The Wicked Deep

by Shea Ernshaw

Three sisters, drowned as witches in Sparrow, Oregon, in the 1800s, return each summer for revenge but Penny, seventeen, is determined to stop them to save the boy she loves.

• ISBN10: 1481497340
• ISBN13: 9781481497343
• Publish Date: 6 March 2018
• Publish Status: Active
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Imprint: Simon Pulse
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 320
• Language: English

Reviews

[Sam@WLABB]

I remember reading the first few lines of the synopsis for The Wicked Deep, and thinking how much I needed this book. It sounded like it would be amazing. I mean, a curse, revenge, and romance all in one story sounded like it would make for an incredible reading experience, and I am happy to report that it did.

I am going to go all fangirl on this one, because I loved each and every part of this book.

The Characters

It was so easy to care about Penny. I liked her from the first moment we encountered her, and my adoration for her just grew and grew, the more I got to know her. What I found interesting, was how much I cared for the Swan sisters. Ernshaw was able to tell their story in such a way, that I was able to shed some tears for a trio of murders. Good job, Shea Ernshaw!

I must also include Sparrow as a character in this book, because the town and all its inhabitants played such a huge role in this story. There was so much happiness, joy, pain, and suffering tied to this town, and I loved the way Ernshaw incorporated it into the story.

The Writing

The writing was so wonderful! I was highlighting passages like crazy, because the prose was so gorgeous, and I just couldn't stop inhaling Ernshaw's words. She magnificently created an atmosphere that was ethereal and lavish and totally wrapped itself around me.

The story is also replete with emotion. The longing, pain, sorrow, and fear just bleed through the page, and I was taken through each and every emotion with these characters. And like I said, there were tears.

Ernshaw seamlessly blended timelines to give us the full story of the Swan sisters. I really enjoyed flipping back and forth between the past and the present, and I appreciated the way she thoughtfully placed those historic vignettes. Each new piece of the Swan sisters' backstory we received, made me want more and more.

The Story

I am going to have to super vague about the plot, because it's so much better going into it blind. What I will tell you is that I loved how it all unfolded, and I really enjoyed collecting all the little pieces to construct the big picture. I had so many "yes", "no way", "aha", and "that's what I thought" moments, and with each and every new discovery, I found myself reading faster and faster, because I had to know how it all ended.

The Romance

I know there are going to be people crying "instalove", but people, these were intense times with high stakes, and sometimes that pushes people closer faster. Being in Penny's head, while she shared her feelings about Bo, made this sap extra sappy. I could have stayed in the cottage with those two forever.

Overall

A captivating story of love, loss, revenge, and sacrifice, that kept me turning the pages.


*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

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[shannonmiz]

You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight

So, this was an enjoyable book! (Also, quick second for some cover appreciation, yes? Look at it. I may need a finished copy, just saying.) Anyway, this book has quite a bit going for it, so we shall break it down by the pros and cons!

The Stuff I Liked:

• The atmosphere is so on point. I mean, you think you're going to be in a creepy small town set on the water, and wow are you ever. I absolutely felt the eeriness of this place, as well as the small town vibe.



• I loved the focus on the history of the legend of the sisters. I'd totally read a book wholly about their backstory, honestly. They seemed badass, especially for their time. But the parts of their story we got were fabulous, so I am happy!



• While the relationship was a *bit* quick for my liking, there was no denying that Penny and Bo had chemistry. And I liked some spoilery parts of their relationship, and I'll leave it at that.



• The plot was quite twisty, and even though I did figure some of them out ahead of time, it didn't really bother me much. The story definitely kept me entertained and engaged. It was a good length, too- long enough to tell the whole story, but not overly long where I would get bored. It flowed nicely, also.

The Stuff I Didn't: 

• Some of the end felt a little... easy. Obviously I cannot speak more to this, but I was left feeling a little... unsure?



• I would have liked a bit more familial interaction.  I know there were some reasons for this. One that I can talk about is how Penny's mom is still grieving the disappearance of her dad. But I still think that a parent would be more worried about their kid gallivanting around an island where dudes are being murdered on the reg, but hey, maybe that's just me. There's also a spoilery reason, but I felt that it wasn't necessary, and mom could have been more in the picture. Minor gripe.

Bottom Line: So incredibly atmospheric with a past and present-day story, this was a haunting tale with themes of life, loss, and love.

*Copy provided for review

[Briana @ Pages Unbound]

3.5 stars

[Empress of Sass]

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.

[Stephanie]

This book was enjoyable, romantic, and exactly what was sold to me: Hocus Pocus meets Practical Magic. I kind of guessed the twist early on, but it didn't ruin the overall reading experience. Definitely reminds me a little of Leslye Walton's books (The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender and Price Guide to the Occult)