Title: Born Wicked (Cahill Witch Chronicles #1)
Author: Jessica Spotswood
Release date: February 7, 2012
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Pages: 326
Source: Publisher

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 has everything a reader could possibly want: magic, forbidden romance, prophecies, lies, and betrayals.  It’s hard to pick one favorite thing about this book.  Everything about it is just fabulous!

One of the best and most unique things about Born Wicked is the setting.  It is set in an alternate New England of the 1890s.  Jessica Spotswood took some bits of real New England and added her own magical touch.  The town itself is beautiful as is Cate’s own home.  The setting only adds to the beauty and the wonder of the book.  It’s a very unique ability to be able to blend history with fiction but Jessica Spotswood has done it with Born Wicked.

Cate is a strong character that is easy to like even though she has some flaws.  She is brave, smart, kind, and a great sister.  Her biggest flaw though is that she is unwilling to rely on others.  She trusts very few people (with good reason) and the few people she does trust she doesn’t want to endanger.  Her sisters were sometimes harder to like.  They didn’t listen to Cate very often even though she was just looking out for them.  I still managed to completely fall in love with Tess but I can’t say the same about Maura.  She was very selfish and immature.  She needs to do a lot of growing in the next book.  Finn, on the other hand, was perfect the way he was.  For once the love interest wasn’t someone typically handsome or popular with the ladies.  He was a real guy that you still can’t help but fall for.

It does take a little time to get into the story but once you are in, you are hooked!  Secrets keep being revealed and each one is more shocking than the last.  By the end of the book you will be on the edge of your seat dying for the Cahill sisters to get a happy ending.  I know I was!

Overall, Born Wicked is one of the strongest debuts I have read.  Jessica Spotswood has a gift and I can’t wait to see what she does with it next.  The sequel to Born Wicked just moved to the top of my wish-list!

Looking for more reviews of Born Wicked?
Presenting Lenore’s Review
Tripping Over Books’ Review

Series:
Born Wicked (Cahill Witch Chronicles #1)
Star Cursed (Cahill Witch Chronicles #2) – 2013