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sklus's review against another edition
2.0
There were aspects of this book I really enjoyed, then there were aspects I really didn’t. One the positive side, I love the world-building. The witches and their burdens were different than any other witch portrayal I’d read before and that made the book interesting. I also found the stories pacing interesting, it didn’t always follow the path I thought was set out for it. At times this made the book's action happen slowly, which I enjoyed but some may not. The characters are all good and mostly-well fleshed out, but at times they seem too cookie cutter (more on this later). The other thing I loved in this book was the amount of reputation of the LGBTQIA+ community. There are several women loving women and men loving men in the story.
Now to the things that aren’t so cheery. The characters are all very cookie cutter and predictable. The hot boy who loves the main girl for some reason even though she shows no outward interest? Check. The quirky best friend with colorful hair? Check. The main character isn’t like other girls? Check. Another boy who hates main character for no reason and also maybe loves her? Check, check, and triple check, they’re all there. Oh, I forgot the seductive, power-hungry mother who tries to use their daughter to stay young and/or get what they want. The story was also incredibly predictable. Like I knew where it was going and how it would end from the second I figured out who the main character and her family are.
The last thing that made this book hard to swallow was its treatment of mental illness. The rest of this review and this book reference self-harm, suicide, and child abuse. If any of those things are triggering and/or you do not want to read about that, I would strongly suggest not reading The Price Guide to the Occult or the rest of this review. To start with non-spoilers, Nor cuts herself. It's a main "theme" of the book, and that just doesn't sit well with me. Not that Nor cuts, because representation is important, but that all of her thoughts seem to be around sharp objects and their potential to hurt her. It seemed to go beyond representation into the territory of glorifying cutting. Others may have different experiences and therefore different points of view, but for my tastes, it was too much. The good aspect of this is every time Nor thinks about self-harm, she decides against it so it's never portrayed in the book and the book mentioned that Nor went to therapy for her self-harm. With regards to suicide, I definitely feel that the book romanticizes it. Unfortunately, my evidence is a spoiler, which is.
Now to the things that aren’t so cheery. The characters are all very cookie cutter and predictable. The hot boy who loves the main girl for some reason even though she shows no outward interest? Check. The quirky best friend with colorful hair? Check. The main character isn’t like other girls? Check. Another boy who hates main character for no reason and also maybe loves her? Check, check, and triple check, they’re all there. Oh, I forgot the seductive, power-hungry mother who tries to use their daughter to stay young and/or get what they want. The story was also incredibly predictable. Like I knew where it was going and how it would end from the second I figured out who the main character and her family are.
The last thing that made this book hard to swallow was its treatment of mental illness. The rest of this review and this book reference self-harm, suicide, and child abuse. If any of those things are triggering and/or you do not want to read about that, I would strongly suggest not reading The Price Guide to the Occult or the rest of this review. To start with non-spoilers, Nor cuts herself. It's a main "theme" of the book, and that just doesn't sit well with me. Not that Nor cuts, because representation is important, but that all of her thoughts seem to be around sharp objects and their potential to hurt her. It seemed to go beyond representation into the territory of glorifying cutting. Others may have different experiences and therefore different points of view, but for my tastes, it was too much. The good aspect of this is every time Nor thinks about self-harm, she decides against it so it's never portrayed in the book and the book mentioned that Nor went to therapy for her self-harm. With regards to suicide, I definitely feel that the book romanticizes it. Unfortunately, my evidence is a spoiler, which is
Spoiler
the fact that Nor kills her father because he wants to die. Because her father "woke up and found years of [his] life suddenly gone, vanished without a trace or a memory," (246) he tries to drown himself in Nor's mother's trap. Nor says he can't die; "not like this" (247). So she kills him using magic. Suicide is seen as a way to end suffering and pain, which is dangerous and false. I know this is a tricky topic, and I don't want to parrot what everyone else says, but there's always another option, a better option than suicide. There are people to talk to and help you can get to feel better even after the most life-rending situations. So the fact that Nor killing her father is framed as a mercy killing, like he was terminally ill and suffering, is just disturbing. I also find it suspect that the book ends with an international mass suicide leaving "the Golden Gate Bridge and Niagara Falls [littered] with the bloated bodies of those who couldn't forgive themselves" (264). And after writing that I took a star off of my view.raegandchambers's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-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
4.0
madisonn's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
theavidreaderandbibliophile's review against another edition
2.0
The Price Guide to the Occult by Leslye Walton is a unique paranormal novel. Rona Blackburn moved to Anathema Island off the coast of Washington over a hundred years ago. She claimed a plot of land and put a sign on the door that said “witch”. A year after she arrives on the island, the men come at her home and set fire to it. Rona escapes into the woods and casts a dark spell on them using her blood and that of her daughter. A hundred years later, her descendant Nor is the eighth (and last) of the Blackburn daughters. She lives with her grandmother, Judd and has what she calls an unremarkable gift (she can hear and talk to plants as well as animals). Nor’s goal is to make the slightest mark as humanly possible on the world. Nor dropped out of high school and works in a dead-end part-time position at the Witching Hour. Then The Price Guide to the Occult comes out which allows people to order spells for a price. Two things catch Nor’s attention: the picture of the author and the free spell included. The author and the caster of the spells is Fern Blackburn, Nor’s mother and the free spell is a Blackburn family spell. Fern is a dangerous witch with formidable magic. As Fern’s book becomes more popular, the island starts deteriorating. Trouble is coming to Anathema Island and there is nothing that can be done to prevent it. There is only one person who can defeat the evil but is she ready to face her destiny.
The Price Guide to the Occult had a captivating description, and I was eager to read it. The prologue captured my attention, and I soon discovered it was the best part of the book. I am not sure what happened to the author after she wrote the prologue. Her writing became stilted and her word choices made for a slow-paced story (good for insomnia). It seemed like Ms. Walton was overthinking her writing. The transitions between sections were awkward and jarring. Ms. Walt does provide some lovely descriptions that help readers imagine the island and the foliage. The book is better at the end when the action picks up, but I feel that few readers would make it that far into the story. There is a lack of character development and depth. Nor was the most developed character, but she was not likeable nor is she compelling. Nor was too busy trying to be bland and fixated on Reed (her love interest). Of course, the author had to insert a love triangle. The romance did not feel natural. Fern had the potential to be a great antagonist, but she did not reach it. She is evil, but one dimensional. I did like Ms. Walton’s unique take on magic. I have not encountered it before in other paranormal novels. The Price Guide to the Occult does contain foul language, gruesome violence, and self-harm (fair warning). The ending was lackluster, unsatisfying, rushed and predictable. The author left the possibility of a sequel (oh dear). The Price Guide to the Occult is geared to the New Adult audience (over sixteen). My rating for The Price Guide to the Occult is 2 stars.
The Price Guide to the Occult had a captivating description, and I was eager to read it. The prologue captured my attention, and I soon discovered it was the best part of the book. I am not sure what happened to the author after she wrote the prologue. Her writing became stilted and her word choices made for a slow-paced story (good for insomnia). It seemed like Ms. Walton was overthinking her writing. The transitions between sections were awkward and jarring. Ms. Walt does provide some lovely descriptions that help readers imagine the island and the foliage. The book is better at the end when the action picks up, but I feel that few readers would make it that far into the story. There is a lack of character development and depth. Nor was the most developed character, but she was not likeable nor is she compelling. Nor was too busy trying to be bland and fixated on Reed (her love interest). Of course, the author had to insert a love triangle. The romance did not feel natural. Fern had the potential to be a great antagonist, but she did not reach it. She is evil, but one dimensional. I did like Ms. Walton’s unique take on magic. I have not encountered it before in other paranormal novels. The Price Guide to the Occult does contain foul language, gruesome violence, and self-harm (fair warning). The ending was lackluster, unsatisfying, rushed and predictable. The author left the possibility of a sequel (oh dear). The Price Guide to the Occult is geared to the New Adult audience (over sixteen). My rating for The Price Guide to the Occult is 2 stars.
abbyl819's review against another edition
1.0
Overall, this book was just really weird. The writing and the story itself do not compare to this author’s first book. I struggled to get through this and didn’t connect with or care about any of the characters.
christilee_'s review against another edition
2.0
Started out great. Got messy and confusing very quickly
marthamaereads's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars for this one.
The prologue was absolutely amazing and I had extremely high hopes for the book, but the story was really slow for the first half, which was a bummer. It took about 150 pages before anything actually happened. The whole beginning of the story was a drawn out foreshadowing of what was to come (sort of).
The second half of the book was WILD! I was not expecting the fast paced conclusion, based on the first part of the story, but it was so good.
All I have to say is what the fuck was that ending?! I am praying a sequel comes because that epilogue has left me with so many questions and I just want answers!
I may add more to this review later, but for now I'm just trying to figure out what that epilogue means.
The prologue was absolutely amazing and I had extremely high hopes for the book, but the story was really slow for the first half, which was a bummer. It took about 150 pages before anything actually happened. The whole beginning of the story was a drawn out foreshadowing of what was to come (sort of).
The second half of the book was WILD! I was not expecting the fast paced conclusion, based on the first part of the story, but it was so good.
All I have to say is what the fuck was that ending?! I am praying a sequel comes because that epilogue has left me with so many questions and I just want answers!
I may add more to this review later, but for now I'm just trying to figure out what that epilogue means.
snaillydia's review against another edition
3.0
One thing is for certain: This book does not deserve its low Goodreads rating.
Sure, this story of a teenage witch dealing with the looming threat of her abusive, blood-thirsty mother is not extraordinary. It's not the most unpredictable tale. It drags, despite it being a relatively short novel. Most characters could have used a bit more depth and fewer edgy lines.
And yet, I still think this book is not worthy of such a low rating.
Of course, I'm part of the problem. I'm rating it 3 stars, which is not exactly a stellar rating. Its flaws cannot be ignored. And yet, this story has something that a lot of technically superior novels have not: A heart.
Walton has a gift for language, that much is clear. Her writing ebbs and flows, it's poetic and gritty at the same time. Her love for this story and its elements shines through this little mangled mess of a book. Her ideas are cool. Her imagery is chilling.
So, make sure you check the list of trigger warnings, because this book does not shy away from mentions of extremely triggering things, most notably self-harm. And if you do check that list and find yourself still curious, pick this book up. No guarantee you'll like it, but there never is such guarantee. Maybe you'll see the heart I saw in there too.
Sure, this story of a teenage witch dealing with the looming threat of her abusive, blood-thirsty mother is not extraordinary. It's not the most unpredictable tale. It drags, despite it being a relatively short novel. Most characters could have used a bit more depth and fewer edgy lines.
And yet, I still think this book is not worthy of such a low rating.
Of course, I'm part of the problem. I'm rating it 3 stars, which is not exactly a stellar rating. Its flaws cannot be ignored. And yet, this story has something that a lot of technically superior novels have not: A heart.
Walton has a gift for language, that much is clear. Her writing ebbs and flows, it's poetic and gritty at the same time. Her love for this story and its elements shines through this little mangled mess of a book. Her ideas are cool. Her imagery is chilling.
So, make sure you check the list of trigger warnings, because this book does not shy away from mentions of extremely triggering things, most notably self-harm. And if you do check that list and find yourself still curious, pick this book up. No guarantee you'll like it, but there never is such guarantee. Maybe you'll see the heart I saw in there too.
appsalot's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Self harm and Child abuse
marieintheraw's review against another edition
2.0
There were issues with the pacing and due to the length it felt vastly underdeveloped. I feel like the most devolved thing was the major theme of the story being about self-harm, particularly cutting, a fact I was not expecting going in. Overall, completely underwhelmed.
I received an ecopy of this through netgalley; however all opinions are my own.
I received an ecopy of this through netgalley; however all opinions are my own.