Publisher- Harper Teen
Released- April 15th 2014
Pre-Order- Amazon / B & N
Josephine Hemlock has spent the last 10 years hiding from the Curse that killed her mother. But when a mysterious man arrives at her ivy-covered, magic-fortified home, it’s clear her mother’s killer has finally come to destroy the rest of the Hemlock bloodline. Before Jo can even think about fighting back, she must figure out who she’s fighting in the first place. The more truth Jo uncovers, the deeper she falls into witchcraft darker than she ever imagined. Trapped and running out of time, she begins to wonder if the very Curse that killed her mother is the only way to save everyone she lovesMy Thoughts:
Josephine and her Nana are witches and the last of the Hemlock bloodline. Witchcraft can only be passed down from female to female in every witching family. And while the Hemlocks have lived in
The Curse has been killing witches for generations and what
killed Jo’s mother when she was a little girl, but no one knows who’s behind
these attacks and the reason why Jo and her Nana have been hiding ever since.
But when a strangely familiar man shows up asking about Jo’s mother, he unknowingly
brings darkness and danger with him and could only mean one thing for the
Hemlock family. The Curse has finally found them. Now is the time to fight as
Jo and her Nana come together to try to unlock the secrets and solve the
mystery of who could be hunting them and the witching community for hundreds of
years and find a way to finally put an end to the Curse. But Jo must first try
to find a way to protect everyone she loves from the shadows that could consume
them and before she has no other choice but to suffer the same fate that killed
her mother.
House of Ivy & Sorrow is such a cool book! I've always been such a sucker for witches and magic in my escape. There are just so
much limitless possibilities that come with this lore and its fun and
fascinating to see the imagination and creativity crafted for my favorite kind
of genre. This would be my first book by Natalie Whipple, but it won’t be my
last. You could tell that she put a lot of thought into her world twisting and
turning it in unpredictable ways that was unique, clever and sharp. I really
liked the way she writes, despite the pacing being a tad quick at times; the
flow of the story was smooth and never had a dull or dragged out moment. This
book is easily absorbing and I loved being able to sink into the plot and all
the wonderful colorful characters. But my favorite part of this book was the
old school magic, complete with secret portals, bubbling cauldrons, and nasty ingredients such as; spiders, eyeballs, bear hearts and crows awaiting
disintegration for animated spells. I also liked that there isn’t a good or a
bad side to magic, there is only darkness but its how you control that darkness
that defines you. Magic can be harnessed through the earth and payment must
always be paid, whether from blood, nails, flesh, limbs or one of the five senses.
Sure, it’s a bit disturbing at times, but still pretty wicked stuff.
I really loved the entire cast of characters. They all
balanced and complimented each other quite nicely and I enjoyed the closeness
and bonds between family and friendships.
First off, I adored Nana Dorothea! I’d be dead afraid to
have a grandmother like this of course, but I’d also be mighty proud. Nana is a
tough old witch that goes above and beyond for her family. I wanted to laugh
and cringe for poor Jo at times just thinking about having a boyfriend and
hoping against hope that Nana doesn't ruin the night with her meddling interference.
But while Nana is strict, she’s also very kind and loving.
Jo is such a sweet character but she’s also full of spunk
and fight. She wants what all teenage girls want, a normal life with friends and
a boyfriend and the freedom to enjoy her youth without worrying about her Nana
striking her boyfriend down with lightning just before she gets her first kiss.
But Jo doesn't have a normal life and she’s actually quite wonderful about
that. She’s fiercely loyal to her Nana and the magical bloodline she must preserve
being the only Hemlock left, she’s accepted her fate and fights every step of
the way to protect everyone she loves no matter the consequences.
Gwen and Kat are amazing examples of secondary characters
that really affect the story in a positive and uplifting way. It was nice to
see strong supportive friendships that didn’t involve a lot of drama or angst
and it was nice to see them united together especially since Jo could use all
the help she could get to fight this battle.
Winn was such a cutiepie. I loved that he was so down to
earth and content with who he is. I love that he’s a farm boy, hard working and
knows the value of family. The way he was with Jo was just too adorable for
words and I loved the subtle twist in his character.
Another character that I really loved was, Levi. I don’t
want to spoil too much but I really enjoyed the complexity of the role he
played in the story and how it ties in with Jo’s fate.
The romance between Jo and Winn was completely adorable, light
but intense. The storyline was so busy that we didn't get a lot of screen time
and I wish we got to see some more uninterrupted moments between the two, but
they still managed to make a huge impact. We do have a little competition here,
not exactly a love triangle but definitely some amusing conflict.
I also really loved the ending and while this reads like a
standalone, I wouldn't mind seeing more books from this world since it has a
lot of promise and potential for different plot directions for just about any
of these characters.
All in all, I really enjoyed myself with this one. Natalie
Whipple writes an intriguing and enchanting take on magic and witchcraft that
really impressed me. The storyline is entertaining and unstoppable and the characters
were all made of awesome. They’re warm, charming and full of fight. I look
forward to discovering more books by Whipple, she’s got a new fan!
This looks great and I love the cover! Not a dull moment you say? I can definitely go for that!
ReplyDeleteThis was definitely a fun one for me and I hope you enjoy it as well!:)
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