Born Wicked

Hola! I hope everyone had a good holiday season? So, Born Wicked is by Jessica Spotswood. Cate Cahill and her sisters live in a world of danger for any girl, the witch hunts. But it is even more perilous when you are the Cahills, real witches. Cate struggles to take care of her sisters, quell the rumors circulating about their isolated family, and decipher her rather tangled love life. With a deadline threatening to destroy her whole life, Cate must choose between herself or the so-called "greater good." This was actually a pretty good book. The characters had depth and the plot had enough twits to keep it interesting without making knots in the story. I particularly liked Finn, although I disliked the fact that she had to turn to the popular girls for guidance. The ending, as usual, was complete torture. The story could have continued quite well into other books if given a bit more of an "and they lived happily ever after ending." Born Wicked was surprisingly good, but be ready for thorough disappointment at the finish. Three stars.

Foundling

Hola! Finals, nooooo! Well, Foundling is by D. M. Cornish. Living in an orphanage is no easy feat for Rosamund Bookchild, and his name part of the hardship. Teased for having a girl's name and wanting to read rather than join in the fights that often occur between students, Rosamund dreams of leaving to be a vinegaroon (Sailor) on the Vinegar Seas. But when the time for students to be apprenticed for various occupations, Rosamund is overlooked. His future plans dashed, he almost despairs before a mysterious man comes to employ him as a Lamplighter. Worried that his life outside the orphanage will be dull but still set on leaving, Rosamund departs, however his journey will be anything but boring. This book was mediocre. I think that the story was good and the characters where fine, nothing special, but how it was written made it a bit of a chore to read. And the fact that, because the author made up half the words in the book, the glossary takes up a third of the novel. I was very surprised when I read the final page. I will say that the ending was quite good, a first! It didn't tie up all of the loose ends, but that was to be expected as I am now reading the sequel. It was not amazing, but not a waste of time, two and a half stars.