First of all, despite having given it 3 stars, I actually enjoyed this book more than Ava Lavender, which became so wildly popular on Booktube and blogs in 2017. Perhaps it was because I had an early eARC, but this book had a serious need for editing, and lots of times it felt like there was a chunk of story missing - this could easily have been 50 pages longer, and it would have been a much better read. 

Now that I got that out of the way, I really, really liked this book! It was so lush and magical, and I loved Nor's family. I wish Nor had been able to do more magic, but I enjoyed also watching her discover her powers. Price Guide to the Occult is set in a small island, and the witch-y atmosphere of the place was really nice! I also enjoyed how purely malignant Fern Blackburn was, and the goriness of her black magic sacrifices were very descriptive.

Nor is recovering from the traumas her mother inflicted on her, and does self harm, her arms covered in scars. So please take that into account if you want to read this book, it could possibly be a trigger.

All in all, I truly enjoyed this book! I wish the ending had not been so rushed. I will also read in the future the finished copy (did you see how gorgeous the hardcover is, with its pages' edges painted red?) and maybe enjoy the read even more!

I LOVED IT, has nurtured my love for witches even more, it’s such a beautifully atmospheric book, I feel that it was exactly what I needed. Deal with sensitive issues such as self-harm and abuse, so I want to warn you about that.

The story follows Nor Blackburn, she’s the descendant of Rona Blackburn who was, long time ago, a very powerful witch who came to the island of Anathema with the hope of creating a life there. But the 8 original colonists of the island blamed her for things that happened and decided to kill the witch that was causing her problems, but Rona managed to escape and cursed the colonists. Now we go back to Nor, who doesn’t want to be more than a normal teenager, but with an extraordinary magical power and a curse that chases her lineage, that will be a bit difficult to achieve. One day this book called “The Price Guide to the Occult” appears and promises to be able to cast any kind of spell for a certain price, but this book will only bring darkness to the island since its author is nothing less than Nor’s mother, which arrival will only bring darkness.

The Price Guide to the Occult, is such a deep and dark book, but at the same time it’s very light to read, in fact I’m surprised to have enjoyed it as much as I have, being honest I didn’t have big expectations, I’m sorry book! LOL. But .it knew how to captivate me with its captivating plot, mysterious characters and its beautiful writing style

I think that although it’s a very short book in fact makes you feel many things, Nor’s life has been so difficult as a child, her mother is an evil woman who did terrible things with her, and all this has left large sequels in Nor. She has attempt against her own life on several occasions but we can see how little by little she’s getting stronger and somehow manages to overcome all the darkness that haunts her.
Her story being so painful made me as a reader immediately felt attached to her and want her to be happy. One thing I admire a lot about this main character is that she doesn’t play at being the victim at any time, she in fact almost never shares what happened to her to anyone. I think I saw something very positive about her, Nor’s very sweet with others and she really cares, and that shows a lot of strength in her, I like that

Talking about the plot in general, I liked it a lot, I think the ending was weird, I’m not sure, maybe it was too fast or too light for me, even so I enjoyed the dialogues, there is something very epic on them lol.
The epilogue promises that there may be another book after this one, which would make me very happy. But honestly I think that from beginning until a little more than the half of it, is the strong part and is the one that I’ve enjoyed the most, I like how atmospheric it turned out to be, the island and its descriptions are beautiful and at the same time sombre, which It makes it the perfect setting for this kind of stories. Although the book focuses a lot on the Blackburn family and magic, they can also see other characters and other families that connect with the main story in a very interesting way

The characters are great, I will not talk about Nor again because you already know that I love her, but there is another ones that are perfect for the book, the writer has a lot of talent to write characters, that’s for sure.
We have Savvy, she’s Nor’s best friend, and she’s absolutely funny and always says what she thinks, I love that. We have Nor’s grandmother, Judd, and she’s so particular and different, I loved this character, besides I was pleasantly surprised to see how Judd is in a relationship with another woman and the dynamic between them together with Nor is fantastic, the natural that this relationship is, has been so pleasant to read. Then we have Gage and I really don’t know why I liked him so much, I think I would have liked him to have a stronger role in the plot but I really liked him, I guess it’s the typical bad guy who is not that bad (I’m a cliche lol). And finally we have Reed and oh god is the sweetest guy ever, I love him, I feel like he’s like Simon of Shadow Hunters or something like that.
Honestly, I liked even the bad characters, it’s funny cause there’s always someone I don’t like but in this book I could talk about them forever, there’s something so natural in the way they’re created, you just start reading about them and you feel you know them since ever and with that said, you can imagine how well written this book is!

The writing style is very beautiful, the way in which the chapters are divided and they begin with a Rona’s phrase, is very engaging. But at the same time I think it’s not complex at all, it’s a simply beautiful and poetic writing, that kind of writing that works perfectly for this kind of story

I highly recommend this book if you want a magical, atmospheric and quick to read story. That I’ve emphasized its simplicity doesn’t mean that it doesn’t touch strong issues, it’s necessary to be careful. I think that if you want to have a great time with very well created characters, a couple of curses and a mysterious island, this one is perfect.

Nor Blackburn lives on a tiny island with an interesting past. She hasn't had to deal with her quasi-cult leader mother in ages, when a mysterious book comes out that gains alarming popularity. In this book, you can order a spell for something you want, and it comes true. Nor's life starts to get pretty weird.

Not bad.

This story starts as what seems to be a simple romance and looking at unique people in a quirky town but takes a dark turn and that is when it gets really interesting, You get sucked right in and you can't stop reading until the end.

I read this as a potential Illumicrate August book and I really enjoyed it. Super atmospheric. Not quite as good as Ava Lavender but still incredibly enjoyable

2.5 Stars
TW: Self-Harm

So this book really went downhill very quickly for me. The book had promise at first specifically with The prologue and the magical quality of the writing. However, the first half was pretty slow paced which I wasn't minding at first, I actually thought that this book might half gotten 4 stars until around 40% through. The slower pacing of the first half made the increased speed of the plot in the second half very apparent and it felt quite rushed, as did most parts of the novel.

The characters felt shallow and not really fleshed out. All the side characters were just meh and had one dimensional personalities. Although I don't know what I was expecting since Nor didn't have much of a personality either. Nor as a character annoyed me so much because she was hiding so many things and her being a deus ex machina.

The romance was done really poorly in my opinion. The main love interest appears maybe 5 times max, and his interest in the main character makes absolutely no sense. In addition it seemed like there was meant to be some weird love triangle that was actually written out halfway through, but the author didn't remember she wrote it out by the end.

In the end between characters that weren't well done and whom I didn't care about, and a plot/storyline that was rushed and mostly didn't make sense I just didn't enjoy this. If you are looking for representation of self harm in a fantasy/magical book this could be it, but as someone who's never suffered from mental illness I can't say whether the representation was particularly good, and even if it was I'm not sure if that would be outweighed by the other poorly done aspects of the book.

This gave me all of the eerie vibes, all of the exquisite writing, all of the angsty character, and all of the atmospheric setting that I was anticipating and yet, somehow, I still wanted more.

For such a short book, and with such a sinister premise, this delivered little in the way of plot. I felt there was much more to be explored and I would have appreciated a larger focus dedicated to the witchcraft elements, with an explanation and exploration of their use. Protagonist, Nor, displayed some unsettling yet fascinating abilities and a continued focus on this would have held me a captivated reader.

That is not to say this was a flawed book, but that this set the stage for greatness and I would have adored a prolonged performance, to fully engage with the myriad of innovative notions and intriguing characters I felt denied the chance to fully explore.

I enjoyed this book and all the family dynamics. The evil mother was an interesting dynamic. I did tell my book club about this book and gave it a favorable review.

It took me some time to read this book but it was not its fault. The review will have two parts: things that i liked and things that i did not like. I will start with those that i liked:
- I really enjoyed the concept of this book and the overall idea of the Blackburn witches and their Burden that changed from daughter to daughter
- Nor's friendship with Savvy was so beautiful and heartwarming, plus her relationship with her grandmother, Apothia and the ones that worked at the shop
- I really liked how the author added bits and pieces of greek mythology which is my favorite
- The book was full of action and i've never got bored while reading it
- I liked how the villain in this book was the mother and not some external source
- I found enjoyable that mostly everybody on the island had a connection with magic somehow
- I was keen on how Fern's powers, Nor's mother, were presented and described
- I liked the fact that Nor had discovered more gifts and the learnt how to accept herself
- The ending was very interesting and made me want the next book

Things i did not like:
- I think Nor's scars had been given too much attention
- Sometimes the third person was a little confusing and there were times when i didn't know where the action was going
- I think Nor had been given too many gifts at convenient times
- That she kissed a guy that she barely knew and didn't even like while being with another one
- That her dad had to die before we got to see more of him

All these being said, the good parts overcome the bad ones. I strongly recommend this book to those who love fantasy and even to those who want to try something new.

This book is a pleasant surprise. I did have high expectations for this book, but I lowered it since due to the meh reviews. It turned out to be darker and more complex than what I expected, which is something that I really enjoyed. The setting was atmospheric and while the characters aren’t exactly fleshed out, the plot was very intriguing and enough to keep me engaged!

I considered this book thorougly disappointing. The writing style, the characterization, the story itself; I could rant here about all the things I didn't like, but let's leave it at that.

The Price Guide to the Occult by Leslye Walton is a unique paranormal novel. Rona Blackburn moved to Anathema Island off the coast of Washington over a hundred years ago. She claimed a plot of land and put a sign on the door that said “witch”. A year after she arrives on the island, the men come at her home and set fire to it. Rona escapes into the woods and casts a dark spell on them using her blood and that of her daughter. A hundred years later, her descendant Nor is the eighth (and last) of the Blackburn daughters. She lives with her grandmother, Judd and has what she calls an unremarkable gift (she can hear and talk to plants as well as animals). Nor’s goal is to make the slightest mark as humanly possible on the world. Nor dropped out of high school and works in a dead-end part-time position at the Witching Hour. Then The Price Guide to the Occult comes out which allows people to order spells for a price. Two things catch Nor’s attention: the picture of the author and the free spell included. The author and the caster of the spells is Fern Blackburn, Nor’s mother and the free spell is a Blackburn family spell. Fern is a dangerous witch with formidable magic. As Fern’s book becomes more popular, the island starts deteriorating. Trouble is coming to Anathema Island and there is nothing that can be done to prevent it. There is only one person who can defeat the evil but is she ready to face her destiny.

The Price Guide to the Occult had a captivating description, and I was eager to read it. The prologue captured my attention, and I soon discovered it was the best part of the book. I am not sure what happened to the author after she wrote the prologue. Her writing became stilted and her word choices made for a slow-paced story (good for insomnia). It seemed like Ms. Walton was overthinking her writing. The transitions between sections were awkward and jarring. Ms. Walt does provide some lovely descriptions that help readers imagine the island and the foliage. The book is better at the end when the action picks up, but I feel that few readers would make it that far into the story. There is a lack of character development and depth. Nor was the most developed character, but she was not likeable nor is she compelling. Nor was too busy trying to be bland and fixated on Reed (her love interest). Of course, the author had to insert a love triangle. The romance did not feel natural. Fern had the potential to be a great antagonist, but she did not reach it. She is evil, but one dimensional. I did like Ms. Walton’s unique take on magic. I have not encountered it before in other paranormal novels. The Price Guide to the Occult does contain foul language, gruesome violence, and self-harm (fair warning). The ending was lackluster, unsatisfying, rushed and predictable. The author left the possibility of a sequel (oh dear). The Price Guide to the Occult is geared to the New Adult audience (over sixteen). My rating for The Price Guide to the Occult is 2 out of 5 stars.

Actual rating is 2.5 stars, but I bumped it up since half stars are not an option.

Thought and Plot

Rona was burned out of her home as a witch a century ago. So, obviously, she cursed the Blackburn family for running her out of town and now over one hundred years later the youth of the family still suffers from the curse.

Nor Blackburn has some ‘unremarkable’ supernatural powers, which she hopes will keep her safe from the curse. Along with the fact that her love life is sadly void. She’s obsessed with a boy named Reed though so that’ll probably ruin things since the curse has her destined to fall in love with a random man from the island only to have her heart broken (seriously, what kind of curse is that, really?).

A strange book promises to cast any spell for the right price.

This book is, well…a bit boring to be honest. In places it’s a bit wordy, which makes the reader slow down and spend more time trying to figure out what is going on. The prologue is probably the best part of this book. It paints a wonderful backdrop for the ‘present day’…and then it turns into a classic I-just-want-to-hang-with-my-friends-and-date-the-boy-I’m-crushing-on standard teen novel…with some spells from a book Nor’s mother is selling that is filled with spells that are messing up normal life. Of course, Nor sort a has to deal with her mother’s mess, but for the most part I feel like a good chunk of this book had nothing really happen in it that would hold a reader’s interest. Hence the boring comment. It was quite disappointing.

Possible sequel with love triangle?

In Conclusion

This was a very ‘meh’ book. If there is a sequel, I am 85% sure I won’t be reading it.

So I've never read Ava Lavendar by LLeslye Walton but with the way the book community was raving about it I was excited to give The Price Guide to the Occult a chance. I did enjoy the writing style and holy frak the prologue was such an amazing set up for this witchy book. I liked that the author tackled self harm and the after effects it has on a young person. But all in all this was a pretty boring read for me, nothing really interesting happens until the last few chapters, where Walton does another good job of building up to this final showdown and then NOTHING HAPPENS! All that build up and its over in less than a page and Nor doesn't do much at all. Nor was pretty bland as a protagonist and I didn't understand what was the point of the romance, like you could have taken the love interest out of the book and the sequence of events would still have unfolded the way it did. What was his purpose? I will eventually pick up Ava Lavender and see what all the hype is about but for all the build up in the prologue The Price Guide to the Occult was pretty disappointing.

Beautiful writing, strange, but unique atmosphere, and I liked Nor's personality/complexity.
It was a little too familiar to me - like something I've read a few times, but that's not a bad thing.
Everyone needs a comfort read or a read to visit on a magical vacation.
I would recommend to friends and family who haven't read alot of what I have.

This was a book that really stood out for me. I loved how Lesleye Walton brought all the characters alive and i loved how strong the family connection between Rona and her grandmother. The story made me fall in love with Walton as a writer even more. The way the magical elements are used was really interesting and i would love a sequel to this.

[REVIEW AS IT APPEARS ON BLOG DOES INCLUDE LINKS TO OTHER POSTS, BOOKS, AND TERMS. Review live 4/14/18]
I cannot tell you how many times I've read and fallen in love with a book that I found to be nicely plotted and paced and plenty compelling, only to pop over to Goodreads and find that people are describing it as slow. . . So add this to the list of books I champion under the heading of "SLOW PACING IS NOT THE SAME AS EVEN PACING AND DEVELOPMENT, PEOPLE," along with faves like All These Things I've Done, Tin Star, Tess of the Road, The Accident Season...
aka, Slow Burn Books (apparently).

(And wouldn't you know, these are coincidentally also my cold fish books. Could it be that what some readers consider slow is being in the head of a female character they don't love unreservedly? There may be a future Book Chat in there, somewhere...)

The Price Guide to the Occult lured me in thoroughly and immediately. It's darker and more complex than I was expecting; more no-holds-barred than one generally meets with in YA (which is no slight to the vast array of YA that is out there, whether it 'goes there' or not, but Price Guide frequently and immediately insists it will pull no punches).

Yes, it could be cheesy, and yes, it could be over the top -- as a book I just finished reading proclaims, most good books are -- but against a magical realistic backdrop of intergenerational witches on a windswept island, a bit of over the top works. I felt connected to the story from nearly page one; there are some stories that make you feel not just as if you can visualize the place and characters, but as if you know them. Books that make you feel you have spent a considerably larger amount of time within their pages than you actually have. This owes a lot to an author's handle on their story and world, I think -- even when you don't have all of the information, you can tell when an author does. You can tell when their brain has been half-within their story world for quite some length of time. Everything feels realized. Characters act as only they would. There is consistency, through and through.

Price Guide gave me that, along with healthy doses of some of my favorite things -- family sagas about strong, magical women; internal and external conflict; quirky small towns; actual real-world conseqeunces; tall tale vibes -- wrapped up in a story that is both light and dark, simple and complex, fast and slow. It had its flaws, certainly (the end is too messy and fast-paced to suit the build up that came before, and the build-up in general definitely satisfied me more than the resolution), but there's no denying that I tore through it, (mostly) loved it, and didn't want to be finished when I was. I would very much love stories about the previous Blackburn women of Anathema island. And I very much think I need to finally get around to picking up Walton's other novel, The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender.

Maybe you'll disagree with my fondness for this book and these characters, just as maybe you've disagreed with the handful of other books that I've thoroughly loved and ate up, only to see other's call it boring. But either way, I recommend The Price Guide to the Occult just as I've recommended those cold-fish others, and am very curious to hear your thoughts, if and when you read it.

Major trigger warning for themes of abuse, self-harm, and everything surrounding such weighty topics.

This is a tricky one. I am not certain who the audience is for this title. It's certainly a tough sell to teens. It will take a very specific teen to finish this title. It lacks the rollicking pace a normal witch book would have.

Beautifully language as in Walton's first title, but this story really didn't pull any punches. Walton clearly has a phenomenal grasp of language, it's almost as if she picks her words based on how they sound next to each other when read aloud. I often had to read paragraphs out loud because they were just so sumptuous.

Tasty phrases but lacking in story.

I loved the idea: a line of cursed daughters, descendants of a powerful but benevolent witch, each born with a single power... I just wish the execution was better. Leslye Walton does a great job of setting the scene here, writing in moody and atmospheric detail about the curious island where the Blackburns live, and she sketches out some interesting and quirky characters - but those characters are never fully fleshed out, so we don't feel the full impact of Nor's interactions with them. The same goes for the plot/pacing: there's a lot of set-up, but when things finally begin to unfold, it all seems to happen in a hasty, rushed manner, so by the time we're getting into a scene suddenly the book jumps to the next one.

This book had a lot of ups and downs for me. I'm still unsure about if I liked this book or not, but hopefully I can work through my feelings in this book! TW: There are many instances of self-harm that are mentioned in this book so please be aware!

The novel starts off narrating the story of Rona Blackburn in a textbook-sorta way. And I loved it. It was so quirky and set the tone for the serious nature of this story. It made me really excited for the way the story would unfold.

Unfortunately, the rest of the book didn't hold as much promise. 

The story is told entirely from Nor's perspective. But Nor is really not that interesting. She has no real personality and the way things are narrated from her perspective is a little ... boring. I wasn't necessarily hoping for a quirky character but I wanted Nor to be unique. Instead, she easily morphs into the stereotypical quiet girl who likes a guy but doesn't think she's good for him for various reasons. It was a bit disappointing.

I also found the story to be quite confusing at times. There are a lot of characters and names thrown in and it isn't always explained right away who they are and what their role is, which made it really difficult to keep things straight. When you eventually do find out how everyone is related, it makes a lot of sense but getting to that point is challenging.

There were also way too many areas where the plot wasn't developed enough for my liking. Half of the problems occurred because Nor didn't say anything to anyone. While this is a common trope to see in many novels, not just YA fiction, in the case of this story, I felt that Nor telling people what was happening to her would have actually upped the ante and led to more action-packed events. Instead, the book just moves slowly until the final climactic scene at the end. 

The ending was actually my favourite part. There was the action and the strength that I wanted to see. However, the slow burn to get to this point just wasn't worth it for me. I also didn't like how the author tried to do a love triangle thing; it is one of my pet peeves and it really wasn't necessary here. I did like the epilogue that was put in, as it gives the story future directions.

In the end, this wasn't my favourite read of the month. It had a really dragging plot and a character that lacked personality. However, the ending was quite strong and the epilogue piqued my interest. For those reasons, I'm giving this a 2.5/5 stars, rounded to 3!