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A review by abinthebooks
Payback's a Witch by Lana Harper
2.0
Have you ever wondered what an adult, sapphic witchy romcom version of John Tucker Must Die might look like? Neither have I, but that’s really what this book was…and it was pretty disappointing.
This book follows our FMC, Emmy, a late 20-something millennial who left her small witchy hometown to pursue bigger dreams in Chicago after a bad breakup with her high school boyfriend (9 years prior, may I add…). In her small witchy town however, there is a tradition that every founding family competes in a challenge to “rule” over their small town every 100 years. Emmy decided to come back to her small town and reconciles past relationships. She also falls in love with a woman named Talia, who’s also part of the founding families, and one of the women Emmy’s ex screwed over. Emmy, Talia, and Emmy’s best friend decide to team up and get revenge on their collective ex and defeat his reigning champion family in the contest.
I think the premise for this story was so intriguing, and it really does remind me of John Tucker Must Die (which the book isn’t compared to, but I think is a fair comparison to make). However, Payback’s a Witch lacks a lot of things: decent writing, a compelling main character as well as character emotionally maturing, a strong romantic plot, and a compelling main plot at that.
This story has very grotesque writing. A lot of this book is just overwritten to put it in the simplest terms. I think this author really tried to give this story a pretty purply prose, but combined with the numerous cringe worthy pop culture references, and words being used in sentences that just don’t make sense, the writing just read as bad more than beautiful.
The main character Emmy also drove me absolutely insane this entire story. Remember how I mentioned she’s a 20-something millennial? You can definitely tell by the way she’s written. Emmy is a selfish character who still can’t decide what she wants in life despite being almost 30. She doesn’t talk to her best friend, she’s mean to her family for no reason, she’s shitty to Talia, who literally brings up the most valid god damn points about Emmy and her lack of maturity. Yeah speaking of those valid points: Emmy lets her entire life choices revolve around A MAN OF ALL THINGS!!! When I say she literally left her town because her ex boyfriend broke her heart when she was a teenager, I do truly mean that. This woman left everything behind because a fucking man said some mean things to her. And when she was a teenager at that. It was so fucking stupid, and the fact she let everything this man said to her define her entire life choices was absolutely fucking absurd. I couldn’t take her seriously in the slightest.
The only character who had the slightest hint of personality or emotional maturity was Talia. Talia was such a compelling character, and I really wish we actually followed her instead of Emmy. She was so much more fleshed out than Emmy, and honestly I would have rather followed a full book with her in it than Emmy.
The only part of this story that was enjoyable was the romance between Emmy and Talia. I think their interactions and banter had so much potential to be the main plot of this story, but even that gets side swept by the almost-comical plot where our almost-30 year old women decide to ruin their ex’s chances at winning the contest they’re participating in. In John Tucker Must Die (again, this book isn’t explicitly compared to this movie, but I really think the comparison works), this idea works because the main characters are in high (even if they also look 30). They got humiliated by an asshole guy and they want revenge. But as I’ve said before, these women are almost in their 30s, and it was just weird how the entire book’s energy was spent on ruining a man of all people.
So with me saying that, I really think this book would have worked better had it been either: YA or with younger characters. I don’t mind older characters in stories, but the lack of common sense, depth and maturity the majority of them had really made this book read young. And it’s such a shame because I really do think this romance and plot had so so much potential. But we really just don’t get that much Emmy and Talia together. This story was so focused on the ex, and I just couldn’t give a shit less. I wanted sapphic goodness and we have a man as one of the main plot points. Make it make sense!!!
I just wasn’t a fan of this book, especially after coming off another witchy romcom,The Ex Hex,which in my opinion was marginally better. Yes, I know, I actually liked the straight people better?! Crazy thought. Anyways, I would say skip this, both as a witchy romcom and a sapphic book. I think there are much better ones out there, and Payback’s a Witch just really doesn’t hold a candle to other books of the same variety.
2 to 2.5 stars
This book follows our FMC, Emmy, a late 20-something millennial who left her small witchy hometown to pursue bigger dreams in Chicago after a bad breakup with her high school boyfriend (9 years prior, may I add…). In her small witchy town however, there is a tradition that every founding family competes in a challenge to “rule” over their small town every 100 years. Emmy decided to come back to her small town and reconciles past relationships. She also falls in love with a woman named Talia, who’s also part of the founding families, and one of the women Emmy’s ex screwed over. Emmy, Talia, and Emmy’s best friend decide to team up and get revenge on their collective ex and defeat his reigning champion family in the contest.
I think the premise for this story was so intriguing, and it really does remind me of John Tucker Must Die (which the book isn’t compared to, but I think is a fair comparison to make). However, Payback’s a Witch lacks a lot of things: decent writing, a compelling main character as well as character emotionally maturing, a strong romantic plot, and a compelling main plot at that.
This story has very grotesque writing. A lot of this book is just overwritten to put it in the simplest terms. I think this author really tried to give this story a pretty purply prose, but combined with the numerous cringe worthy pop culture references, and words being used in sentences that just don’t make sense, the writing just read as bad more than beautiful.
The main character Emmy also drove me absolutely insane this entire story. Remember how I mentioned she’s a 20-something millennial? You can definitely tell by the way she’s written. Emmy is a selfish character who still can’t decide what she wants in life despite being almost 30. She doesn’t talk to her best friend, she’s mean to her family for no reason, she’s shitty to Talia, who literally brings up the most valid god damn points about Emmy and her lack of maturity. Yeah speaking of those valid points: Emmy lets her entire life choices revolve around A MAN OF ALL THINGS!!! When I say she literally left her town because her ex boyfriend broke her heart when she was a teenager, I do truly mean that. This woman left everything behind because a fucking man said some mean things to her. And when she was a teenager at that. It was so fucking stupid, and the fact she let everything this man said to her define her entire life choices was absolutely fucking absurd. I couldn’t take her seriously in the slightest.
The only character who had the slightest hint of personality or emotional maturity was Talia. Talia was such a compelling character, and I really wish we actually followed her instead of Emmy. She was so much more fleshed out than Emmy, and honestly I would have rather followed a full book with her in it than Emmy.
The only part of this story that was enjoyable was the romance between Emmy and Talia. I think their interactions and banter had so much potential to be the main plot of this story, but even that gets side swept by the almost-comical plot where our almost-30 year old women decide to ruin their ex’s chances at winning the contest they’re participating in. In John Tucker Must Die (again, this book isn’t explicitly compared to this movie, but I really think the comparison works), this idea works because the main characters are in high (even if they also look 30). They got humiliated by an asshole guy and they want revenge. But as I’ve said before, these women are almost in their 30s, and it was just weird how the entire book’s energy was spent on ruining a man of all people.
So with me saying that, I really think this book would have worked better had it been either: YA or with younger characters. I don’t mind older characters in stories, but the lack of common sense, depth and maturity the majority of them had really made this book read young. And it’s such a shame because I really do think this romance and plot had so so much potential. But we really just don’t get that much Emmy and Talia together. This story was so focused on the ex, and I just couldn’t give a shit less. I wanted sapphic goodness and we have a man as one of the main plot points. Make it make sense!!!
I just wasn’t a fan of this book, especially after coming off another witchy romcom,The Ex Hex,which in my opinion was marginally better. Yes, I know, I actually liked the straight people better?! Crazy thought. Anyways, I would say skip this, both as a witchy romcom and a sapphic book. I think there are much better ones out there, and Payback’s a Witch just really doesn’t hold a candle to other books of the same variety.
2 to 2.5 stars