Review: Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood

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 only six months left 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 starts 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.

It’s really hard for me to like books with witches. It’s definitely not my favorite sub-genre, but I really liked this book. The historical aspect that accompanied this book was the best part.

Cate Cahill lives with her two sisters and her absentee father. Despite the fact they try to cover the fact they are witches, they are odd, and therefore unintentionally ostracized by their community. When women reach a certain age, they are either allowed to get married or join the Sisterhood, which most feel are unacceptable. Cate is bound by her need to protect her sisters, but it is hard to forget what she wants for herself. Finn Belastra is what she really wants. Will Cate be able to balance protecting her sisters and breaking out to get what she wants?

Cate was a very enjoyable heroine. I found her need to defend her sisters very inspiring and so sweet. I liked that she was grounded and not very impulsive because that would have been detrimental to her sister’s safety. Everything she did, she always thought of the consequences that would affect her family. With that being said, she was not in any way boring, and I really enjoyed getting to know Cate.

Finn was my second favorite part of the book, behind the historical facet. He was charming, adorable, and kind. He was your good ol’ boy next door. He has the cutest freckles, but he isn’t the kind of guy that I usually fall in love with. Luckily, Spotswood easily made me swoon for Finn. On top of that, Finn is one of my favorite names ever, so I may be a bit biased. :)

Tessa, Cate’s younger sister, was my favorite. She was innocent but also very talented at being a witch. Unfortunately, I didn’t find myself liking Maura, the middle sister, much at all. She was self-centered and annoying. I can possibly attribute it to the middle child syndrome, since I have the tendency to suffer from it too.  Everyone is the Brotherhood was really close-minded and horrible, and I can’t wait to see Cate go all kick-ass on them and show them what’s up.

I loved the setting: New England in the late 1800’s. It was described very beautifully. The plot was sometimes slow, and I found myself skipping ahead at times. It was not action-packed really at all. Despite this, it worked pretty well. The relationship between Cate and her sisters was great. I don’t see enough close family relationships in YA literature, and it was so nice to see. They had a great rapport. Finn and Cate’s romance was cute, but I wish it were a slightly bigger part. They were darling together, and I just wanted to see more of them. Hopefully in book 2!

Witches do not usually float my boat, but this was a great take on it. After that ending, which was not super cliffhangery, I will definitely be picking up Star Cursed.

Favorite Swoon-worthy Quote: His lips are soft and fierce all at once. They taste like tea and rain. His hands go inside my cloak; one curls around my waist, the other around the nape of my neck, anchoring my mouth to his. My hands rove over his chest, feeling the muscles bunch beneath my fingertips. His lips trace a path along my jaw, stopping just below my ear. When he catches the lobe in his teeth, I gasp.

Rating: 4/5 Tar Heels!