Review: The Wicked Deep by Shea Earnshaw

Title: The Wicked Deep

Author: Shea Earnshaw

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Publishing Date: March 6th, 2018

Pages: 310
Audio Length: 8 Hours and 59 Minutes

Genre: YA Paranormal Fantasy
TW: Murder? Definitely murder. 

Series: Standalone

Source: Audio

 

Welcome to the cursed town of Sparrow…
Where, two centuries ago, three sisters were sentenced to death for witchery. 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, stealing the bodies of three weak-hearted girls so that they may seek their revenge, luring boys into the harbor and pulling them under.
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.
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.

This is one of those books that I was most excited about back in 2018, but I never got around to reading. It was one of those that I think I had so much hope for and there was so much hype that I was afraid that it would crash burn.

However I was so wrong. It did not crash and burn. It was everything I had hoped it would be AND SO MUCH MORE. You guys why did it take me that long to read this!? 

That cover is STUNNING, in person it's even more stunning. It's shiny and pretty and I feel like it matches the book perfectly. 



I've read quite a few books about mermaids, and sirens, and witches. But this one is certainly unique to me. I've never read a book where the witches that were murdered come back every year to drown males. The drowning males is normal, especially if reading a book about sirens. But because this is witches not sirens it kept it interesting to me. 



The only reason I'm rating this as low as i am is because it was a bit slow. It look a while before I was really into the book. Now once it got to the "interesting" part it took off and didn't stop. I kept saying "wait what" every few chapters. 



Okay so I spoke about it being slow up there, but even with that I feel like the writing was very beautiful. The author did an amazing job with describing everything and with hiding what she wanted to hide. I didn't see *the thing* coming even as I listened. In fact I had to rewind it to make sure I understood and heard correctly. 



I had a rough time remembering who was who. But only at first. I think I would have liked to see more about the characters, especially the sisters. But that's okay, just a minor thing.
I really liked Penny and I loved Bo. I loved Bo so much I wanted to hold him and make everything okay. 
I even really liked Hazel. By the end of the book I felt bad for the sisters. I know they're evil and they're murdering innocent people. But it's because of what they went through. By the end of the book you kind of understand them and why they did what they did.  



I could almost smell the salt water as I was reading this. The I could picture the water and the fog and I could hear the waves.
Shea did a great job in describing the area and the weather and everything. I almost felt as if I was there. 



The ending was amazing. I felt like it wrapped everything up in a nice perfect bow. I loved that I had no idea where the author was going with this, and it could have gone in a million different ways. And I feel like she picked the best way it could have gone. 






Overall it lived up to the hype and I wish I could read more about the Swan sisters. 

“Love is an enchantress—devious and wild. It sneaks up behind you, soft and gentle and quiet, just before it slits your throat.”― Shea Ernshaw, The Wicked Deep

Shea Ernshaw is the New York Times Bestselling author of THE WICKED DEEP, WINTERWOOD, and her forthcoming adult fiction book: A HISTORY OF WILD PLACES (2021). She is a 2019 Oregon Book Award winner, and her debut novel, The Wicked Deep, was an Indie Next Pick.

She often writes late, late, late into the night, enjoys dark woods, scary stories and moonlight on lakes.