Author: Natalie Whipple
Published: April 5th, 2014 by HarperTeen
Format: eBook, 368 pgs.
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Parnormal, Mystery
Description:
Josephine Hemlock has spent the last 10 years hiding from the Curse that killed her mother. But when a mysterious man arrives at her ivy-covered, magic-fortified home, it’s clear her mother’s killer has finally come to destroy the rest of the Hemlock bloodline. Before Jo can even think about fighting back, she must figure out who she’s fighting in the first place. The more truth Jo uncovers, the deeper she falls into witchcraft darker than she ever imagined. Trapped and running out of time, she begins to wonder if the very Curse that killed her mother is the only way to save everyone she loves.
Review:
If you think you know witches, think again. There is no good magic, only dark. The only difference between the good witches and the bad, then, is whether or not they let the magic consume them, to eat them alive from the inside. And then there's the Curse. The thing that drained the life from Josephine Hemlock's mother and countless other witches throughout time. That sucks the magic from them until there is nothing left. Where it comes from, no one knows, but when a man appears at the heavily fortified Hemlock house dripping in evil and darkness, Jo and her grandmother must finally come to terms with the loss of Jo's mother to figure out just who killed their dear Carmina and stop the Curse from obliterating what remains of the Hemlock family.
Natalie Whipple offers up another piece of her heart in this beautiful tale of family and sacrifice. As is her way, she crafts fantastic worlds within our own populated by real people. It's hard not to grow attached to the characters when it seems as if you are reading about your own best friend, boyfriend, or grandmother. Whipple captures what it is to be in love for the first time, to be an ugly duckling, to shun someone close, and be so completely terrified of losing those we hold most dear.
But Whipple's success with this story does not come solely from the relatability of her characters; it also stems from the ease with which we accept the world she has built for us and the skill with which she shapes the story. Far too often plots are easy to predict, but the mysteries in House of Ivy & Sorrow are not so easily unwound. Delightfully, it distracts with little details that you see coming, only to wait until the last moment to reveal something bigger. So while you may guess a few smaller facts while reading, Whipple has mastered the art of concealing the bigger picture until she is ready for the reveal.
Another wonderful tale of supernatural wonder and the beauty of family from an author who continues to inspire and persevere. Do check out her other books, including Fish Out of Water (out Feb. 5th!), as she never fails to impress.
But It Now:
Amazon. B&N.com. Book Depository. IndieBound.
