Yay! I’m so excited to be part of THE
WICKED DEEP blog tour! This book is magically delicious, atmospheric, and
creepy, so you know I loved it. There was also a healthy dose of teenage angst
so while I suspect you’ve already abandoned reading this review and are en
route to your bookstore of choice to pick up a copy, indulge me for a few
moments longer because I have things to say and a mani to show off. Haha! Let’s
get started!
The back jacket, from Goodreads:
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.
__
Pitched as Practical Magic meets Hocus
Pocus (which is amazing, amirite?), I’d argue that there’s also a whack of Dawson’s Creek teenage drama in THE WICKED DEEP. Although I’m showing my age here, my favourite part about
Dawson’s Creek was the relatable depiction of first love—the overwhelming, somewhat
painful experience when you fall head-over-heels for the first time. Nothing
else matters except the other person and you’re willing to go to the ends of
the earth for them; a fierce addiction that burns like a match and you don’t
want to ever let go, even as the flame melts your skin.
Penny and Bo's first-love experience served as a driving force in THE WICKED DEEP and it was awesome. Ernshaw did an enchanting job excavating those powerful sensations, and combining them with a magical curse made for an off-the-charts reading extravaganza. I mean, three sisters emerge from the depths of the ocean to take over unsuspecting female teenage bodies and lure boys to their death? And the town itself becomes a morbid tourist attraction (because people are the worst)? And in the midst of the chaos, two teens fall in love even though they each hold secrets that could destroy the other? HELLO AMAZINGNESS.
The execution of this fairly ambitious
concept could have fallen flat, because it’s similar to keeping spinning plates
atop of narrow poles, but Ernshaw has a firm grip on her craft and maintained tension like a pro, which ultimately led to the most glorious of booknerd experiences: a SHUT UP NO WAY WHAAAAAAT?
moment where I literally put the book down and screamed for three minutes.
So if you’re a fan of dark magical vibes, murderous curses, intense first-love, and stories where the mysteries are revealed in delectable layers, then THE WICKED DEEP needs a spot on your TBR as soon as possible. And if that isn't enough, hidden behind the stunning holographic jacket is a book with gorgeous silver detailing (front and back!). You know you want one so hop to it because they're only available on first-print hardbacks!
Big thanks to Simon & Schuster Canada
for an ARC, and for including me in the blog tour!
__
For this mani, I used:
Julep – Ilsa
China Glaze – Chroma Cool
Glisten and Glow – Silver Streak and topcoat
FingerPaints – Black Expressionism
So Nailicious – needle and slayer brushes
OPI - matte topcoat
OPI - matte topcoat
