Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by beccaconsumesbooks
Curse of the Blacknoc Witch by Tori V. Rainn
2.0
2.5/5
Overall I though Curse of the Blacknoc Witch is okay. The premise is there but I wanted more out of the characters and plot. Blacknoc seems like it's attempting to be a few things but felt less focused as a result. If it wants to be a fairytale, give me concise prose, simple characters and a moral parable. It it wants to be modern young adult, flesh out the romance and characters and add more deeper logic behind some of the plot points. The book sits somewhere in between those two but doesn’t quite hit either for me.
The curse itself was the main draw and it is pretty neat. I liked the monsters and the way they were described as being covered in a myriad of tiny dangerous spines was nice and creepy. The mystery and solution to the curse worked was one of the more interesting components. The book handled its themes of regret and redemption well, and the plot was tied nicely to the themes. I almost wish the book went a bit deeper into the morals, but it doesn’t do a bad job.
The plot itself is very similar to a fairytale, but the writing style is more akin to contemporary young adult. The choice of writing style diminishes the fairytale feel, so some of the plot mechanisms that would be excusable in a fairy tale don’t make much sense in a more grounded novella. The ending in particular was based around fairytale logic that didn’t quite fit. The curse, on the other hand, worked really well in this story as a fairytale style element. I also liked that the story went further than anticipated, and truly saw the curse to its conclusion.
Plot construction-wise, there’s this off-screen character named Josh that is set up for a subplot or background that just never materializes. Would have liked to see that either go somewhere or get cut.
One thing to note that isn’t obvious coming in is that this book is somewhat Christian. If the thematic approach to sin and redemption wasn’t enough to tip you off, there are a few direct references to faith and the characters believe in a presumably Christian deity. Obviously this could be a pro or con depending on who you are; know that it’s not too heavy handed but is present none the less.
Overall not a bad book but didn’t quite hit the mark for me. If you're looking for a more Christian young adult horror, it may be a reasonable option though.
I received a copy of this novel for review curtesy of Wild Rose Press. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.
Overall I though Curse of the Blacknoc Witch is okay. The premise is there but I wanted more out of the characters and plot. Blacknoc seems like it's attempting to be a few things but felt less focused as a result. If it wants to be a fairytale, give me concise prose, simple characters and a moral parable. It it wants to be modern young adult, flesh out the romance and characters and add more deeper logic behind some of the plot points. The book sits somewhere in between those two but doesn’t quite hit either for me.
The curse itself was the main draw and it is pretty neat. I liked the monsters and the way they were described as being covered in a myriad of tiny dangerous spines was nice and creepy. The mystery and solution to the curse worked was one of the more interesting components. The book handled its themes of regret and redemption well, and the plot was tied nicely to the themes. I almost wish the book went a bit deeper into the morals, but it doesn’t do a bad job.
The plot itself is very similar to a fairytale, but the writing style is more akin to contemporary young adult. The choice of writing style diminishes the fairytale feel, so some of the plot mechanisms that would be excusable in a fairy tale don’t make much sense in a more grounded novella. The ending in particular was based around fairytale logic that didn’t quite fit. The curse, on the other hand, worked really well in this story as a fairytale style element. I also liked that the story went further than anticipated, and truly saw the curse to its conclusion.
Plot construction-wise, there’s this off-screen character named Josh that is set up for a subplot or background that just never materializes. Would have liked to see that either go somewhere or get cut.
One thing to note that isn’t obvious coming in is that this book is somewhat Christian. If the thematic approach to sin and redemption wasn’t enough to tip you off, there are a few direct references to faith and the characters believe in a presumably Christian deity. Obviously this could be a pro or con depending on who you are; know that it’s not too heavy handed but is present none the less.
Overall not a bad book but didn’t quite hit the mark for me. If you're looking for a more Christian young adult horror, it may be a reasonable option though.
I received a copy of this novel for review curtesy of Wild Rose Press. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.