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A review by the_ya_assassin
Mark of the Wicked by Georgia Bowers
3.0
Thank you Macmillan Children's Publishing Group and Netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for sharing my honest review across my platforms and retailing sites.
"My mom is always going on about balance and she's right about that at least; magic is like fire, pretty on a birthday cake but deadly if you set fire to something you shouldn't."
Mark of the Wicked was a dark read in some parts, very contemporary in others. You can definitely tell it was [a:Georgia Bowers|19990357|Georgia Bowers|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]' debut, but overall, it was well-written.
Matilda, our main character, was annoying at first. She is mad that her mother sent her father away and abuses her magical abilities to be rebellious (her mother preaches that magic is only to be used when necessary). Matilda just wants to experience everything there is and is a ball of revenge and spite. She uses magic for her own gain and lives a life free of the consequences and scars of her wrongdoings due to a stolen spell from her family's grimoire.
When a spell against her fake ex-best friend, Ashley, has her running through the school hallways, she runs into someone who catches her magic. Oliver already knows about magic though - and he wants to learn more. As Oliver and Matilda hang out more and more, strange things happen: Matilda experiences blackouts, dead animals with carvings on their bodies (pinning Matilda as a suspect), and then Ashley is found dead with the same markings. She isn't responsible though.
As her magic seems to be draining, Matilda begins sleuthing for the truth and figuring out what makes a good witch exactly. She must figure it out before anything or anyone else turns up dead.
The story was good. I enjoyed the mystery of who was behind the killings but was unhappy with how it was in the background of the story (the majority focused majorly on Oliver and Matilda's relationship). The twist of who was actually the culprit was obvious to me from the start and I picked up several phrases that were used over and over (I HATE repetition). In addition, I wasn't expecting the very contemporary setting with phones and cars and such. When I think of witches, despite them being real, I think fantasy - a cottage in the woods, just like how the Hollowell family lived. The characters were . . . meh. I honestly didn't care if any of them lived or died beside Nana May. Honestly, the ending was my favorite part because of all of how Matilda took on the killer.
Overall, I was let down by this book due to the number of contemporary elements, the carelessness with the characters, repetition, and the predictability. The only saving graces of this book were the ending, Nana May, and the little magic it contained.
"My mom is always going on about balance and she's right about that at least; magic is like fire, pretty on a birthday cake but deadly if you set fire to something you shouldn't."
Mark of the Wicked was a dark read in some parts, very contemporary in others. You can definitely tell it was [a:Georgia Bowers|19990357|Georgia Bowers|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]' debut, but overall, it was well-written.
Matilda, our main character, was annoying at first. She is mad that her mother sent her father away and abuses her magical abilities to be rebellious (her mother preaches that magic is only to be used when necessary). Matilda just wants to experience everything there is and is a ball of revenge and spite. She uses magic for her own gain and lives a life free of the consequences and scars of her wrongdoings due to a stolen spell from her family's grimoire.
When a spell against her fake ex-best friend, Ashley, has her running through the school hallways, she runs into someone who catches her magic. Oliver already knows about magic though - and he wants to learn more. As Oliver and Matilda hang out more and more, strange things happen: Matilda experiences blackouts, dead animals with carvings on their bodies (pinning Matilda as a suspect), and then Ashley is found dead with the same markings. She isn't responsible though.
As her magic seems to be draining, Matilda begins sleuthing for the truth and figuring out what makes a good witch exactly. She must figure it out before anything or anyone else turns up dead.
The story was good. I enjoyed the mystery of who was behind the killings but was unhappy with how it was in the background of the story (the majority focused majorly on Oliver and Matilda's relationship). The twist of who was actually the culprit was obvious to me from the start and I picked up several phrases that were used over and over (I HATE repetition). In addition, I wasn't expecting the very contemporary setting with phones and cars and such. When I think of witches, despite them being real, I think fantasy - a cottage in the woods, just like how the Hollowell family lived. The characters were . . . meh. I honestly didn't care if any of them lived or died beside Nana May. Honestly, the ending was my favorite part because of all of how Matilda took on the killer.
Overall, I was let down by this book due to the number of contemporary elements, the carelessness with the characters, repetition, and the predictability. The only saving graces of this book were the ending, Nana May, and the little magic it contained.