BORN WICKED...

And I devoured the book in one night! About five hours, to be exact.

Jessica Spotswood has woven a truly spellbinding novel that hits three very important markers for me: lush prose, a nail-biting plot, and a host of characters that sprang to life in my mind. Plus, the romance! I'm usually not a fan of love triangles, but I really loved how Jessica tackled Cate's conflicting feelings toward Paul and Finn. (And the More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Feb 20, 2012

Stephanie rated it:

Is Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood another case of gorgeous cover masking a dull and insipid story? I'm so glad to report that it was anything but! Like the Cahill girls, the fetching exterior belied a surprising and clever interior. Once I read Missie of The Unread Reader's enthusiastic review, I had no qualms purchasing then finishing Born Wicked that same night - that's how enjoyable it was!

Everything about Born Wicked engaged me: the alternative historical setting, the characters, More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Feb 20, 2012

Darlene rated it:

Oh, where do I begin with this one? I guess I could start by saying I LOVED IT! There has been this hole in my heart that was left there when Libba Bray’s Gemma Doyle Trilogy finished. Well, Born Wicked has all of the elements that Gemma Doyle had that made me love it so much without seeming like an imitation knock-off.

The story reminds me a lot of Salem Witch Trials, but in a different era. I think it’s such a fantastic concept to turn into a book. Oh, and on top of that, the whole More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)