Reviews

This Coven Won't Break by Isabel Sterling

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derry's review against another edition

3.0

I appreciate this is YA, but Hannah honestly seemed exceptionally childish in this one. Grief and mixed emotions are completely understandable, but I felt like some of her decisions were entirely out of character from the first one.

Overall, this was still a fun book that I'm glad I read, but I hoped for more character development and maturity.

lermonysnickers's review against another edition

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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

4.5

marzycxielka's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging mysterious fast-paced

Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

asreadbykat's review against another edition

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4.0

True Rating: 3.75/5

I read the first book in this duology last year, and I fell in love with how real the characters felt. Often in YA, especially in the ones that take place in our world, the characters almost feel like either miniature adults, or vaguely caricatured versions of teenagers. Sterling did a great job in that first novel of making her characters feel like REAL teenagers, with true-to-life flaws and problems alongside the supernatural elements.

That continues in this finale. In "This Coven Won't Break," Hannah has to help the Clans figure out what the Hunters' plans, as well as deal with the grief and trauma leftover from her father's death and a former friend trying to kill her. Hannah, Morgan, Gemma, and every other teenager that takes center stage in this story feel REAL. Yes, they're witches. Yes, they can control the elements and blood and make potions. But they also make mistakes. They trust and distrust the wrong people. They jump to conclusions. They push their pain back even when accepting it will help more. I'm very happy that Sterling managed to continue this aspect of the story.

I also enjoyed this sequel is because of the themes and questions it brings up. On the surface, it's a Witches vs. Witch Hunters story. But it deals with so much more than that. That storyline is almost pushed to the background by the trauma and grief that Hannah and the other witches are dealing with. We as readers get to go with Hannah along her healing journey, and so much of what she has to deal with is absolutely relatable to anyone who has ever lost someone or was badly hurt by someone they loved. The novel also brings up the unanswerable questions of morality and ethics. If someone does something bad to you, should you retaliate? When does retaliation go too far? How can you make someone who's been indoctrinated to a certain mindset see you for who you really are? These questions are, obviously, not answered, but they are brought up and it really does bring the reader closer to Hannah by making us see the difficulty other characters are having.

At the same time, this book isn't perfect. As I said, the main plotline is overshadowed by the other themes, so much so that often it's a surprise when the Witch vs. Hunter conflict is brought back in. It also feels extremely rushed at times because there isn't much time spent on it. I would have loved to see more interactions between the Hunters and the Witches, not just hear about them. I wanted to see more about how Hannah tries to get her powers back under control. As much as I enjoyed the book, it did have enough flaws that I can't give it a higher rating.

Overall, if you enjoyed the first novel and you want to know how everything ends, you'll probably enjoy this sequel. It's a fast, easy read that deals with some topics that teenagers need help with.

TL;DR: Continues to have great characters that feel real and deals with some important themes, but the main conflict often feels rushed and pushed to the background.

thephdivabooks's review against another edition

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4.0

This book is the sequel to These Witches Won't Burn and I read them both this October with the Saturday Booksta Club. I have to say that I thought this second book was actually better than the first. The characters were more formed, the action started from the very beginning, and it felt fast-paced, fresh, and fun!

Hannah and her coven realize that all witches are being targeted by a group of hunters determined to deploy a "cure" that will permanently separate them from their magic. Having experienced a form of the cure herself, Hannah has never fully regained access to her magic. This makes her the perfect person to help recruit a few key witches to help them fight the group of hunters.

I'm hesitant to say more because I don't want to spoil all of the fun and twists in this book! Expect to see Hannah working together with other witches of different types to help stop the hunters. Expect some emotional moments, some heart-pounding scenes, and some sweet love story moments between Hannah and Morgan.

I was sad to see that this appears to be the last of the witch series from Isabel Sterling, but so glad that I read them!

sanne6je's review against another edition

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2.0

Really didn’t like it that much to be honest. Every aspect of this book felt just not right enough. Didn’t feel that much the entire time I was reading this.