I have to start this review off by saying that I typically do not ever read books with any kind of fantasy involved. However, I love Halloween and I find reading about witches/witchcraft so interesting and fun. I also love murder mysteries so I was hoping this would be a homerun for me.
Unfortunately, this was not. Primarily I think this book struggles deciding what it wants to be. We end up with a weird combination of a cozy mystery plot with some very graphic descriptions, a creepy setting, deep seeded family drama and a dash of romance. It was confusing and a bit jarring to bounce around from all the dark, heavy topics to the actual murder mystery plot which was somehow the lightest part of the book.
Ivy was a very unlikeable character with little depth and that is nearly impossible for an author to overcome when that is also your sole narrator.
Overall, the plot moved slowly and the glimpses of magic we got weren't enough to keep me interested in the story as a whole. I did not care for the ending and I imagine it will divide readers.
Unfortunately, this was not. Primarily I think this book struggles deciding what it wants to be. We end up with a weird combination of a cozy mystery plot with some very graphic descriptions, a creepy setting, deep seeded family drama and a dash of romance. It was confusing and a bit jarring to bounce around from all the dark, heavy topics to the actual murder mystery plot which was somehow the lightest part of the book.
Ivy was a very unlikeable character with little depth and that is nearly impossible for an author to overcome when that is also your sole narrator.
Overall, the plot moved slowly and the glimpses of magic we got weren't enough to keep me interested in the story as a whole. I did not care for the ending and I imagine it will divide readers.