Born Wicked Book Review

Author: Jessica Spotswood. Release date: 2012. Publisher:  Putnam Juvenile. ISBN: 9780399257452.

Annotation: After her mother’s death, sixteen-year-old Cate Cahill must protect herself and her two sisters from the prying eyes of the Brotherhood, the organization that reigns over the country of New England and would throw them in jail or worse if they found out the truth: the Cahill sisters are witches.  

Personal thoughts: This was one of those novels that really made me think. I was trying to figure out the whole time whether it was something along the lines of the movie The Village, where all the townspeople think they’re living in the 19^th century but it’s actually the present-day. This was very intriguing to me and almost outplayed the rest of the story. Cate’s struggle to find out the truth about her mother and the Cahill sisters’ powers as witches is interesting, but in picking up the sequel I will be wondering primarily about the nature of the world they live in. I would easily recommend this book to readers who want something dystopian but with a twist. Definitely one to look out for!

Plot summary: Sixteen-year-old Cate Cahill lives in the town of Chatham in the country of New England. Ruled over by the Brotherhood, society in New England is very rigid, women growing up with the expectation that their highest aspiration in life is to be obedient to their husbands and raise healthy children. Cate and her two younger sisters, Maura and Tess, are still struggling to cope with the death of their mother three years earlier. Not only did the loss of their mother leave them without someone to guide them into entering society as proper women, but it meant that no one could instruct them into hiding their most dangerous secret: all three Cahill sisters are witches. The Brotherhood regularly arrests young girls upon suspicion of witchcraft, sending them to asylums, work ships, or worse. Cate wants nothing more than to keep herself and her sisters safe from the prying eyes of the Brotherhood. After a mysterious letter arrives at the Cahill house, however, one that warns of imminent danger to the Cahill sisters, Cate is determined to find out the truth about her mother and their family secret.  

Review: Set in an alternate version of history where North America is divided between Indo-China in the west, Mexico in the south and New England in the east, this debut novel from author Jessica Spotswood marks to beginning of a new series for young adults that combines both fantasy and dystopia seamlessly. It’s unclear what exactly the circumstances are that have lead to the Brotherhood reigning in an iron-fisted theocracy over the “country” of New England. The reader is left wondering if the novel really takes place in the 19^th century as it claims, or is actually in the distant future following some terrible post-apocalyptic event. This makes for a very intriguing thread that runs throughout the story: what exactly is the truth? As Cate, both independent and strong-willed, struggles to learn more about her past and what danger the future might hold, the reader begins to discover more about the world Cate is living in. The theme of the Brotherhood fixating on punishing girls, witches or those who display attraction to the same sex in particular, permeates the novel as well, making for some interesting points to think about while reading. Overall, a multi-faceted and thought-provoking start to what appears to be a creative and original series for teens. The second novel, Star Cursed, is set to be released on June 18, 2013.  

Genre:  Science-Fiction/Fantasy

Reading level: Grade 8+

Similar titles: Article 5 by Kristen Simmons, Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel, Eve by Anna Carey and What Happened to Serenity? by PJ Sarah Collins.

Themes:  Witches, witchcraft, sisters, dystopian, duty, secrets, loyalty, romance.

Awards/Reviews:  Positive review from Booklist.

Series Information: First novel in The Cahill Witch Chronicles. Second novel, Star Cursed, set to be released June 18, 2013.

Discussion questions:

-         Do you think Cate took her duty to protect her sisters too seriously? Why or why not?

-         Why do you think the Brotherhood arrested girls for witchcraft, even if they weren’t witches? Does this compare to historical periods you may have learned about (i.e the Salem Witch Trials, etc.)?

-        Why do you think Cate was so reluctant to use her magic and her sisters were more eager to?

-       Do you think Cate loves both Finn and Paul? Why or why not?

-        Do you think Elena was manipulating Maura?

-       Do you think Cate made the right choice in the end of the novel? What do you think will happen to her in the sequel?

 

 

 

The Betrayal of Maggie Blair Book Review

Author: Elizabeth Laird. Release date: 2011. Publisher:  Houghton Mifflin. ISBN: 9780547341262.

Annotation:  In seventeenth-century Scotland, sixteen-year-old Maggie Blair narrowly escapes execution after being accused of witchcraft in her hometown on the Isle of Bute. Now, unable to return home, she seeks out her uncle and his family in the town of Ladymuir, only to discover that danger has followed her.

Personal thoughts:  My expectations of this novel were so different from my experience reading it that, at first, I wasn’t sure what to think. The story is very well written and full of Scottish dialogue that makes for a really authentic read. I also found Maggie to be an interesting character. My primary issue with the novel is that it is somewhat slow and, therefore, not likely to be appreciated by a young adult audience. As a historical fiction novel for adults, I think it is wonderful. I would have a hard time recommending it to most teens, however, as I think this time period and setting would not really resonate with them.   

Plot summary: Life in seventeenth-century Scotland is not easy for sixteen-year-old Maggie Blair. An orphan, Maggie was raised from an early age by her Granny, a hot-tempered and cantankerous old woman, in a cottage on the Isle of Bute. Granny has managed to make enemies of most of the residents of Bute, many of whom believe she is a witch. In the midst of a society full of religious turmoil, Maggie suddenly finds herself and Granny on trial for witchcraft. In order to escape execution, Maggie flees Bute to live with her uncle, Hugh Blair, and his wife and children on their farm on the mainland in a town called Ladymuir. Maggie is unaccustomed to life off the island, but is happy to be free of the danger that awaited her on Bute. Her peaceful new life in Ladymuir doesn’t last long, however, when Annie, a girl her age who testified against her in her trial on Bute, arrives at the farm. Uncle Blair and his family are charmed by Annie, who claims that she has come to repent for her false accusations on Bute, but Maggie is not convinced. Can she maintain her new existence in Ladymuir, or has the danger of her past followed her across the waters of the Scottish coast?

Review:  Part fiction and part memoir, Laird’s historical novel The Betrayal of Maggie Blair offers a slow but ultimately interesting story about a period of time not often featured in stories for young adults. Most readers, both teen and adult, will find themselves learning a great deal about seventeenth-century Scotland and the religious fervor that was sweeping Great Britain at that time. Although the novel does include elements that will resonate with those familiar with the Salem Witch Trials, the majority of the story focuses on the Covenanters: a group of Presbyterians who’s refusal to acknowledge the English king as head of the church earned many an untimely death. Maggie’s story serves primarily as a way for the author to present an in-depth history lesson into what is likely an unfamiliar era for American readers. In the epilogue, Laird mentions that Hugh Blair, Maggie’s uncle, was actually a real person who actually lived in Ladymuir in the late 1600s. Other characters in the story are also historical figures, making the novel a blend of fact and fiction. Although the story is slow, especially in the beginning, it ultimately provides an interesting look into the past that patient readers will enjoy.

Genre: Historical Fiction

Reading level: Grade 8+

Similar titles: N/A

Themes:  Scotland, seventeenth-century, religion, witchcraft, family relationships, betrayal.  

Awards/Reviews:  Starred review from School Library Journal, positive reviews from Publishers Weekly and Kirkus.

Series Information: N/A

Discussion questions:

- Research the living conditions of seventeenth-century Scotland. What would Maggie’s everyday life have been like?

- What did you learn about the “Covenanters” from this novel? Research how this group impacted religion in Great Britain.

- Why do you think this novel is called The Betrayal of Maggie Blair? Who do you think betrayed Maggie the most?

- Do you think that Granny was a good parent to Maggie? Why or why not?

- Would you have done what Maggie did to help her Uncle? Why or why not?

- Why do you think violence is often part of religious history?