The Year of the Witching

Great book! Really grips you from the get go and keeps you intrigued as it explores power dynamics, religious overstepping, mid mentality and the patriarchal society immanuelle lives in as she struggles with the responsibility thrust upon her like a generational curse

THIS IS SO GOOD OH MY GOD

3.5

This book actually terrified the heck out of me. I'm honestly not a huge fan of religion in books, but it didn't stop me from enjoying this book as much as I did. But yeah, basically this book would make an excellent horror movie!

I’m kinda obsessed with Alexis Henderson atm, this being her first novel??? Omg, a work of art.   The writing is so descriptive and chilling and the story was so good! I love her main characters a lot and how she writes these stories of women being wronged and how they can find their strength in their situation…it’s just ugh so good.

3.75

What a great debut for this author! I enjoyed the plot in this one very much. It did feel a little slow at times but I think the pace suited the storyline well. I loved the strong female characters that are portrayed throughout the book. However, I do struggle with reading religion focused books and this is certainly one of those. Think Latter-day Saints meets Salem. The romance felt a little out of place to me but I do think it was necessary to advance the plot. Overall, it’s got some spooky vibes and it makes for a good fall read!

This books is a really nice surprise !

I didn’t expect to love it as much as I did ! I liked how the story turned out and OMG I was really stressed at some moments !

I really liked the protagonist and how she tried to do always the right thing. There was some heroic side on her but she was still flawed.

Moreover, I liked the topics that were raised in parallel of what happened during the « puritain » era in the 17th century.

If I have to use one work to describe the book would be layered.

I stil have to admit that I wished more witchcraft stuffs and more darkness lol even though it was dark. It’s just me being noisy 😂😂

Amazingly written and precisely what I was looking for. The church is made up of humans so obviously mistakes and sins are committed but the fact that it’s nothing but a hierarchy with jobs that in turn make you invisible to punishments (even fatal ones) that are given freely to those who commit the same sins the prophet or apostles or even just men make is ludicrous. And in turn to simply just to be a man who commits a sin and is able to put the punishment on women or children to atone for in their stead is baffling. The evil of “the mother” is wrong, certainly, but I can see how that kind of evil was born through the years of abuse and pain the church and it’s men cast upon women and children and people who don’t fit the physical appearance of the church.

"This was the great shame of Bethel: complacency and complicity that were responsible for the deaths of generations of girls. It was the sickness that placed the pride of men before the innocents they were sworn to protect. It was a structure that exploited the weakest among them for the benefit of those born to power."

This book was haunting and not just for the presence of witches, dark woods, and shadows that crawl in the night... but because it questions or rather reveals who the real monster is.

I grew up in a conservative Christian background and even years after I attended my last church service, I'm still reckoning with the hurt that I (and many) went through at the hands of those who stood at the pulpit. The author wrote about these horrors in a way that was similar yet also far enough away that we can take a look at situation from an outside perspective. The book is frightening, but not because of fictional monsters.

I loved this book! Reminded me how good horror can be!

Sigh

I enjoyed this book however it could have had more; more blood, more terror, more witches, just more. The premise was interesting. I really enjoyed the religious aspect and how it showcased how often people just stand by when blinded by being righteous.

Enjoyable; it does what it says on the tin. I didn’t particularly get attached to the characters but found satisfaction in the plot and premise.

4.5

4.5*

Hey I’m just grateful I could find a fantasy novel that appeals to adults and I had a lot of fun with it! Can’t wait for the sequel

A great setting and creepy at times but a shallow protagonist and storytelling.

** spoiler alert ** LOVED THIS. Interested in the sequel solely for Ezra/Immanuelle romance but think this book is perfect as a stand-alone

I really enjoyed the vibes and atmosphere of this story and I think this type of stories are my jam. Thanks to this book I found something new I like. Overall such a delight read with beautiful characters and discussions

4.5

This was a solid 5 star read for me. The world building was gloomily atmospheric, the plot was intriguing and well paced, the writing was beautiful and distinct... And you know I can't resist a good cult story! This might be a new favourite! It reminded me at times of the Grace Year in it's general plot and social commentary, if you liked that one I would certainly recommend this. I'm excited to see where this story goes next and will be picking up part 2 as soon as it's available.

The things I like about this book are interesting character development, awesome witchy elements, and the book was not gushy on the romance bit. It could even be argued there wasn't really much of a romance. The only thing that knocked some stars off for me was that it felt like it dragged on a bit in the middle. Immanuelle is not some weak-kneed heroine, but she's kind of ... eh, I guess she just wasn't as strong as I hoped she would be as quickly as I hoped.