Official Review: Life Bewitched by Pin Osuji

Vscholz · Post by **Vscholz** » 07 Jan 2019, 18:02

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Life Bewitched" by Pin Osuji.]

3 out of 4 stars

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When his wife becomes involved with a cult that practices black magic, Pin loses his job and his family. Unfortunately, he meets another man in a similar situation. He creates an anti-black magic kit to help solve his problems, but he ultimately needs the help of the White Witch.

Pin Osuji's Life Bewitched is a memoir and cautionary tale filled with magic, both light and dark. It is also a story of love because he does everything he can to restore his family and his business. His journey to find the White Witch shows the lengths people will go when their loved ones are in trouble. He seeks to learn everything he can to reverse the curse placed upon his family, even when it seems hopeless.

Pin's story is bookended between two educational chapters. The first chapter introduces different types of witchcraft, including light and dark magic. He carefully explains that many stereotypes of witches are not accurate and that not all witches worship the Devil. Not all of the information in this chapter is relevant to his journey, but he includes it show the different types of magic. His depiction of witches is balanced, showing both the negative aspects with the cult and the positive aspects with the White Witch. The concluding chapter describes the prejudices witches face and gives historical information, creating a connection to the introduction.

There were several errors I found throughout the book, most notably the change from having a son and daughter to having two daughters. The author states that he has a son in the second chapter, but he refers to his children as “daughters” for the remainder of the book. It is unclear if the son suddenly identifies as female; if that is the case, Osuji should clearly state it. I also had a slight problem with the mention of voodoo but not hoodoo, which is typically portrayed as voodoo in the media. However, this omission could be due to lack of knowledge and easily dismissed by those who are not aware of the differences.

I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. The inconsistency with the children's genders bothered me the most, and there were several other punctuation and grammar issues. Some of the errors might be the result of language differences or translation issues, but I would rate this book higher after at least one more thorough round of editing. I would recommend this book to those interested in the history and effects of witchcraft or those seeking more information than just the American view.

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Life Bewitched
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Post by **Shrabastee Chakraborty** » 18 Jan 2019, 06:47

The inconsistencies sound irksome, however, as a fan of paranormal stories, I might overlook them. This book seems a good choice for me. Great review!

Vscholz · Post by **Vscholz** » 18 Jan 2019, 15:56

Shrabastee wrote: ↑18 Jan 2019, 06:47 The inconsistencies sound irksome, however, as a fan of paranormal stories, I might overlook them. This book seems a good choice for me. Great review!

It is certainly interesting. I don't know much about spirituality outside of the US (except the little I have picked up from visits to Louisiana, which prompted some research on my part), but what I did know helped me better understand.

I hope you enjoy it!

Helen_Combe · Post by **Helen_Combe** » 19 Jan 2019, 09:28

Ooh, major plot hole, not knowing the sex of your children! Great review.

Julie Green · Post by **Julie Green** » 19 Jan 2019, 11:52

I'd be interested to read a book and learn a bit about witchcraft at the same time. Mistaking a son for a daughter is a pretty basic error though! I enjoyed your review

Vscholz · Post by **Vscholz** » 20 Jan 2019, 16:11

Helen_Combe wrote: ↑19 Jan 2019, 09:28 Ooh, major plot hole, not knowing the sex of your children! Great review.

I went back several times to make sure I didn't misunderstand or misremember. Perhaps there is more to the story... either transgender or the son passed away and they had a second daughter. Thanks for commenting!

Vscholz · Post by **Vscholz** » 20 Jan 2019, 16:12

Julie Green wrote: ↑19 Jan 2019, 11:52 I'd be interested to read a book and learn a bit about witchcraft at the same time. Mistaking a son for a daughter is a pretty basic error though! I enjoyed your review

Luckily, it was only one instance of a son and the author didn't flip back and forth.

I wasn't surprised at the journey, going from being ambivalent to fully believing. I think it is a common experience.

Thanks for stopping by!

Zimall · Post by **Zimall** » 21 Jan 2019, 04:31

It sounds kinda interesting. I adore fantasy books and i hope would love this too.
Thanks a lot for the review ☺

Post by **kandscreeley** » 21 Jan 2019, 08:37

This sounds both entertaining and informative as long as one can overlook the voodoo/hoodoo thing. It's not really a subject that would interest me. Thanks, though.

Vscholz · Post by **Vscholz** » 21 Jan 2019, 12:40

kandscreeley wrote: ↑21 Jan 2019, 08:37 This sounds both entertaining and informative as long as one can overlook the voodoo/hoodoo thing. It's not really a subject that would interest me. Thanks, though.

I think people who don't know the difference wouldn't mind, but it does perpetuate incorrect information. Thanks for coming by!

Vscholz · Post by **Vscholz** » 21 Jan 2019, 12:41

Zimall wrote: ↑21 Jan 2019, 04:31 It sounds kinda interesting. I adore fantasy books and i hope would love this too.
Thanks a lot for the review ☺

It is a quick read. I recommend you try it! Thanks for the comment!

Kelyn · Post by **Kelyn** » 22 Jan 2019, 14:58

Definitely going on my TBR shelf. I'll be very interested to see if he actually got his facts straight about witchcraft. I've found that few authors manage it. I really like that he gives a balanced view of it. I've also always been fascinated with "cult" and "occult" books!! The bit about hoodoo and voodoo will be a bit irksome as I actually AM from Louisiana, but I will try my best to overlook it. Sounds like a great read, thanks for the review!!

kdstrack · Post by **kdstrack** » 22 Jan 2019, 17:04

Good job on spotting the "transforming" child. I enjoyed your comments on this book, but these are not themes that interest me. Thanks for a great review.

Vscholz · Post by **Vscholz** » 22 Jan 2019, 20:55

kdstrack wrote: ↑22 Jan 2019, 17:04 Good job on spotting the "transforming" child. I enjoyed your comments on this book, but these are not themes that interest me. Thanks for a great review.

It certainly isn't for everyone, so I understand your decision. Thanks for stopping by!

Vscholz · Post by **Vscholz** » 22 Jan 2019, 20:57

Kelyn wrote: ↑22 Jan 2019, 14:58 Definitely going on my TBR shelf. I'll be very interested to see if he actually got his facts straight about witchcraft. I've found that few authors manage it. I really like that he gives a balanced view of it. I've also always been fascinated with "cult" and "occult" books!! The bit about hoodoo and voodoo will be a bit irksome as I actually AM from Louisiana, but I will try my best to overlook it. Sounds like a great read, thanks for the review!!

I don't know much aside from what I've seen in documentaries, but the practices here seem more like what I understand hoodoo to be (which is what the media portrays voodoo to be). I've been to NOLA a few times and the whole culture is fascinating. Thanks for coming by! I hope you enjoy the book.