Reviews with content warning for Death of parent - The Witches of Bone Hill

Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

The Witches of Bone Hill by Ava Morgyn

5 reviews

emilywemily6's review

dark mysterious tense slow-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? It's complicated

3.25

This book had a lot of things going for it, but the execution was subpar. The vibes were witchy and perfect for a spooky fall read. The house itself and the history of the family had so many secrets and interesting details. I’ve read a few witchy books recently and this one had the most interesting details. However, the story has lots of superfluous facets that impeded the plot and over complicated the story as a whole. The first chapter is super ridiculous with cheating, impending divorce, bankruptcy, and then a mob boss?? Not all that was needed to compel Cordelia or move the story forward. I also felt like a lot of descriptions and similes used by the author were either inaccurate (trying to say a murky pond was viscous like amniotic fluid- actually it’s not viscous, it’s pretty watery, so…) or really pointed with the witchy vibes, like the author was trying too hard. Cordelia was also really slow to get what was going on or to do anything about it, the story dragged on for most of the book. And I couldn’t get behind the romance because Cordelia just pined from the beginning, they didn’t have chemistry, she constantly said or thought rude things to/about him and their interactions were awkward as a result; it felt very childish. I could tell from the beginning he was a good guy and Cordelia did all but sabotage even a friendship. I honestly don’t know how they ended up together. Part of the mystery was really obvious, but there was a lot of what was going on that I didn’t understand until the end of the book, and I really wanted to find out what really was happening. The mysterious happenings were truly creepy and foreboding, and I wish the author had done some things different in the story.

Content Warnings

rhiannonafternoon's review

Go to review page

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

There’s nothing like a haunted house book set in New England to make you truly feel like Halloween is here. The magic and lore runs deep in Bone manor, and these sisters have a lot of uncovering to do - Including the groundskeeper 😉

Content Warnings

forever_undone_fables's review

Go to review page

mysterious

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

3.0

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martens Press for the opportunity to read an ARC of The Witches of Bone Hill, in exchange for my honest review!

At first it reads like a purely contemporary fiction, but something I enjoyed was as the story goes on, the magic and overall spookiness got greater and greater. It’s not so much a fantasy as it is paranormal fiction. If you are a true fan of horror and gore, looking for something dark and unsettling, that’s going to give you the creeps, I don’t think this is for you. On the flip side if you are someone who is more into standard fiction, who wants to dabble in something that has moments of eeriness, magic, and can handle a little gore, you may really enjoy it!

I appreciated that the main characters were all of mature age, I’m guessing late 30s to mid 40s, and that the issues they had before arriving at the estate were that of people in that group. The pacing and writing was good, while the fmc was a little annoying at times, the reasons behind her actions were understandable. Another thing I liked was how communicative the sisters were with each other, there weren’t moments where, as a reader, I felt frustrated by the main character and I knowing there was information that should be shared. The sisters were a smart pair, and figured everything out at a reasonable speed for the story.

The villain was very predictable but there was still a *slight* twist about it. It wasn’t so much “who” but “why” with the bad guy.

(Spoilers ahead)

The only thing that really didn’t do it for me in this story was the relationship between Cordy and Gordon. I think there had to me a romance plot in the book, and I’m glad there was.. I just didn’t really believe in their chemistry. She was genuinely rude to him outwardly and judgey inwardly, as well as recently wounded from her ex husband, which is brought up enough to know it was obviously a huge deal. Even after she very suddenly decides to stop being snooty to him, they still just didn’t make sense to me. They had a few conversations about their issues together, he mentions she’s attractive on accident, and then he just steps into the role of needing to be there and protect her (it’s kind of his only personality trait) with so much faith and gusto after like… less than three weeks. And he’s just cool with all the bad stuff happening and the violence in the end, because it’s all about making sure she is safe.. he is kind of a shell of a character. Aside from just being the only people there and trauma bonding over loss/the property, I don’t see why they like each other at ALL. Much less to sleep together in a way which would end up in immediate pregnancy. Getting knocked up after a month of knowing each other and maybe 2 weeks of sleeping together? Not the trope for me. Yucky even. It could have been something alluded to by her ancestor for the future and mentioned as part of the wrap up when it has the jump to the future at the very end. Don’t think that had to happen at all.

Overall this was a very readable story, I was able to picture the atmosphere and follow along with everything very well. It was like watching a modern day practical magic-esque film on Netflix.

Content Warnings

noellelovesbooks's review

Go to review page

5.0

Content Warnings: Blood, animal cruelty, animal death, murder, and death.
Mention of: suicide, rape, cancer, and infidelity.

***I received an ARC ahead of release, via Netgalley, through the St. Martin's Press Influencer Program***

OMG what a perfect fall read! I'd call this a cozy, low stakes, witchy fall book. I say cozy/low stakes because the "twist" was kinda obvious from the start...but I almost feel that was intentional 🤷🏽‍♀️...to give us those horror movie moments of yelling at the characters with the info we know that they should know.

We do get a romance but this book is definitely more about two sisters bond, finding themselves, and uncovering years of family secrets.

This book gave me all the same feels [warm/magical/family legacy/secrets] that I got when I read "In the Shadow Garden" by Liz Parker.

As the weather starts to shift us into Fall, aka the best season, and you're looking for a book to cuddle under a blanket with while sipping on a hot mug of tea...definitely get your hands on this book when it releases!

Content Warnings

brookeandbooks's review

Go to review page

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Thanks to author Ava Morgyn, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I’m always down for a good witchy book, but sometimes witchy books just aren’t witchy enough. That was not the case with The Witches of Bone Hill by Ava Morgyn.

Cordelia Bone’s life is crumbling around her. Her cheating husband ran off, leaving her with massive debts and her carefully cultivated life in shambles. Cordelia soon receives news that an estranged aunt has died and left an estate to her and her sister, Eustace, who Cordelia hasn’t spoken to in years. Facing unfortunate financial trouble, Cordelia decides to travel across the country to see the estate – and figure out how much she stands to gain from its sale. Once she arrives, she begins to unravel the unexpected family secrets hidden on the property.

I love a good story about sisters. Cordelia and Eustace have an interesting relationship, and that development was one of the stand-out elements of the book. I also liked the witchy elements of the story. The use of magic in the book was very well-done, and I enjoyed the way the magic system was revealed. This book is dark and a little spooky, making it the perfect addition to an October TBR. It is well-written, nicely paced, and full of twists and reveals to keep the reader engaged!

Content Warnings

More...