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blairlovesbooks's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
fast-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? Yes
5.0
silverandthyme's review against another edition
inspiring
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
5.0
recreationalhobbyist's review against another edition
2.0
THIS IS NOT HORROR.
I was tricked. Duped.
I am a horror junkie. In movies and books, horror is my #1 genre. Vampires, slashers, serial killers, ghosts, and demons tend to dominate the genre. Witches have always been my favorite supernatural/horror beings and they never get a truly evil story. It is always in a Hocus Pocus (kitschy) or Discovery of Witches (boring, hereditary, don’t understand the magic & don't want to be bad) style. I want a darker version of The Craft. I want witches that are petty and evil. I thought I might get that given the book blurb. Instead, I got a PG-13 version of Teen Witch. I was waiting for a chorus of “Top That” somewhere in the middle of this book.
Cackle is a swing and a miss of witch stories. It had the potential, but the actual interesting part of the main character becoming a witch fell to the wayside. Instead, we got endless chapters of a vulnerable woman pining over her boyfriend. Before the main character, Annie packs up her bags and leaves her shitty boyfriend, she visits a psychic who freaks out and tells her that she has a “dark energy.” I have hope at this point. Shit is going to get real. She has evil energy that is going to come out and she will smite all her enemies. Nope. This “dark” energy is briefly mentioned once more in casual conversation and then never again.
Instead, I get an insecure, vulnerable woman constantly pining over her ex that befriends a centuries-old witch, Sophie, in a town that seems to be under Sophie’s spell. Do we get an interesting Sophie backstory? Nope. Just hints here and there as to how she came to “own” the town. Do we get an inkling into Sophie’s magic? Nope. Does she teach Annie anything? We don’t ever find out. Do we even learn how Annie really becomes a witch? NOPE.
There are maybe 4 or 5 somewhat scary/unnerving moments in the entire book. It’s PG-13 at best. This is what I’d call a cozy horror. On a rainy fall day, grab a cup of tea or hot chocolate, snuggle up in a blanket and read a story about a kinda scary witch that gives you a pet spider named Ralph and you can totally escape from her by moving away.
This is a story about friendship and self-discovery with the whole witch part as a side story. I went in with mediocre expectations, got excited when I thought things might go the horror route, and was disappointed throughout.
Sophie, the actual witch, is who I want a story about. She did all the bad things.
I would recommend this to light horror fans and those that aren’t easily annoyed by a character constantly pining over an ex. Or those that don’t care that major plot points are just ignored or glossed over. Or the truly interesting character has no story really at all.
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I was tricked. Duped.
I am a horror junkie. In movies and books, horror is my #1 genre. Vampires, slashers, serial killers, ghosts, and demons tend to dominate the genre. Witches have always been my favorite supernatural/horror beings and they never get a truly evil story. It is always in a Hocus Pocus (kitschy) or Discovery of Witches (boring, hereditary, don’t understand the magic & don't want to be bad) style. I want a darker version of The Craft. I want witches that are petty and evil. I thought I might get that given the book blurb. Instead, I got a PG-13 version of Teen Witch. I was waiting for a chorus of “Top That” somewhere in the middle of this book.
Cackle is a swing and a miss of witch stories. It had the potential, but the actual interesting part of the main character becoming a witch fell to the wayside. Instead, we got endless chapters of a vulnerable woman pining over her boyfriend. Before the main character, Annie packs up her bags and leaves her shitty boyfriend, she visits a psychic who freaks out and tells her that she has a “dark energy.” I have hope at this point. Shit is going to get real. She has evil energy that is going to come out and she will smite all her enemies. Nope. This “dark” energy is briefly mentioned once more in casual conversation and then never again.
Instead, I get an insecure, vulnerable woman constantly pining over her ex that befriends a centuries-old witch, Sophie, in a town that seems to be under Sophie’s spell. Do we get an interesting Sophie backstory? Nope. Just hints here and there as to how she came to “own” the town. Do we get an inkling into Sophie’s magic? Nope. Does she teach Annie anything? We don’t ever find out. Do we even learn how Annie really becomes a witch? NOPE.
There are maybe 4 or 5 somewhat scary/unnerving moments in the entire book. It’s PG-13 at best. This is what I’d call a cozy horror. On a rainy fall day, grab a cup of tea or hot chocolate, snuggle up in a blanket and read a story about a kinda scary witch that gives you a pet spider named Ralph and you can totally escape from her by moving away.
This is a story about friendship and self-discovery with the whole witch part as a side story. I went in with mediocre expectations, got excited when I thought things might go the horror route, and was disappointed throughout.
Sophie, the actual witch, is who I want a story about. She did all the bad things.
Spoiler
She has a house full of the ghosts she may or may not have killed over the past few decades. She can seemingly create closets full of exquisite garments on a whim. She can curse people, but how? So can Annie out of the blue, we never learn how or why.I would recommend this to light horror fans and those that aren’t easily annoyed by a character constantly pining over an ex. Or those that don’t care that major plot points are just ignored or glossed over. Or the truly interesting character has no story really at all.
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attackofthetbr's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
kdl_gadzella's review against another edition
3.0
I wanted something more from this book. Like it was fine, but. I feel like there was just a lot of build up for something that never happened. I would like to try something else by this author, but like, this one just had a bit of a miss for me.
thegoodsir's review against another edition
4.0
Given the choice between living for a relationship, or moving into the woods solo to do whatever you want, whenever you want.... the choice is clear. Ralph MVP. 4
cosmicwooo's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-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? No
5.0
Absolutely adored this book. It’s probably one of the few books I’d dare to read twice. I’d love to have a Sophie and Ralph the Spider in my life. It was such a fun and quick read and it ended with me wanting more.
bpacker22's review against another edition
1.0
..... Literally nothing happens in this book.
Girl moves to small town after having her heart broken. She pines for her ex. She meets a strange lady. They talk, eat pancakes,drink wine and sleep. Rinse and repeat for 300 pages. Oh and pet spiders. That is it. That is the book. No horror or creepy things going bump in the night as advertised.
Girl moves to small town after having her heart broken. She pines for her ex. She meets a strange lady. They talk, eat pancakes,drink wine and sleep. Rinse and repeat for 300 pages. Oh and pet spiders. That is it. That is the book. No horror or creepy things going bump in the night as advertised.