These Witches Won't Burn

By: Isabel Sterling

4/5 Matches

Hannah is a witch, as is her ex-girlfriend, Veronica, who completely broke her heart. The two girls live in the Salem, MA with the rest of their coven, surrounded by what witches refer to as "Regs." The Regs are not to know that witches exist. This means no magic or information shall be spilled in front of anyone who does not belong to the coven. Luckily, most witches are friendly and peaceful, except for some blood witches, who seek to cause harm and mayhem.

At a bonfire at the end of the summer, Hannah and Veronica running into each other is the least of their worries. It appears that a Reg may be dabbling in the dark arts... or it could be a blood witch. The pair are hesitant to find out because of one rocky night in New York City that they conveniently have not told the rest of the coven about. As the two try to solve the mystery on their own, the situation is complicated by new crushes and complicated past feelings. Once the coven does get involved, nothing is what it seems. Can Hannah and Veronica survive the breakup, the break-ins, and the breaks of trust?

I must have been in a bad mood when I started this book because it's taken me all month to get to 100 pages, but then only a day to finish the last 220. I started this book when I was really stressed and the dynamic between Hannah and Veronica was just rubbing me the wrong way. I was going to just mark this book as a DNF, but bookstagram was adamant that it was an excellent read. So, I read a few other books and finished some grad projects before revisiting this book. Let me tell you, on the second pickup, I could. Not. Put. This. Down!

The ending was a little predictable, but the action made up for it. There were a few surprises that left me in tears (note: do NOT read this if you're already feeling emotional). I thought the topic of witches was approached in a way that wasn't too fantastical, which can sometimes happen. I also really appreciated that this is an Own Voice book. Lindsey is a lesbian, so her portrayal of the characters felt much more authentic. She approached the topic with ease and without making it a trope. I think we need more books like this! I was reading it and I didn't even realize that it was an "LGBTQ book" until writing this review. I don't mean this literally, of course, but just that it was so innately woven into the story, it really didn't garner a second thought from me. This is how sexuality should be approached, especially when the story isn't specifically a "coming out" story.

Overall, I highly recommend this book and I can't wait to start the sequel!