The Wicked Deep
by Shea Ernshaw
Published by Simon Pulse on March 6, 2018
Genres: YA Paranormal Romance
Pages: 310
Format: Hardcover
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Welcome to the cursed town of Sparrow…
Where, two centuries ago, three sisters were sentenced to death for witchery. Stones were tied to their ankles and they were drowned in the deep waters surrounding the town.
Now, for a brief time each summer, the sisters return, stealing the bodies of three weak-hearted girls so that they may seek their revenge, luring boys into the harbor and pulling them under.
Like many locals, seventeen-year-old Penny Talbot has accepted the fate of the town. But this year, on the eve of the sisters’ return, a boy named Bo Carter arrives; unaware of the danger he has just stumbled into.
Mistrust and lies spread quickly through the salty, rain-soaked streets. The townspeople turn against one another. Penny and Bo suspect each other of hiding secrets. And death comes swiftly to those who cannot resist the call of the sisters.
But only Penny sees what others cannot. And she will be forced to choose: save Bo, or save herself.
The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw is set in an ocean town that depends on fishermen and is also cursed.
Who will Penny choose to save? Herself or Bo?
Penny Talbot and Bo Carter
Penny Talbot is our main character and has lived in Sparrow, Oregon, her whole life. The only downside is knowing that the town you live in is cursed, and every month of June, you need to be careful of said curse. Penny lives on Lumiere Island, which houses the lighthouse that keeps sailors and fishermen safe in their waters. She is a lovely girl who doesn’t have too many friends, but Penny’s okay with that. Penny wants to be happy and live a nice life in Sparrow, Oregon, since she believes that she’s destined to stay there forever. She is a great main character, even if everyone thinks it is strange, especially since she lives with a mom who’s already considered nuts.
Bo Carter comes to town carrying a lot of secrets. The main one is why he indeed came to town. Bo tries to see the curse through logical eyes since he doesn’t believe in them. Until it starts to be real for him, a lot about Bo is woven into the plot, so that I won’t say much, but I feel like Bo is a great character who was just dealt a bad hand when he came to Sparrow, Oregon, on a whim before the start of the Swan season.
The Curse
The Swan season starts on June 1st and goes up to the summer solstice. Three girls died on June 1st, 1823, and those three girls come back every summer on their birthday until the summer solstice to bring about their revenge on the town that killed them two centuries ago. Throughout the book, we learn a lot about the Swan sisters and how they never get caught. We see their revenge, and the curse on the town is that three girls get taken by the three sisters, and then those three girls drown the boys. Each girl does this because that’s the way the curse works. The three sisters return and make their appearance known by their birth order. Once it’s the summer solstice, the three Swan sisters return to the ocean, and the town gets to rest until next year.
I think that Ms. Ernshaw has done a fantastic job of crafting this curse. Especially the way the curse works for the poor town. I felt sorry for whatever unsuspecting boy they could lure to their own water grave to be with them for eternity.
Five Stars
The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw is a wonderfully crafted story about young love, curses, and ghosts. Ms. Ernshaw has done a brilliant job with this, and being able to weave this elaborate plot together makes me wonder if there is another town like Sparrow floating around her head with a tale to tell. The story was beautifully done, and I couldn’t put it down; I was so entranced by this sad story of the Swan sisters and how the citizens of Sparrow just turned on them. This book takes place during the summer but could be read any time throughout the year. Maybe even on a stormy day if you don’t mind losing a few hours of your day to the world of Sparrow, Oregon.
I am giving The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw five stars and a huge recommendation from me for anyone that loves a great young adult paranormal romance.
This one has been on my TBR since it was released. I am so glad that I was finally able to read it.
Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw.
Until the next time,
Happy Reading!
About Shea Ernshaw
I live in an imaginary world
And sometimes, I live in a small mountain town in Oregon.
I have been writing stories and crafting characters since I was young—filling notebooks with stories about magical horses and fairy underworlds. I always knew I wanted to be a writer and I was lucky enough to grow up in a house filled with books, where my parents were always reading or painting or making something out of nothing.
Now, I share my home with my husband, two editor cats, and an itty bitty dog named Diesel, who all tolerate my days—and sometimes weeks—spent locked away in my writing palace where my characters dance around inside my head telling their stories.
I also love lakes and deep dark woods and yoga and delicious vegan pastries.
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
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