Review: Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw

Title: The Wicked Deep

Author:  Shea Ernshaw
Publisher: Simon Pulse

Publishing Date: March 6th, 2018

Pages: 320
Genre: YA Paranormal Horror

Series:  Stand Alone
Source: ARC

 

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.

I learned of this book a little late in the game it seems. Just before its release, however, I was approved for the galley and I was so excited. I started reading it pretty quickly. Witches, evil curses, and all that stuff... yup it sounded like the book for me.  Let me say this book did not disappoint in any way. I loved it! 

In the town of Sparrow, there is a season, the summer season, where the spirits of 3 dead sisters come and possess the bodies of 3 girls and then go on a drowning of boys spree. This is the story of the events that took place during one of those seasons, a story about a local girl and an out of town boy and their plan to stop the drownings. 

I really liked everything about this book, including the title and the cover. It screamed eerie, dark, and twisted from cover to cover. It was all that and more. The story itself was so good. I loved the idea of the curse, the drownings, and the possessions. It was unique for me. Sometimes unique can get a little weird and unbelievable if not done right. This book was done so perfect.

I was drawn in from the very beginning and just couldn't put the book down. The tone, the setting, the beautiful writing, the character development. It all went together flawlessly to create such a tragically beautiful story.

One of the things I really enjoyed was the tidbits of the sister's past. I was able to know what happened and why the town is cursed. The sister's chapters were done in an entirely different tone and I love that the chapters of present and chapters of past felt like two different stories but still connected.

What I also found so interesting was the sense of excitement and dread felt from the townspeople when the season was coming around. I felt that same sense of excitement and dread. IT was a horrible thing in a way to get excited over body possessions and boy drownings... but it was in a way still exciting. I didn't know what to expect and was very curious but also felt the dread that someone was going to die. It was just a little twisted... which in this book was a great thing.

The characters were all great. Very developed and I connected with so many of them. I adored the main character. She was a bit strange, loner, but she had a lot going on in her life and I could feel her pain. She definitely had a unique air about her. She wasn't just one of the townspeople. I could feel she was differnet and she had secrets but I wasn't sure what and how it would take part in the series of events. I really enjoyed watching all those secrets play out.

I also really liked Bo. He was a little naive and had some questionable motives but all in all he was very sweet and loveable. I can't agree with some of the actions he was willing to take but I could understand the reasoning. In the end, even with this flaws. I loved him.

The sisters were also very fun to get to know. There were each very different and their personality shown through in their chpaters and in the bodies they stole. They were developed to perfetion in my book.

There is romance but just a hint. I mean it is central to the story. A very important part  of the story and yes a little bit on the insta-love side however, it didn't suck in all the good stuff of the story and feel like it was way out of place. Even though it was intsta-love it was sweet and fit with the entirety of it all. In the end it made a whole lot of sense. So beware it's there but with reason.

The pacing was just perfect in this book.I have a hard time with pacing in most books. I feel they either drag or they rush. It's just hard to get it right for my ADD but wanting detail kind of mind. It's a constant battle. This book's pacing was just beautiful. I felt alive in the story, the amount of time that passed while reading felt invisible.

The ending was just so fitting too. I felt good with how it ended. The book as a whole just amazed me and I wait to see more from this author in the future. 

Great read, one of my favorite this year. 

Shea Ernshaw is an Oregon native and YA author. She often writes late, late, late into the night, enjoys dark woods, scary stories and moonlight on lakes. She drinks loads of tea and believes sunrises are where unicorns hide.
She lives with her two cats, a dog, a husband, and a stack of books beside her bed she still needs to read.
Her debut THE WICKED DEEP will be published by Simon & Schuster/Simon Pulse in 2018.
You can connect with her here:www.sheaernshaw.com.www.twitter.com/SheaErnshawwww.instagram.com/sheaernshaw/