Scan barcode
A review by iygatac_reads
The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.75
Ok, so. I was so hyped for this book. And by the end I did like it and I'll be checking out book 2 when it comes out. I guess how book 2 goes will determine whether this is a "I want it on my shelves" or a "I'll just borrow it from the library" read, but I really really thought this was going to be the former when I initially heard about The Year of the Witching last year. And part of this is a, it's on me thing.
I'd thought this was an adult book going in, so I was really thrown by the much more YA seeming feel when I started. I also think the last 60% of this book is stronger than the first 40%. Some of what threw me also was like, there were about 3 times that characters used turns of phrase in dialogue that just didn't feel right for the setting? Like it took me out of the story. But like I said, the second half of the book was stronger and so I ended it feeling pretty good about it. I also found some points being explicitly stated instead of left as implied to be kind of too much, but maybe that's because I went in expecting it to be a pure adult read and its more a crossover.
Bethel is a highly patriarchal, religious, and puritanical society that's basically ruled by the Prophet. From Penguin, "In the lands of Bethel, where the Prophet’s word is law, Immanuelle Moore’s very existence is blasphemy. Her mother’s union with an outsider of a different race cast her once-proud family into disgrace, so Immanuelle does her best to worship the Father, follow Holy Protocol [...] like all the other women in the settlement." But then Imanuelle has an encounter with the Darkwood that sets events into play and results in her questioning the society she lives in more than she ever has before.
I cannot help it so I was very into the romance here lol. Very, girl questioning authority and privileged boy who doesn't accept his father's vision, is rebellious, and wants to do good.
I'd thought this was an adult book going in, so I was really thrown by the much more YA seeming feel when I started. I also think the last 60% of this book is stronger than the first 40%. Some of what threw me also was like, there were about 3 times that characters used turns of phrase in dialogue that just didn't feel right for the setting? Like it took me out of the story. But like I said, the second half of the book was stronger and so I ended it feeling pretty good about it. I also found some points being explicitly stated instead of left as implied to be kind of too much, but maybe that's because I went in expecting it to be a pure adult read and its more a crossover.
Bethel is a highly patriarchal, religious, and puritanical society that's basically ruled by the Prophet. From Penguin, "In the lands of Bethel, where the Prophet’s word is law, Immanuelle Moore’s very existence is blasphemy. Her mother’s union with an outsider of a different race cast her once-proud family into disgrace, so Immanuelle does her best to worship the Father, follow Holy Protocol [...] like all the other women in the settlement." But then Imanuelle has an encounter with the Darkwood that sets events into play and results in her questioning the society she lives in more than she ever has before.
I cannot help it so I was very into the romance here lol. Very, girl questioning authority and privileged boy who doesn't accept his father's vision, is rebellious, and wants to do good.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Rape, Misogyny, and Physical abuse