Born Wicked (The Cahill Witch Chronicles #1)
by Jessica Spotswood
★★★★★★★★★☆
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Born Wicked (The Cahill Witch Chronicles #1) by Jessica Spotswood[/caption]When’s the last time I read a genuinely good book? Sure, most of what I read is enjoyable (aside from a couple of sh!tfests I’ve picked up lately – bad luck), but I wouldn’t shout from my rooftop about what an exceptional piece of literature it was. Actually, I probably wouldn’t shout from my rooftop at all. It’s high. And my spidey powers suck.
Born Wicked (The Cahill Witch Chronicles #1) is actually a good book. In a slightly-altered version of history, the Colonial-American setting provides both picturesque scenery of simpler times but, with it, comes the unspoken darkness of simpler minds. Using emotionally compelling characters, the story touches on the bonds of sisterhood, loss, duty, love and the realization we can’t have it all.
This is no fairytale.
Just shy of 17, Cate Cahill has grown up before her time. It wasn’t an option. After her mother’s death, Cate is raising her two sisters, Maura, 15, and Tess, 12. It’s a job she doesn’t – and can’t – take lightly. Their lives depend on it.
The Cahill sisters are witches – that is they are born with the ability to do magic, not something they’ve chosen. It’s a secret they must keep hidden, however, or they will be arrested by the Brothers and sent off to serve unspeakable punishments. Cate has kept a tight leash on her sisters, but they are growing up. Maura longs to have friends and go to teas. Tess is powerful, but careless. They want to embrace their magic, not shun it as Cate would prefer.
Cate is facing another challenge in keeping control of her sisters. She has only a few months to make a decision: find a husband or join the Sisterhood. Either choice would likely leave them behind – but a letter from a godmother she never knew leads to uncovering secrets her mother never divulged and Cate realizes they are in much more danger than she thought.
The Good:
Cate. I loved Cate. She was strong, but she showed she was not invincible. She was tortured, but never whiney. She was stubborn, but not pigheaded. She wasn’t lopsided. She showed almost every emotion possible, and they all seemed so genuine. Even though I’ve never been in her situation, I felt like I could understand her.
The bonds of sisterhood. From the playful Tess to Maura, who struggles against her older sister to become a young woman, they were so real. I especially loved the dynamic between Maura and Cate. At times you just wanted to shake Maura and tell her to check herself, a feeling which I’m sure most big sisters could resonate with.
The romance. Yes, I said it. The anti-romance fanatic actually had her cold, black heart melted by the dynamic between Cate, Paul and Finn. A love triangle! But it was so tastefully written I wasn’t rolling my eyes every few pages. Maybe it was because they were both “good” guys? There wasn’t any of that “bad boy” attraction that I find so obnoxiously pathetic.
The alternative-history twist. How many books have we seen about colonial-America, especially the anti-witch years? This actually takes place after a great war between the witches and Brothers. Witches aren't the innocent, persecuted women like we so often see them portrayed as. There’s also a greater ethnic aspect with many families of prominence in the community coming from Asia.
The prophecy. I did not see that coming.
The writing. Author is an exceptional writer. Her descriptions always set just the right mood or tone to a scene without overpowering the scene itself. She uses her words wisely and affectively – never droning on about every little detail until the plot has become about someone’s hair color.
The Bad OK:
The pace. This is not a book to try to read while you’re sick in bed or are leaning toward the sleepy side (I managed a few pages at a time before dozing and then having odd dreams about hiding out from witch hunters). The “action” doesn’t come until the very end. The book is almost entirely centered on establishing the characters and setting. I liked it, but it’s not exactly a page turner (although I was kicking my feet at the end that the next book isn’t coming out until 2013!).
Random minor characters. There were quite a few minor characters and I found myself forgetting names – especially the girls. What was it? Sachi, Rose, Rory, Brenna (the crazy one)...
Overall, excellent book. A good book even. Definitely a shining example for the young adult genre. It’s nice to find a young adult book that doesn’t dumb itself down to what the author thinks teenagers are, not what they could aspire to be.
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