Escape In A Book: Jessica Spotswood

Jessica Spotswood wielded her magic pen and out came a debut novel she can be proud of. Endangered witches, a sweet romance in a depressive historical setting and some strong female characters to boot is some of the things packed into this novel.

Sixteen year old Cate rules the Cahill household after her mother died three years ago. A hard enough task on its own, but extremly difficult when Cate and her two younger sisters are all smart young women and witches.

In a socity where women is denied knowledge and power by The Brotherhood the Cahill sisters true nature must remain a secret. If they are discovered then it's Harwood asylum, or worse, next. An additional challenge is coming up for Cate; at seventeen she has to decide on a suitor and get married or she will be forced by The Brotherhood to join The Sisterhood.

Born Wicked was a fast and fun read - a perfect blend of historical fiction, kissing and magic. Jessica Spotswood knows how to entertain and she has done a good job by mixing up an alternative reality with history. I could tell that she had done research on the late Victorian-Era and that the story was influenced by the Salem witch trials.

The setting is perfect, New England in the late 1800' early 1900's, I believe. It is in the same area where the witch trials took place in the 17th century. A place where the supernatural was something they believed in and feared.

What I loved the most about this novel was all the strong female characters in a puritanical world, a world were women were being suppressed. It really upsets me to think about the fact that some places in this world this is not fiction, places where women still is far from being seen as a mans equal still exists.

The main character Cate was a refreshing change from a great deal other YA heroines, they sometimes seems to be lacign a bit in the intelligence department when it comes to making important decisions. And here comes the trait I loved the most about Cate, she asks for help and she confides in people. That is admirable, one cannot tackle every problem out there alone. Admitting that one isn't Superman/women is a character strength, non of us are perfect.

Oh, also, there is a few excellent kissing scenes here to get those butterflies in your stomach fluttering about.

Now I need to hit The Book Depository and order up the next two installments in this trilogy(I am pre-ordering the third one as I am pretty sure it will be worth the read).

Jessica Spotswood

Photo: Anne Chan

got caught reading under her desk in fifth grade

is married and living in Washington DC

has a cat named Monkey

is a full-time author

loves Earl Grey tea and Snow Patrol

Check out Jessica Spotswood's bio for more information.

Have you read Born Wicked? What did you think of it? Feel free to add a link to your review of this novel in the comment section and I'll stop by your blog to read and comment your review.

Haven't read Born Wicked? Is it on your wishlist perhaps or are you considering it after having read my review?

It's been a while since I've had the chance to read a book. Really read it, not chasing through a couple of chapters a night, but actually getting lost in another world for hours on end. I suppose you can say I had a reader's block, and I'm very happy I'm out of it. Thanks to Born Wicked.

Everybody knows Cate Cahill and her sisters are eccentric. Too pretty, too reclusive, and far too educated for their own good. But the truth is even worse: they’re witches. And if their secret is discovered by the priests of the Brotherhood, it would mean an asylum, a prison ship—or an early grave.
Before her mother died, Cate promised to protect her sisters. But with only six months left to choose between marriage and the Sisterhood, she might not be able to keep her word... especially after she finds her mother’s diary, uncovering a secret that could spell her family’s destruction. Desperate to find alternatives to their fate, Cate starts scouring banned books and questioning rebellious new friends, all while juggling tea parties, shocking marriage proposals, and a forbidden romance with the completely unsuitable Finn Belastra.
If what her mother wrote is true, the Cahill girls aren’t safe. Not from the Brotherhood, the Sisterhood—not even from each other.

Cate Cahill and her sisters have always been different. They are witches, like their mother. After her death, Cate has taken care to hide the whispered spells from everyone - including their own father. The burden heavy on her shoulder, Cate misses her mother. Then she discovers her mother didn't quite tell her everything... She didn't only keep her secret from the world, she was also keeping secrets from Cate. Cate works to unravel the mystery her mother's death left and desperately holds on to the only leads she has. However, Cate has only a few months to make a decision, one that will alter her life forever: announce her engagement to a suitor or join the Sisterhood. In this world girl and women do not have freedom.

This story takes place in America around the 1900's. It's not only a historical novel, it obviously has a few paranormal things going on as well. The witchcraft, the magic, it was entwined with the world Cate lives in perfectly. Spotwood's writing fits that world, it has a classy, old and somewhat tense feeling. The story is a bit slow at times, but Cate's interesting descriptions and thoughts kept me interested.

I found Cate to be a likeable character overall. She has promised to keep her sisters safe, silently teaches them magic as their mother would have done. She has developed an aversion of magic due to this constant responsibiliy, middle sister Maura hates her for it. Cate has taken a lot of responsibilities and underneath her calm face a bright and stubborn spirit is visible.
The difference between the sisters is remarkable. Responsible and quiet Cate, she doesn't resemble the fiery and reckless Maura at all. Maura who considers the magic as a beautiful gift and feels trapped. Tess, the youngest sister, is a girl wise beyond her years. She is sweet and eager to learn, always supportive of Cate. Both are intriguing in their own ways and make the reader wonder about their parts in the prophecy. The final chapters really got me by surprise, it also got me thinking. Who is the strongest sister?
Elena, Finn and Paul kept the story interesting. Elena, the governess assigned to find Cate a suitor, appears to be quite different to what Cate had expected. The whole Sisterhood, for that matter.
Finn and Paul, ah. Paul, Cate's childhood friend and suitor. A man she can only love as a friend. Finn, the bookseller's son and Cate's new gardener. The boy she grows to love. Considering Cate's final choice I am curious to see what further role Finn will play in the story. He is a member of the Brotherhood, which means he might be able to get closer to Cate.
Cate doesn't want to be a weapon, and she doesn't want to involve her friends and Finn in the Sisterhood's schemes.
He will be part of it, and look at this message posted by Jessica Spotswood. There's more kissing, so more Finn? I sure hope so, I'm rather fond of Finn as well!
Well, I'm rather fond of it, but also rather biased. I hope it lives up to my goal to be "brutal + awesome, with kissing."

There are some minor things in the plot I would have liked to see differently though. According to a prophecy, Cate is the most powerful witch to walk the earth. If so, how is it possible her sisters have both overshadowed her magic since their talent manifested. Until Cate learns about the prophecy she keeps telling us how her 12-year-old sister can do magic she could only wish for. The change in her power is too sudden after the revelation of the strongest sister.
Also, Cate is warned not to raise suspicion because they are with three, three sisters who are known to be 'different'. A lot of girls have been taken away already, often girls with two other sisters. Why didn't the Brotherhood think about taking these sisters? Is it because their father is a well-respected scholar? Surely that shouldn't change a thing, as witchcraft is still witchcraft and forbidden. I hope I'll get my answers in Star Cursed, Born Wicked's sequel, which will be released later this year.

A magical story set in an older world. It definitely has the fairytale like feeling I love to see in books, certainly a must-read for those who are anything like me. I can't wait to get my hands on Star Cursed!

My rating of this book