Reviews with content warning for Pregnancy - Wild and Wicked Things

I have been excited about reading this book for a long time and I am delighted that it didnt let me down at all !!! It was dark and bloody and very witchy !!! Ik Wild and Wicked Things is often described as a retelling of The Great Gatsby with a witchy twist, which idk enough about to compare it to having never read the book myself, but it was certainly a wild ride and has made me interested to read The Great Gatsby !!! I rlly rlly enjoyed this book, as stressful as it often was in places, and how everything seemed to constantly escalate and every "solution" just became a further problem. The magic system was extremely intriguing, especially the use of blood magic, and how every magic had a different scent and taste. I was very curious about Nathan's abilities and how hard that must have made the world for him. I also found the concept of the Debt and Giving very interesting too.

I enjoyed the switching perspectives and appreciared the fact that both Emmeline and Annie had very distinct voices that made it clear who we were following even without the chapter indicators. I liked watching Annie grow into her magic, become stronger willed and more morally questionable.

I hated Bea with a passion, she was extremely selfish and the cause of so many of the problems and yet she wasnt willing to claim responsibility for any of it. She was constantly blaming everyone else for her problems and the way she acted. I did feel a little kinder towards her at the end, but I will stand by the fact that everything is Bea's fault.

I also found learning about the history of Cross House and what Cilla did to the orphans and how it shaped them to be both interesting and horrifying, and I am so glad that we got to see Emmeline put an end to that.

And my favourite character died, which is just the standard really, so am I surprised?? No, but I had hoped for better for them, especially after all the signs of them dying were there, but I had hoped that the cards were wrong.

Wild and Wicked Things is a bloody tale of magic, murder and intrigue, and I enjoyed it thoroughly !!!

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scam_lark's review

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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mintedlemon's review

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dark emotional mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.0

Really interesting introduction of the characters early on, I feel like there could be a really good spin off with the council as it was rarely mentioned.

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lesty_gibbs's review

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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.

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kodi_rae's review

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Definitely, as many reviews state, a witchy, sapphic slow burn that will remind you a lot of The Great Gatsby (But also Practical Magic, in my opinion. Did anyone else get that vibe?). Even though the pacing was slow, I was still left wishing for some things (and characters behaviors/motives) to be flushed out more and some questions left unanswered. Maybe that’s the point or maybe it’s a sign of future, related books. At any rate, a really enjoyable, dark and sexy read.

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