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lesty_gibbs's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
The writing is really gorgeous, and I adore the premise. 1920's sapphic witchy great gatsby vibes? Phenomenal. It took me a while to connect with the characters, and I was only really enjoying Annie once she was leaning into her own character arc.
I loved the growth in the relationship between Annie and Emeline. They were great, and the way their characters were explored was really interesting. I couldn't stand Bea though, which I felt let the ending down because of how integral her safety, and the characters caring about her safety, was to the final plot. Things would have been far smoother if they just removed Bea from the equation, and I couldn't find myself justifying why she was there. She had a moment towards the end suggesting growth, but it felt too little too late.
I also wished the plot with Annie's dad could have been more fleshed out, I actually found myself forgetting about him and the story surrounding it, which left me scrambling to pick myself back on track for Annie's personal growth. It also made one of the final plot points feel quite shoehorned for me, since it hinges on the dad plot line, yet it's so drawn out that I felt like that part of the story was put on the back burner.
That being said, I really did love how some the themes were handled, and again, the prose itself was so beautiful. Overall, I loved Annie's growth, how her belief system was challenged, and how she was changed by the end. Emmeline was phenomenal, and I loved how it explored her self doubt, her grief, and the continuing impact of her childhood abuse. The magic system was really cool, and I especially loved how it explored the consequences of ones actions, and how it was used as an allegory for other issues, such as sexuality, etc.
I loved the growth in the relationship between Annie and Emeline. They were great, and the way their characters were explored was really interesting. I couldn't stand Bea though, which I felt let the ending down because of how integral her safety, and the characters caring about her safety, was to the final plot. Things would have been far smoother if they just removed Bea from the equation, and I couldn't find myself justifying why she was there. She had a moment towards the end suggesting growth, but it felt too little too late.
I also wished the plot with Annie's dad could have been more fleshed out, I actually found myself forgetting about him and the story surrounding it, which left me scrambling to pick myself back on track for Annie's personal growth. It also made one of the final plot points feel quite shoehorned for me, since it hinges on the dad plot line, yet it's so drawn out that I felt like that part of the story was put on the back burner.
That being said, I really did love how some the themes were handled, and again, the prose itself was so beautiful. Overall, I loved Annie's growth, how her belief system was challenged, and how she was changed by the end. Emmeline was phenomenal, and I loved how it explored her self doubt, her grief, and the continuing impact of her childhood abuse. The magic system was really cool, and I especially loved how it explored the consequences of ones actions, and how it was used as an allegory for other issues, such as sexuality, etc.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Gaslighting, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Murder, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Violence, Sexism, and Lesbophobia
Minor: Abandonment and Sexual assault
booksthatburn's review against another edition
A bunch of little things were making me uncomfortable, but the way the blood magic was used is the big one that made me stop. If the book engages with the way the blood magic is being used as something partly like a drug and explicitly as self harm then I'm not ready right now to read that book. If it doesn't end up engaging with those early themes then it's not a story I want to read at all. Either way, I'm stopping.
I like the way it uses three narrators for the audiobook, I'd happily listen to more of their work (singly or together).
I like the way it uses three narrators for the audiobook, I'd happily listen to more of their work (singly or together).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Blood, and Alcohol
Moderate: Animal death, Death, and Death of parent
Minor: Terminal illness, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, and Domestic abuse
rtaire's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Alcohol, and Blood
Moderate: Abandonment, Child abuse, Pregnancy, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Abortion, Confinement, Death of parent, War, and Drug use
melaniereadsbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Thank you to Netgalley and Hachette Audio for the ALC of this book.
Wild and Wicked Things is a magical Great Gatsby retelling set on Crow Island, where magic is prohibited in the aftermath of World War I, but that doesn't stop Emmeline Dalacroix. When Annie Mason moves to the island to pack up her estranged father's things, she is entranced by the world of magic and the mystery of Emmeline and her best friend Beatrice.
I loved this! I will say I was instantly hooked by the writing style and the mystery of the island. I loved Annie's character and all the growth she showed. I'm gonna be perfectly honest, I did not know this was a Great Gatsby retelling going into it. I guessed it pretty quickly though--almost as soon as Emmeline's pov chapter started. Then I looked it up. Hah.
This was really good! I loved the sapphic pining and the forbidden magic. The main conflict was really interesting and I loved the follow through with the conclusion! The narration was also excellent.
Wild and Wicked Things is a magical Great Gatsby retelling set on Crow Island, where magic is prohibited in the aftermath of World War I, but that doesn't stop Emmeline Dalacroix. When Annie Mason moves to the island to pack up her estranged father's things, she is entranced by the world of magic and the mystery of Emmeline and her best friend Beatrice.
I loved this! I will say I was instantly hooked by the writing style and the mystery of the island. I loved Annie's character and all the growth she showed. I'm gonna be perfectly honest, I did not know this was a Great Gatsby retelling going into it. I guessed it pretty quickly though--almost as soon as Emmeline's pov chapter started. Then I looked it up. Hah.
This was really good! I loved the sapphic pining and the forbidden magic. The main conflict was really interesting and I loved the follow through with the conclusion! The narration was also excellent.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Blood, Murder, and Child abuse
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Grief, and Sexual assault
Minor: Abortion and Abandonment
azrah786's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
3.25
[This review can also be found on my BLOG]
**I received a proof copy from Orbit Books in exchange for an honest review**
CW: blood, gore, injury, self harm, murder, death, death of parent, domestic abuse, parental neglect, sexual assault/rape, pregnancy, abortion, alcohol/drug use, panic attacks
--
I’ve got to start by saying that there were parts of this book that I enjoyed but it sadly didn’t blow me away like I expected it to.
Wild and Wicked Things is an historical fantasy novel that centres on a young woman, called Annie who arrives on Crow Island to claim an inheritance left by her late and estranged father. With a rumoured history of dark magic the island itself has a reputation of being the favoured haunt for those who wish to dabble in illicit magical vices – things that Annie wants to very much steer clear of.
However, when she witnesses an altercation between her childhood friend Bea and her mysterious and infamous neighbour, Emmeline Delacroix who is rumoured to be a witch, Annie finds herself unable to resist the pull she feels towards Emmeline and her world.
**I received a proof copy from Orbit Books in exchange for an honest review**
CW: blood, gore, injury, self harm, murder, death, death of parent, domestic abuse, parental neglect, sexual assault/rape, pregnancy, abortion, alcohol/drug use, panic attacks
--
I’ve got to start by saying that there were parts of this book that I enjoyed but it sadly didn’t blow me away like I expected it to.
Wild and Wicked Things is an historical fantasy novel that centres on a young woman, called Annie who arrives on Crow Island to claim an inheritance left by her late and estranged father. With a rumoured history of dark magic the island itself has a reputation of being the favoured haunt for those who wish to dabble in illicit magical vices – things that Annie wants to very much steer clear of.
However, when she witnesses an altercation between her childhood friend Bea and her mysterious and infamous neighbour, Emmeline Delacroix who is rumoured to be a witch, Annie finds herself unable to resist the pull she feels towards Emmeline and her world.
“Magic is…a trickster. It draws you in, makes you think you can control it. You get a taste and then you get careless. You can’t control it any more than you can the tide or the rise of the moon.”
Described as a sapphic Great Gatsby meets Practical Magic I came running for the Gatsby side of things.
May’s writing beautifully pairs together the small and mysterious island atmosphere with all the glitz and glamour of the 20’s. The ambiance from the classic was definitely there but more so in the beginning with how there was a brooding figure throwing parties to attract the attention of a certain someone, and in all honesty Emmeline did have a Jay Gatsby air about her and Annie that of Nick Carraway. However, I wouldn’t class this book as an all-out retelling as it definitely leans more towards witchy territory. Particularly the second half of the story that develops more of a gothic thriller storyline.
I personally haven’t read Practical Magic so can’t comment on the likeness to it but I became enthralled with the magic and witchcraft side of the worldbuilding. The titbits of backstory that showed how magic had originally been so imbedded into people’s lives and their work until its usage in the war made it become prohibited really intrigued me. As did getting a glimpse at the differing powers that the various witches we meet in the story have.
Though I also feel like this wasn’t focused on enough and the progression of the plot was favoured instead of the magic ever properly being explained.
“Just a glance from Emmeline and I wasn’t myself. Or maybe I was more myself than I’d ever been.”
However, I think the main reason I didn’t love this one lies with the characters. I am a reader who loves to get caught up in the characters and their relationships and I’ve got to say the supporting characters and their stories seemed more interesting to me than the primary ones. I mean I liked Annie enough and she did have a pretty remarkable character development but I felt like there wasn’t enough of a balance when it came to how many chapters were split between her perspective and Emmeline’s perspective.
Also I wasn’t entirely convinced with their relationship until right near the very end and this has got a lot to do with the back and forth that was going on between Emmeline, Annie and Bea which was going on for most of the book and I found myself getting bored of it early on. I enjoyed the moments when Emmeline was with Nathan and Isobel a lot more – I loved their little found family unit.
I am glad I managed to push through the slow pacing and dragging middle part of the story though because the last 90 or so pages were in my opinion the best part of the book.
Anyways a lot of these points are very much me things so I think if you enjoy gothic witchy stories that border the horror genre then you should definitely give this one a read.
Final Rating 3.25/5 Stars
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Alcohol, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Death, Domestic abuse, Self harm, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Death of parent, Rape, Pregnancy, and Abortion
ellaandcoffee's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
First of all, a big thank you to Netgalley, Hachette Audio and Redhook for giving me the chance to review Wild and Wicked Things. I love a good audiobook and this one was excellently executed, with great narrators!
Overall I really enjoy Wild and Wicked Things. But it does start off annoyingly slow. I wasn’t hooked until after the first 25%. I wish the magical world would have been explained earlier in the book as it was quite confusing in the beginning. The author kept mentioning the magic as some big and ominous thing but since I as a reader had no clue in the first 25% what that was about, it was just a bit odd.
Once I got past the ‘boring part’, I did in fact love the characters and the story. Wild and Wicked Things is gloomy and dark, sapphic witch story that takes place on a spooky island. Right up my alley! It is also described as a The Great Gatsby retelling but, except for the fancy parties, I found that the comparison stops there. And I was glad about that as I am not a Great Gatsby fan.
Don’t forget to look up the trigger warnings before reading!
Overall I really enjoy Wild and Wicked Things. But it does start off annoyingly slow. I wasn’t hooked until after the first 25%. I wish the magical world would have been explained earlier in the book as it was quite confusing in the beginning. The author kept mentioning the magic as some big and ominous thing but since I as a reader had no clue in the first 25% what that was about, it was just a bit odd.
Once I got past the ‘boring part’, I did in fact love the characters and the story. Wild and Wicked Things is gloomy and dark, sapphic witch story that takes place on a spooky island. Right up my alley! It is also described as a The Great Gatsby retelling but, except for the fancy parties, I found that the comparison stops there. And I was glad about that as I am not a Great Gatsby fan.
Don’t forget to look up the trigger warnings before reading!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Blood
Moderate: Rape, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Sexual assault
Minor: Death of parent
mothumn's review
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
ARC REVIEW
Wild and Wicked Things blends witchcraft and 1920s Gatsbyesque glamour in a dark and enchanting story. The writing in this was really beautiful and descriptive and really transported you to this place full of dark magic and glamorous parties. The characters were charming and there was a great inclusion of sapphic leads which I really enjoyed. The pace was quite slow and I felt it could have been edited down a bit in my opinion but overall I enjoyed it. It was very magical and dark with a story that took many twists.
I especially recommend listening to the audiobook along with it. The voice actors are very talented and manage to add a special charm to the characters that reading it alone you might miss. They also do a good job of emphasizing the emotion in the scenes. The audiobook had multiple voice actors as well as atmospheric music that furthered the immersion and transported right into the story.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Death, Domestic abuse, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Death of parent, Grief, Self harm, Alcohol, and Cursing
natashaleighton_'s review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Panic attacks/disorders, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Homophobia, Blood, Emotional abuse, and Murder
Moderate: Misogyny, Abortion, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Drug use, Child abuse, and Sexual assault
A gloriously witchy, Great Gatsby meets Practical Magic gothic sapphic fantasy, blending the glamour and decadence of the Jazz age with Francesca May’s haunting prose to create a dark and atmospherically immersive tale of secrets, scandals, blood magic and romance that’s utterly unputdownable! In the aftermath of WW1, a young woman (Annie) is swept into a glittering world of magic, romance, blood debts and murder after moving to the mysterious Crow Island, where magic is whispered about—in order to collect her inheritance and sell her estranged late father’s estate. But she never expected her enigmatic new neighbour to be a witch. After witnessing a confrontation between her best friend Bea and the infamous Emmeline Delacroix at one of Emmeline’s extravagantly illicit parties, Annie is drawn into a glittering haunted world. A world where magic can buy what money cannot; a world where the consequence of a forbidden blood bargain might be death. I absolutely loved this, in fact I practically devoured it! The world-building was perfectly enchanting and absolutely obsessed with the gothic- like atmosphere of Crow Island with its wild beauty and wickedly dark magical lore. I really enjoyed all the lush details including all those crows which really upped the creepy, gothic witchy vibe that I loved soo much. I also enjoyed the choice of era—at the height of decadence and wealth in an alternate 20th C USA, as it’s loosely based in The Great Gatsby there were a few similarities (the light that Emmeline looks out at mirroring Jay Gatsby as does the shirt scene and the yellow car.) But, the plot is vastly different—and dare I say— superior to F.Scott Fitzgerald’s indictment of Captalism. May instead takes more of a feminist slant, with a magic prohibition in place and a foreboding (all male) council of magic users passing judgement (and occasionally death sentences) upon the island’s female population—especially those who refuse to bow to society’s conventions. I loved how exquisitely complex and full of depth all the characters were but Annie, Emmeline, Nathan and Isobel were my absolute faves. The level of detail in their motivations and backstories was incredible and really made me empathise with all of them, I even emphasised with Bea (Annie’s bestie) who I initially wrote off as just a selfish social climber. Also, the romance between Annie and Emmeline was literal perfection—their chemistry was definitely swoon worthy and the tension was thoroughly addictive. I must also warn that there are graphic scenes involving: murder,drug & alcohol use, self harm, anxiety/panic attacks, homophobia,domestic abuse,neglect & sexual assault. So if any of these are TW it’s probably best to steer clear. Overall, it’s wicked, wild and spellbindingly addictive and fans of decadently lush and magnificently witchy fantasies are going absolutely love this! Also, thanks to Orbit and Netgalley for the e-arc.
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