Lacy has enjoyed living with her widowed stepmom for the last few years. After finally breaking free of her mother's dark influence, Lacy feels she is at a good place in life...until her mother demands her to come back. Now, Lacy will have to learn once and for all if she can stay true to her own self and not let her mother and her wild magic enter into her heart again.
WHEN MY HEART WAS WICKED by Tricia Stirling blends the lines of magic and realism so intently that readers won't be able to tell which is which after a while. Lacy is a character whose life may be a tad more eccentric than most, but her problems don't take a speck of magic through which to relate. The beauty of the narration with the heartbreaking family dynamic creates a deep and moving story that will leave the reader with a haunting but impeccably satisfied feeling at the end.
As much as I love this story, it is character driven instead of action driven, so it feels a little slow in some parts. The psychology development of Lacy is absolutely worth taking the time to focus in on, however. Her battle between her good and bad side sweeps the reader up and doesn't let go until the final chapters. Lacy's mother shows herself to be a complex character as well and may cause headaches from trying to figure her out, as Lacy often struggles to.
Though the action is a little lacking, I still really enjoyed this beautiful story and its unforgettable characters. WHEN MY HEART WAS WICKED will take readers on a journey through the mind of someone magical with whom they might find more in common with than expected. I can't wait to see what Tricia Stirling writes next.
"I used to be one of those girls. The kind who loved to deliver bad news. When I colored my hair, I imagined it seeping into my scalp, black dye pooling into my veins. But that was the old Lacy. Now, when I cast spells, they are always for good." 16-year-old Lacy believes that magic and science can work side by side. She's a botanist who knows how to harness the healing power of plants. So when her father dies, Lacy tries to stay with her step-mother in Chico, where her magic is good and healing. She fears the darkness that her real mother, Cheyenne, brings out, stripping away everything that is light and kind. Yet Cheyenne never stays away for long. Beautiful, bewitching, unstable Cheyenne who will stop at nothing, not even black magic, to keep control of her daughter's heart. She forces Lacy to accompany her to Sacramento, and before long, the "old" Lacy starts to resurface. But when Lacy survives a traumatic encounter, she finds herself faced with a choice. Will she use her powers to exact revenge and spiral into the darkness forever? Or will she find the strength to embrace the light?
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