Book Review: Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood

Born Wicked

By Jessica Spotswood

Release Date: February 7, 2012

Source: Library

Summary: 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.

Review: I have been wanting to read this book FOREVER but wasn't able to get my hands on a copy while I was away at school. Now that's it's summer, though, I finally got a copy of the library! I went in not really knowing much except for the fact that the cover was gorgeous and it was about witches. So I'm really happy that I actually ended up enjoying this one! 

Cate and her sisters are witches, but they're living in a time where anyone seen as a witch is taken away to an asylum. Women must be prim and proper while their time is spent preparing to be the perfect wife or a member of the Sisterhood. Cate only has three months to decide wether to marry or join the Sisterhood, but she is far from the perfect little puppet society wants her to be. Despite her childhood friend coming back into town with interest in proposing, Cate can't seem to get the gardener out of her head. Oh, and Cate and her sisters may very well be the witches of a very dark, serious prophecy the members of the Brotherhood have been fretting over ever since it was announced. You could say she has her hands full. 

Despite having such a hectic life, Cate was such a determined character who would do absolutely anything for her family. She has a mind of her own, which makes the reader root for her until the end. Some parts of the story are kind of slow, but new twists and turns are thrown in there enough to make it interesting throughout the entire book. And Finn. Oh my goodness, where to start? He's a guy who loves to read and is Cate's gardener. Could he get any more dreamy?? I just wanted to shove Cate aside and take him all for my own (but sadly, I can't). But he's such a sweet character and has to deal with his own drama with facing joining the brotherhood or having a rough future of his own. 

I loved the world Jessica Spotswood created and the time period she chose for Born Wicked. The characters are great and the ending leaves me hanging and pining for the second one! This is definitely a must-read for anyone who likes a little bit of historical and a little bit of fantasy (with the whole witches/magic thing going on)! You should definitely pick this one up because you won't be able to put it down!