DNFing at 35%

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc of this book.

I was really excited about this one, as I love reading about witches in both fiction and non fiction. It's been a while since ibwas really excited about a witch based fiction books so when I saw this on netgalley I couldn't wait to read it! Unfortunately I don't think this book is for me.

It started with a series of dramatic events, predictable teen drama that I saw coming a mile off, and an 'I'm not like the other girls' vibe that rubbed me the wrong way, but I know it's really common in YA, so I ignored it and carried on. I'm not in my teens anymore, so there's a lot I let slide in YA as I'm aware that i'm not the target audience. The main character seems to constantly try to prove that she's better and more interesting than every other girl around her, including a whole 'I read Poe' section. This unfortunately carried on, with the 'pretty girls are all horrible cheerleaders' getting a bit too much, and I hate girl vs girl constant competition for male affection, but that's not what really put me off the book.

The whole plot is a series of continuously more and more dramatic events which barely seem to register on Theo's radar. Her parents die, and a lot of horrible things happen to her but she's just totally fine and flirting with a guy within a week of her parents dying in a fire?! She's suddenly got this insanely powerful magic, and is going to learn to control it really easily? Everyone lives in a perfect house, everything is branded, and that's always mentioned. The magic system is also really not what I was expecting. Considering the book is set in Salem I was expecting it to be influenced by real witchcraft, or at least to seem a bit less causing thunderstorms and ominous fires which is what it feels like so far. There's a lot of stuff which seems like foreshadowing but is a bit more 'this is going to happen' than subtle hints and from that I can tell the book is heading in a direction I'm not a fan of.

Also everyone keeps referring to other people with their entire name, even in their own heads or to their children, which was just really distracting to read, and kept pulling me out of the story completely. A lot of the language and descriptive elements in this book read in a really jarring manner, and broke the immersion completely. I get it was trying to put in exposition or but it felt clunky and info dumpy.

This is being given 2 stars as I didn't finish it and maybe it got better? I guess if you knew nothing about magic, witchcraft or maybe if you're in your early teens, this book could be really good, and enjoyable. But I didn't like how much it pitted Theo against almost every female character, it made me really uncomfortable because I would love to see better representation of female interaction. You don't have to hate girls in order to be quirky, cool or get the guy. This review sounds meaner than I wanted to, but it contained a lot of tropes I feel strongly about, and that make me sad. This book will definitely have it's audience and people who will love it, but sadly that isn't me.

Something Wicked
By Nicole Rubino
?/5

Unfortunately I did not enjoy this book and DNF’d at about halfway through. From the length (too long) to the very obvious foreshadowing, I was absolutely bored. I was initially very excited about this book but at almost half way through, I decided to move on because my constantly increasing lack of interest in this title has made me not interested in reading at all. I cleaned my dishes rather than get back to reading it. It’s not wholly irredeemable. It has a very interesting premise. But the main characters were an amalgamation of standard ya tropes, with instalove and problematic relationship behavior (red flags everywhere) that made their relationship and the story dull and lifeless. The plot points are also in line with generic conventions from the tragic backstories to the ever more predictable “twists” that no one could miss because as I mentioned above, the “foreshadowing” was so completely NOT subtle. This book could do very well with a bunch of edits that take out the redundant, filler scenes and cutting out all the extra foreshadowing comments that would actually allow the foreshadowing to work. I think based on the first half of the book, it could be reduced by at least 50 pages but probably more like 25% of the overall work. The majority of the opening with the backstory for Theo could be removed in favor of the actual main story of the book which seems to be the Salem witch trials/instalove fest that isn’t introduced until about a quarter into the book. Basically it’s very rough and reads like a first attempt at ya from someone who is not going to push the generic boundaries. Conventions can be fun and work, but you shouldn’t have to work to want to read them.

The book Something Wicked started off with a bang—and I couldn’t put it down. At the beginning of the book, the main character is very much in love with her boyfriend and is flabbergasted when he breaks up with her. There is an accident and she ends up in the hospital. When she returns home, she isn’t expected to go to the prom. When she changes her mind, she sees her boyfriend at the prom dancing with her BFF. She rushes home to find her house on fire and her family still inside. Afterward, she must move in with her mom’s sister and discovers the family heritage of witch craft.

The ending of the book leads to another in the series. I am looking forward to it and any that follow.

"I should have made you love me."
Theo has no idea her world is about to change from all that she has known. Tali, her boyfriend of three years breaks up with her after taking her to dinner for her 17th birthday. They are involved in an accident that leaves her in the hospital. Tali has never shown up to see her or call. Jess, her best friend calls and comes to her house but is anything but normal. The Harvest Moon Dance is her school's version of a Homecoming Dance. Theo tells no one she is going. Tonight, she is no longer trying to fit in; she is going to stand out. What was the word her mother had used earlier? "Witchy."
Another late night read that I had to finish. Could not put down.
Look forward to more from this author.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for eARC.

This one was just not for me. The storyline was predictable and I didn't like any of the characters. I ended up DNFing at about 50%.

I love stories about witches, and Salem is one of my favorite places, so I looked forward to reading this book. Sadly, it did not live up to the hype. Riddled with missing words, cliched plotlines, and characters with no real depth, this book was a struggle to finish. I didn't connect with Theo at all and that made it very difficult to finish (though I did read all the way to the end). I also am not fond of cliffhanger endings even in a series; I always prefer that SOME loose ends are tied instead of depending on a reader to take a leap of faith on a second book.

Not worth the time I spent on it.

Theo is just an ordinary girl. An ordinary girl having an ordinary breakup with her boyfriend, getting into a very ordinary car accident. Bummer. Things feel less ordinary though when her parents die in a fire and she's taken in by her peculiar aunt in Salem, Massachusetts. Spooky. Theo realizes quickly that her life isn't ordinary after all, that her town is crawling with witch hunters, and of all the bloody luck, she's a witch herself! Even worse, she feels like she might be into this boy Trystan, and he's got it out for her, because he's a witch hunter! Oh, the humanity.

Theo's story is interesting because she learns about her family's history, about witches, and about their hunters as she deals with her grief, her budding interest in a boy, and the conflict inherent in her new life. Theo's aunt Elizabeth is really great to Theo and I appreciated her protective influence. I do think that given Theo's other troubles, it would have been more realistic for her to struggle a bit more with her magical abilities, but that may have detracted from the pace of the story. In any case, Theo's journey is an interesting one with plenty of magic sprinkled in, and I think it might cast a little spell on you also.

I received this as an eARC to read for free in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to NetGalley for giving me access.

Whoa. This book was magic. See what I did there? It's like a mash up of both the Sabrina TV shows but with one aunt and a twist to the Salem Witch Trials.

We follow Theo as she deals with a massive tragedy, the loss of her parents, but not all is what it seems. She later finds out that she is a WITCH and has caused things to happen. Did she cause her parents death? You'll definitely have to read it to find out. The answer may shock you.

Theo isn't the only one we follow. We also follow Trystan de Lancre, who we find out is a witch hunter and much more. So naturally there is an instant connection between Theo and Trystan. It's almost Bella Swan meets Edward Cullen instant. Almost.

Not only do we get twists from all the characters, the story made it seem like her aunt is hiding something, and I must know what happens next! Is she THE Elizabeth? I don't know!

I'll be waiting eagerly for the next book to find out.

Thank you Netgalley and Nicole Rubino for the chance to read Something wicked. Theo was living an ordinary teenage life when she breaks up with her boyfriend after a car accident. Then her life is turned upside down, when a fire kills hers parents and she moves to Salem to live with her aunt. What else could happen to her....it turns out she is a witch. This was a pretty good YA read. The plot was good and fast paced, it was predictable but enjoyable. One surprise though was something from my childhood; something my siblings and I used to play all the time ... “light as a feather, stiff as a board” was really a witching teaching game! Call me stunned! Looking forward to how the story continues....

A breakup and a car accident are no way to start your seventeenth birthday.
For Theo Montgomery, that is exactly how it began. Her bad luck turns worse when she returns home from a school dance to find her house on fire--with her parents still inside. Following their deaths, Theo is sent to live with her estranged aunt in Salem, Massachusetts. If a new home and a new school aren't enough to deal with, Theo discovers her aunt has a secret: she is a witch. And so is Theo.
Theo must learn to keep her magic in check, lest the village's notorious witch hunters discover that magic has returned to the world after more than three hundred years. But how can she navigate a new school, new magical powers, and avoid the witch hunters, when she finds herself enjoying the company of one?
Trystan de Lancre is a dangerous witch hunter, but that doesn't keep Theo from wanting to discover more about him. Harboring secrets of his own, Trystan isn't the only perilous force in Salem. Something has returned to the village; something the witches believed to have been dead and buried long ago.
Salem's dark past rises to haunt Theo and the present-day witches, unraveling a shocking revelation: the real cause of the Salem Witch Trials.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.75
I loved this book. I finished it in a day. It gave me all the Serpent and Dove vibes but with the time period set in modern day. I really like Rubino’s writing style and was immediately pulled into the story. She does a great job at world building. I want to visit Salem even more now!

Yes it has its clichés, but I mean honestly, what book doesn’t? I enjoyed it very much and is every bit of YA as you can get. I keep catching myself thinking about Theo and Trystan and I am so looking forward to the next book!

Thank you to netgalley and Xpresso Book Tours for the copy in exchange for the honest review.

Theodora/Theo had been dating her boyfriend Tali for two years and then he breaks up with her the night of her birthday. Theo said she knows it’s because she had never slept with him. Tali said it’s nothing to do with that. It wasn’t her it was him. Than they were shouting at each other . Theo heard the glass exploding and felt the stabbing of what felt like hundreds of sharp knives piercing her back and arms. The car spun out of control, the last thing she saw was his terrified eyes before her head slammed into the dashboard and everything went black. She had seen Tali for the first time on the first day of her freshman year of HS. There was a darkness around him, despite his golden looks. Than her uneasiness was pushed aside as he walked toward her. As he walked her to class Theo got the sense that he was the type of boy that got everything he wanted when he wanted it. His name was Talisin but he said she could call him Tali. When Theo came to she was in a hospital room quiet bruised from the accident. She also learned Tali had went home without checking on her. The next couple of days she watched but never got a call or text from him. She decided to go to the Harvest Moon dance at her school even though she hadn’t returned to school yet. James met her and walked into the auditorium with her, his hand still on her shoulder and mentioned Tali was there and then she saw tali kissing her “ best friend” Jess. than Tali noticed her and left Jess on the dance floor and headed for Theo. He asked james to pardon them. Tali said” I thought you were staying home.” Theo glared up surprised “What am I doing here?” “ I have a better question what are you doing making out with my best friend?” Then she added “ I guess that’s why you never called to see if I was still alive.” Tali said “ theo go home.” he whispered in her ear “Leave now.” Theo left and on returning home she found her house on fire and her parents were gone. Though no remains were found. Or no explanation for the fire. Jess came to Theo in the aftermath of the fire with wet bloodshot eyes, sobbing and twitching stating they would always be best friends and she would always be there for Theo . Theo accepted her apology, nut no longer felt any sense of affection towards Jess. Jess’s parents Margaret and Kevin offered Theo a place to stay while Theo figured out the logistics of her life. She had no family with the loss of her parents. At first Theo felt nothing at all. Than at her parents funeral Thep felt something again. There was a tightening in her chest, as if her heart was caught in a powerful grip. She felt like crying but tears wouldn’t come. Than Theo saw a very beautiful woman, with l along tawny mane that came to her waist. Her hair glowed underneath her black hat against ber black trench coat, Her face was as smooth as porcelain, free of any kind of aging even though Theo guessed her to be in her mid to late thirties. Her eyes stared straight at Theo. Theo felt like she had been struck by lightning. Theo felt like this woman was no stranger at all. Theo was introduced to the woman at the gathering after the funeral By Jess’s mom. Her name was Elizabeth Miller, she had come from Salem, Massachusetts and was Theo’s aunt. Elizabeth said she was Theo’s legal guardian but would not force her to live with her. She said to be careful of be careful of mirrors than walked out the last doors and disappeared. Elizabeth had left a gift for Theo- it was a bracelet with a slim black cord with a suspending silver pendant. The pendant had three interlocking almond shapes with a central circle. Theo decided to go to her aunt. Even knowing how disappointed Jesse’s parents were and even Jess. Theo had wanted to see Tali one last time even drove to his house but it seemed abandoned. Theo asked jess if she’d seen tali and she said not since the dance he hadn’t even been in school. Than Theo went to Salem and Eliabeth met her at the station. The next day Elizabeth took theo shopping. Theo wanted to go in a bookstore and her aunt said they’d meet at the car as she was going to the bank. Theo met Trystan.
I loved this book until the end. To me it was basically a cliffhanger and I hate them. I loved Trystan and Theo together and how they interacted. I loved the plot and pace. I loved the twists and turns of this book. I haven’t read about any witches in a while and falling for a witch hunter is definitely a different twist. But i did love it. This was a five star review until the end. I would have put this at a 4.25 if I could have. But I still loved the characters and i recommend this.

Something Wicked is an interesting take on witches and witch hunters. One day Theo Montgomery is an ordinary teenager dealing with all the usual high school issues. Then, she experiences a breakup with her boyfriend, a car wreck and ultimately an even greater loss. All of these events lead her to move to Salem to live with her mysterious aunt that she never knew.

Throughout the entire story, Theo is trying to understand the events that have happened around her. She feels that she's being targeted but isn't sure who is doing it. The world building in the book was clever. I found the description of elemental witches to be interesting. In addition, the author's twist on what happened in the Salem witch trials also pulled in my attention.

Even though the book left off on a bit of a cliffhanger, it was still a satisfying ending ...for now. I look forward to reading more about this world.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and Ms. Rubino for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book was awesome. I loved every second of reading it and I cannot wait for the next book in the series. Was the writing amazing? No, but it was so much fun and I really liked the characters, the story, and the vibe. The plot was really entertaining and even though it was predictable at times, the twists were still totally satisfying. The romance between Theo and Trystan was quick, but never felt rushed and I thought their chemistry was good and built up nicely. I loved Theo’s Aunt Elizabeth and I can’t wait to learn more about her (I have a feeling something big is coming). My one main concern about the book was the system of magic. It was a bit muddy and since it is such a major component of the plot, I wish the boundaries and rules for it would have been clearer and stronger. Because of that, I can’t give the book 5 stars, but I’m going to give it a strong 4 and I even had a slight book hangover after this one. I cannot wait to see how the story continues! If you like witches, I definitely recommend.

Guys. I really loved this book! I was drawn into it from the first page. Nicole does a great job in getting the reader into the story. Salem and witches? I’m in! I really liked the history aspects as well as the hints of what is to come. She left me wanting more and I really Hope this is part of a series so we can get some some answers for things left hanging. Her writing style was awesome and I finished this in one setting. Thank you so much to netgalley for the arc!

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A great witchy read! I cannot wait for the next book in this series. I really loved Theo and Hazel. I felt like their friendship grew very organically. It just seemed like an authentic kind of companionship.

The authors writing style had me begging for more and I was engaged with the story the whole time. I really we had seen Theo push back a bit when she discovers her new life… Though in reality I can’t be mad that she didn't question it much, if someone came at me like ‘Hey, by the way you are a witch..’ I would not question it a bit.

I just really wanted to see Theo struggle a little. I feel like it would make her more relatable as a character instead of just being perfect at it from day one. The story itself has great pacing. I even slightly enjoyed the love at first sight aspect of it. I liked that the pacing of the romantic relationship between Theo and Trystan seemed realistic.

I love the elemental approach to witchcraft in stories. Too often we see witches wielding dark magic or curses so this was very beautifully done. Thank you so much to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for allowing me to review this title.

This book was cute! There are definitely some cliches/tropes that go with high school witches but they didn’t overpower this story. I’m sad it’s over and want the next book right away!!! Nicole did a great job holding back and giving away info to keep the reader interested. I loved the character development and atmosphere of Salem. There were some “telling not showing” moments, but that happens sometimes with first books with laying the ground work.

I have been into strong friendships lately, and enjoyed the relationship between Theo and Hazel. And Hazel! She asked every question as I formed it…as if she was reading my mind haha I even enjoyed Trystan’s POV as he tried to convince himself that love at first sight doesn’t exist. The antagonists were so nasty to the point of being creepy – it was well done.

After some intense high fantasy reads that required massive brain power, this book was a perfect balance. Thank you #netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review. Well done!

Scheduled to post 12/3/19.

The fact that it was set in Salem drew me in only to find out that they were just getting to Salem by the time I stopped reading. I really wanted to push through, but I couldn't. There's just a lot of VERY PECULIAR THINGS happening all the time that's less foreshadowing and more hit by a dump truck-shadowing. Not subtle at all. The dialogue and interactions were all stilted and a lot of random things coming out of the woodwork and happening to the protagonist when we don't know enough about her to care. It was just all around very mediocre to the point where I couldn't set what I wasn't liking aside to enjoy what could have been a fun story because there was just too much of it.

Absolutely wonderful read! I enjoyed the plot, characters, and prose so much. Would definitely recommend it to anyone!

The story starts with Theo, who lives in Sleepy Hollow, breaking up with her boyfriend Tali, being in a car accident and losing her parents in a house fire ... Happy Seventeenth Birthday! At her parents funeral she finds out she has an aunt, Elizabeth, that she never knew about it and goes to live with her in Salem. She finds out that she's a witch and magic has returned to the world.

Theo tells the story of her getting to grips with her grief and her new powers helped by her mysterious aunt Elizabeth who is also a witch. She makes a new friend Hazel and a new love interest in the shape of Trystan de Lancre, who comes from a long line of witch hunters. Added to this there is a different spin to the Salem Witch Trials and also the wicked element ... which I'm not going to tell you about, you'll have to read the book .... wicked, I know haha!

This was a great read, you don't have to be a teenager you just have to like reading fantasy, which I do. The characters were all well written and yes parts of the storyline might be a bit predictable you know "instant love" but for me it's all part and parcel of a good read. To begin with I got a 'Beautiful Creatures' vibe to it but by the end of the book the story was definitely it's own. It left on a little cliffhanger so I'm looking forward to reading the second book to find out the outcome.

Thank you to Netgalley and Magnolia Press for the ARC.

Based on the blurb, I was really excited to read this. I loved the fact it was set in Salem, but that was one of the only highlights. Things, in general, were predictable, and there really weren't any unexpected twists. I really didn't connect with Theo. I'm never crazy about insta-love story lines, especially with teens or younger. Some of the dialogue felt stilted and inaccurate for the age of the characters. This is supposed to be part of a series, but I have no interest in reading the rest. Perhaps I'm not the target audience. A teen, or even preteen, audience may really enjoy this.