I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the underlying message that love is the most powerful magic of all.

I rate this book as 4 OUT OF 5 STARS ⭐⭐⭐⭐ and I recommend it to fans of Practical Magic.

The three beautiful Swan sisters, Marguerite, Aurora and Hazel, arrive in Sparrow, Oregon in 1822. No man, single or married, can resist them. The townspeople thinking the women to be witches, tie stones to their ankles and drown them in the ocean.

In present day Sparrow, tourists overrun the town as the inhabitants prepare for the yearly festivities honouring the Swan sisters. However, the tradition of parties and festivals is not all the residents come to expect each summer. Since the sisters were drowned, death comes to the town, claiming new victims the same time each year. The approaching Swan season is a time when the legendary sisters are resurrected, seeking revenge as they each inhabit the body of a local girl. But there is one person who may be able to break the curse...

Penny Talbot resides with her mother on Lumiere Island, along with two orange tabby cats, Otis and Olga. She uses a small boat to motor across the bay between her home and Sparrow, where she goes to high school. She must traverse a labyrinth of shipwrecks which hark back to the days when supplies were brought in through the port. Now the waters are no longer used for this purpose and there are rumours they are haunted.

Three years ago, Penny's father, John, disappeared from the island and has not been seen or heard from since. She knows something terrible must have happened for him to leave his family behind. Her best friend Rose tries to convince Penny to leave Sparrow with her once they graduate, but she is loyal and feels an obligation to her mother, who lives in a haze on the outskirts of reality since John vanished. Sparrow is dreary and rainy, but it is familiar and comfortable, that is until Bo the intriguing stranger arrives. From a young age, Penny was taught by her mother to read fortunes from tea leaves. In the leaves she has seen a mysterious boy who will arrive and capture her heart. Whenever she thinks about leaving Sparrow, the island draws her back.

Lumiere Island is exquisitely depicted, with its lighthouse, heavy morning fog and surrounded by the vastness of the Pacific. I could easily picture the tragic vision of Penny's mother standing on the cliffs and looking out to sea, waiting for her lost love to come home to her. The novel has an enchanting fairy tale quality that I found captivating. The story of the witches coming back to exact their revenge is a dark one, but it is unique and beautifully written. The Wicked Deep is gorgeously atmospheric and a book I highly recommend.

This book is all about atmosphere and beautiful writing. It is completely immersive, and even if reading on a bright sunny day, can give you the chills. For ultimate reading, I would suggest a cozy fall evening with a hot drink and a fuzzy blanket to curl up in.

The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw is a bewitching novel about a cursed town and three witches that come back to lure the boys to their death by drowning. I absolutely loved this one. No word of a lie, it was everything I could have wanted in a witchy novel. And I love witchy things, hello, my favorite show is CHARMED.

The Wicked Deep is set in a wet, sea salt filled town of Sparrow. Two centuries ago, three girls were drowned by the townspeople because they were believed to be witches. The men of the town couldn’t help but be lured into their charm, grace, and beauty. Every summer on the anniversary of their demise, the three sisters come back and take over weak minded girls of the town and they take their revenge and drown the boys.

I couldn’t help it, but I got major Hocus Pocus vibes and that’s a good thing. That movie was awesome, and so was this book! One of my favorite parts of the book was the atmospheric writing. The descriptions were so lush and vivid that I actually thought I was getting wet from all the talks about the sea and the water filled town. This didn’t feel like a debut, and it shows in Ernshaw’s writing abilities.

Another aspect I really enjoyed was the story itself. I found the lives of the Swan Sister’s so intriguing that I ended up reading this all in one shot. I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN!!

Everything from the beginning, to the middle, and the end was perfect, and I couldn’t have asked for a better witchy story! If you enjoy stories about witchcraft, love, trust, and the search for humanity when all hope is lost, then you will love The Wicked Deep!

While I did receive an E-ARC copy from Netgalley for the Wicked Deep, the format sent to me was not compatible with my Kindle, so I waited until the book was released and purchased it from Book Outlet for this review.

Wicked Deep left me with a lot of mixed emotions! This novel is beautifully written although it is an easy read (barely took me a day), has great characters that you bond with and cheer for but something about it's ending just left me wanting more.

My favourite part of the book was the setting and atmosphere in which the author was able to weave so perfectly the feelings of the mysterious and spooky, reclusive town of Sparrow in which the story takes place. It was so easily to imagine yourself with the characters in this town, on their island wanting to learn more about the towns Magical History.

I think after the atmosphere of the book is set, you've settled into the characters and you're about to get in to the meaty part of the read, is where it starts to fall apart. The romance happens so suddenly and while it doesn't seem forced, it just doesn't fit.

I think this book is drawing a lot of comparisons to Hocus Pocus only for the fact that the three witches were sisters. Where Hocus Pocus has fun and humour this book keeps things dark and serious. I think it will be perfect for those YA reads looking to enter the paranormal genre for the first time, or folks who love to read about magic and witchcraft.

I am so frustrated that it took me almost a year to finally pick up my e-copy of this novel, and I have no excuse as to why I didn’t read it earlier. I think I thought that this was a story set around mermaids (which I don’t enjoy) and only felt compelled to read it to clear off my review shelf. It took me a while to get into the plot at first, as I found her writing style to be very over-descriptive but eventually was able to become hooked. I actually read the last 35% in one sitting overnight. Shea Ernshaw’s writing somehow because less overly-descriptive and more atmospheric and mysterious. I wish I was able to pinpoint at which point my perspective to her writing changed, but it was such an effortless transition that left me captivated in her storytelling.

There were a few characters to keep track of in this novel as we get perspective from both past, with the sentencing of the sisters, and future, of the drownings they set upon the town each summer. I did not have a character that I loved more than any other, and found instead that they worked best as a group - with the exception of the insta-love I really could’ve done without that.

A final comment that I would like to make is in regards to the plot twist(s). I have seen a lot of negative reviews towards this novel with the explanation that it is too predictable, but I didn’t see it as it’s biggest flaw. No it is not overly original, but I did think it was well written and spooky. Overall, I think this was a really solid read and I’m glad I finally got around to picking it up. Although it is set during the summer, I think it is best read during this gloomy fall weather as it brings you into the perfect atmosphere!

Magical and fun it was a great read from start to finish. However I think my expectations were too high when I heard the premise so I felt I couldn’t give it five stars.

This goes from a creepy, intriguing beginning to a disappointing climax. The concept is cool but the overall execution is meh. I wish that the tone and style of writing that happen in the opening chapters, and the very last chapter, was throughout the whole book. Regardless, the ghost story plot is clever and I did like the setting of a fairly isolated town on the coast. Plus the addition of our lead gal and her Mom living on an island near the main town added some ambience and opportunity that Shea Ernshaw capitalized on. I mean who doesn't think an old, but still functional, lighthouse isn't a great locale for ghosts to inhabit other girls bodies.

The Characters
So the real downfall of The Wicked Deep is the characters themselves. Perhaps not their actual personalities or actions; but certainly the awkwardness with which their dialogue and interactions are told to the reader. The lead gal has some great moments in the introduction; but as the pages flipped by I felt like she became awkward and stilted. Not only in her dialogue but even her internal narration lost something. Essentially as the out-of-town boy, who is of course the love interest, showed up it felt too forced. I liked the overall character of the mysterious boy but his dialogue and actions were awkward and made me feel uncomfortable while I read.

The Twist
From the blurb The Wicked Deep it is apparent that there is likely to be a twist. And yes there is one. I had three theories at one point on what the twist would be. One of them was mostly true. That didn't, surprisingly, take away from the reveal for me. Usually guessing the outcome is not as fun; but in this case there was still so much to happen in the story that I didn't mind I'd figured out the twist early. Unlike many horror or ghost stories the reveal is about 75% in and not at the very end. This allowed for a lot more exciting climactic plot and some additional softer moments between our characters to transpire.

Overall
I didn't dislike this book; but I didn't love it. Were someone to ask me if I'd recommend it I'm likely to ask how intrigued they are by the blurb on the back. If they say it's intriguing but their not sure; I'd likely recommend they pass on it. However, for those who love ghost stories, are okay with summer fling love interests and don't mind a few cliche moments, then they are likely to get a satisfactory read from The Wicked Deep.

PS...those who've argued there is a rape scene in this book are reaching, a lot, in my opinion. I didn't even think of it this way until I read someone's comments about it possibly being classified as rape. It's a ghost story where the spirits of dead girls inhabit those of living ones. If you want to insinuate that it's creepy the way one scene plays out I'll say 'okay'. However, in no way do I think Ernshaw made any connection to the scene in question being considered rape-esque. I am hoping that only a small percentage of people actually think this book requires a trigger warning. I do not believe it needs one; nor do I write this note because I think it's at all an offensive scene. Instead I write this to acknowledge that I am aware of the controversy. I'd like to think that most people aren't so negative and pessimistic that they twist an innocent ghost story into something else. This is my personal opinion on the matter and you can, of course, disagree with it.

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

How does a book with such an incredible premise, vivid setting and chilling atmosphere fall so flat?

TOO MUCH TEENAGE ANGST AND NOT ENOUGH DROWNING.

Seriously though, I wanted to love this so much, but it missed the mark. I feel very let down because as a whole it did not live up to the expectations the synopsis set. The witches, the drownings, the mistrust—all of it took a far backseat to some super odd, very much un-asked, eye-roll inducing insta-romance. Lines like, "Maybe I can save him. Maybe he can save me," had me gagging. I literally could not care less for this.

Even looking back in hindsight and knowing what I know, Penny Talbot is a piece of cardboard character. She comes across as so unbelievably forlorn and depressing. Like, she seemed an absolute bore of a person. Then all of a sudden we're falling in love and having sex in a cottage for three days while you're forever grieving mother is in the house fifty feet away and I'm supposed to be sympathetic? And then she goes through a phase of self-discovery and becomes super selfish. *drops book, waves bye*

I won't say I hated the writing. It was rough going at first, and dragged quite a bit in the first half, but as a debut I can see a lot of potential in Earnshaw's work. I would definitely be interested in reading more of her future work, but this could have been tweaked to be really strong. All the right elements were there, but the execution was missing something.

Footnote for those who read the book: am I only one confused by this cover? It is absolutely lovely (that blue <3), but how on earth do you take a book that involves the ocean and ghosts and produce tree branches, a random bird and a pentagram slapped in like an afterthought?

I don’t read a lot of paranormal fiction, but the comparison of The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw to Hocus Pocus and Practical Magic really caught my attention and I’m so glad I decided to give this debut novel a try. This story takes place in the cursed town of Sparrow, where 200 years ago 3 sisters were sentenced to die, and now each summer they return to steal the bodies of girls and use them to drown boys in the harbour.

Although The Wicked Deep had a slow start, I was soon immersed in the creepy, mystical world Ernshaw created. I actually thought this would have a humorous tone because of the Hocus Locus comparison but instead there’s just a dark ominous feeling to the story, which I greatly preferred. The story is really well plotted with plenty of twists, including a few surprises, and some clues I didn’t even notice until my friend Ambur pointed them out when we discussed the book afterwards. This is definitely a book I read for the story and atmosphere, rather than the specific characters, which asides from the narrator, Penny, don’t have a lot of depth, but I really enjoyed the mystery and story, as well as the writing. While I appreciate a standalone paranormal novel, I’m still not quite sure how I feel about the ending of The Wicked Deep, which left me a bit unsettled, but perhaps it is a sign of Ernshaw’s skill that I’m still left questioning and uncertain long after turning the final page.

4.5/5
I really enjoyed this one. it was fun and different. Although I didn't get what felt like the instalove between the main character and the love interest, I still enjoyed the chemistry between them. The bits of flashbacks you get for characters was a nice touch and at times I wish there were more of them.
It didn't get 5/5 simply because I figured out the twist fairly early and I wish they had of gone a different route. But overall, it was extremely enjoyable and a good quick read. I definable see the Hocus Pocus and Practical Magic elements in the story - so if you're a fan you should pick this up. If you enjoy reading about witches and curses - then this ones for you too.

This is hands-down one of my favourite books I've read this month.

At first, I was a little confused as to where the story was going to go. The writing style was very elegant but the events seemed a little too teenager-y for my taste. I was worried I wouldn't like this book....

AND THEN IT ALL CHANGED.

The ghostliness of the story became the forefront and it was just amazing. I loved the atmosphere of this novel, with its haunting imagery and creepy scenes. It delivered on so many fronts. Every chapter began with a small section about the 3 sisters who were responsible for the curse on the island and these excerpts were so intriguing! The entire reading experience was just fantastic.

Even though I had already predicted the biggest twist in the story, I found myself enjoying the story so much that I didn't care. I didn't need for there to be that massive surprise when the quality of the storytelling was just so good!

I also quite liked the interactions between the different characters. I didn't think I would since I'm not a big fan of romance, but it was done very nicely here, and I was able to really connect with the characters. Needless to say, I was pretty emotional when I got to the ending - but that's when you know you've read something amazing!

I honestly cannot say enough about this book because I just loved every minute of it. If you like romance and ghostly encounters and witches and amazing writing, then check out this book! I'm giving it 5/5 stars!

The Wicked Deep is haunting, a story of sorrow and revenge, of secrets and sisters and deadly summers. Of local legends and lonely girls and soft hearts.

Penny isn't so sure where she fits in in the small town of Sparrow. She's there, living just off the coast on a little island with her mother, but she's not sure about her future. Will she leave when high school's over? Will she stay, alone, like her mother? Now that summer's come, Penny thinks about other things. Like the return of the Swan sisters, young women long ago accused of witchcraft and left to die in the harbour waters by the town that feared them. Each summer they return as ghosts, luring young men to their deaths. This summer seems to be no different. Until someone new comes to town, looking to stay, unaware of what's about to come out of the water.

This was rather interesting. A gentle but spooky small town mystery involving a local girl and a new-to-town boy with secrets of his own. I was intrigued to see where it would go, if I was able to spot any twists before everything was revealed, and I liked the little flashbacks to the days of the Swan sisters in Sparrow. They provided context and layers to the sisters and their unfortunate fate. I would recommend this if you like ghostly small town mysteries, a little like Sea Change but with more death and vengeful ghosts.

I received an ARC of this from the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Although this story was a bit predictable, I still really enjoyed its execution. It was an intriguing take on curses and revenge on a town for sentencing 3 innocent sisters of witchcraft and then drowning them in the lake. In turn this triggers the curse of Swan season, when the sisters come back, take over the bodies of 3 girls and essentially go on a killing spree by charming and then drowning men of their choice. It struck me as a bit odd that tourists flocked to Sparrow to witness this event. Seems a bit morbid and risky to me, especially if you’re male.
But amongst the tragedy and mayhem, the reader is tantalized and teased with a love story that slowly unfolds. Both Bo and Penny have mysterious pasts which slowly gets revealed throughout the book at a really good pace. I enjoyed fitting the pieces of the puzzle together and the characters.
It’s a good, light, fast paced read. I’d recommend it and I’m looking forward to reading more from this author.

MORAL OF THE STORY:
WHEN PEOPLE SAY THE TOWN IS CURSED, LISTEN TO THEM!

For fans of Hocus Pocus and Practical Magic? YES PLEASE!

The Wicked Deep is about 3 Sisters who were sentenced to their death two hundred years ago for Witchery. Every Summer they come back, inhabit the bodies of young girls so they can entrance and drown boys for their own sweet revenge.

This was one. Epic. Read. The Wicked Deep hooks you from the very beginning. It blankets the salty sea air around you, sings its sweet song in your ear and doesn't let you go. Not even after you've finished the last page. You'll be left cast under its spell, still captivated by it.

I may question Shea Ernshaw of witchery myself for creating such a spell-binding and addictive tale! Ernshaw crafted such compelling characters. Their stories unfolding at a beautiful pace. I loved the romance between Bo and Penny. It wasn't a cliche or your typical young adult love story.

The story itself had a great flow! Not once did I feel that it lagged or that any part of it was rushed. Each chapter ended in a way that made you want to move on to the next. It was nearly impossible to put down! It is a unique and fresh take on other Witch stories out there. The Swan sisters stand out strong against the popular genre. It's haunting and dark yet magical and lovely. The Wicked Deep will appeal to all readers, not just for fans of the Young Adult genre. This book is just begging to be filmed. I would love to see it hit the big or small screen.

The Wicked Deep will take you on an eerie and memorable adventure. Your heart will flutter and ache and the Swan Sisters will remain with you long after you've finished.

“We wait for death. We hold our breath. We know it's coming, and still we flinch when it claws at our throats and pulls us under.”

I couldn’t pass up a chance to read The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw. I mean, look at that cover! It’s so pretty. And that magical theme is woven throughout the book itself. It’s just so beautifully put together!

I’ll be honest, I was a little hesitant about the story, worried it would be too juvenile for a 30-something reader, but sometimes books like this are just what I need. A nice, comforting read that reminds me why I love books so much. The Wicked Deep felt like a warm blanket, I was just so happy anytime I had a chance to snuggle up with it.

I did quite like the story, though it was somewhat predictable and wasn’t overly complicated, it was still very interesting and drew on the folklore of witches and superstition and small towns. I really love all of that and Ernshaw did a great job of weaving it all into a story that felt dreamlike and magical.

I enjoyed the characters; I really grew to like Penny and was smitten with the mysterious Bo, and when we started to discover the witches, they become strong characters as well and I liked the direction this took the book. It humanized them, even though they were technically the bad guys here, we got to know them on a different level that blurred the lines a little between good and evil.

This wicked little tale ultimately becomes more of a love story, which worked really great. It wasn’t over-saturated with insta-love, but it was sweet and innocent and I enjoyed taking a step back into high school for once, which is not something I ever say.

A quick and easy read, this kept me company while traveling for work and I really enjoyed the whole feel and story. Definitely recommend it if you’re looking for a magical comfort read.

The Wicked Deep is this haunting and hypnotic story of revenge, love and family. It definitely gave me Alice Hoffman vibes with Hocus Pocus sprinkles which I give kudos to the great marketing. It couldn't have been more spot on. The story opens up with this chilling yet fairy tale like recounting of the Swan sisters arrival to the town of Sparrow, and their eventual demise. Three is a big number in all things witchy so it makes sense that there would be three sisters. One thing I immediately loved was the choice of names for them: Marguerite, Aurora, and Hazel.

Jump to the present, we're suddenly seeing Sparrow through the eyes of the main protagonist Penny who lives on an island close by with her mother and a lighthouse. I can't resist a lighthouse and find them to be a great tool for atmosphere. This book delivers on that front with some amazing writing that was easy to follow and heartbreaking real at times. The town of Sparrow is truly a perfect cliche of a small town with lots of superstition and judgement.

Another strong element to this book is the structure. Alternating between Penny's first person point of view and the third person flashbacks (which give us further info of the Swan sisters' past), you'll think you know what's coming until it's too late. For myself, I had a slight suspicion of what was going on but there are a few surprises that had me reeling. I was quite impressed with the sneaky way that Shea Ernshaw swapped the tables on us, and loved it.

In terms of the plot, it's quite fast paced as it takes place in a matters of day. Yet at the same time, a lot happens and important details are hidden among the mundane. That said, the weakest part of this book would have to be the instalove that happens between Penny and Bo. I expected that to happen just based on the synopsis of the book, and they do have their tender moments. It also has a pay off at the end so just be patient with it and you'll enjoy it too.

Lastly, did it have talking cats? No it did not, but it does feature two adorable little strays who know their stuff. #nospoilers

Overall, this book toes the line between creepy and tragic. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and would recommend if you love witches, murder and mystery. Not to mention this book's cover is stunning. I'll be picking up a copy for myself sometime this week. Also congrats on hitting the New York Times bestseller list!

Thank you to NetGalley and Shea Ernshaw for allowing me to read and review this novel. I LOVED it. So much fun!

This book follows Penny Talbot and Bo Calvert on a wild ride of romance and adventure that navigates through a witchy legend of epic proportions.

I rate this book ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 for the following reasons:

My Thoughts On The Book:
The book starts with awesome imagery, and you almost feel like you are right there watching these accused witches drown in the Pacific Ocean. I like how the first chapter ends with not only mystery but a sense of foreboding as well. I didn't really like how Penny treated Bo (an outsider) when he first met her. I do like that even though Penny was rude to him, Bo saves her from Lon who tried to drown her in the water by forcing her to swim when she didn't want to. As Penny tells the story of the Swan Sisters it's hard not to become entranced by the unbelievableness of the details, so much so that you can almost envision Bo's look of incredulousness on his face. And even though it doesn't mention his thoughts that's almost how you think it would go. The way Penny describes Lumiere Island you can see her confliction with it especially knowing how townspeople treated her father going missing. The way that Penny describes how she knows things and which girls are possessed by the Swan Sisters is so frightening yet intriguing because the author could be seeing right into my brain and how I feel it would go. Penny is relatable on so many levels. This slow burn romance that is building between Bo and Penny is nice to read but is so damn frustrating at times when you just want it to happen. Bo's mysteriousness is very annoying at times though and so that was frustrating to read until he started opening up more and trusting Penny more with his secrets. The slow build in the story, in general, was sometimes very irritating and the secrets behind both their answers were aggravating for me to read. I don't, in general, have patience and this is one of my most hated things about most books is their slow world and character building and while I know that almost 100% of the time it's necessary it doesn't make it any easier for me. When Bo was stopped by Olivia you could feel the utter jealousy, anger, and fear that Penny held inside. I wasn't expecting the twist that Bo finally throws at Penny or his outright denial to believe in a curse that is 200 years old. Man oh man when Penny and Bo share that romantic moment it made my heart flutter, it was shameful how it made me feel. And when Penny finds out her dad secretly bought books about the Swan Sisters and curses you could feel her utter shock so vividly. And then yet another twist happens and it reveals where Hazel really is. MY GOD! I was feeling the crazy ominous feeling that Shea Ernshaw was giving off at the end of Chapter 18. When the ending wrapped up I felt so in conflict for myself but more so for Bo, and it was gut-wrenching. All in all this book was a great read. The only reason I didn't rate it 5 stars is because some of the plot points didn't make sense and it was very slow in places. All in all though I enjoyed this book so very much. I'm already aching that it's over

Would I recommend this book:
If you loved Hocus Pocus, Practical Magic and have an affinity for the Salem Witch Trials then this book will vibe for you and I definitely recommend this book for you. If however, you aren't into any one of those things or Paranormal Fantasy/Romance, you probably will not enjoy what this book is throwing down.


******* I received this book from Netgalley on behalf of Simon & Schuster Canada in exchange for my honest review and feedback. The opinions herein are of my own volution and have not been swayed in any way by Netgalley or the publisher*******

The Wicked Deep definitely had its moments. It's a bit of a mix between Hocus Pocus and Practical Magic and while some aspects of the story are very engaging, other things grated on me which is why this isn't a higher starred rating.
I enjoyed the atmospheric setting and the general storyline of a town that is haunted each year by the vengeful ghosts of three sisters that were accused of witchcraft and drowned for their alleged crimes. I also found that the big plot twist caught me quite off guard and took the story in a really interesting direction; definietly the highlight of the novel for me.
That being said, I found that the writing style, while good, was repetitive, which became somewhat annoying (for example, anytime a specific character would be mentioned, a certain fact / description about them would also be mentioned. I read it the first time, I didn't need to reread it every time they came onto the page) and the romance of the book really didn't spark for me (was to instantaneous for my liking).
All in all, an entertaining book and one I would recommend to readers looking for a spooky, small town read with a bit of romance and magic realism.