Reviews with content warning for Confinement - The Witch Haven

Reviews tagging 'Confinement'

The Witch Haven by Sasha Peyton Smith

7 reviews

lindseyhall44's review against another edition

dark mysterious slow-paced

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

3.0

I’m very conflicted about where I stand on this book. The beginning was great, and the twists and turns at the end of the book were extremely compelling. That being said, the middle portion dragged on a bit, and Frances made many decisions that I didn’t necessarily agree on!
However, for fans of witch novels, boarding school settings, and novels about sisterhood, I would still recommend reading:)

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anoveldestination's review

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced

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

2.5

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thereadinghammock's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

4.25

This book gave me The Owl House meets coming-of-age meets grief processing vibes and I loved it. The world building felt a bit slow to start for me, however once Frances's magic kicked in, the story picked up well. Once at Haxahaven, I chafed against the "boring" magic they were being taught along with Frances, Lena, and Maxine. What's the point in having this great and awesome power if you're just going to use it for chores?? But I also kept having to remind myself that, as said in the book, "The world doesn't like powerful women." Especially not back in the early 1900s.

To have a magic system that manifests in it's users after a traumatic experience was a powerful choice, and given the time frame the story is set in, traumatic experiences (especially for women and girls) abound. Frances's story was likely a similar and common one, unwelcome sexual advances by an older man, but then hearing stories like Lena's with the Indian school and being ripped away from her family like that; my heart ached. "What's the best way to kill an entire people? Take their children." And her response later in that scene when she "reclaimed" or at least restated that she was of her people (I listened to the audiobook, so I don't have the exact line to share), what a visceral moment. I started to tear up a bit in the car as I listened.

And the quasi-romance subplot with Finn and Oliver. Oh Frances, what options! Like Frances I, too, was taken by that sweet Irish brogue, mischievous smile, and sparkling eyes. But Oliver was such a solid choice too; steadfast, honest, and knew everything she'd been through, and had been just as heartbroken by losing William. Also the casual queer rep in the lovely kitchen witches as well as Maxine was lovely to see, even if it was swept a bit under the rug (which I also give a bit of a pass because, time period)

When Maxine told Frances "I don't trust him." (meaning Finn) I started to have some suspicions, since the sisters of Haxahaven always had each other's backs, especially when the chips were down. I wanted to trust Finn so much, and hearing he had been seeing Frances in his dreams for years had such a romantic air when he first shared it with her. And their date to Coney Island? So sweet!! But then when he just had the binding spell at the ready after the resurrection spell didn't work when Frances tried it alone, and when he didn't repeat the final binding words back to Frances, only for him to STEAL HER POWER FOR HIS OWN GAIN?? Readers, when I tell you I was LIVID and SEETHING on the couch as I listened to the complete change in character as he described his new world order. I was dumbstruck!! I raged with Frances and LOVED how the power of sisterhood was what ultimately brought him to his knees after the final fight at Haxahaven. That she ripped his power from him just has he had her, through the power of love and support from her coven.

I was so glad everyone survived, and that Frances and Oliver will have his time to convalesce to let her bring him up to speed on everything and what that means for them as a couple/pair in the next book. And then that epilogue??? The letter from Finn!! I'm at the same time, thrilled, terrified, and furious that he survived the final encounter and have no idea if his magic will be back the next time we see him, but I can't wait to find out!!

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calamitywindpetal's review

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adventurous emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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clovelatte's review

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adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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betweentheshelves's review

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adventurous dark mysterious 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

4.0

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an advanced copy of this to review! From the dazzling cover, I knew there was going to be something I liked about this book. And I am happy to say that it lived up to my expectations!

This is a historical fantasy, and overall, it’s really well done. Smith does such an excellent job crafting this world, and then slowly revealing it to you throughout the story. As Frances is learning, so is the reader. Not only does the magical world feel fully realized, but also the historical one. Smith merged them so well that the two worlds work together seamlessly.

And the characters! While Frances gets a little in her head at times, the romance and the friendships she makes add even more to the story. The mystery behind her journey also keeps you turning the pages, adding twists and turns that make the book all the more exciting. Overall, even if there were some slower moments, this book is sure to keep you hooked.

Plus, it’s coming out just in time for fall spooky season! Which will be the perfect time to read it.

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debussy's review

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense 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

5.0

Sasha Peyton Smith's debut is an absorbing awakening of magic. It has magic schools, magic clubs, magic boxing fights, magic boys, and magic feuds that will leave readers breathless.

We start with Frances Hallowell, a seventeen-year-old seamstress, who is fresh with grief over her murdered brother. When she's attacked late at night by her shop's owner, her scissors inexplicably fly across the room and into his neck, killing him. In the morning, the witches arrive, whisking her out of a police investigation and into Haxahaven--a tuberculosis sanitarium on the outside, but a magical school for girls on the inside. So begins Frances's instruction, but of course nothing is quite right. Instead of learning the magic the girls crave, Haxahaven is focused on small magic. Domestic magic. Frances yearns for more--magic that can help her make a better world. Magic that can help her solve her brother's murder.

This magic is delivered via Finn, an errand boy for a magic gentlemen's club in New York City. Frances and her friends learn the more serious magic from him, hoping to become strong enough to resurrect the soul of Frances's brother so he can tell them who killed him. All the while more boys are found washed up in the river, leading Frances to suspect a serial killer is on the loose. As she dives deeper into the mystery, she runs into long-standing feuds, racing against the people who would control her future and take her power for themselves.

The Witch Haven has a fresh look on magic, a delightfully eerie 1910s New York setting, and an absorbing mystery. The twists on how magic would be used by women and by men--and the conflict it would cause between them--was reminiscent of The Once and Future Witches, and the magical school was so fully realized as a place that is at once a saving grace and a prison in its own right, trapping girls in the concept of what keeps women safe in a world unconcerned with their safety. I was thoroughly obsessed with this book, and I can't wait to see what the sequel brings.

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