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A review by asreadbykat
This Coven Won't Break by Isabel Sterling
4.0
True Rating: 3.75/5
I read the first book in this duology last year, and I fell in love with how real the characters felt. Often in YA, especially in the ones that take place in our world, the characters almost feel like either miniature adults, or vaguely caricatured versions of teenagers. Sterling did a great job in that first novel of making her characters feel like REAL teenagers, with true-to-life flaws and problems alongside the supernatural elements.
That continues in this finale. In "This Coven Won't Break," Hannah has to help the Clans figure out what the Hunters' plans, as well as deal with the grief and trauma leftover from her father's death and a former friend trying to kill her. Hannah, Morgan, Gemma, and every other teenager that takes center stage in this story feel REAL. Yes, they're witches. Yes, they can control the elements and blood and make potions. But they also make mistakes. They trust and distrust the wrong people. They jump to conclusions. They push their pain back even when accepting it will help more. I'm very happy that Sterling managed to continue this aspect of the story.
I also enjoyed this sequel is because of the themes and questions it brings up. On the surface, it's a Witches vs. Witch Hunters story. But it deals with so much more than that. That storyline is almost pushed to the background by the trauma and grief that Hannah and the other witches are dealing with. We as readers get to go with Hannah along her healing journey, and so much of what she has to deal with is absolutely relatable to anyone who has ever lost someone or was badly hurt by someone they loved. The novel also brings up the unanswerable questions of morality and ethics. If someone does something bad to you, should you retaliate? When does retaliation go too far? How can you make someone who's been indoctrinated to a certain mindset see you for who you really are? These questions are, obviously, not answered, but they are brought up and it really does bring the reader closer to Hannah by making us see the difficulty other characters are having.
At the same time, this book isn't perfect. As I said, the main plotline is overshadowed by the other themes, so much so that often it's a surprise when the Witch vs. Hunter conflict is brought back in. It also feels extremely rushed at times because there isn't much time spent on it. I would have loved to see more interactions between the Hunters and the Witches, not just hear about them. I wanted to see more about how Hannah tries to get her powers back under control. As much as I enjoyed the book, it did have enough flaws that I can't give it a higher rating.
Overall, if you enjoyed the first novel and you want to know how everything ends, you'll probably enjoy this sequel. It's a fast, easy read that deals with some topics that teenagers need help with.
TL;DR: Continues to have great characters that feel real and deals with some important themes, but the main conflict often feels rushed and pushed to the background.
I read the first book in this duology last year, and I fell in love with how real the characters felt. Often in YA, especially in the ones that take place in our world, the characters almost feel like either miniature adults, or vaguely caricatured versions of teenagers. Sterling did a great job in that first novel of making her characters feel like REAL teenagers, with true-to-life flaws and problems alongside the supernatural elements.
That continues in this finale. In "This Coven Won't Break," Hannah has to help the Clans figure out what the Hunters' plans, as well as deal with the grief and trauma leftover from her father's death and a former friend trying to kill her. Hannah, Morgan, Gemma, and every other teenager that takes center stage in this story feel REAL. Yes, they're witches. Yes, they can control the elements and blood and make potions. But they also make mistakes. They trust and distrust the wrong people. They jump to conclusions. They push their pain back even when accepting it will help more. I'm very happy that Sterling managed to continue this aspect of the story.
I also enjoyed this sequel is because of the themes and questions it brings up. On the surface, it's a Witches vs. Witch Hunters story. But it deals with so much more than that. That storyline is almost pushed to the background by the trauma and grief that Hannah and the other witches are dealing with. We as readers get to go with Hannah along her healing journey, and so much of what she has to deal with is absolutely relatable to anyone who has ever lost someone or was badly hurt by someone they loved. The novel also brings up the unanswerable questions of morality and ethics. If someone does something bad to you, should you retaliate? When does retaliation go too far? How can you make someone who's been indoctrinated to a certain mindset see you for who you really are? These questions are, obviously, not answered, but they are brought up and it really does bring the reader closer to Hannah by making us see the difficulty other characters are having.
At the same time, this book isn't perfect. As I said, the main plotline is overshadowed by the other themes, so much so that often it's a surprise when the Witch vs. Hunter conflict is brought back in. It also feels extremely rushed at times because there isn't much time spent on it. I would have loved to see more interactions between the Hunters and the Witches, not just hear about them. I wanted to see more about how Hannah tries to get her powers back under control. As much as I enjoyed the book, it did have enough flaws that I can't give it a higher rating.
Overall, if you enjoyed the first novel and you want to know how everything ends, you'll probably enjoy this sequel. It's a fast, easy read that deals with some topics that teenagers need help with.
TL;DR: Continues to have great characters that feel real and deals with some important themes, but the main conflict often feels rushed and pushed to the background.