Our Crooked Hearts | 
"...that‘s one of the perils of being quiet, people invent personalities for you..."
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"...that‘s one of the perils of being quiet, people invent personalities for you..."
pick3.5 ⭐️ Written with a spellbinding prose, features of this story will stay with me when my mind wanders to witchy thoughts. “The Craft” vibes are definitely present and this is a satisfyingly spooky, magical, coming of age story. Melissa Albert is a beautiful writer, but I had a hard time getting into the story until about halfway through. I would pick up her work again.
pickFor fans of spooky YA reads, put this one on your reading list.
I enjoyed the witchcraft/occult storyline being told through two timelines. Ivy's character was well-developed and I liked the growth she showed in her decision making as the story progressed.
Melissa Albert is a great storyteller.
pickIvy is driving home from a party with her ex when they‘re in an accident & come across a stranger…who seems to know a lot more than they should. Ivy has questions & suspects her mother has answers but if she does, she‘s not telling. What unfolds—thru two narrative threads, Ivy in the present, her mother in the past—is a delightfully mysterious story about forgotten memories, witchcraft, friendship, & the supernatural. A good, spooky YA read.
These are my 2022 wild ride books! I recommend all of these but to particular people who can handle a little drama and/or a little weird!!
I found all of these interesting, thought provoking, and fun. So if a bit weird and a bit wild is your speed check them out!
so-soA dual perspective, dual timeline witchy read whose construction worked against it. I loved the basis for the story & the historical timeline, but there just wasn't enough of it. The more modern storyline was underwhelming. The pacing can be a little slow, so that also caused me some issues. Definitely dark & the comparison to The Craft is accurate, as the female witchiness is well done. The writing is solid & atmospheric, I was just underwhelmed.
pickOur Crooked Hearts sucked you in deep from the start. With a grander story about magic and not the nice side of it, you get to learn the twisted tail of the cons of magic.
This story drips with spells and oozes with blood and recipes for disaster. The only criticism for the audio would be that Dana's side was a bit quiet so had to manage the volume a lot while driving. But I love the eerie feeling this whole book created.
pickMy rating teetered between a 3 and 4 throughout this book, but the ending tipped it over to a 4. The characters were well thought out. Overall, I enjoyed the writing style but there were times when it was clunky with a poor choice of words. Most of the chapters that took place in the past fell flat for me, and seemed to hinder the progression of the plot due to long-winded events. The conclusion of the story was very redeeming.
pickBook 154📚 4⭐️
A little family witchery tale, gone dark👌🏻🖤
Rule number one - Always be truthful with your coven🔥
pick4 ⭐ (really late in posting this. I forgot).
Traveling down a dark road one night, Ivy and her boyfriend are confronted by a naked woman, standing where she should not. Avoiding the woman meant hitting the tree and getting a bit bruised and battered. It also starts a mystery that has been playing out longer than Ivy knows.
pickThis book was somewhat between a pick and so-so. It was entertaining but a tad preachy and there was a lot of rabbit murder.
Ivy has memory problems plus a stalker and a mother who is a witch. Dana (Ivy's mom) not the greatest parent and her history is quite dark.
#Pantone2022 #PolarNights @Clwojick
This was an intense tale of magic's darker side. It was nicely put together. The characters were mesmerizing train wrecks. Trigger warning for animal cruelty.
My Bookish Box arrived yesterday, and while I loved the shirt and goodies it contained, this special edition of the tagged book is quite obvious the treasure of this month's box! 😍 IT'S SO GORGEOUS I CAN'T EVEN HANDLE IT! 💕📚💕 This is one of my favorite YA books of the year so far, so I'm especially overjoyed to have this! #bookishbox #bookmail
Book mail from @FountainBookstore for my book clubs for August and September. I am so excited! I ❤️ book mail. I've been waiting for this all day.
Anyone read any of these?
Bookish box books are getting nicer and nicer. Loving the stenciling and embossing designs.
Secrets. Lies. Super-Bad Choices. Witchcraft #melissaalbert
There are a lot of dead rabbits in this book. A lot. Which makes it extra awkward when this guy is keeping me company while reading on the deck. Sorry, little guy, I swear I don't like ritual animal sacrifice! 😳
pickThis is my new favorite book by Albert. I was drawn in by the magic and stayed for the relationships. Well-written with beautiful imagery.
pickOur Crooked Hearts is a gripping story full of magic, the supernatural, betrayals, friendships, loss, love and strength. I enjoyed experiencing the events of the novel from both Ivy and Dana‘s perspectives. The audiobook was an enjoyable listen. I really liked Ivy‘s chapters; the tone, inflection and sarcasm was spot on and it really felt like I was listening to a coming-of-age teen experiencing and surrounded by some unique events.
Getting pulled down a dark an twisty rabbit hole with this one.
All three of these books have a publication state of next week, but they were out today! WOW! I had them preordered, so when I saw them on the table I canceled my order and snagged them today! 😁📚👍🏻 I love Melissa Albert's previous books, so I'm probably going to start with that one!
pickI really enjoyed Albert‘s first two novels, so I was really excited to dive into this one that comes out at the end of June! Told in two timelines, by mother & daughter, this witchy story entrances readers from the start! Ivy‘s summer starts when a mysterious encounter gets her grounded. Her mother, Dana, relays her own childhood & exposure to magic. Well-performed, I enjoyed this but was distracted by the obvious Chicago-ness of the unnamed city!
pickThis would appeal to fans of the The Craft, Practical Magic, and Charmed. Told from the alternating POV of Ivy and her mother Dana, this explores Dark Magic, female friendship, along with the give and take of complex mother/daughter relationships, all wrapped up in a mystery. Ivy knows her mother has secrets and after a mysterious run-in with an unknown girl, Ivy begins to try to put together clues to her mother's past, as well as her own.
pickA dark witchy tale of a mother & daughter discovering magic in their youth. Their alternate timelines & voices meshed very well together, and all the mysteries came together in a very tense, exciting conclusion. I will admit Albert‘s writing sometimes annoys me & there was a ritual element that was definitely a trigger that I had to skip.
Fast, dark magic read that should satisfy if you have the need!
Due out in June 2022.
pickThanks Edelweiss for the advanced copy
This is a YA read expected publication late June 2022
Love the cover hope this is the final
I enjoyed this, though it felt a bit surface level, something about the writing had me not fully understanding who the characters were.
I do think this is an excellent example of how to do multiple timelines there is good balance & flow in they depend on each other completely
#weekendreading @andrew65
This month has been a bit of a book slump, I have only finished 2 books, one was even an audio. Hoping to get back into the grove today, since 2 of these are overdue library books.
pickOut 6/28 | This book had me in its CLUTCHES, bewitched & reading at breakneck speed. This deliciously creepy & darkly magical story follows a daughter (now, in the suburbs) and her mother around the same age (the 1990s, in the city) as each encounters an ability that may prove as sinister as it is supernatural. Powerful witchcraft, a (literally) haunting past, & wicked twists will keep your own crooked heart beating as fast as you flip the pages!
