Reviews with content warning for Abandonment - Wild and Wicked Things

I was honestly bored by the end and wanted it to be finished already
I wanted more romance and less pointless ghost fighting, we only get crumbs of sapphic romance and selfish Bea walks away without a second glance at the mess she made???
Not impressed, which is a shame, it was promising

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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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thereisnotry54's review

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dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

2.0

I enjoyed some of the over-the-top romance, but it was very confusing. There were interludes from other perspectives which did tie in nicely eventually. The style of book changed to get a lot more intense.

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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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rtaire's review against another edition

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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

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melaniereadsbooks's review

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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.

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