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novelinsights's review
adventurous
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I love a good witch novel, and this was no exception. This is an excellent feminist horror novel following a cast of almost exclusively female characters, many of whom were queer, as they dabble in magic and reap the consequences. My biggest complaint was that Belladonna was set up as such a vital part of the whole story, yet she stayed in the background for most of the book and hardly had any screen time. I think I would have preferred it if Loretta's relationship with her had been more centerstage throughout the story and if she had interacted with the younger set of characters. Even so, it was a good story, and I'd definitely be interested in checking out the sequel.
betwixt_the_pages's review against another edition
4.0
Rating: 4/5 Penguins
Quick Reasons: perfectly witchy, hauntingly horrific; devoured it; could not put it down; the writing is spooky and heavy with foreboding; this shows a side of the craft we do not typically get in stories
HUGE thank you to Holley Cornetto and Eerie River Publishing for sending a free galley of this title my way in exchange for a review! This in no way altered my read of or opinions on this book.
And what a hauntingly, horrifically, PERFECT read for the month of October this was! The story is witchy and atmospheric; the characters are very morally gray and complex. I was swept up into this read from the very first line, and taken on a whirlwind of a ride.
But this is me now. The appointments have started. Scans, biopsies, consultations. I know the steps to this dance. I've waltzed this way before and my bodice is too tight.
Holley Cornetto thought through EVERY. SINGLE. Detail. There were moments of foreshadowing that I didn't even catch until the very end, when everything came around full circle and I was left, mouth-agape and exclaiming "Oh, that was SO CLEVER!" I lost sense of time and the real world while I read, I was so hooked into following the story where it led.
The characters are morally gray and written in just the right way to show what desperation can do a person. The reality of human-emotions paired with the suspended disbelief of magic was just *chefs kiss*. The writing is beautiful, rich and rife with both mesmerizing descriptions and horrifying gore. If you're looking for a spooky read this Halloween season, look no further--this is PERFECT for you!
Belladonna tossed aside the second stick, heard the bones rattle among the leaves like dice, and took a third. "Are you...human?"
"Not as such."
"Then why take a man's shape?"
She was of the opinion that there were more flattering shapes to take, but the recently burned were most afraid of flames.
I highly recommend this to lovers of magic, witchy vibes, and monsters that lurk just out of sight. This read is bound to take you on a ride--but watch for that head-on collision! Holley Cornetto crafted a read worthy of the genre; I cannot wait to see what happens next!
Quick Reasons: perfectly witchy, hauntingly horrific; devoured it; could not put it down; the writing is spooky and heavy with foreboding; this shows a side of the craft we do not typically get in stories
HUGE thank you to Holley Cornetto and Eerie River Publishing for sending a free galley of this title my way in exchange for a review! This in no way altered my read of or opinions on this book.
And what a hauntingly, horrifically, PERFECT read for the month of October this was! The story is witchy and atmospheric; the characters are very morally gray and complex. I was swept up into this read from the very first line, and taken on a whirlwind of a ride.
But this is me now. The appointments have started. Scans, biopsies, consultations. I know the steps to this dance. I've waltzed this way before and my bodice is too tight.
Holley Cornetto thought through EVERY. SINGLE. Detail. There were moments of foreshadowing that I didn't even catch until the very end, when everything came around full circle and I was left, mouth-agape and exclaiming "Oh, that was SO CLEVER!" I lost sense of time and the real world while I read, I was so hooked into following the story where it led.
The characters are morally gray and written in just the right way to show what desperation can do a person. The reality of human-emotions paired with the suspended disbelief of magic was just *chefs kiss*. The writing is beautiful, rich and rife with both mesmerizing descriptions and horrifying gore. If you're looking for a spooky read this Halloween season, look no further--this is PERFECT for you!
Belladonna tossed aside the second stick, heard the bones rattle among the leaves like dice, and took a third. "Are you...human?"
"Not as such."
"Then why take a man's shape?"
She was of the opinion that there were more flattering shapes to take, but the recently burned were most afraid of flames.
I highly recommend this to lovers of magic, witchy vibes, and monsters that lurk just out of sight. This read is bound to take you on a ride--but watch for that head-on collision! Holley Cornetto crafted a read worthy of the genre; I cannot wait to see what happens next!
stitching_ghost's review against another edition
4.0
Well, if like me you are drawn to this one because there's rabbits on the cover make sure you're not too sensitive about what happens to the rabbits or you might be disappointed.
That being said, it was a pretty decent story which didn't pull punches but in my opinion it would have benefited from focusing on 2 of the characters instead of trying to follow almost everyone or by being longer and having these characters more fully realized.
3.5 rounded up.
That being said, it was a pretty decent story which didn't pull punches but in my opinion it would have benefited from focusing on 2 of the characters instead of trying to follow almost everyone or by being longer and having these characters more fully realized.
3.5 rounded up.
heroturnedhuman's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Looking for a fun, fast paced, captivating coming of age story, filled to the brim of a Witch’s hat with hexes, trailer park adventures and sapphic romance? Well I truly cannot say enough good things about this book!
“They Are Cursed Like You” centers around Courtney, a young girl struggling with some heavy hitting issues right out the date - bullying, an absentee drug addled mother and the “shame” of living in a trailer park. She finds solace in her kindly nana and of course, her friend group, especially Dani, who we quickly find Courtney may consider more than just a friend.
In order to earn some extra money, Courtney cleans houses, and while cleaning the house of a stunning yet eccentric woman named Belladonna, she discovers a book that just seems to call to her…
Meanwhile, we meet Loretta, a successful author who seems to have everything going for her. A great coven of beautiful fellow witches who are her best friends, a comfortable lifestyle, an adoring fan base and of course, the leadership of her ethereal coven leader. But one day, out of nowhere, things start to shift, to seem less than perfect…
As someone who grew up in poverty, I related to this book on a very personal level. Cornetto’s empathetic yet realist approach to the experience of a trailer park childhood made connecting to the characters and their non magical perils much easier, making the book an incredible read!
Aside from that, the book is just such a good, solid story from start to finish. I cared about every character we were introduced to, I rooted for our protagonist(s?) the whole time because while they were far from perfect, they were incredibly likable and easy to connect to. All together, Holley Cornetto has written a fantastic story, and I’m very excited to see where she takes the rest of the series.
4.5/5 stars!! ✨✨✨✨
“They Are Cursed Like You” centers around Courtney, a young girl struggling with some heavy hitting issues right out the date - bullying, an absentee drug addled mother and the “shame” of living in a trailer park. She finds solace in her kindly nana and of course, her friend group, especially Dani, who we quickly find Courtney may consider more than just a friend.
In order to earn some extra money, Courtney cleans houses, and while cleaning the house of a stunning yet eccentric woman named Belladonna, she discovers a book that just seems to call to her…
Meanwhile, we meet Loretta, a successful author who seems to have everything going for her. A great coven of beautiful fellow witches who are her best friends, a comfortable lifestyle, an adoring fan base and of course, the leadership of her ethereal coven leader. But one day, out of nowhere, things start to shift, to seem less than perfect…
As someone who grew up in poverty, I related to this book on a very personal level. Cornetto’s empathetic yet realist approach to the experience of a trailer park childhood made connecting to the characters and their non magical perils much easier, making the book an incredible read!
Aside from that, the book is just such a good, solid story from start to finish. I cared about every character we were introduced to, I rooted for our protagonist(s?) the whole time because while they were far from perfect, they were incredibly likable and easy to connect to. All together, Holley Cornetto has written a fantastic story, and I’m very excited to see where she takes the rest of the series.
4.5/5 stars!! ✨✨✨✨
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Animal cruelty, and Animal death
Moderate: Drug abuse
horror_haus_books's review
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
4.0
It was nice to read a witchy book that had more of a sinister aspect to it. Not all witches are out to do good and this story really reflects that. It had major The Craft Vibes, I couldn’t get enough.
I absolutely can not wait for the 2nd book in this series to come out. I will be reading it as soon as it does.
drakaina16's review
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Thank you to BookSirens for providing a review copy.
For fans of: coming of age stories, The Craft
I had a great time with this book. It took me a little while to really get into it, but when I did, I ended up reading 2/3 of it in a day. Courtney's parts of the book definitely gave me The Craft vibes, which I really enjoyed. This appears to be book one; I'd happily read more about these characters. 3.75 stars, rounded up.
For fans of: coming of age stories, The Craft
I had a great time with this book. It took me a little while to really get into it, but when I did, I ended up reading 2/3 of it in a day. Courtney's parts of the book definitely gave me The Craft vibes, which I really enjoyed. This appears to be book one; I'd happily read more about these characters. 3.75 stars, rounded up.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death
laura__m's review
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
weskstarzec's review
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes