Review, House of Ivy and Sorry by Natalie Whipple

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JessiAnne26
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Review, House of Ivy and Sorry by Natalie Whipple

Post by JessiAnne26 »

Natalie Whipple’s 362-page novel “House of Ivy and Sorrow” was an excellent page turning witchcraft and curse riddled adventure. I started this book an hour before I had to go to work, thought about the little I had read all day at work, went home and devoured the rest of this book that evening. I will shortly be researching whether or not Whipple is a breakout author or if she has more to offer. For a young adult novel, this story was fun, romantic; fast paced, involved the supernatural and is appreciated for a story well told.

House of Ivy and sorrow follows Josephine (Jo) Hemlocks life story as a witch. Jo lives with her grandmother because her mother died when she was very little, and witches aren’t allowed to know their paternal lineage. Strange men keep showing up in Jo’s life and they are making her super uncomfortable, but it could be because they all tote very dark shadows and evil with them. Luckily for Jo she has two best friends, a cackle of other witches, her grandmothers experience and a very protective boyfriend she can count on to help her get rid of these evil stalker men. Through her trials Jo learns more about family, friendship and the love that is given from mother to child unconditionally.

What’s great about this book is that the author has a very unique tone. Every sentence, every paragraph and chapter is constructed carefully and it almost seems like you can tell how much love and work went into this novel. The character development for everyone in this story is also exceptional. You instantly feel the way Jo feels about her friends, or her grandmother, or her boyfriend, which is sometimes very hard to accomplish. I’m also grateful the book wrapped up very satisfyingly.

I don’t know that I have any constructive criticism to offer. All of the suspense that’s created and the choices the main character makes seem to be beautifully thought out. If Whipple creates another heartwarmingly wonderful novel in the near future I hope I am one of the first to know about it. The only warning I can give is that witches use some gnarly things to make magic happen, since with magic their always comes a price, so if you don’t have a strong stomach, maybe save this reading for when you can imagine upsetting things.

I know that this book is geared towards young adults, and after reading it I can see why but I do think every generation would have a pleasant experience reading this novel (so long as their not super impressionable). A commendation to miss Whipple for a lovely work, I recommend this book to anyone interested in witches and curses, and the strength of family.
Latest Review: "Positive Thinking Positive Life: The Mindset" by Phil Hunter
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