Hocus Pocus and Practical Magic meets the Salem Witch trials in this haunting story about three sisters on a quest for revenge – and how love may be the only thing powerful enough to stop them. Welcome to the cursed town of Sparrow… Two centuries ago, in the small, isolated town, three sisters were sentenced to death for witchery. Stones were tied to their ankles and they were drowned in the … Stones were tied to their ankles and they were drowned in the deep waters surrounding the town. Now, for a brief time each summer, the sisters return from the depths, stealing the bodies of three weak-hearted girls so that they may seek their revenge, luring boys into the harbor and pulling them down to their watery deaths.
Like many locals, seventeen-year-old Penny Talbot has accepted the fate of the town. But this year, on the eve of the sisters’ return, a boy named Bo Carter arrives; unaware of the danger he has just stumbled into or the fact that his arrival will change everything…
Mistrust and lies spread quickly through the salty, rain-soaked streets. The townspeople turn against one another. Penny and Bo suspect each other of hiding secrets. And death comes swiftly to those who cannot resist the call of the sisters.
But only Penny sees what others cannot. And she will be forced to choose: save Bo, or save herself.
more
I got a copy of The Wicked Deep in a book sub box, I had seen it around but didn’t know much about it which is perfect because sometimes knowing can turn me away, as i’m often a creature of habit. I’m not really a fan of fantasy in a contemporary setting but this book changed my mind completely! I think that this is because the small town of Sparrow doesn’t feel contemporary. Forgotten for most of the year, it’s a crumbling town being slowly reclaimed by the sea. With no chain stores or high street names it’s kind of trapped in time, which all ends up adding to the authenticity of Swan Season – A short time each year where it’s said that the drowned witch Swan sisters return to the shore to claim the lives of men in the town. Despite there actually being annual deaths, tourists still flock to Sparrow every year. The story is also nicely interposed with chapters about the history of the town and the Swan sisters time there, which also gives it a less contemporary feel.
Before I go any further I want to cut to one thing, this book has been published by Simon and Schuster’s Children’s Division – so set your sights here. Yes this is a tale of darkness, murder and revenge, but don’t expect it to be graphic or horrifying – I mention this as I have seen some people complain that it isn’t enough of those things. YA covers a large age range and sometimes it’s going to be towards the lower end and to be honest, the story telling is so fantastic that it doesn’t need to be graphic or over the top. I think Shea Ernshaw does an amazing job of conveying dread without resorting to shock. That’s also evident that despite the subject matter this is a really easy and captivating read, I couldn’t put it down and read it in a day!
There isn’t a character I disliked. The sisters were portrayed brilliantly, all reacting differently to the 200 years of vengeance and I found it a really interesting take on how they can become either weary or sharpened by this. The children of the town as well were thoughtfully considered with how they have come to accept the fate of the town they were born into, and almost embrace it like a birthright, despite knowing what the fates could have in store. I want to be careful of saying too much about the characters as there is some brilliant misdirection and a twist to this tale, which kept me on my toes.
The story feels very ethereal, from the mists of the sisters song to the decrepit lighthouse island and the run down township. Even the antics of the children at the start of Swan Season seems as if they are already under a spell rather than the elaborate dares they look to be playing – perhaps that is a spell over the whole town, in that they float along knowing what is coming yet seem in no hurry to change or move to do anything about it.
I loved this book for so many reasons and it’s beautifully not afraid to be a stand alone which is so refreshing at the moment. The cover is gorgeous too! I have no hesitation in giving this book 5*
This book was haunting and had some of the most gorgeous prose I’ve read in ages. The story is a wonderful combination of Hocus Pocus meets Practical Magic, set in a small Oregon town. I loved it!
A haunting page-turner with a twist. The mysterious small town setting, circumstances, and characters kept me engaged until the very last page.
Perfect if you’re looking for a spooky October read! The moody setting pulled me completely in, and I never saw that ending coming.
The writing in The Wicked Deep is incredible. Shea Ernshaw brings the setting and characters alive with her vivid prose. The story drew me in and I couldn’t read fast enough.
i love this book
The best book I have read all year!
After that emotional and magnificent read, I’m a weeping willow of a mess! I’m just going to say I loved this book more than breathing air, and that it’s probably one of my favorite reads ever. I loved it so much!
We get a book with a witchy type of a sisterly tale! But my favorite part was the contemporary aspects and the mystery and the perfection of the author’s words!
Penny and Bo were so good together and there chemistry was cute and sweet! I especially loved the chapters with the backstories on the sisters, so heartbreaking! I want everyone to know that I’m not okay after reading this, even though I’m totally okay … or am I? I already need back in these pages, and I need more books from this author!!!
This is a deliciously twisted YA story about the legend of three sisters who were drowned as witches and how that one event resonated over the next two centuries. Year after year, the sisters return to possess girls in the small town of Sparrow, and use the bodies they’ve stolen to drown boys – as many boys as they want to kill.
A modern-day witch hunt to find the possessed girls is on in an attempt to stop more boys from being drowned before the summer solstice. But it’s Penny, the main character, who has the power to change everything forever.
The story itself is absorbing and haunting. I love the twist a little more than halfway through. It’s not exactly what I saw coming. The romance between Penny and Bo isn’t really believable. It’s insta-love with very little chemistry, but I still shed a few tears over the ending. If you’re looking for something that’s tense and a little creepy, this is a good read.
I really wanted this book to be great, but it didn’t really hit the spot for me in the end.
This is my first read of something by this author, so it’s hard to know what to expect.
On the surface it had a lot going for it. A small coastal town of Sparrow has a horrific past. Three girls, known as the Swan sisters, were drowned for being witches. Now every summer their spirits come back from the grave to possess three young women, seducing young men into the cold waters.
This book had a lot of promise from the get go, but I felt conflicted on a number of things.
First off, the characters. This book is split between two characters. Penny, a girl who lives on a nearby island to Sparrow, and Hazel, one of the Swan sisters.
While I did enjoy the backstory of the town told from Penny, I was hoping for a bit more depth from her. I know that high schoolers may not have a ton of depth to them, but I wanted more. Her story was sad, but beyond that I didn’t really feel there was enough to her.
Hazel is quite different and wants to live again, not be thrown back into the waters of the afterlife like every year. Hazel I also felt was missing a certain something. For someone who’s spent the past two hundred years in the afterlife, you’d think she’d have a better plan to break her curse and live forever. But unfortunately what it turns into is a poor plan that had me asking why she even bothered in the first place.
I also thought both characters were a bit overly dramatic, especially Hazel. Maybe it came across that way to me because I’m not a huge romance person, but sometimes it got annoying to where I just wanted things to move forward.
The writing POV was in second person, and though in the past I’ve shied away from that style, it was executed quite well structure-wise.
The plot was interesting, but I felt that it deflated after a while. I think it was strongest in the beginning when the reader gets to know more about the history of the town and the curse. That was fun, along with the big beach party.
But after a while, the present gets a little dull in my opinion. This is coming from a guy who loves fast-paced books, so that could be a part of it, but it tended to drag here and there. There was also a reveal after the halfway mark that came out of the blue in a conversation and was extremely confusing. I also kind of wish things went a bit darker or scarier in this book. That would’ve made things more interesting.
In the end, this book was intriguing, but disappointing in my view. I can’t fully recommend it, but if you love teen romance and some light spooks along the way, this may be for you.
Three sisters, accused of being witches, are drowned by the town of Sparrow. So starts two centuries of the Swan Season. Every year they return, boys are drowned…witj the season only ending when the sisters return to the sea. Countless lives taken, and no way to stop them. Or is this year different? Penny Talbot knows the truth because she can see the sisters when they return. Can she stop them this year or is the town of Sparrow doomed for eternity?
What a beautifully written story. I loved everything about this one…the characters…the setting…the story. It is such an atmospheric read…you easily get lost and drawn in. When you finally come up for air it takes a minute to remember where you are
Now if this had been a shorter story, a novella, it would have been pretty great. As it is the story moves very slowly, very little is about the curse, its more an non romance romance. I felt nothing for the characters and when the important anwsers to the must have questions arrived, they were rushed and fell flat.it was also very predictable, within the first 20% I knew the “major” twists.
If this story had a fast pacing, trusted the characters a bit more and was shorter, I would have been much more excited about it.
I will say, the setting of the story, the atmosphere, the description, the feel, was spectacular and my favorite part.
I really liked this.
The Wicked Deep takes place in a small town in Oregon named Sparrow. Every year on June 1 three sisters come back from the dead and inhabit the bodies of three teenage girls. In 1883 the Swan sisters were accused of being witches and thrown into the ocean to drown. Every year because of this they seduce the boys in the town and then drown them as revenge for being murdered by the town over 200 years ago.
Our main character Penny Talbot lives in Sparrow and is resigned to the fact that every year just as school ends, the sisters come back, and the murders begin again. But this year something is different. Because this is a widely known local legend, every year there is an influx of tourists coming in to see if they can get a glimpse of the sisters, but one boy named Bo stumbles into town looking for work and has no idea what happens every year or who the Swan sisters are.
I really can’t say anything else about the plot because it’d be considered a spoiler. I think it’s just best to go into this just knowing the blurb of the book and nothing more. This is a paranormal mystery and it kept me on my toes the entire time. Honestly, I was kind of confused almost the entire time but never in a frustrating way. I was just dying to what the fuck was going on. I wanted to know who the Swan sisters were possessing and how exactly everything would end.
The weakest part of the book was probably the romance, but it wasn’t even because of the characters, it was just a bit underdeveloped compared to everything else. Since Penny is the MC and we’re in her POV throughout the story, we didn’t learn that much about Bo (but what we did I liked.) There is also a case of insta-love, I’ve definitely read worse but it’s still there a little bit.
I loved that we got glimpses from 200 years ago. We got to see a little bit of how the Swan sisters were while they were alive. Overall, this had a creepy and atmospheric vibe and I recommend it to readers who like YA paranormal and fantasy. Also the cover is absolutely drool-worthy and it fits the story perfectly!
**ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**
This was the book I didn’t realize I needed. It’s so, so good! Atmospheric setting; unique characters; interesting plot. It’s one of those books you can read in a couple of sittings. I highly recommend!
Absolutely loved The Wicked Deep!
Two centuries ago the three Swan sisters were accused of being witches and put to death. Rocks were tied to their ankles and they were dropped in the waters surrounding the town of Sparrow. Now, each summer the tourists come and gather with the locals to experience the Swan sisters revenge. For several weeks each summer, the three sisters return and each inhabit the body of a local girl. No one knows which girls have been chosen. During that time the sisters lure teenage boys into the water and drown them. No one sees it happen. The bodies just begin turning up. Penny is a resident and Bo is a new comer to Sparrow, but not a tourist. Why is he there? Will Penny be able to keep Bo from becoming a victim?
I really liked this book. The plot seemed very original to me and I was anxious to find out what was going to happen. In between the main chapters, there were smaller chapters telling us what happened two centuries ago.
Welcome to the cursed town of Sparrow.
The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw is an enticing fantasy ghost story set in a small seaside Maine community seeming resigned to their gruesome fate.
The small coastal town of Sparrow has been cursed for centuries. Every year the infamous Swan sisters return to possess the bodies of three local girls and seduce members of the male population, leading them to their deaths in a watery grave. This cycle continues annually, and unable to break the violent tradition the town embraces their dark history and the Swan sisters. The island has become a tourist destination during what is known as The Swan Season and the sisters themselves are deadly folk heroes.
Although the three sisters are wicked, they are sympathetic villains. The sisters were victims themselves, their crimes—fear and prejudice. Without proof, they were convicted of witchcraft by a mob mentality that deemed them guilty without providence. Their persecution triggered a fate that would haunt the small seaside town annually as the sisters come back seeking vengeance for their wrongful deaths.
The MC is defiant, strong, and unafraid of the ghosts. She is a likable character and one that is easily relatable. The setting is perfect for the ghost tale and the fact that the town is a tourist destination.
Like many witch stories, the fate of the town is tied to their ancestors’ wrongdoings but Ernshaw gives it a new feel by having the town embrace the curse regardless of its deadly consequences.
The story ending is a twist that is both surprising and a triumph, as it acts as both closure for the wronged sisters and the reader.
The Wicked Deep is a story of tragedy, strength, love, and loss. A ghost story that is unique in its telling as it is in its concept. I really enjoyed it.
I originally rated The Wicked Deep as 4 stars because it was really good, but I wasn’t sure if it was exceptional. After thinking about this plot overnight, I definitely need to elevate this book to 5 stars. This book completely took be my surprise.
The story revolves around a run down coastal town: Sparrow, Oregon that has a haunting history. Two hundred years prior to present day, three sisters: Maurgerite, Aurora, and Hazel Swan, were killed under the auspices of witchcraft. Fast forward to present day where we follow the life of Penny Talbot, who recently finished her junior year of high school. The town is excited for the new “Swan Season” to embark upon the town of Sparrow on June 1st. During Swan season, the sisters inhabit the bodies of three local girls then seduce boys and drown them in the sea.
The first half of the book seemed a bit slow since it was a back and forth between Penny and a new comer named Bo, who was just looking for work after he graduated high school. However, nothing in this book was as it seemed.
Without giving away any of the juicy details, once you get to the big reveal, this book is an absolute page turner. It was heartbreaking, tragic, and hopeful. This was such an incredible read. I’m still trying to figure out all of the details of what I read.
I thought this was a great book! A major plot twist completely changed my view of the story, but in a good way. Thoroughly enjoyed this read!
Warning: This book does contain murder, drowning and suicide.
I really enjoyed this book. Although, I don’t feel like it’s fantasy. To me, it read more like a YA mystery novel with witchy elements involved. But other than that little thing, I really liked this book.
I was sucked into this book from page one. I think this is the first book I’ve read that has witches in it that’s not Harry Potter. It was a new experience for me seeing as HP is for a younger audience. This book definitely isn’t for children.
The Wicked Deep follows Penny who lives in a little town called Sparrow. Sparrow is said to be cursed by Marguerite, Aurora, and Hazel. Three women that the town of Sparrow hung centuries ago due to witchcraft. I’m calling them women because nowhere in this book did they actually admit to being witches. Every summer, the women come back and steal the bodies of three girls and make boys drown in the ocean as revenge.
The book doesn’t get into how this is done. I’m not necessarily sure if it was indeed witchcraft or something else. The book never goes into that. Which was a bit annoying and is the reason it’s getting four stars instead of five.
We follow Penny throughout this novel. We get to see how she has to deal with the witches and how she sees them inside of the girls they have stolen. She also has to protect her new love interest, Bo. Who I really loved throughout this book. I liked him more than I liked Penny.
This book was really intriguing and had a couple of twists I wasn’t expecting. I was on my toes throughout this entire book. I just can’t believe how much I enjoyed it. Seeing as it was compared to Hocus Pocus, a movie in which I actually hate. I can see the similarities but they’re definitely not the same.
If you’re looking for a mystery “fantasy” YA novel, you should really read this one. It’s such a fast paced book. I could have read it in one sitting if I had the time.
With this being said, I really can’t wait to see what Shea Ernshaw does in the future.
4/5 Stars