Customer Reviews

WICKED: WITCH & CURSE (SPECIAL EDITION)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This isn't a review about the quality of the writing or plot line. It's more a laundry list of issues the book contains so parents researching books to buy their fantasy-loving kids and teens can weigh if this is the right book to buy.
This book is actually the first 2 in a series about the modern day decendents of two warring black magic families. So, naturally, the plot line is a dark one.
How does that play out?
PARENTS: The parents in the stories aren't the best. The strongest parents are killed off in the first chapter or two, and even they were fighting the last year of their lives. The next parent introduced is a good one, but is quickly taken out of the scene by being cursed and laid up in a hospital in a coma. The next parent introduced is in the midst of an extramarital affair with a man who practices black magic and attempts to murder her for added power. Her husband is presented as a weak but likable man who's pain at his wife's behavior renders him incapable of acting as a father. The wife's lover has two sons, who also play prominent roles. The father casually considers killing his sons more than once.
HUMAN SACRIFICE: Then there's all the blood sacrifices -- the slaughter of animals, men and women to increase power. It's much more promenent in the ancestral plot line than in the current one, although present day human sacrifices are hinted at in the first book and confirmed in the second.
SEX: Sexual magic is also used by characters in the book, although the authors avoid giving graphic sexual details. The characters undress, then the deed happens off screen, so to speak. Although there is one incidence of a still beating human heart being offered to the "horned god" during a sexual rite. As far as sexual behavior of the main characters is concerned, it's pretty minor. The young male lead is having an affair with a fellow college student, and they are shown as heading to bed, but nothing graphic. The rebellious daughter is having an illicit relationship with a boy, and while a sexual relationship is understood, it's never spelled out and there are no sex scenes written. The main character is possessed by her ancestor's spirit at a party when she meets the young male lead. He, too, is possessed by an ancestor, and the two of them head directly to a bedroom, but they are interupted before anything happens. To sum up, sex is not shied away from in the book, but it is never graphically described and mostly happens off stage.
TO SUM UP: Even as an adult, I found the murder scenes hard to take -- and there are many of them, too many for me to remember the number. I enjoyed the story line more or less, and felt connected with the characters. But this is no children's fantasy, even though it is sold in that section of the book store. Even the "good guys" aren't always sympathetic, and ruthless determination carries the story, while the authors pass over and disdain compassion, mercy, forgiveness and all those other characteristics we try to teach children and that are prevalent in other fantasy fiction.
One of the authors has written books in the Buffy series, and so you would expect dark elements from her. But there is something very different about watching a television series and reading a book. I loved the Buffy and Angel series, with its tortured souls and plotlines. But reading pulls you more deeply into the thoughts of the characters. And in this series, the number of bad guys far outweigh the three girls and their friends.
With that in mind, I definitely would not let kids under 13 read this, and I would think very hard about letting even teens read it.

This book was definitely not the best young adult series. As others have said, the book is very dull - a struggle to get into and connect with. There is very little action throughout the first two books to grab the reader's attention. There are constant contradictions. For instance, Holly is referred to throughout the book as "the strong witch" though the writer fails to back this up. Holly actually appears to be the opposite since her enemies are portrayed as being much stronger than she is. A particular animal sacrifice in "Curse" extremely disturbed me considering the target audience this book is geared toward a younger audience. The sacrifice is very inappropriate and detailed, making the main character almost unlikeable and antagonistic.

Well, I bought this book on a recommendation from a friend... and I have since realized I bought the wrong book. I tried to read it anyways and it started out OK.... About halfway through it got so cheesy and boring that I quit reading it.. which is very rare for me.


It gets 2 stars only because it might be OK for your 13 year old.

Wicked: Witch & Curse is a decent novel. I say decent because it took me nearly half this book (almost the entire first book) to become really intrigued.

The book's biggest fault is its erratic jumping from person to person. This makes it extremely difficult to learn about the characters. And even when the book DOES become interesting, it's not because of the two-dimensional characters--it's the craft and magic and rituals that catch your attention.

I could not find myself to care for any of the characters. Holly and Jer are supposedly in love, but why? There's no reason but for their ghostly past selves, and even they are twisted with hateful love.

By the end of this book, I was finally wanting to know what happened. I usually read it a few pages at a time every day (I can read through two Dean Koontz novels in one day, mind). But the last chapter, when Holly's character takes a drastic turn in order to save her friends even as it estranges the ones left alive, finally made me sit up and read through eagerly.

I'll be buying the next book, but it took a lot of trekking and plodding for me to get to that point.

I bought this for my daughter to read who is 12. After reading the first chapter or so she was confused and said people kept dying, so I decided to read it before allowing her to finish and I am really glad I did. This has got to be one of the worst books I have ever read. It jumps around terribly and the writer never seems to finish a thought. The story does not flow smoothly or in any type of fashion that I could figure. When the characters aren't being killed off they are unlikable at best. There is sex, violence and a lot of unnecessary death. I didn't like the good guys or the bad guys, I found most of the characters selfish and pathetic. this should not be marketed for teens due to the amount of violence against people, young people, animals, sex with a stranger, and teen suicide. If you really want to read this get it from your local library don't buy it that way when you hate it you don't feel cheated on your money.

While I did enjoy this book, because magical fiction books are generally great reads, I found it tough to really enjoy it because of several grating things that anyone that some may find annoying.

First using the Goddess as an evil figure really doesn't make sense. Neither does using Pan as an evil figure (which really, he's just Lord of Nature). This, of course can be a touchy subject for some.

Secondly, the plot had a lot of slow points, and because it jumps around a lot, it may be difficult for some people to follow. Because it jumps around so much in the beginning, it was hard to keep characters straight, but it does become easier after the first few chapters.

The history between the two feuding families is greatly written, and well known to the reader, but actual use of magic is rather slim to none. I know that this is really what makes books stand out. The high points of the book also can be a bit dull and make me want to skip over them, or at least skim through them so I don't have to read the entire thing.

Overall, it is a good read. The younger crowd will probably enjoy it more because of the subject, not because of how well it flows and goes together.

Okay, i read this book when i was 11 (now im 12) and i gobbled it up it took me a day to read it! It was AWESOME! B the first page i was hooked. Even the cover page hooked me! If you have not read this you have too! And if you didnt like it your just weird. Other good books i have read are Twilight, The 3+4 wicked book, Avalon series and the SWEEP SERIES!

Yes it was a good book; but it keep jumping time periods. I guess that kept ones attention. It also ended badly. It was like you were looking for the ending and it ended in the wrong place. Over all I did like the book. It took about a week to read it; a little everyday.