One of the descriptions of Wild and Wicked Things by Francesca May calls it a retelling of The Great Gatsby. I’d add that it is Gatsby meets Practical Magic meets… something darker. May creates a dark and dangerous post-WWI world in which magic is illegal, but still calls for our main protagonist Annie. Continue reading down below to get my opinions on this new fantasy novel.

Several aspects of Wild and Wicked Things harken back to The Great Gatsby: Emmeline’s purple light, the large parties, the draw of glamor, etc. The inclusion of the witchcraft elements (in addition to certain events) really brought to light similarities with Practical Magic. Those who practice this illegal magic on Crow Island are more or less ostracised but are sought out when needed.

I’m not sure that I really fully understood the workings of the magic and the concept of blood debt. The relationship between Annie and Emmeline did not draw me in. It, unfortunately, felt forced, which was such a shame since this was supposed to be a Sapphic novel. I also struggled with several of the characters’ selfish natures. This made many main characters quite unlikeable, which is not something I personally enjoy when reading.

I enjoyed the concept of a witchy retelling of Gatsby, but I didn’t feel like the plot really drew me in. The setting with the glamor and prohibition of magic was a neat element to this novel, but it could not carry the entire plot. The story was slow at times and I wasn’t interested in the main conflict of her friend, Bea. I was more interested in the main reason she was on Crow Island, which centered on the death of her estranged, likely witchy, father. The end seemed tied up too neatly and quickly for my tastes.

Overall
This is an interesting premise and I did enjoy the echoes of Gatsby. The letdown was the plot and the either unlikeable or uncompelling characters. Regardless of this, I would definitely recommend others to read it. If any of this feels in your wheelhouse, you may end up liking it more than I did!

Unfortunately, I struggled with this one. It sounded like something I would LOVE but instead I just couldn't get interested. After picking it up a few times over a couple months, I gave up about 30%. Not sure why, it just wasn't for me apparently.

Thank you NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC. I received access to this book and sped through it as I was on the hunt for queer/mystical books. Since then I've recommended it to strangers, friends, family members. I hadn't read any of May's work in the past and can see a sequel to WAWT should that be feasible?

I was SO excited for this book! I don't normally read historical fantasy, but the cover drew me in and I thought it would be so great. Unfortunately, I was extremely let down. The writing was really good, but I just did not care about any of the characters. I think I would pick up more from this author though!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am just into anything remotely gothic, witchy and sapphic. But unfortunately while I loved the atmosphere, some of the elements and even the cover, my dislike for the characters took me out of the story too many times to be able to say that I fully enjoyed it.

This is another of the queer Gatsby retellings (or books billed as such, at least) from the past couple of years that really fell short of my expectations. Both main characters vacillated between uninteresting and truly unlikable. The magic system was also a bit half-baked, which was especially surprising giving how very very long this was.

I found the book to be difficult to read. The story felt hard to get into and I didn't manage to get past the first 20 percent. I love the concept of the book though

Wonderful read. Was difficult to put down. Looking to more from this author. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for granting me access to an e-arc.

So I really liked this story, and the author is clearly very talented. Her writing style is immaculate and she has an amazing mind for story telling. I will say I wasn’t completely attached to the characters of the story. I felt that the characters main personalities were their down falls. Although, though I didn’t love the characters, the story was so enticing that I enjoyed the book anyways. I would give this book a 4/5 stars.

This is one of the better speculative fiction books I've read recently with a 1920s setting or (loosely) drawing some inspiration from The Great Gatsby. It's a bit of a slow burn, but it kept my interest throughout, gradually unraveling the secrets of the magical inhabitants of Crow Island. The genre is historical fantasy (magic is known to exist but not acknowledged within polite society) and has a sapphic romance. The melancholic and mysterious atmosphere (almost some Gothic energy there), subtly fantastical worldbuilding, and the compelling characters all make for a very worthwhile read.

This book ended up being a DNF. Rating is based solely on the content I did read. I ultimately found the pacing and development of the story and/or characters not engaging enough to continue on and finish the complete book. This was also one I DNFd due to content.

I apologize for not reading the book. I requested and then was unable to read it.

The cover looks amazing and I have heard good things about it.

Sapphic and witches, two of my top favorite things to read about; Sapphic Witches! Not only is it Sapphic, it’s also Great Gatsby inspired, although not much of a retelling since there’s very little connecting the two.
First, the atmosphere is perfect! Crow Island is eerie, dark and mysterious with secrets sitting right under the surface. WWI has ended, and Annie moves into her father’s estate, when she begins noticing her neighbor Emmeline, someone long suspected of witchcraft. I was initially very invested in the romance, though there isn’t much of that in the first half of the book, where the two main characters move back and forth in acknowledging their mutual affection. There is an unnecessary magical element to the romance, which I could have done without and would much rather have seen a relationship begin to grow and sense some tension, as opposed to a magical pull.
The writing is enjoyable, carries the theme across well, descriptions being vivid and smooth. Plot progresses at an extremely slow pace, very little happens in about 70% of the book, but it does improve in the last 30%, which finally delivers the “dark magic, romance, and murder” concept it initially promises. By then I was already distanced from characters and events, and stopped enjoying what I read, despite the last quarter being absurd to a tragicomic level, that I have no other way of describing. That last part is the only reason I bumped my rating up another star. Otherwise, I felt quite numb reading through, almost completely indifferent to anything that occurred. If only the plot didn’t take that long to pick up.
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

WILD AND WICKED THINGS hits the spot this spooky season. I loved the witchy and dark feel of Crow Island and the alternative world-building May has employed in this one. It sets the scene and atmosphere of this story perfectly. Although this book is a Great Gatsby retellings, it was something wholly unique. There are parallels to the original story but this one stands a part and is unlike any retelling I have read, and that is a good thing. All the characters in this one are very well created, multifaceted and morally grey in the best of ways. May's writing is lush and as glittering as the world and story she has created. And the slow-burn romance and love triangle in this one was very well done. Filled with secrets and betrayals, WILD AND WICKED THINGS was a refreshingly original and feminist take on TGG that fans of the original and fans of witchy books will savor.

I picked this book up a few months ago and just couldn't get into it, so I told myself I would try again once we got closer to Halloween and I felt more "in the spirit" to read novels about witches and magic. And I sure am glad that I made sure to pick this up again. Annie was such an easy character to sympathize with, as I saw a lot of myself in her (being afraid to make changes while still wanting to live an exciting life, etc.), while Emmeline and Bea were easy to find annoyance with while also feeling real empathy for both. Of course (spoiler alert, but I won't tell you WHO), my favorite character ends up dying, which is on par for the course with every book I read or show/movie I watch, so I was expecting it. But it still felt unnecessary and like it was thrown in as an afterthought. That, and the quick wrap up of the story. at the end, is what knocks a star off for me. Up until the last 50 pages, everything felt like it was detailed out very well, and then all of a sudden it was a rush and like the author realized she hadn't figured out an ending so she just threw everything together.

I do think I will pick this up for my personal, physical library, as the cover is GORGEOUS, and I really did enjoy the story overall. Definitely recommend this one during spooky season, but just be prepared to be a little disappointed by the ending.

This wasn’t something I was expecting. I liked it okay but it isn’t something I would reread. I recommend this book to my best friend and she loved it!

(Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC. I got half way through this book and realized it wasn't for me. I had to force myself to read it. I am sure it was a perfectly good book but it just was not for me.

A story of magic & mystery told with a seductive and suspense laden tone.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC.

Thoroughly enjoyed this. Mild horror slant 1920s sapphic witches, sign me right up! Felt a little more YA than adult, but a fun and easy read.