Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood Review

"Everybody knows Cate Cahill and her sisters are eccentric. Too pretty, too reclusive, and far too educated for their own good. But the truth is even worse: they’re witches. And if their secret is discovered by the priests of the Brotherhood, it would mean an asylum, a prison ship—or an early grave.

Before her mother died, Cate promised to protect her sisters. But with only six months left to choose between marriage and the Sisterhood, she might not be able to keep her word... especially after she finds her mother’s diary, uncovering a secret that could spell her family’s destruction. Desperate to find alternatives to their fate, Cate starts scouring banned books and questioning rebellious new friends, all while juggling tea parties, shocking marriage proposals, and a forbidden romance with the completely unsuitable Finn Belastra.

If what her mother wrote is true, the Cahill girls aren't safe. Not from the Brotherhood, the Sisterhood—not even from each other." 

Born Wicked is a story of three sisters, troubled by a prophecy and hiding from the Brotherhood. Set in a (most likely it is) Puritan community, Born Wicked delights fans of witches and the Salem Trials in Massachusetts. The Cahill sisters are advanced for girls at that time. They are prettier, more educated, more knowledgeable, more attentive, and excellent actresses (for Cate, but not the others). The Cahill sisters are also naive, silly (two of them), and fearless.  

Born Wicked isn't the type of book that really sticks to reader's head. There is no powerful emotion/event overwhelming the reader. It is fun to read, and readers will absorb it for a short term. But in the long run, they will forget it, eventually. 

Born Wicked's plot is entertaining, but not really a rollercoaster like Superman from Six Flags. It is more of a Ferris Wheel, than a rollercoaster. There is some parallel events that kind of suggest a Ferris Wheel, but the end is where riders get off. Born Wicked needs more dialects. Seriously, I don't have that 16th century dialects vibe. No really special/funny use of wording, no odd words. Little dialects, yes, but much is needed. 

The writing of Born Wicked is okay. All the sentences fit together, paragraphs make chapters, and chapters create a story. The descriptions about witches are somewhat confusing.  

Characters: 

Cate Cahill is the "weak witch" of the trio. Yeah, right. Your sister may be able to change an entire garden without saying a word, but what about your other sister? Anyway, Cate sometimes is annoyingly irritating in the book. I hate how she listens to other people and, for many times, let them control/manipulate her. I hate girls like that.

Finn is interesting. He is a boy, who may be poor, but is very scholar-ish. I want to find out what is his story, especially his thoughts in the closet scene. 

Rating: Three out of Five