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tiffani_reads's review against another edition
4.0
This book is a fun YA twist on a ‘what is monsters went to high school?’ It’s flows really good and the story doesn’t get boring. I will say that there was a bit too much fight between sisters for my taste but it was almost necessary to age how wrapped up in Zack they all really were. Also, how did no one but Norman pick up on Esme’s rapidly declining grades.... kinda of a plot hole if you ask me. Otherwise this is a solid book and I would recommend it.
trying2read's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book! All the classic monsters into one book but I do wished that the witches were more magical? Or helpful I guess. When fighting the vampires, the witches seemed so helpless and it annoyed me. Also the ending kinda pissed me off. I thought it was gonna end with a cute message about love and how it’s what’s on the inside that counts the most but no. Esme made Norman drink the beauty potion :(
cboddie's review against another edition
1.0
I wanted to like this one but it was just too bad. DNF about halfway through.
thesydda's review against another edition
1.0
I wanted to like this book. i REALLY, REALLY wanted to like this book. It had its clever moments, but even halfway through the three sisters (main characters) are so one-dimensional I can't keep them straight. I still couldn't tell you who has the cat as a familiar. All i know is that one is beautiful, one is smart, and one is.... something else. But I don't know who is who.
Also, I'm WAY over cat fights (even magic cat fights) over a boy.
Also, I'm WAY over cat fights (even magic cat fights) over a boy.
_lunajai_21's review against another edition
5.0
This is one of the books I read about in a recommendation of new releases and was immediately excited about. It just sounded like something fun. Witches, a monstrously big guy whose smart and good hearted, a cute guy with a suspicious sun allergy who may or may not be disappearing girls and a talking demon cat. I was in.
It’s a cartoonish kind of world making me think of Buffy. Esme and her two sisters get into a small witch war throwing spells at one another to help them get the attention of the too cute guy who comes to town. The only one who seems to know something bad is going down is friend Norman who bears a striking resemblance to a certain monster Frankenstein built so no one is paying attention to him.
It’s not something for everyone, but it has a lot of heart and a little bit of dark because it does borrow from these known characters from classic horror stories. Think of a super cool girls room, pink on the inside but black around the edges and you can start to imagine what walking inside this book is like. It's in my top ten of books I've read so far this year because it is something a bit different from the YA that's out there.
It’s a cartoonish kind of world making me think of Buffy. Esme and her two sisters get into a small witch war throwing spells at one another to help them get the attention of the too cute guy who comes to town. The only one who seems to know something bad is going down is friend Norman who bears a striking resemblance to a certain monster Frankenstein built so no one is paying attention to him.
It’s not something for everyone, but it has a lot of heart and a little bit of dark because it does borrow from these known characters from classic horror stories. Think of a super cool girls room, pink on the inside but black around the edges and you can start to imagine what walking inside this book is like. It's in my top ten of books I've read so far this year because it is something a bit different from the YA that's out there.
sarahrusty's review against another edition
5.0
I loved the entire dynamic between witches, vampires, and Norman the human frankenstein creation. It was a completely reimagined story and I enjoyed it from the start. I wish there had been a little more Norman in the story, but I really enjoyed it. Perfect for those looking for a new vampire or witch story.
beckybmckinney's review against another edition
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
adsyllata's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 This is a super trope-y, wonderfully campy, but slightly more intelligent than expected send up of the paranormal romance genre. The middle/primary build up could drag and really took longer than it needed. A few parts relied too heavily on tired tropes and stereotypes, but I found it a generally enjoyable and humorous read/listen.
highladymila's review against another edition
If you are looking for a beautifully written story pulling from centuries of lore surrounding three strong, independent, witch sisters who come against a foe, pulling from their wit and ingenuity and the help of their friends, this is not the book for you. CW: rape culture, pediphilia, sex trafficking, eating disorders, and spoilers.
Three sisters, the sixteenth generation of witches in the family find themselves in a high school drama as vapid as any sitcom. There's the artsy one, the nerdy one, and the pretty one. The three sisters befriend a strange new kid, Franklin N. Stein, who has a secret, probably to do with his odd appearance. Norman (He goes by his middle name, for obvious reasons) is over eight feet tall and made up of a mishmash of body parts some too large and others too small for his body. The bolts coming from his neck are also a sure way to attract bullies at school. With the help of the Silver sisters, Norman begins to find a place at the table, until....
Enter The Ancient one and Zach, vampires from somewhere in eastern Europe with a plan to escape the attention of local authorities in a small town in nowhere, USA. To do so, the Ancient one commands Zach to kill the "brides" they have harvested, ten in all. The author makes a point of telling the reader that at least one of the girls in their possession was purchased from the sex trade. Zach seduces each one, drinking their blood, comparing it to a wine tasting, then slits their throats. Did I mention that this book is recommended for kids ages 9-12?
Que Zach in American high school. One would think that three witches, one of whom is supposed to be bookish and witty would notice the kid with sunglasses and gloves with a "skin condition" in her class, but no. All three, in fact every female in the school student and teacher, are madly in love with Zach. While he appears sixteen, he is in fact MUCH older. Teachers have no business fawning over a student and even vampires should have rules against pedophila and/or statutory rape. Again this book is written for YA, ages 9-12. I wanted the Silver sisters to use their experience, family heritage and wit to overcome the evil in their midst, instead I got hours and hours of petty, vapid, whining about looks, lip color, hip size, and dreamy eyes. It takes the girls' ancient demon cat to inform them that Zach is actually a vampire and lay out the best line in the book, "You're a witch and you don't believe in vampires?" The petty school yard whining of who is the prettiest and who deserves the attention of the hot guy where sweeter than a bucket of sugar and just as sickly. Above this, Norman tries to warn our bookish intelligent protagonist and she accuses him of molesting her which leads to his suspension. In the era of the MeToo movement, this "cry wolf" accusation from Esme is a ridiculous undermining of the strength of female voices which we have worked so hard to obtain.
It was not until the Red Demon, a sort of demonic accountant/lawyer showed up that I finally stopped listening. The demon is described as dark and oily with a hooked nose and speaks yiddish. This being the straw that broke the proverbial camel I just could not give this book any more of my time. There were other less problematic issues, such as the authors lack of research into Wicca which the girls use as a cover (Wicca has nothing to do with Satanism), the one dimensional characters of the three sisters, the flippant use of bulimia as a plot device, the absent and absolutely bumbling father (Barry), and equally distant mother, and the very detailed account of the murdering of the only small child in the book (Billy). This book could have been so good. Instead it was a sickly sweet attempt at drawing together the foundations of great folklore and dark literature into a cheap imitation filled with the glorification of sex trafficking, pedophila, statutory rape, rape culture, and anti-semitism.
So if you're looking for a good fun read based on centuries of witches, vampires, monsters and more, skip this one. Mary Shelly will be proud.
Three sisters, the sixteenth generation of witches in the family find themselves in a high school drama as vapid as any sitcom. There's the artsy one, the nerdy one, and the pretty one. The three sisters befriend a strange new kid, Franklin N. Stein, who has a secret, probably to do with his odd appearance. Norman (He goes by his middle name, for obvious reasons) is over eight feet tall and made up of a mishmash of body parts some too large and others too small for his body. The bolts coming from his neck are also a sure way to attract bullies at school. With the help of the Silver sisters, Norman begins to find a place at the table, until....
Enter The Ancient one and Zach, vampires from somewhere in eastern Europe with a plan to escape the attention of local authorities in a small town in nowhere, USA. To do so, the Ancient one commands Zach to kill the "brides" they have harvested, ten in all. The author makes a point of telling the reader that at least one of the girls in their possession was purchased from the sex trade. Zach seduces each one, drinking their blood, comparing it to a wine tasting, then slits their throats. Did I mention that this book is recommended for kids ages 9-12?
Que Zach in American high school. One would think that three witches, one of whom is supposed to be bookish and witty would notice the kid with sunglasses and gloves with a "skin condition" in her class, but no. All three, in fact every female in the school student and teacher, are madly in love with Zach. While he appears sixteen, he is in fact MUCH older. Teachers have no business fawning over a student and even vampires should have rules against pedophila and/or statutory rape. Again this book is written for YA, ages 9-12. I wanted the Silver sisters to use their experience, family heritage and wit to overcome the evil in their midst, instead I got hours and hours of petty, vapid, whining about looks, lip color, hip size, and dreamy eyes. It takes the girls' ancient demon cat to inform them that Zach is actually a vampire and lay out the best line in the book, "You're a witch and you don't believe in vampires?" The petty school yard whining of who is the prettiest and who deserves the attention of the hot guy where sweeter than a bucket of sugar and just as sickly. Above this, Norman tries to warn our bookish intelligent protagonist and she accuses him of molesting her which leads to his suspension. In the era of the MeToo movement, this "cry wolf" accusation from Esme is a ridiculous undermining of the strength of female voices which we have worked so hard to obtain.
It was not until the Red Demon, a sort of demonic accountant/lawyer showed up that I finally stopped listening. The demon is described as dark and oily with a hooked nose and speaks yiddish. This being the straw that broke the proverbial camel I just could not give this book any more of my time. There were other less problematic issues, such as the authors lack of research into Wicca which the girls use as a cover (Wicca has nothing to do with Satanism), the one dimensional characters of the three sisters, the flippant use of bulimia as a plot device, the absent and absolutely bumbling father (Barry), and equally distant mother, and the very detailed account of the murdering of the only small child in the book (Billy). This book could have been so good. Instead it was a sickly sweet attempt at drawing together the foundations of great folklore and dark literature into a cheap imitation filled with the glorification of sex trafficking, pedophila, statutory rape, rape culture, and anti-semitism.
So if you're looking for a good fun read based on centuries of witches, vampires, monsters and more, skip this one. Mary Shelly will be proud.