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A review by madmadmaddymad
These Witches Don't Burn by Isabel Sterling
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
It was alright.
I liked the sapphic elements, and the magic. I liked that there was a love triangle with an ex girlfriend and the new girl in town. I liked the themes of being a witch and not being able to tell anyone, juxtaposed against being a lesbian and being out about it.
The story itself had incredible pacing problems - I felt like I barely had a chance to get to know the characters and the world before all hell was breaking loose and they were being attacked by vengeful blood witches, hunters, arsonists, and some mysterious stalker set on vehicular manslaughter. It was like watching one of those teen shows on the CW. We were just trying to decide what to do about our high school crush, the loss of a first love, being in the “closet” (magically, at least) with your best friend…. I just wish this book had given me more CHARACTER moments? Because there was so much potential. The plot was too in-your-face, and it didn’t even feel that high stakes, when your main character is surviving a house fire only to be in a major car crash less than a hundred pages later.
It gets an extra star for what it COULD have been, if the author knew how to take her time.
I liked the sapphic elements, and the magic. I liked that there was a love triangle with an ex girlfriend and the new girl in town. I liked the themes of being a witch and not being able to tell anyone, juxtaposed against being a lesbian and being out about it.
The story itself had incredible pacing problems - I felt like I barely had a chance to get to know the characters and the world before all hell was breaking loose and they were being attacked by vengeful blood witches, hunters, arsonists, and some mysterious stalker set on vehicular manslaughter. It was like watching one of those teen shows on the CW. We were just trying to decide what to do about our high school crush, the loss of a first love, being in the “closet” (magically, at least) with your best friend…. I just wish this book had given me more CHARACTER moments? Because there was so much potential. The plot was too in-your-face, and it didn’t even feel that high stakes, when your main character is surviving a house fire only to be in a major car crash less than a hundred pages later.
It gets an extra star for what it COULD have been, if the author knew how to take her time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, and Gun violence
Moderate: Stalking
Minor: Death of parent