Burned: A Daughters of Salem Novel

by Kellie O'Neill

Eleanor O’Reilly came into her magic on her seventeenth birthday, just like every descendent in her family line; the problem was, no one ever told her she was a witch. Now, Eleanor must come to terms with her new identity, maintaining the guise of a student at Griggs Academy while studying grimoires in the evening by candlelight. But when fellow witches from her Salem coven go missing, it's up to Eleanor and her feline familiar to find out who is responsible before another witch disappears, or worse. Burned is a thrilling tale of wit, whimsy, and witchcraft that will grip you from beginning to end as you master the five branches of magic, experience a romance written in the stars, and unveil a plot going all the way back to the Salem Witch Trials of 1692.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Witches, Horror, Mystery, Paranormal, Dark

499 pages, Paperback

First published March 21, 2008

Reviews

[Deity World · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really clever 500 paged read, partly paranormal, partly historical and partly crime all in one loved it all such an easy read and enjoyed the dark spell recipes. Not an overall scary book but very dark.

[Emily Riser · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️- for a book so far out of my genre comfort zone I did enjoy this! It gave witchy, magic, mystery, dark, young love, scandal, and suspense. It hooked me in very early on. Lost me a bit from the 50%-75% mark but pulled me back in for the end big time. It is a lengthy one (515 pages) so if you aren’t into long books this may not be for you. But overall I enjoyed this witchy fall read.

PS- the song “Run, Rabbit, Run” will haunt my nightmares for weeks to come 😱

[Erin ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one started off slow, but once it picked up I was IN IT. Kept me on the edge of my seat and I just wanted to keep reading to see what happens. If the author writes any other books I will definitely be reading!

[Tiffany Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book starts out like many YA books. After tragedy, a young girl and her family relocate and she discovers her magical heritage. But what starts as a cute witchy story quickly turns.
Someone is kidnapping and murdering witches, and no one is connecting it. But Eleanor finds herself in the middle of the plot.
This book has so many twists and turns, some which I guessed and some that had me shocked. But it's done really well in that you are trying to pick up the pieces and solve it alongside Eleanor.
The author does have some suspenseful flair and loves to end a chapter on a cliff hanger, but because it is literally life and death, it works.

[ari · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book was so freaking GOOD

[Rachel Spencer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Couldn’t put it down! Love it!

[Hollie Matthews · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️ Loved this! Sabrina the teenage witch vibes! 💜

[Charlette · Rating 1 out of 5]

I picked it up and put it down pretty fast. I wasn’t really interested to be honest

[Vicky · Rating 1 out of 5]

17 hours & 23 mins left. Had to give up just under half way. Very disappointed 😞

[stephanie cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do yourself a favor and dive into this story of intense mystery, witches, paranormal, and complex characters.

Kellie O'Neill's Burned story is executed flawlessly. The characters are intriguing and complex, bringing so much emotion and pain to the story. When one of your own is kidnapped and murdered, someone has to do the dirty work of putting all the pieces together to find this person.

I really enjoyed this book, it is 500 pages worth of me holding my breath, biting my nails waiting to see what was going to happen next.

[Heather (Nora Lynda) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 star I wanted to like this more but I didn't. I feel like it focused way too much on the teenage romance. I wanted witchy book and it was but I didn't want teenage romance so maybe I set myself up for failure here but idk. I heard such good things and maybe even that killed it for me...like maybe it was overhyped and I don't get the hype. I liked the story don't get me wrong but I didn't love it and I wouldn't read it again. This is probably a series or gonna be and I wanted it to be a stand alone. Again, maybe I set myself up here.

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am on a mission this year to read more indie books. This one popped up on my kindle unlimited and it was such a fun read! There were a few spelling mistakes/typos such as saying computer lap instead of lab. Overall the story was great and the magic was fun. If you like witch stories, mysteries and romance give this book a shot.

[Nikolette · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is spectacular! Such a fun YA novel! I absolutely love the characters and how fun and loving they are! This book was so engaging, and definitely wasn’t afraid to tackle some dark themes. I can’t wait for the next instalment of the series 😁

[Michelle Willms · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story line, but poorly edited

I read about half this book before becoming so disgusted with the misused words, overused words, and errors, that I couldn't read any further. The book has great potential if it's edited. If you don't mind errors, give it a try.

[Kate FitzGerald · Rating 1 out of 5]

Recycled tropes, gives off the most self published vibes ever. Literally used there, they’re and their incorrectly. Desperately needed an editor to make the (sometimes mildly interesting) story more cohesive.

[Andrea Stoeckel · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book has potential, but never reaches it. I am sorry I got it and sorrier with every page. My 67 year old historical knowledge made it even worse. Don't bother 1/5

[Megan Archambault · Rating 2 out of 5]

Don’t judge a book by its cover. I thought the cover was great.

[EmilyK Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

**Thank you to the author and BookSirens for my advanced reader copy of this book. As always, my review and opinions are honest and my own.**

The cover drew me in! The witch trial vibes and modern clash - I was hooked. The story, however, was a little slow for me. I found myself skimming because the prose was bit repetitive and, while I liked the main character, I wasn't completely invested in her discovery of this new environment.

The supporting characters are vibrant and add humour. The magic system is light and easy to understand (for the most part). There's also some nicely spooky scenes that add tension, but I found myself wondering what the overall goal was for the main character.

Overall, a fun, witchy read. 3 stars.

[Paige x · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very well thought out and thorough book, I loved the way this author set the scene and the vibe of the house/town/storyline. Enjoyed the dynamic between blue and Eleanor. I enjoyed how the book had a number of different plot lines happening at once, made it very exciting. But, personally, I know she’s only seventeen but Eleanor was very frustrating in this book, consistently going against what everyone said, never asking for help, sneaking out and thinking she knows best. Her mam and aunties just never knowing how to parent her properly etc but overall I enjoyed the details of this book and would recommend to read if you enjoy more witchy vibes

[Tiffany Vega · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I tell you that this story has it all, it does. There is conflict, love and a thrilling ride. The main character is bold, and down to earth. Her family is quirky and loving and gives off Practical Magic vibes. Right off the bat, we are throwing in to a story with who and how. And it never stops from there.

It is a loving and thrilling coming of age story, but with the main character being a witch. If you love Practical Magic, Sabrina the teenage witch, and the book Akata Witch, This would be the book for you

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book so much!!! I picked this up on a whim when I was in Salem during Halloween. The author was at a tent selling them and I bought it immediately!! Loved the story so much!! I do think a good editing needed to be done, as there were still a lot of grammatical issues. However, that did not take away from the storyline itself. It also blows me away how young the author was when she first wrote this and it makes me wonder how much changed in the story from when she wrote it in high school vs when she rereleased it as an adult. Excited to read more from this author!!

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Let me start with the positives. It's a good story, in theory. I like the premise of witches being real, hunted, and even a teenager trying to figure out her life while death surrounds her. It's fun, or could be.
Does it need to be 56/57 chapters? Probably not. So much could have been condensed or cut.
Also, the editing is HORRIFIC. It made it difficult to read. I struggled to read it based on that alone. I don't know if the print copy is just as awful, but someone really needs to go back and edit

[Monica Hein · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I like the idea of the of the story plus the cover looks amazing! I love witchy stories and adding Salem to it its a bonus point.

For me personally I felt like some parts were dragging… The book is total of like 520 pages and i think it could have been done in less…

Characters were fun and I like the spooky scenes.

Overall great YA novel :)

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! The story was engaging and I just could not put it down. I actually felt enriched after reading it which is unusual for me for a book of fiction but I did. The descriptions of time and character were so spot on that I felt part of the story, inside of the story and this always, always makes me happy. I hope you give this book a shot because I'm afraid you are going to miss out on something amazing if you don't. Fantastic Book!

[Heather Moon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like many other girls (and kids in general!) I wished one day I'd come into my own power, and this is exactly what happens with Eleanor! Of course its also just in time for a massive witch hunt! Really, really enjoyed the balance of suspense and darkness this book has. Definitely one of the better YA witchy books I've read!

**I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.**

[Luna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Puzzles and Pieces

I wasn’t sure what to expect upon picking this book up, and it will take me a hot minute to unpack everything. This is a beautiful story. There’s a lot of history interwoven within its pages but that history creates a deeper level of what is happening in the story. It’s almost like Inception, where you have layers and layers of story happening and you need those layers to understand everything.

[Danielle Schneider · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pretty good read. I did enjoy it and look forward to continuing the series when the rest comes out. The author had a pretty good concept here and I felt it was easy enough to keep up with what was happening. There were points where I found it hard to understand what was happening but honestly that is probably more on me than anything. But it was a decent read all-in-all.

[Joanna Banana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I struggled at first because it starts out like most YA books. Tragedy strikes and a teen needs to find their place.

Once it got movin’ the book flew by. This was a fantastic young adult witch book. I may be purchasing it for Christmas stocking stuffers for a few young ladies I know!!

[Alyce]

So excited that I received a copy of this book through Goodreads from the Author! I love the cover and can't wait to pick it up!

[BooksBeansAndToebeans · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun read! I really enjoyed the story and the characters! The family dynamic was really unique as well! I will definitely be reading the next book!