My Thoughts (In Short): Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood

Everybody knows Cate Cahill and her sisters are eccentric. Too pretty, too reclusive, and far too educated for their own good. But the truth is even worse: they're witches. And if their secret is discovered by the priests of the Brotherhood, it would mean an asylum, a prison ship--or an early grave.

Before her mother died, Cate promised to protect her sisters. But with six months to choose between marriage and the Sisterhood, she might not be able to keep her word... especially after she finds her mother's diary, uncovering a secret that could spell her family's destruction. Desperate to find alternatives to their fate, Cate stars scouring banned books and questioning rebellious new friends, all while juggling tea parties, shocking marriage proposals, and a forbidden romance with the completely unsuitable Finn Belastra.

If what her mother wrote is true, the Cahill girls aren't safe. Not from the Brotherhood, the Sisterhood -- not even from each other.




There have been a number of negative reviews for Jessica Spotswood's Born Wicked. Some have said that the protagonist, Cate was self absorbed and they found her to be a little bit of a snob. There are others who thought that the tyrant government was a little unbelievable- that a small group of people with no magical capabilities would have so much authority did not ring true. Others found the novel refreshing, a great reprieve from the usual YA dystopians. I would have to agree with this later group. I really enjoyed Born Wicked and I wasn't sure that I was going to.

It had been a while since I had read historical fiction- and while I know I just said historical fiction and earlier I said it was a dysopian novel. Born Wicked is actually maybe a little of both. I'm not sure exactly how to explain it, but know this: its different, but in a good way.

Born Wicked is (gasp) the first in a trilogy. It involves three sisters who just happen to be witches. I loved this bit of the book. The girls aren't vampires, or angels, or werewolves. They're witches. They have magical powers- this in itself could have been a little corny. But it wasn't, it was done well. Perhaps it was because their magic had to be kept hidden from The Brotherhood-the tyrant government I mentioned earlier. They are some seriously evil people. sentencing girls to prison, insane asylums even death over the smallest infraction. It was incredibly disturbing. They were really the best villains.

I really enjoyed Spotswood's writing. I thought she told a really good story and she did it really well. I was never bored or annoyed while I was reading. What really killed me though was the end. Ugh!! That ending. Be aware of that. I want the next book like now! It was that kind of ending.

Overall, I really liked Born Wicked. I thought it was clever and unique. With great writing. If you haven't already you should totally look into this one!

~Happy Reading Everyone!