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Bad Witch Burning
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For fans of Us and The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina comes a witchy story full of black girl magic as one girl’s dark ability to summon the dead offers her a chance at a new life, while revealing to her an even darker future.
Katrell doesn’t mind talking to the dead; she just wishes it made more money. Clients pay her to talk to their deceased loved ones, but it isn’t enou ...more
Katrell doesn’t mind talking to the dead; she just wishes it made more money. Clients pay her to talk to their deceased loved ones, but it isn’t enou ...more
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Hardcover, 352 pages
Expected publication:
August 24th 2021
by Delacorte
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Jessica Lewis
Yes there are!! Some gore, physical violence against a minor, and emotional manipulation.
Community Reviews
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Practical Magic + Black Girl Magic. This was a taut, powerful novel. I couldn't put it down.
...more
This is one of the best books I’ve ever read. The main characters voice pulled me right in and immediately captivated me. I don’t want to give a lot away but this is a book you devour in one sitting. The author has painted a vivid character with stakes you can really relate to. And the way she weaves in such suspense, it’s impossible to put down. All those things considered and the nuanced commentary in this masterpiece, I am absolutely sure this piece is going to make so many kids feel seen.
A ...more
A ...more
June 23, 2020: I mean, how do you not expect me to be excited for a teen witch raising the dead for some cash?
YOU DO NOT WANT TO MISS THIS BOOK.
This was everything I hoped for from a book about a girl raising the dead for cash, and I absolutely loved it.
I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
First off, I hated Katrell's mom and her mom's dumb ass boyfriend in Bad Witch Burning. They were both manipulative people and I just despised them so much. They never deserved her one bit. Especially when they couldn't even take care of themselves, keep a job, or pay to have a roof over their heads.
Other than that, I actually enjoyed this book. Katrell and Will's friendship was one for the books. I really enjoyed them bei ...more
First off, I hated Katrell's mom and her mom's dumb ass boyfriend in Bad Witch Burning. They were both manipulative people and I just despised them so much. They never deserved her one bit. Especially when they couldn't even take care of themselves, keep a job, or pay to have a roof over their heads.
Other than that, I actually enjoyed this book. Katrell and Will's friendship was one for the books. I really enjoyed them bei ...more
I'll put it this way: when I read Bad Witch Burning, I missed a few meetings at work because I HAD TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENS NEXT. Jessica Lewis crafted a tense-filled story from start to finish, and with every chapter the suspense goes up and up. Katrell is a heroine you can't help but root for, flaws and all. She's been through a lot, where even her dark magic abilities can't fix. So seeing her earn money with her powers is plausible and relatable. Black Witch Burning is filled with Black girl
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I was lucky enough to read an early-ish version of this book, and I read it in one sitting. I couldn't put it down. The concept is so fresh and gripping, the characters so perfectly imperfect, and the tension will keep you up at night. With magic sprinkled throughout, this #ownvoices book touches some pretty serious themes, including Black poverty, and the lengths a teenage girl will go to fight her way out of it. It made me laugh and cry multiple times. Cannot recommend this book highly enough!
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For reference: I read an earlier draft of this back when it was an early, early draft. I'm sure much has changed (I know it has) but I will write to the version I read and update when I have read the full book.
The version I read was top notch. The emotions I felt coming from Katrell were so real it made me feel her pain and her anger. I won't say much, as the book hasn't come out and I don't want to post spoilers or possibly say something vastly incorrect, but just know that this was a fantastic ...more
The version I read was top notch. The emotions I felt coming from Katrell were so real it made me feel her pain and her anger. I won't say much, as the book hasn't come out and I don't want to post spoilers or possibly say something vastly incorrect, but just know that this was a fantastic ...more
This book is so authentic and magical and gripping! I was lucky and got to read an early version. I read it over the course of a couple of days and couldn't put it down. I had to know what happened to Katrell and Conrad and Will.
If you're looking for something that's unapologetically #ownvoices and full of black girl magic, then you've definitely found it. This book's got a fresh take on zombies, a dog that I would die for, a powerful friendship, and a main character I never stopped rooting for ...more
If you're looking for something that's unapologetically #ownvoices and full of black girl magic, then you've definitely found it. This book's got a fresh take on zombies, a dog that I would die for, a powerful friendship, and a main character I never stopped rooting for ...more
This book is LIFE CHANGING good, y'all. Life changing.
...more
THIS BOOK IS EVERYTHING YOU WILL EVER NEED IN YOUR LIFE!!
This book is going to be epic!
Bad Witch Burning is a contemporary fantasy by Jessica Lewis that is slated to be released in August by Delacorte.
I received this as an ARC and have tried to make sure my review is as unbiased as possible. That said, I absolutely love this book.
Trigger Warnings: animal death, physical and emotional abuse of a minor, gaslighting, murder/manslaughter with some gore. It’s not super graphic, but it does happen.
This book is light on the world building and heavy on the characters, immersion, and em ...more
I received this as an ARC and have tried to make sure my review is as unbiased as possible. That said, I absolutely love this book.
Trigger Warnings: animal death, physical and emotional abuse of a minor, gaslighting, murder/manslaughter with some gore. It’s not super graphic, but it does happen.
This book is light on the world building and heavy on the characters, immersion, and em ...more
I was lucky enough to receive an ARC ebook of Bad Witch Burning. Big thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read this fantastic book early.
I could not put this book down and flew through it because I just could not stop reading. Trell is a refreshingly flawed, realistic teen dealing with far more than any sixteen-year-old should have on their shoulders. Lewis perfectly captures the confusing and often contradictory feelings she goes through while trapped in a horrible situation by people ...more
I could not put this book down and flew through it because I just could not stop reading. Trell is a refreshingly flawed, realistic teen dealing with far more than any sixteen-year-old should have on their shoulders. Lewis perfectly captures the confusing and often contradictory feelings she goes through while trapped in a horrible situation by people ...more
What a crazy dark story! I read the author's letter at the beginning, and I could see all of her experiences shining through the story. Trell's character was full of so many contradictions, and Lewis carefully lead the reader through her thoughts and emotions during an incredibly difficult time. Although I morally knew that bringing people back to life was most likely going to blow up in her face, I completely understood Trell's actions, and this was down to Lewis' excellent writing!
I received a ...more
I received a ...more
Jun 13, 2021
Sacha
added it
Thanks to NetGalley and Delacorte for this arc, which I received in exchange for an honest review. I’ll post that review upon publication.
Yes, there are witches, there is magic, and there is all of the other great stuff noted in the description, but at its heart, there’s a girl, her dog, and her best human, so there is truly something for everyone here.
Yes, there are witches, there is magic, and there is all of the other great stuff noted in the description, but at its heart, there’s a girl, her dog, and her best human, so there is truly something for everyone here.
um i need this
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Chikdrens for the ARC of this book. All my opinions are my own.
I finished this last night and woke up this morning still thinking about it. I couldn’t put it down. This was SO GOOD.
TW: abuse, domestic violence, suicidal thoughts, death
Can I just start by saying what an insanely cool concept? I loved the idea of this book from the second I heard about it and it exceeded all of my expectations. This is one of the most different, intriguing, un-put down-ab ...more
I finished this last night and woke up this morning still thinking about it. I couldn’t put it down. This was SO GOOD.
TW: abuse, domestic violence, suicidal thoughts, death
Can I just start by saying what an insanely cool concept? I loved the idea of this book from the second I heard about it and it exceeded all of my expectations. This is one of the most different, intriguing, un-put down-ab ...more
Wow 😳 the author Jessica Lewis writes a letter to the audience as a preface in this her first book that gave me the first clue that the book would be traumatic. I am not sure where I read the alert regarding chid abuse (physical not sexual) but it wasn’t long into the book that it was clear why the warning was given. I would also like to express my extreme delight in this book; I couldn’t put it down and I will be waiting for any additional books she writes.
Bad Witch Burning is labeled young adu ...more
Bad Witch Burning is labeled young adu ...more
This was an interesting, creepy read that was easy to jump into.
Katrell has grown up rough, her mom has a string of dead beat boyfriends who abuse Katrell and leech off her until they pack up and split. Katrell's mom neglects her and makes her sixteen year old daughter work to support both of them and I hated her with a passion. Parents who chooses their partner over the well being of their child make me sick. Luckily, Katrell has her best friend Will who lets her stay over when it's too tough ...more
Katrell has grown up rough, her mom has a string of dead beat boyfriends who abuse Katrell and leech off her until they pack up and split. Katrell's mom neglects her and makes her sixteen year old daughter work to support both of them and I hated her with a passion. Parents who chooses their partner over the well being of their child make me sick. Luckily, Katrell has her best friend Will who lets her stay over when it's too tough ...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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Jessica Lewis' debut is like nothing I've ever read in YA. In BAD WITCH BURNING, we follow Katrell as she evolves from a girl in a horrific household channeling the dead for a shot at a better life into a powerful summoner of the dead stuck on a descent into danger. BWB seamlessly blends magic and witchcraft with the exhausting, real-world troubles that teens in poverty face. We know that reviving the dead is dangerous, but the allure of money and a way out keeps Katrell from making safe choices
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First of all, this book was fucking excellent.
I would end my review right there but this book deserves better than that and you should read it.
This story follows Katrell, a young woman in high school dealing an abusive mother and her even more abusive boyfriend. They rarely have the money for rent, but Katrell works hard after school to try and help. She also writes letters to the dead. But now she’s discovered she maybe sorta kind of can resurrect the dead? And that seems like a really lucrat ...more
I would end my review right there but this book deserves better than that and you should read it.
This story follows Katrell, a young woman in high school dealing an abusive mother and her even more abusive boyfriend. They rarely have the money for rent, but Katrell works hard after school to try and help. She also writes letters to the dead. But now she’s discovered she maybe sorta kind of can resurrect the dead? And that seems like a really lucrat ...more
Jessica Lewis’ debut novel, Bad Witch Burning, follows 16-year-old Katrell. Having discovered at a young age she could see ghosts, Katrell has spent the few years using her ability to summon them as a money source. After her mom lost her job and moved in her worthless boyfriend, someone has to pay rent. But when a summoning turns into a resurrection, Katrell changes her business model and starts resurrection her clients loved ones instead. Suddenly she has to choose between pulling herself out o
...more
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an e-copy of this book for me to review.
3.5 stars. I have never loved and hated a book so much before.
Pros:
-The writing is engaging and entertaining
-The plot was slow to start but the last half is non-stop and I couldn't put it down
-Will and Mike
Cons:
-There is zero explanation about where her powers come from, do other people have powers like her, etc. This is the fourth "girl who can talk to ghosts" book I've read so far this year and the on ...more
3.5 stars. I have never loved and hated a book so much before.
Pros:
-The writing is engaging and entertaining
-The plot was slow to start but the last half is non-stop and I couldn't put it down
-Will and Mike
Cons:
-There is zero explanation about where her powers come from, do other people have powers like her, etc. This is the fourth "girl who can talk to ghosts" book I've read so far this year and the on ...more
3 stars.
I want to start of by saying I think this book is really unique in a lot of ways. The author gets deep into the realities of living in poverty and how gaslighting and emotional abuse can look like from a parent. This book really drew me in on how developed the setting was.
However, this read much like reading the middle of a story. There isn't much in terms of explanation of Katrell's powers or why they suddenly changed. There's not even much to explain how they solved the problem. Will ...more
I want to start of by saying I think this book is really unique in a lot of ways. The author gets deep into the realities of living in poverty and how gaslighting and emotional abuse can look like from a parent. This book really drew me in on how developed the setting was.
However, this read much like reading the middle of a story. There isn't much in terms of explanation of Katrell's powers or why they suddenly changed. There's not even much to explain how they solved the problem. Will ...more
This book was a tough one. I think that the perspective and situations within the book were presented in a very raw, real way. The depictions of physical abuse and emotional manipulation were painful to experience as a reader and my heart hurt for Katrell. I admired her determination to get things done and her drive to succeed and her desire to help her mom, no matter the cost. I enjoyed the focus on relationships within the story and how these relationships grew and struggled over the course of
...more
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Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This story was jarring, in the best of ways. I don’t often provide content warnings in my reviews (this is due to not knowing everyone’s needs). I do want to give a massive warning to pet death/murder and domestic abuse.
Katrell and Will can both be incredibly frustrating characters. However, it’s all in realistic ways. Their actions are not supposed to be in ...more
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This story was jarring, in the best of ways. I don’t often provide content warnings in my reviews (this is due to not knowing everyone’s needs). I do want to give a massive warning to pet death/murder and domestic abuse.
Katrell and Will can both be incredibly frustrating characters. However, it’s all in realistic ways. Their actions are not supposed to be in ...more
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for sending me and ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own ~
This was such an intense story. I felt every emotion reading this, sadness, joy, pain, and anger, so much freaking anger.
Katrell's mother in this book was the most selfish character I have read about in a while. The relationship between her and Katrell was completely one sided and just took advantage of her daughter over and over again while allowing her to be hurt. As someone ...more
This was such an intense story. I felt every emotion reading this, sadness, joy, pain, and anger, so much freaking anger.
Katrell's mother in this book was the most selfish character I have read about in a while. The relationship between her and Katrell was completely one sided and just took advantage of her daughter over and over again while allowing her to be hurt. As someone ...more
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