Do you remember being 17? Do you remember what it was like? The friendships, the drama, the self-discoveries/realizations, the betrayals, planning for the future, and … the list could go on and on. I admit that as a woman in my early 30s there are plenty of things that I don’t remember about my teen years. What I do remember is times when even the small things seemed huge and times when I felt like my world was in a spiral. Think back for a minute, can you remember?
Now, what if, at the age of 17, your world really did turn upside down and inside out; metaphorically speaking? What if you came to realize that the world wasn’t exactly as you had understood it? Perhaps even worse, what if you found out that you didn’t really know yourself? Wicka: The Chronicles of Elizabeth Blake by Christy Deveaux will have you thinking about all of these questions and so much more.
Explore the adventures of a shy but gifted teen who travels to Europe, falls in love and discovers that she is a witch from an ancient family. As the Elders-the most powerful coven of witches in the world-begin to hunt her, she must learn to use the powers she possesses to protect herself and the people she loves the most.
I have always been a huge fan of paranormal, romance, magic, and mystery so I was rather certain that I would enjoy reading Wicka: The Chronicles of Elizabeth Blake. I desperately wanted to love this book and really did. The problem with this is that I shouldn’t have. Let me explain.
Perfect for teens, young adults, and adults alike, Wicka is an easy, enjoyable read. Christy introduces well developed, likable characters and a storyline that flows easily and invites you in. I was engaged after just a few pages and didn’t want to put the book down even after reading the final page. It really was a good read and one that I would recommend.
The problem is, Wicka: The Chronicles of Elizabeth Blake reminds me of books that I have already read. The characters may have different names, there may be a few twists in the theme, but the overall idea isn’t new. What I found most difficult while reading was feeling as thought I was reading a version of Twilight. Again, different names, changes to the theme, but to me, I felt like I was reading Twilight; to the point that I started picturing characters from the Twilight movies when I was reading Wicka. That isn’t a good thing. Anytime I read a book I am looking for originality and to a point that was lacking in this novel.
Perhaps even a more glaring problem was the structure of the read. The main character of the book, Elizabeth, is supposed to be a young girl/woman from Michigan. The book is written from her point of view; however, the writing favored that of a British novelist. As an American, this was somewhat off putting as this should have all been corrected prior to the book being released. There were also times when I was confused by the dialogue in the book and I had to go back and reread sections to come to a term with who was saying what and what was happening. I believe the book would benefit a great deal from going through proofreading.
That being said, I still really enjoyed the novel and would recommend it to others. I just question if I enjoyed the read because I enjoyed Wicka or because I am a Twilight fan. Even now, as I write this, I’m not certain. I would love to see what happens with Elizabeth and William next, I just hope that Christy will find strength and confidence in her own voice instead of pulling inspiration from other established (Twilight … Harry Potter) novels.
PURCHASE WICKA: THE CHRONICLES OF ELIZABETH BLAKE
Disclosure: Free product was received to facilitate this review in conjunction with Tomoson.com. Regardless, all opinions expressed are still 100% my own. Please note that this post may contain an affiliate link.
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