The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw (Paranormal)

The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw is a young adult and paranormal fiction book which follows the story of the Swan Sisters in an off-coast town in Oregon called Sparrow. In 1822, the 3 Swan sisters, Marguerite, Aurora, and Hazel were sentenced to death after being accused of witchcraft. Now every summer starting June 1st in the town of Sparrow, the spirits of the sisters each steal a girl’s body and lure boys into the ocean to drown them as revenge on the town. Penny Talbot, a local 17-year-old has lived in Sparrow her whole life and has avoided the killings and possessions every year. Up until this summer, Penny had not attended any drunk teen social events until Bo Carter arrives. On that fateful night, Bo, a new boy in town saves Penny from a drunk boy who was harassing Penny. From then on, Penny and Bo form a deep connection as he comes to work with Penny and her mom on the lighthouse island. Throughout the summer rumors spread and lies are told, no one in the town of Sparrow knows who to trust. But as the two become closer, Penny soon realizes she must choose to either save her life or his.

Shea Ernshaw's The Wicked Deep is a captivating read from beginning to end. It is impossible to put the book down while the tension builds as we follow the three Swan Sisters and Penny. Although the book is paranormal fiction, it does have some romance in it between the characters which I enjoyed. While I did find this book to be interesting, some issues I had with the plot was when the storyline with Penny and Bo felt bland compared to the flashbacks of the sisters. But what I loved about this book the most was the setting and imagery. Shea Ernshaw paints a beautiful picture of the haunting town and makes the setting seem mystical in the reader’s mind. Also, while many believe the ending was predictable, I believe it was not. I was in shock by the ending although there had been foreshadowing, it went right over my head. After finishing this book, I am left still wondering about the three sisters and the town. I would like to see a sequel to this book, perhaps revolving around a new curse on Sparrow that Penny and Bo must deal with now. I would rate this book a 7.5/10 and would recommend for ages 12-18 who like easy, light reads due to the juvenile style of the book.

Reviewed by Sadie L. Grade 10