The Wicked Deep

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Pub Date 06 Mar 2018 | Archive Date 09 Mar 2018
Simon & Schuster Canada | Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

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Description

A New York Times bestseller

Hocus Pocus and Practical Magic meets the Salem Witch trials in this haunting story about three sisters on a quest for revenge—and how love may be the only thing powerful enough to stop them.

Welcome to the cursed town of Sparrow…

Where, two centuries ago, three sisters were sentenced to death for witchery. Stones were tied to their ankles and they were drowned in the deep waters surrounding the town.

Now, for a brief time each summer, the sisters return, stealing the bodies of three weak-hearted girls so that they may seek their revenge, luring boys into the harbor and pulling them under.

Like many locals, seventeen-year-old Penny Talbot has accepted the fate of the town. But this year, on the eve of the sisters’ return, a boy named Bo Carter arrives; unaware of the danger he has just stumbled into.

Mistrust and lies spread quickly through the salty, rain-soaked streets. The townspeople turn against one another. Penny and Bo suspect each other of hiding secrets. And death comes swiftly to those who cannot resist the call of the sisters.

But only Penny sees what others cannot. And she will be forced to choose: save Bo, or save herself.
A New York Times bestseller

Hocus Pocus and Practical Magic meets the Salem Witch trials in this haunting story about three sisters on a quest for revenge—and how love may be the only thing powerful...

Available Editions

EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9781481497343
PRICE CA$26.99 (CAD)
PAGES 320

Average rating from 67 members


Featured Reviews

I loved "the wicked deep". I loved the characters, the setting and all the mysterious vibe around it. Unlike a lot of YA books I read in the past few years, It seems that this one was particular, unique. I actually have three very young kids, so to tell you that i finished the book in three days says a lot about how much I liked it. I just could not put it down. If i could describe it in three words, i would say addictive, dark and mysterious. For the sentimental readers, they will find what they are looking for in "the wicked deep".

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Disclaimer: reviewing unedited digital proof via NetGalley.

Sometime in the 1800s or so in Sparrow, OR, three sisters were drowned for being witches (& seducing all the guys). Two centuries later, they still return every summer to possess three girls in town and drown boys in revenge.

The lighthouse keeper's daughter is still reeling after the disappearance (and presumed death) of her father. When a strange boy comes to town the day before the drowning season, she offers him a place to stay. That night, she dreams of the sea.

This is kind of a hard one to review without spoilers. It does some fascinating things with identity and perspective, and the twists are the kind you anticipate and dread as they creep up on you with slow inevitability. Rich worldbuilding conveys a sense of a smalltown/vacation town on the coast, the uneasy sea, and the tension of belonging and acceptance that becomes especially critical in such a close-knit community. Interesting things happening with sexuality/identity, though this comfortably enjoyable read tends to avoid looking at the ick factor of girls being possessed by the dead and sleeping with the boys in town while under the spell too closely. The story feels fresh, and the style or voice is immediate and engaging. Around midway through, it seemed like it was shaping up to be a romance. Keep in mind that tragedy, horror, and suspense are core to the story and settle in for the ride. As a whole, it feels like a quiet read with strong interiority, rather than a pacy thriller - but on the other hand, I inhaled it in like a day, so it definitely doesn't drag.

Spectacularly atmospheric and creeptastic new read that walks the line between dark fantasy and paranormal. It's a really great tone, more quiet and pensive, with a good helping of horror and historic fic snuck in there. You may or may not see the twists coming, but they carry weight regardless. Feels fresh and familiar at the same time. Definitely an author to watch.

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Shea Ernshaw did a fantastic job creating a believable yet magical world. The sisters are a fresh story that somehow feels familiar. I can't recall a legend like this one exactly but it feels like something my friends and I would've whispered to each other at a sleepover. I love her writing and her voice. Although, I do feel there were a few cliches/overused tropes. The romance was something I'd like to be much more developed and I would've liked to learn more about Bo. The twists were a surprise and well thought out. I LOVED this aspect of the book. Overall, it was a fun ride and Ernshaw's mystical and haunting writing makes this a stand-out novel.

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The witches are back. And there's hell to pay.

Although Marguerite, Aurora, and Hazel Swan were drowned many moons ago, these wicked sisters still come back every summer to haunt the little town of Sparrow. A town where their souls will forever be rooted in because this is the town that took their lives.

These young women were accused of practicing witchcraft and drowned to death, and as long as their souls still haunt the waters surrounding Sparrow: the Swan sisters will come back every year, inhabit a body, and kill whomever they choose. They kill for what was wrongfully done to them, they kill for revenge, and they will show the same amount of mercy that they were given on that very tragic day: none.

Two centuries later...

Hazel Swan is torn, she loves her sisters, but she does not want to kill anymore. Her heart still yearns for the boy she loved, the life she never got to live with him by her side, and the places she never got to see. Hazel Swan is done seeking revenge. Instead, she is ready to forgive the unforgivable.

"Love is an enchantress--devious and wild.
It sneaks up behind you, soft and gentle and quiet, just before it slits your throat."

Bo Carter has just arrived in Sparrow with an appetite for vengeance. With no job or place to stay, Penny kindly offers him shelter by letting him reside on Lumiere island with her and her mother. Unaware of each other's dark secrets, they both are about to discover that they are the key to each other's happiness and some much-needed closure.

This is a wickedly tragic story about murder, betrayal, loss, and forgiveness. It's a perfect cross between Hocus Pocus and Tuck Everlasting. I cannot recommend this book enough, so mark your calendars because The Wicked Deep comes out on March 6, 2018.

Thanks a million to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC. Quotes are subject to change upon publication.

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I enjoyed this so much! The plot twist came out of nowhere (literally) and it took me a couple chapters to figure out what was actually happening. I liked that it was a relatively simple story that Ernshaw added details to elaborate into something magical. I liked the characters and found them easy to read and relate to, even after the twist. I cannot wait for this to be released so I can read it again!

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First the obligatory disclaimer. I received an eARC of this book from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Also, what follows may contain light spoilers, depending on your personal definition of what constitutes a spoiler, so read on at your own risk.

I think it is safe to say that I absolutely adored this book. I finished it in a single reading, in just over 3 hours. I could not bear to put it down. From start to finish, Shea Ernshaw drew me in with her vivid sensory imagery and haunting prose, and then entrapped me with memorable characters and a heart achingly beautiful story that left me in the best kind of pain when I finished it.

The town of Sparrow and it’s dark history is as intriguing and foreboding as the stormy sea it sits beside. The way the residents have embraced the macabre Swan Season, and the tourist industry that sprung up around the annual drowning deaths was echoed in my own desire to continue reading and learning about the story unfolding.

The love that grows between Penny and Bo is honest and difficult and tragic. While their romance comes on quickly, almost like the “instant love trope”, I believe they fall so quickly in love because they are both similar souls- seeing the same pain and scars of loss reverberating in each other, tying them tightly together yet always keeping them that little bit apart.

“Love is an enchantress- devious and wild. It sneaks up behind you, soft and gentle and quiet, just before it slits your throat.”- The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw

This story is atmospheric, magical, romantic and elusive. I wish we could have spent more time developing all three Swan sisters, but the fact that I am wanting more is a testament to how great the past and present story lines wove together. In my dream would, Ernshaw will write a prequel to tell the sister’s story in full detail. A reader can dream right?

The ending was perfect. It left me torn, a little broken, glimmering with hope and wholly satisfied. It is not a traditional YA happy ending, it is streaked with sacrifice and sadness but also with love, second chances and the promise of peace.

I am definitely going to be adding the hardcover to my library when this book comes out, and I’m anxious to see what the author writes next- please be a Swan Sisters prequel, don’t make me beg!

I highly recommend sitting down somewhere cozy, with a cup of tea, maybe sometime when the rain is falling outside your window and the world is dark and washed cleaned and giving this one a read. I do not think you will be disappointed.

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The Nitty-Gritty:
I read this book in one sitting. I'm a sucker for a good witch story, and this plot was very compelling. I kept on trying to get different things done, but the story just wouldn't let me go. The book is dark and dangerous and mysterious - it's the perfect rainy day read.

The legend of the Swan sisters was chilling, and I loved how Earnshaw interspersed the events from two hundred years ago with the events in the present. The plot twist is also up there as one of my favourite plot twists of all time (when it happened my exact thoughts were, "Ooh, I'm glad she went there"). As far as "age-appropriate-ness", sex is alluded to, but never explicit, I believe I counted one f-bomb, and there are three instances of underage drinking. So, pretty much no worse than any high school party. I would not have a problem having this book in a high school library.

The Verdict:
I highly recommend The Wicked Deep to anyone who likes darker stories, who likes ghost stories, who's fascinated by witch trials - or anyone who just likes a well-spun tale.

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This book reminded me a lot of Practical Magic and The Rules of Magic. It creates a beautiful yet dangerous atmosphere and fills it with love, revenge, innocence and betrayal. It’s a very romantic, fanciful read that I think Alice Hoffman fans would really enjoy.

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I would like to thank Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw was an incredibly well written, captivating, spooky read! Atmospheric and hauntingly beautiful, even the cadence of the prose lent itself to the ambience of the witchy wickedness of the cursed harbour town of Swallow.

The story is successfully macabre, dark and, you know, old-lighthouse-on-a-small-island creepy, the teenaged characters are all well developed with (thankfully) non-angsty chemistry between the ones who matter, and though I really do get that the instalove could annoy some readers, I'm not mad at it. Honestly. I mean, he's an attractive boy with beautiful green eyes and a past full of secrets. He needs a job. She's stuck on an island with her tea-leaves-reading, not-all-there mum. The lighthouse and environs needs some TLC. It's a small town and they're young. Hell, it's written so well that I almost believe that it can, and does, happen across any of the towns along coastal Oregon. But I digress. Anyway, despite a few twists and turns, the story wraps itself up in the way you probably would expect, but the ending, eeriely enough, seems to hold on to you for a bit. I'm still not sure how to feel about my feelings...

Shea Ernshaw's The Wicked Deep was really really good! Spooky and satisfying down to the very end. It was a fantastic debut! I am wholeheartedly excited to read whatever eerie delight Ernshaw concocts for us next.

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I absolutely loved this book. I had such a fun ride with it. It was exactly what i wanted. Dark. Gloomy. And just the perfect touch of romance too. I was completely lost into this story. I found it entertaining and fast-paced. The mystery was well-done, trying to figure out everything was engaging. The story of the Swan had me hooked from the start. And reading their parts was really interesting. I also LOVED our characters in this one. Both Penny and Bo were fantastic. I was surprised by twists too which is always a plus. The ending left me feeling a bit sad, but i still found it satisfactory.

Overall, i have to say this was a great surprise. If you’re looking for a good, dark storyline with murder and witches, this one’s a good pick.

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