Josephine Hemlock is one of the last two witches of her
line, the other being her grandmother. For generations, a
Curse has killed off many of her family, including her
mother, as well as other witches. Her grandmother does
everything she can to protect her, but when the Curse starts
reappearing, drastic measures will have to be taken or else
the Hemlock line will be gone forever.
HOUSE OF IVY & SORROW by Natalie Whipple is an engaging and
quick read. Told in first person, Jo's narration does an
incredible job of pulling the reader in. It's filled with so
much love for her family and friends that you can't help but
want to be on Jo's side. I adore the sense of loyalty the
entire story holds: loyalty to family, to friends, to
history, and even to magic. The story has such a pull to it
that you'll have a hard time putting it down.
While I love so many of the secondary characters, from Gwen
to Kat to Nana to Levi, I wasn't sold on the love interest,
Winn. While he's a really cute character, his and Jo's
relationship feels very shallow when their feelings are
supposed to be fairly solid. Especially the romance first
starts, they feel a lot younger than seventeen, and I just
wanted more chemistry and spark between them. It doesn't
stop me from loving the book by any means, but it definitely
makes me wish for a sequel that might further their dynamic.
Even with Winn, I completely adore THE HOUSE OF IVY &
SORROW. Whipple has such a unique and strong writing voice,
and I really hope to see more from this author. For any fans
of witchy stories, this is a wonderful novel to grab and get
lost in the magic.
Transparent author Natalie Whipple is back with another refreshing blend of realistic romance and light-hearted humor with a one-of-a-kind paranormal touch. Fans of Charmed, Kiersten White's Paranormalcy trilogy, and Maggie Stiefvater's The Raven Boys won't want to miss this spellbinding contemporary tale of magic, first love, and high-stakes danger. Jo Hemlock is not your typical witch. Outside the walls of her grandmother's ivy-covered house, she's kept her magical life completely separate from her life in high school. But when the Curse that killed her mother resurfaces, it threatens to destroy not only her life but her grandmother's too—and keeping her secret may no longer be an option.