Reviews with content warning for Murder - Blestemul mării

Debo decir que el plot twist fue predecible pero muy bien ejecutado. No te das cuenta de lo que está sucediendo hasta media página después. Sin embargo, fue también muy decepcionante las reacciones, y acciones, del interés romántico de la protagonista.

Entiendo que el amor lo pueda todo, pero

que Bo siga amando a Hazel a pesar de que ELLA MATÓ A SU HERMANO!!! Me parece una locura absoluta, y muy poco realista. Más que nada porque él buscaba venganza al asesinar a las hermanas Swan por aquello.

Quizá, si eso hubiera tenido otra resolución, le hubiera puesto mas estrellas a la novela.

Pero bueno, sigue siendo una buena lectura y la escritura de esta autora nunca falla —igualmente, no se compra a su otra novela “El Bosque de las Cosas Perdidas”.

Content Warnings

maple_dove's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

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

4.0

CW: lynching, murder, drowning

The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw takes place in a town called Sparrow, a town cursed two centuries ago by the three Swan sisters: sisters who were all lynched by accusations of witchcraft. Every summer, these sisters each take the body of one girl for revenge, luring boys by the water and drowning them.
The main character is Penny Talbot, and it doesn't take long before we meet a boy named Bo, arriving in Sparrow, having no idea what the hell he just got himself into.
The witch hunt starts, Penny has the ability to see what others cannot, and Penny must make a decision: save Bo, or herself.

Review:

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! I saw one thing coming from miles away, but this ending still mentally reeling. 🤯

I Liked:

The dark, mysterious town vibe(s)
How this book addresses that accusations of witchcraft were used to alienate and control people

This book almost immediately had me gripped, and I was tempted to just binge the entire book in one sitting.

I Didn't Like:

. . . The only things I can think of are things like are lack of action. Although, that's simply because that's not what this book is.

Final Comments:

Overall, I definitely think this was worth the read. Not a favorite, but a good read nonetheless.

As always, I highly encourage checking content warnings before reading a book.

Content Warnings

stephiesheena's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad fast-paced

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

5.0

It has been a while since a book has captured me as much as this one has. Which is precisely the reason why it gets 5 stars.

Yes, there’s insta love but to my own surprise, more than anyone else’s, it doesn’t bother me.
This story just packed the right amount of drama, suspension, mystery and hope.

I had to calm down right when I finished it because the ending was just sooo emotional and my head whirled with thoughts in ALL directions and my heart felt too many feelings at the same time.

That a story about three dead sister coming back yearly to haunt a town, the inhabitants of which had them declared witches and murdered 200 years ago, should also be a story about love, sacrifice and hope seems contradictory but I tell you, my friends, the author does such a wonderful job.

The way she draws this connection between the reader and the characters is amazing! I went into it blind, and I’m so glad I did. The story starts where quite a few YA-books start, to be honest – at a summer party after school has ended for the term. But what draws you in and keeps you glued to the pages (at least that’s what it did to me) is the saga, the so called curse, that has it’s beginning 200 years before and haunted the town every summer ever since.

The Swan sisters, who died in the year of 1823, come back on June 1st every year to inhabit/borrow the body of three young unassuming girls and get their revenge on men and boys from the town.
Up until the summer solstice few of the male citizens and tourists, if any, are safe from the scorned and angry women who once wandered the same streets having men, young and old alike, marvel at their beauty.

Penny Talbot knows the tale about the Swan sisters as well as the rest of Sparrow, but rather than making a spectacle of it she’s always been wary. Always thinking the stories and legends to be true – one way or another.
Also, she is sceptical of this one stranger, Bo. He turned up in her town without having heard of the Swan season once? Doubtful.

And so begins the story about two young people trying to figure out if the sisters are actually real, and, if yes, how they can be stopped – all the while having to deal with dead men being found floating in the sea, seemingly drowned, while the town is sure who murdered them.

I urge you to read this, my friends! This has everything a book needs – it’s even a little spooky when you read it at night.

Also, I would so love to share my favourite quote from the book, but I fear it would give away too much. So, just know that this mysterious and eerie story also tugs at your heartstrings quite a bit.

Content Warnings

manola's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

2.5

Content Warnings

his_fav_bookworm11's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense 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

3.75

This book was amazing the reason it’s not higher is because I kind of expected the plot twist because of how she knew and I was not a big fan of the ending but still a good read.

Content Warnings

dlrosebyh's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

3.75

this book took me by surprise. it’s one of the books i feel so connected to— no doubt i got attached to the characters.

i didn’t really give it 5 stars because i didn’t really love the insta-love trope, but i enjoyed their romance. i also guessed the major plot twist, so it didn’t really blew my mind off as other people say it will. it was dark— very dark, but not scary. though, at some times i felt scared for the main character and her love interest.

i definitely sobbed at the end; it was so selfless of her to do that.

in summary, this book made me suffocate in the best way possible. the atmosphere felt very real.

Content Warnings

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