Star Cursed Review

Author: Jessica Spotswood

Title: Star Cursed (The Cahill Witch Chronicles)

Published: 06/18/2013

Good Reads-

With the Brotherhood persecuting witches like never before, a divided Sisterhood desperately needs Cate to come into her Prophesied powers. And after Cate's friend Sachi is arrested for using magic, a war-thirsty Sister offers to help her find answers—if Cate is willing to endanger everyone she loves.

Cate doesn't want to be a weapon, and she doesn't want to involve her friends and Finn in the Sisterhood's schemes. But when Maura and Tess join the Sisterhood, Maura makes it clear that she'll do whatever it takes to lead the witches to victory. Even if it means sacrifices. Even if it means overthrowing Cate. Even if it means all-out war.

In the highly anticipated sequel to Born Wicked, the Cahill Witch Chronicles continue Cate, Maura and Tess's quest to find love, protect family, and explore their magic against all odds in an alternate history of New England.

Review:

Sooooooooooo, I didn’t like this book. When I first read Born Wicked I loved the cover, I loved the name, I loved the plot it was all so interesting. It did take me a bit to really fall for the characters and get into the story, but in the end I was just so amazed I went on my own witch hunt. Searching for the best witch stories that could come close to compare, but I didn’t find it, and I’m sad to say that Star Cursed was a major let down. Keeping in mind that it took a bit for me to love Born Wicked I tried time and time, chapter after chapter for Star Cursed to sweep me off my feet. Although that never happened, and actually if Star Cursed was a first book instead of a sequel I would never pick up that series again.

In my totally personal opinion, I feel like the sequels are always the worst books, mostly in trilogies. Because you’re stuck in the middle where most of the time it’s calm and setting up the hype for the final installment. You already know who you’re favorite characters are, you already know what to expect from them, in the second book you want to see them grow as a character and watch how they improve and move forward. So usually the second isn’t as amazing and captivating as the first book, and it isn’t as emotional and tear inducing as the last book. But no matter how hard I try I did not like Star Cursed at all. Let me try to explain what it was that held me back from loving this book as much as I wanted to, without spoiling it for everyone.

Now that Cate is with the Sisterhood her days are drab and dreary, she misses her sisters, she misses Finn, she misses her friends, her family, her home. She’s also intensely worried about them all as well. The Brotherhood begins their council meeting or whatever so all the Brothers from all around come to New London to vote and what not and that’s a bad thing. They’re outlawing as much freedom women have and trying to contain what little is left. Their arresting girls left and right in search of the prophesized witch. The head of the Sisterhood Sister Cora is downright dying and everyone is looking at Cate for answers.  With the shift in power the Sisterhood divides in two, and Tess and Maura make a somewhat expected visit.

Cate’s got her sisters and Finn in New London, but it doesn’t chase away all the bad things running through her mind. All the awful things she can’t control, everyone being somewhat disappointed in what they see in her. So throughout the story Cate really does grow a lot, she makes up her mind and gets set on a new hope for a better safer world. I want to set Maura on fire, she’s the worst sister in the history of bad sisters and it’s just awful. If I were Cate or Tess I’d already have dragged Maura by the hair and lock her in a room with an angry bull. And it’s also very predictable, some things in the story I could’ve guessed from the first book. But they're things I’m glad that happened.

In the end, I HATE Maura, worst sister ever, she does some unforgivable things, but at the same time I pity her because she’s being manipulated. Star Cursed was nothing like I expected and was a big let down, I’m trying to figure out if I should give it a generous 3. Which I will, it gets  3, and I’m crossing my fingers in hopes the next installment will be extremely better.