Yea...I'm just as shocked as everyone else that I just rated this book 5 stars, but it was so damn good. Unexpectedly good. I literally cannot wait to dive into the rest of this series. I already have book 2 on hold from the library. CW: verbal, emotional, and physical abuse from a parent/parental figure, parental abandonment, bullying on a massive scale

What Worked: Ya'll. I was not expecting to read this book and give it five stars. Don't get me wrong, I love a good fairytale retelling, but this was EXCEPTIONAL. However, I must warn all readers that The Wicked Ones isn't for the faint of heart. This isn't a happy story with a happy ending. It is the origin story of the Wicked Step-Sisters. And it isn't a shallow re-telling of how they became so wicked. It's gut wrenching, depressing, and beautifully illustrates the vicious consequences of not breaking the cycle. Benway wrote the hell out of this book. The pain and fear felt by Drizella and Anastasia is real. I understand what it's like to have an abusive parent that makes you scare them, but also crave love for them. How Benway was able to accurately capture those conflicting feelings is something that I'll never understand. Told in alternating perspectives readers will understand the many ways the mother and circumstances broke these girls. From feeling inadequate, ugly, not intelligent, unloved, uncared for, abandoned and more, it's a surprise that Drizella and Anastasia didn't break faster. There is a final moment where readers get the perspective the step-mother and my goodness.... Everything ultimately makes sense, but it is SO TRAGIC. Broken hearts end up doing a lot of damage, but I will forever blame her for forever changing Drizella and Anastasia.

Overall, this book was MAGNIFICENT. It won't necessarily be for everyone especially if you don't like YA or you don't like retellings, but this was skillfully done.