The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
A New York Times bestseller
Deluxe edition with special embellishments on first printing only.
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.
My Review
The Wicked Deep is set in a small town, Sparrow, Oregon, in the present day. It is a paranormal, atmospheric read with magic, a curse, sisters, and love. Even though Sparrow is a haunted town, the "main event" happens in June before the summer solstice. Everyone in town knows that the Swan Sisters return every year to take boys, and they believe in and accept the lore of the Swan Sisters' story. The romance in this book is really good, with a conflict that did not end the way I expected.
I do have a few critiques. I wish Bo's character had been developed a bit more. I liked him, but he wasn't quite three dimensional. I also didn't think that the complete acceptance of actions in this book was truly realistic. I understand that the people in the town are scared, and they want to end the curse of the Swan Sisters, but ALL of the adults either wanted to kill the girls whose bodies the sisters inhabited (to ultimately kill the sisters) or permitted a lackadaisical attitude toward protecting the boys in town. In real life, I think measures would have been put in place to protect the townspeople, such as banning parties on the night before the sisters' annual return.
Shea Ernshaw's writing is exquisite, magical, and a little spooky. I read this book in one sitting, and because the book was only 308 pages, it didn't drag in any part of the story. I really identified with Sparrow, Oregon because it is similar to my family home in a small town in Nova Scotia. Because of this, I could easily visualize the fog and the ocean and smell the sea breeze. This story was unique, and I haven't read anything quite like it before. Bonus: the cover is GORGEOUS! Go check it out!
“Love is an enchantress—devious and wild.
It sneaks up behind you, soft and gentle and quiet, just before it slits your throat.”
