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Liked It1 of 1 members found this review helpful “I was not in the right frame of mind to read this book. Howe does an excellent job of setting two scenes - one in 1991 and the other in the late 1600s. I just got tired of all the detail. When the plot kicked into gear, I was hooked. |
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“Great book. If you enjoy historical fiction and a good mystery, then this is definitely a good book to check out. It revolves around the Salem witch trials and flashes back from the late 1600s to the present time. The book moves at a good pace, and it's definitely a page turner. The book was written really well, and with the exception of some odd phonetic-spellings (attempting to recreate a New England accent in 1692) the writing is solid.”
Sarah G wrote this review 15 hours ago. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Very well written & researched...but predictable. The book is interesting for those of us interested in anything related to the Salem Witch trials. Weaving the past & present, and God & Science through "the book" made for great reading. However, the suspense was lost towards the last third of the book because by then I figured it out and was only finishing the book to see if I was would be surprised by being wrong, and I wasn't.”
Serial Reader wrote this review 12 days ago. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“This book started off great: lots of history, searching for a book, a old decrepit house, chapters from 1692 when the Salem Witch fervor was starting. I was really into it, thinking it was a great take on the Salem Witch Trials. Then it got weird. This book took off into total fantasy, and there was no warning of it early on at all. SPOILER By the end there were flying blue sparks, spells coming through fire, and evil men getting what they deserved. I am OK with a little bit of spells and auras and things like that, but this just got way too far fetched, especially for a book that started off so great. Even turned the historical stuff into fantasy. What a disappointment.”
Becky S wrote this review 2 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“"What if, among those falsely accused during the Salem Witch Trials of 1692, there had been a few actual witches?"...That is the premise of this historical novel, and Ms Howe delivers a good story...with a few flaws. Aside from a couple of characters who border on Caricature (the New Age Mom, the Evil Mentor), a didactic tone (at the beginning of the book i felt as if i were back in college, sitting through another History lecture), and the whole mystical, "blue-ball-of-energy" pyrotechnic display (Comic Book, anyone?)...this story of a missing Spell book works...or maybe because of these very things.
Ju-Dith wrote this review 3 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
Ms Howe's scholarship is impeccable, but i felt her protagonist suffered for it. Poor Connie Goodwin was at sea in her own story, at times..bogged down by details and her own angst..with little room to move....Given the fact that both the author and main character have a Salem Legacy..i will carp no more.
Academic ambition, shaky ethics, the burden of History and Family are all here...this was an enjoyable read, all-in-all....One may not think of Witches in the same "olde wayes" again
**** (4 Stars) ( )”
“This a very good book. Historical fiction along with some suspense. The end has a small twist that keeps it just exciting enough.”
Laurie W wrote this review 3 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Connie Goodwin is a graduate student in American History at Harvard. She agrees to spend the summer cleaning out her grandmothers house and there stumbles upon the story of Deliverance Dane who was accused of being a withc during the Salem witch trials. The book starts off normal but then lot sof fantastic, magical elements get added to the story which I didn't like.”
Rachel H wrote this review 3 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“A fun book with an interesting look at American witchcraft--goes very fast”
Louise S wrote this review Monday, November 30 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Wonderfully engaging book! A new twist on the Salem witch trials, woven with a parallel story of today's descendants of the accused. Beautifully written on a reading level higher than today's novels. Highly recommended.”
Carmen M wrote this review Sunday, November 29 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“This book grabbed my interest right from page one. There were a few plot points that were obvious to me, and a little too much scholar speak, but all in in all a really good read.”
librarianwho wrote this review Sunday, November 29 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
