The thing is, I haven’t read The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender yet. A book that I'm sure is very good. And so, I went into The Price Guide to the Occult with low no to expectations at all. But even then, it turned out to be a terrible disappointment.

The story revolves around Nor, the youngest daughter in a long lineage of cursed witches. The only thing Nor wants is to live a quiet normal life. And hopefully skip the curse altogether. Which would make her fall in love with a descendant of the original families and have crazy sex with him for three days, among other things. Of course, all her plans go out the window when Nor’s abusive mother, Fern comes back into her life.

The truth is that I really enjoyed the first half of this book. Boy was I hooked. The prologue was very good, and the first chapters were filled with everything I enjoy about witches. The setting was my favourite thing ever. Anathema island was very atmospheric, I almost wish it was a real place I could visit.

But then, disaster. The second half of the book systematically destroyed everything I had liked from the first half. The atmosphere crumbled. The explanations the author offered for some of the mysteries I was invested in didn’t make sense. The protagonist’s superpowers didn’t have any logic either. It was almost as if they appeared out of convenience. Whenever Nor faced a problem she magically gained a special ability to solve it.

I do know that the protagonist’s lack of initiative was explained as a side effect of the abuse she suffered as a kid, as was self-harm. But unlike self-harm, Nor allowing people to tell her what to do without retort seemed very convenient. Also, I think Fern was totally wasted. She had all the markings of a very good villain, but she lacked depth. She was wicked, yes, but no one knew why. She was bad for the sake of being bad.

But what really made me want to throw the book across the room was the stupid love triangle near the end. Nor’s original man was sweet, kind, backgroundless Reed. I quite liked him despite his lack of development. So, I still don’t understand why in the world would she cheat on him with this other guy that has treated her like dirt for years.

The ending of the book seemed to suggest that there is going to be a sequel. It’s either that or the ambiguity at the end will forever remain ambiguous. Anyway, if there is a sequel, I’m sure I won’t pick it up. I liked the writing style, but not nearly enough to read any following books.

The Price Guide to The Occult mixes very serious and mature situations with witchcraft. From family troubles to selfish mothers and being a Blackburn woman in general life for Nor is anything but magical.

After Rona set a curse in motion, life as a Blackburn woman is only half lived. You’re destined to fall in love with one of the founding families for only three days and bare a child. The next Blackburn woman to go through the same cycle. And once all eight families have been cursed what happens to the ninth? Nor is the ninth Blackburn woman and unlike all her grandmother’s before her she’s different.

Each Blackburn woman is only burdened with one magical ability, but Nor has many. And if a witch practices outside her burden, she starts dabbling in black magic. But is Nor doing black magic? Or has Rona’s curse ended with her mother?

The story revolves around Nor with lots back reference. Most of the story refers to things, Nor’s childhood, that has happened years ago. Nor’s mother, Fern wasn’t the motherly type and would sacrifice even her daughter to get what she wants. And what she wants is just sly if not completely 100% world domination. Everyone bowing to her. But Fern’s burden is persuasion. And all the spells she granting to gain millions of followers costs more than money. It costs blood. And Fern’s selfishness lands on her daughter once more.

There are many great descriptives of Anathema Island where the Blackburn women live. The fairytale names of the streets, little mom and pop shops, and lure of tourism. There are great sub characters from the remaining Blackburn women. Judd who is referred to a giantess and Apothia her lover. There’s Savvy, Nor’s best friend that has blue hair and an even more fun loving personality. There’s love interests and unexplored relationships as well as fear of being sucked into the cursed of three day love. Then there’s the family that took Rona in and protected her, who have took on the responsibility of protecting all Blackburn women if need be. And when Fern and her black magic come back home, more than Nor and her family are the ones that need protecting.

I will say that not much happened throughout the novel until the last three or four chapters. It was a relatively quick read which can be a good thing. You get immersed just enough without it being too drawn out. One thing that irks me with novels is when I can guess what was happening while the character has no clue…even when there are bits that can easily be put together. I’m not sure if the character just didn’t acknowledge it or she had no idea. The ending was satisfying overall, but still leaves the reader wondering what is going to happen to the Blackburn women. Are the witch trails going to make a comeback? Is someone willing to exploit them for their powers?

Thanks to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 
I picked up The Price Guide to the Occult because of its setting. I grew up in the Pacific Northwest, so I'm a sucker for books that help to feed my nostalgia for the locales of my childhood. I was intrigued by the cover and the description. The book has all of the things that I normally enjoy: a quirky, mysterious setting, strong, female characters, and supernatural elements.  I really wanted to love it, but I actually found it difficult to finish.  It starts off strong with a compelling description of the remote island of Anathema and the many quirky characters that populate it. Nor Blackburn is relatable and her vexed relationship with her mother, Fern, is compelling so I was excited about getting to watch it develop. Unfortunately, Fern's vindictiveness is never satisfactorily explained. Some of her abusive tendencies are justified by lingering resentments and unrequited love, but I wanted the author to take more steps to humanize Fern. She just comes off as an uncomplicated monster, which cheapens what could have been a very interesting journey into the psyche of an abusive parent. The author might have been better suited to fleshing out Fern's character instead of spending so much time on Nor's budding romance since the story is mostly about Nor trying to come to terms with her identity and family history. All-in-all, I liked this book but I didn't love it. Perhaps I am just a little too old for it! Walton's creative amalgamation of social media and magic will likely make it compelling to reader's who are closer in age to the protagonist.

This book was beautifully written. Not as fleshed out as Ava Lavendar (which I absolutely adored)....but the writer's talent still shown through. My favorite part was the prologue about Rona. The tone was eerie but pacing was not consistent.

"They've been called healers and seers, shape-shifters and conjurers. Wise ones. Heretics. Witches."

The line of Blackburn women have long been both feared and revered on Anathema Island for their formidable power. But Nor Blackburn wants nothing more than to live the life of a normal teenager. Haunted by memories of her dangerously manipulative mother, Fern, before she abandoned Nor to be raised by her grandmother, Nor is glad to be unremarkable and her inherited supernatural powers negligible. But when Fern publishes a mysterious book promising to cast any spell for a price, Nor can sense the darkness coming to consume them all.

I'm always on board for anything witches and the prologue had me thinking this was going to be a slam dunk. However, despite a haunting and moody setting and a looming darkness on a deliciously whole other level than I was expecting, I was left disappointed. The pacing felt off, with a meandering build followed by a blistering final few chapters that just had me feeling overwhelmed. And the epilogue? It felt like it belonged in a totally different book. Nor was interesting, but I had a difficult time connecting. I loved the setting, the long line of cursed Blackburn women, and how dark the story was, but it wasn't enough to make me love The Price Guide to the Occult.

I DNFed this book at 60%. I went in thinking that it was a fantasy and it was really more of a magical realism novel. And unfortunately, magical realism is not my cup of tea. The writing was beautiful and the premise was strong; I just tend to struggle with the lack of action and plot, which is common in many magical realism novels.

However, just because I did not enjoy this book does not mean it was bad. Like I said, the writing was phenomenal and the characters definitely jumped off the page. The complexity of their motives and the mystery surrounding everything would definitely be intriguing to someone who is more open to or more interested in the style of magical realism. It would also be a great introduction to magical realism for someone who has not tried it yet. I wish the author the best of luck and thank her for her wonderful writing.

This book had a lot of potential, but it didn’t work for me.

I really liked the beginning of the story. The way that Rona Blackburn’s story was set up was exciting. It reminded me of The Scarlet Letter, because Rosa was excluded from the rest of the island for being a witch.

I didn’t like the main character, Nor. She was very one dimensional. She only focused on what her mother was doing and she pushed everyone else away. She was strange and boring.

Another problem was the title. It is the title of a book that Nor’s mother publishes, where she uses to sell spells to people. But it doesn’t really make sense as a title for the whole story.

Many events could have been explained better. There were gaps in the story. For example immediately after the final “fight” happens, everyone ends up back at a house to celebrate. There was no transition, or explanation to how people survived. I think some people even showed up who were supposed to be dead, so I was really confused.

I wish this book had been a little more thought-out and detailed, because that would have made it much better.

It seems I'm one of the few who didn't read the previous book :) As far as this one is concern I can say it's really good.
It's dark, cruel, sometimes really violent on the psychological side. But it's also a real page turner and once you start reading it it's quite hard to stop.
I appreciated the very complex characters and the histories in the background that are quite important for the story.
I'd like to read a follow-up to understand what the future will be and how the scars left by the event healed.
Strongly recommended.
I'm not a teen but I think this book can be appreciated at any age.
Many thanks to Candlewick Press and Netgalley

Nor Blackburn is a witch. A cursed witch. She is the descendant of Rona Blackburn, a powerful witch that was one of the first settlers of Anathema island. Unfortunately for Rona, she was not welcome among the other settlers and as revenge she cast a curse that ended up backfiring and affecting her bloodline. The Blackburn women now have to live with the curse that affects both their magic, and their love life. 

Nor Blackburn is your not-so-average 16 year old who wants nothing more than to be anonymous. She didn't as for her powers (or "burden" as she likes to refer to it) or to be part of the Blackburn curse. Her wishes of living a quiet life come crashing when her estranged mother releases a book titled The Price Guide to the Occult. As her mother's popularity grows, Nor can't shake the feeling that something terrible is about to happen. 

My thoughts: 

I really loved the writing of this book. I really enjoyed The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavander and this book was just as beautiful to me. This definitely felt like some modern fairytale. The way that the island was described and the characters really pulled me in and kept me captivated. I do have to say though that the main reason that I could not give this book a perfect review was because there were so many loose ends. At this point I am not sure if this book will be part of a series, but I sure hope it is. I was left with so many questions! I definitely want to know more about certain characters and the consequences of the many things that transpired throughout the book. 

I think that Leslye Walton has an amazing gift of creating characters and worlds that are so otherworldly and fairytale-like but she is able to make them seem plausible in our world. I definitely enjoyed this book and I would recommend it to anyone that is a fan of magical realism.

Please be aware that there are strong themes of self harm throughout the book.

Nor Blackburn comes from a long line of powerful witches. Her ancestor, Rona Blackburn, was the first to step foot on the small island nestled in the Pacific Northwest, but she soon makes it her home and seeps her very magic into the soil and fabric of Anathema Island. Powerful women often inspire fear and Rona is no exception to this sad truth. Eight men have also settled on the island and hope to build it up before bringing their wives and children to join them. An accident thrusts one of the men into Rona's life much like a thorn from a rose is thrust into one's thumb if you do not approach the flower with the right amount of trepidation. This encounter will spawn a generations long curse that will weaken the Blackburn magic and forever intertwine the women to the founding men of the island.

Nor is the 9th generation of Blackburn women to live on Anathema Island. She feels the heaviness of her family history weighing on her shoulders, but she also has to carry the burden of the scars that litter her skin after her mother, Fern, discovered that blood could unleash potent magic. Since Rona's time, Blackburn witches have only had one "burden" of magic, but Fern has always craved more. She didn't care that her quest for power hurt her daughter and she doesn't even manage a second glance when she abandons Nor for a life off the island. Nor is raised by her grandmother, Judd, who has the gift of healing.

As Nor ages she soon realizes that her magic is beyond the norm. She's only supposed to have one "burden" which everyone believes is the ability to hear the thoughts of animals and plants, but Nor has discovered that she might have the power to do more. This makes her fear that she is turning into her mother, so she suppresses her thoughts and abilities. Nor tries to blend in with everyone else on the island, but she often sticks out like a sore thumb. Besides, long time residents are no strangers to the Blackburn history.

Nor has managed to get by relatively unscathed by her traumatic past until she sees a book called The Price Guide to the Occult sitting on the shelves of the local shop where she works. Nor can hardly believe her eyes when she sees that the author is her mother. The book is more like a price list for various spells that Fern claims to be able to cast. Nor knows that if Fern is truly able to wield this magic that it comes with a sinister price. From this moment on nothing in Nor's life will ever be the same.

In addition to the conflict between mother and daughter, I liked watching Nor's relationships with secondary characters unfold. She has a best friend that made me smile, a love interest that made me sigh, a unwilling bodyguard who won me over, and a grandmother that is one of the most memorable parental figures I have ever read.

Filled with gorgeous prose, captivating magic, a haunting Pacific Northwest setting, and a diabolic villain, The Price Guide to the Occult makes for a fabulous reading experience. The characters are memorable and describe in intricate detail. I loved the creativity that went into Walton's witch lore. The spin on good vs. evil was intriguing; I also felt like there were some allusions to Harry Potter and Voldemort which made me love this all the more. I can't say if those were intentional or totally a product of my imagination. 

It's not clear if there will be another book, but the ending does provide closure while leaving a loose thread or two. I, for one, would be happy to spend more time on Anathema Island with Nor.

One Last Gripe: My only complaint was the pacing. It felt a bit jarring in spots.

My Favorite Thing About This Book: I loved so many things, but I think I have to say my favorite aspect is that Walton's use of language is beautiful and vivid.

First Sentence: They have been called many things.

Favorite Character: Nor

Least Favorite Character: Fern

Like so many others, I completely adored Walton's first novel The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender so when I saw she was coming out with a second, I was quick to jump on it. Unfortunately, The Price Guide to the Occult was underwhelming. 

That's not to say I didn't like it. I did! And I don't regret reading it. But it wasn't as awe-inspiring as Ava Lavender and of the two, I have to recommend Ava Lavender over this every time. 

The Price Guide to the Occult follows a family of witches who all have one burden, but final daughter Nor might be the exception to this. Except she really, REALLY doesn't want to be. Nor just wants to be a normal girl, living a normal life. Unfortunately, her mother doesn't want that to happen. Nor's mom is the estranged Price daughter who uses black magic to get what she wants, and now it seems that she's released a book promising spells that's taken over the whole world. 

This book just didn't have that same UNF that Ava Lavender did. The writing wasn't as good, which was a same because in her first book, Walton's writing was to DIE for. There also just wasn't that connection to the characters like in her first book. In The Price's Guide, we again follow a family but not as closely as we do in Ava Lavender, and their struggles aren't as relate-able, at least in my opinion. Nor's struggle with her mother and her self-harm is presented and could perhaps some could relate, but they also weren't explored in depth. Instead we are introduced to a bunch of characters that we don't get to spend enough time with to love.

This novel read, in a lot of ways, like a made for TV movie. Especially the ending and the "great boss battle." It felt cheap and made more for a really young teen demographic than the other teens. I hate to keep comparing this book to Ava Lavender but that book was a masterpiece and I just wish this book was as well.

I would still recommend people to read The Price Guide to the Occult especially younger teens. I think they could find a lot to like about this book. Unfortunately for me, this book just didn't live up to the hype. Read The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender instead.

When Rona Blackburn landed on Anathema Island more than a century ago, her otherworldly skills might have benefited friendlier neighbors. Guilt and fear instead led the island’s original eight settlers to burn “the witch” out of her home. So Rona cursed them. Fast-forward one hundred–some years: All Nor Blackburn wants is to live an unremarkable teenage life. She has reason to hope: First, her supernatural powers, if they can be called that, are unexceptional. Second, her love life is nonexistent, which means she might escape the other perverse side effect of the matriarch’s backfiring curse, too. But then a mysterious book comes out, promising to cast any spell for the right price. Nor senses a storm coming and is pretty sure she’ll be smack in the eye of it. In her second novel, Leslye Walton spins a dark, mesmerizing tale of a girl stumbling along the path toward self-acceptance and first love, even as the Price Guide’s malevolent author — Nor’s own mother — looms and threatens to strangle any hope for happiness.

Another book about mystery, dark magic and witches. All the ingredients for the witches lovers. I really enjoyed this book, though there are certain triggers you might be aware.  Self-inflicted injuries are present throughout the book, which are the outcomes of the worries and sadness the main character carries on. Though sometimes blood can disturb you, it gives you a true picture of the darkness of the story.  
Published March 13th, 2018

This book was a darker story than I had imagined from the jacket description.  That being said, I think this was a great YA coming of age story.  The heroine, Nor, is from a long line of Blackburn witches.   Her mother, Fern, deserted her when she was young in the care of her grandmother.  Fern, however, did damage Nor before leaving her.  This story is about Nor overcoming her childhood trauma to become stronger.    When Fern starts gaining notoriety by publishing a Price Guide to the Occult (actually a catalog of spells and their fees), Nor starts to worry that Fern will return to her little island.  Nor has steadfast friends and great support from her grandmother and others on the island.    I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in YA fiction involving the supernatural.  I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I recently read Walton's first novel and highly enjoyed it, so I was stoked to be able to get an ARC of her second novel..  ARC formatting issues aside, I enjoyed this story quite a bit and would highly recommend it to the YA set looking for a fun fall/halloween type read.  Walton writes beautifully, and there is some incredible imagery here.  I loved the whole bit with the fern tattoos, just incredible.  And the island itself was described in such a way that I could really picture it.   That aside, this story just didn't engage me quite the same way that Ava Lavender did.  The plot was a little confusing and most of the characters could have been fleshed out a little bit better.

I liked the author’s previous book (Ava Lavender) but I couldn’t get through this- TW self-harm and child abuse.

I was intrigued by the premise of the book, but just could not find a connection with any characters. Did not finish.

Nor is a ninth generation, modern day witch.  Nor is just 17 and trying to live life as a normal teenager and recover from the wounds inflicted by her disturbed mother, Fern, who abandoned her years ago.  But when Nor's mother appears on the national scene as a witch who can perform miracles - for a price, Nor knows she is practicing black magic - the kind that requires a blood sacrifice.  When Fern comes for Nor, not out of love, but to use her for her own nefarious plans, Nor resists.  As Fern attempts to destroy Nor's world, and Nor herself, Nor must summon the deepest parts of herself to save those she loves.  Walton deftly creates a realistic world in which witchcraft and normalcy can go hand in hand.  I really enjoyed the book but I wished that Walton had spent more time on the backstory, which seemed fascinating.  A prequel would be great.  Fans of Alice Hoffman and Sarah Addison Allen will enjoy this book.

The Blackburn women are cursed, ever since Rona Blackburn arrived on Anathema island long ago and was shunned by the eight original settlers. The Blackburn witches are doomed to have a brief whirlwind romance with a descendant of the original eight. The curse has side effects- like diluting the Blackburn supernatural powers.

But that's fine with Nor Blackburn. All she wants is a quiet normal life. She hopes the curse has worn off but when a mysterious book comes out, promising to cast any spell for the right price, Nor knows something is coming for her and Anathema Island.

First off, this cover, how gorgeous is it?! 😍 This is the first book I have ever read by this author. The storyline and writing are great, it kept me reading, but some parts were just too drawn out that I felt myself wanting to put the book down. Based on others recommendations I really want to read The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavendar now.

A PRICE GUIDE TO THE OCCULT immediately drew me in. With it's intimate voice and rich magical backstory, Nor's story started strong. Though readers should be warned that A PRICE GUIDE TO THE OCCULT deals with issues of self-harm and child abuse.

Unfortunately, by the time I'd made it halfway through A PRICE GUIDE TO THE OCCULT, my attention began to waver. While the impressive beginning was enough to keep me reading, the pace immediately slowed. Nor doesn't actively do much except go for runs around the island and attempt to ignore her multitude of powers. She knows a storm is coming, but she doesn't talk about it with the other characters or do anything to prepare for it. She's stagnant and remains that way until the storm finally hits the island, but by that time I hadn't been convinced I should care.

With beautiful writing and intriguing lore, A PRICE GUIDE TO THE OCCULT had tremendous potential but ultimately fizzled for me. Many readers may be enraptured by the slow romance and dark atmosphere of the novel. While that was enough to keep me reading, I was disappointed by the rushed ending, which felt undeserved after pages of Nor's passivity.

While I didn't find this book quite as captivating as the author's previous one, "The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender", I did enjoy it quite a bit. This book has witches and witchcraft at the heart of its story and while there are tons of books out there that deal with similar tropes, I was pleasantly surprised by the uniqueness with which the subject was dealt with here. Because even though the focus is largely on witchcraft, the story is first and foremost about relationships, including the relationships that exists between our main character, Nor, and the members of her community. In that respect, I think the book did a great job establishing Nor's connections to the other characters.

However, speaking of the characters themselves, I did feel that they could have been fleshed out better. The book has a huge cast of characters and because many of these characters' descriptions are left a bit vague, it did get hard at times to remember who is who. Or even to properly picture them in my mind.

That being said, Nor herself was a great main character. She has her flaws and her weaknesses but throughout the book, we get to see her come in terms with her situation and slowly set out to conquer her problems and fears. Nor was largely the reason I finished the book as fast as I did, because I just really enjoyed following her character growth.

Now regarding the execution of the book, I will admit that while the plot itself was pretty interesting, overall I found the pacing too uneven and the descriptions and explanations often too vague. Whether it's character or setting descriptions, or explanations about things that were happening in the book, things were often left rather vague, which I did occasionally find a bit confusing and frustrating.

With regards to the book's ending, it seems that future sequels are a possibility. While I did overall enjoy the book, and while I really liked Nor as the main character, I'm not sure if I'll be continuing with this series, should it become one. That being said, if the potential future books offer clearer explanations regarding some of the story elements I had issues with, and if the issues regarding the pacing and characterizations are fixed, I wouldn't mind giving a sequel a fair try.