This book man, this book. Take away the problematic parts in the writing, characters and plot and you'd really have something here. Sadly, that cannot be done and I just can't review the other pieces. There's so much problematic material...
First of all, read C.T. Callahan's review as she points out a LOT of issues with the beginning of the book.
Also, Twitter thread: https://twitter.com/AuthorCCallahan/status/835880138206228480
I'm not going to rehash it. I'm going to continue the shit from the rest of the book and add some details from my perspective.
TRIGGER WARNINGS: KKK, Lynching, Witch Burning, Sexual Assault, Kidnapping, Rape & Breeding Threats, Racism, Biphobia, Homophobia, Ignorance Galore,
Prologue: Daniela's mom Emma is threatened and forced into having sex with a man by her mother. The man is her mother's choice. Emma, a staunch lesbian, suddenly feels attraction to the guy right before it cuts to black for the fucking.
She had never been with a man before; never had the desire to. But something about this man provoked all manner of lust. Emma felt deeply ashamed to be unfaithful to her girlfriend. Before she met him, it was just an act to get through. It was her duty. It was to cleanse her future of familial guilt. But now, with the way he was staring at her….
Obligations are not supposed to be fun. At least, Emma had thought that was the rule up to this point.
Did I mention there was a love potion but she refused it? Any mention that it's rape? How it is for a lesbian to have to fuck a man? Nothing but "magic man" bullshit and biphobia.
Rape & Breeding Threats: Daphne ends up in the werewolves stronghold as a prisoner bound for raping and forced birth of the shifter king's kids.
Lynching & Witch Burning: It's graphic. It's several pages long. It's fucking brutal. It's how Daniela unlocks her powers finally.
KKK: Not only do they appear for the violence, but we suffer through one of their perspectives. Who? Daphne's father of course. Her brother is just "not in agreement" with him according to his father.
Lain: Extreme Douchebag. He undresses Daniela while she's unconscious and fondles her. Ultimate creep. Declares she's his soulmate based on the amount of piercings she has.
When the ghost takes over for Daniela the ghost uses Daniela's naked body against him.
Daniela's response to all of this?
Fuckin’ Lain. She touched her mouth. Her Achilles’ heel was shitty relationships.
**sigh**
Funny how her piercings and tattoos weren't mentioned until she time travels. She came off as such a mousy, plain, submissive type at first. Then BAM! Tattooed pierced up badass wannabe. What happened with her controlling BF? Control freaks and abusers are usually going to stop the self-expression and self-love.
Depression & Suicidal Thoughts: Okay, C.T. did a great job on this but as someone with depression and previously attempted suicide, I have to say my piece.
WHAT THE FUCK?!?
Okay so the opening establishes Daniela's great family with every opportunity but still feeling like a disappointment and a suicidal piece of shit.
Yes, you can be depressed for no outward reason - it's a chemical thing in the brain. Fine. Everything else here? NOPE.
1. Depression doesn't mean "crazy" or hallucinations
2. Suicidal thoughts aren't that easy to dismiss
3. Since when can people in a depressive state just shake it off?
Someone just asking "Do you REALLY want to die?" and hopping up to get shit done? The easy way she switches from days in bed and ecstatic happiness? That sounds more bipolar than depression. But hallucinations are not in either's symptom list.
It's pure ignorant and stereotypes being regurgitated. Because no matter how I look at it and try to work it out, it's not right.
The Lord knew she wasn’t made for these times. She was too sensitive, and just not strong enough to cope with all the problems the world was dishing out. She felt God would forgive her choice. It was not that she was ungrateful for her life—just that she had had enough of the lying and pretending.
So let's send her back in time and make the special snowflake feel the pain?!? WTF? She's depressed because she's weak? Because she doesn't fit in as a 20 year old? Fuck, it reads like some anti-millennial torture porn with everything that happens next.
Suicide is never just a whim. It's planned. It's thought out and every angle worked through. Daniela though? Didn't even have a tree picked out. And why hanging herself? Why in the park? None of this is thought of or brought up. It just is, which is insulting. Did she think it would be better than her mom's finding her? But what about making it a public display? With her mom's obvious political and community influence, wouldn't those be a consideration too?
I thought my suicide out better at 14 than she did at 20.
Now, I did like the magic and the *basis* of it all, but...
Her mother really, really didn't know about the witches? Why the hell didn't HER mother break out the shape-shifting aunt earlier?
Now, what the hell am I going to do? I did finish the book, I did keep thinking about it after finishing it. I do love the original world and getting to know the badass witches in Daniela's family.
Even now that the mental health problems have passed (she found out where she belongs and is cured basically