Review: Wicka by Christy Deveaux

Title: Wicka: The Chronicles of Elizabeth Blake
Author: Christy Deveaux
Format: egalley
Pub. Date: May 28th 2014
Source: Mother Daughter Book Reviews


Book Description via Goodreads:

“While mourning the loss of a mother figure, Elizabeth Blake, a smart but socially introverted seventeen-year-old girl from Ann Arbor, Michigan, enrolls in an international school in the south of France to finish her final year of high school. Here she meets her true love, finds out that she is a witch from an ancient family, and discovers that her life is in danger.

Meanwhile, the Elders—the most powerful coven of witches in the world—have been tracking Elizabeth since her birth. According to an ancient legend, a battle led by “One barely born existing to lead” will cause the downfall of the Elders. Fearing that Elizabeth is the heir to this legend, the Elders try to destroy her before she can fulfill the prophecy.

With the help of her new friends, Elizabeth must travel to Greece to try and prove to the Elders that she is not a threat and to ask for their permission to exist in peace.

With the prospect of having to leave each other once the school year ends and return to their homes on opposite sides of the world, Elizabeth and her new love have to find a way to stay together. However, a rival love interest discovers their plan and causes the Elders to act against Elizabeth. As time runs out, Elizabeth must learn to use the powers she possesses to protect herself and the people she loves most.

Review:

★★★

I love a good witchcraft story, especially when the main character is from Michigan. While this book wasn't one of my favorites, it was a solid read that I think a lot of people will enjoy.

The story is one that is a quick read. There's a fairly complex plot, and the pacing is really well done. The writing is done well enough where it leaves you wanting to know more, making it a book that's easy to read in one go. I liked the main character well enough. I think that she was relatable, which is a little weird to say about a teen age witch, but there you go. She was a believable high school age girl, and her emotions and thoughts were well conveyed. I wish that at the beginning, however, more information was played out in "live time" instead of being filled in by background information by the main character. It felt almost like I was reading a book already in progress.

I liked the setting of the book as well. I enjoy a boarding school-esque setting. I have no idea why. Possibly because my parents always threatened me with one and it backfired when I asked them to send me, haha. Elizabeth moves from Ann Arbor, Michigan to finish her school in France, and I really enjoyed the change of scenery.

What set me off a bit from this book is that it ultimately felt familiar to me. The female lead with powers in a new school setting reminded me a lot of the House of Night books. The powerful coven/society of foreign beings keeping an eye on a special female character reminded me of the Vulturi in the Twilight series. That's not entirely a bad thing; I enjoyed both of those series well enough. But the comparisons definitely entered my mind while reading the book.

That said, I think those comparisons will help a lot of people to enjoy this book. It has a lot going for it over all. Witches, foreign travel, murder, romance, secret societies, magic, relatable female lead. I liked this book well enough, and if you are a fan of witchcraft, HON, Twilight, or young adult fantasy and romance, this might be a book that you would enjoy.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.