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A review by alecashlark
Heart of a Witch by Rebecca L. Garcia
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Heart of a Witch is a gripping novel about family, injustice, grief, love, and revenge, the heart of which is a fierce, strong-willed heroine.
Writing: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Character: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Romance: ⭐⭐⭐ | Plot: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Final rating: 4 Stars
Review
At first, a few poor writing choices result in the narrative getting a bit clunky and less fluid than I prefer, but the writing style very quickly improves so much. The dialogues are quick, fluid, and sharp, with the occasional wit. I really love the conversations, especially the ones between Victoria and her siblings. I have an issue with a handful of excessive expositions, some of which ruin the tension and anticipation during the rise to the peak of the plot.
The POVs of the main characters aren’t as present on the page as I’d like, considering that the story is told in dual first-person narration. There are instances where I’m left wondering, “How exactly does she feel during this scene? What exactly is he thinking?” But there are also times when the POV is so stark I can easily gauge the character’s emotions and clearly hear their introspections in my head. So the issue actually lies on the point of views lacking in terms of quantity and not quality.
I have almost nothing bad to say about the character development. I only like some of them, but I’m never indifferent toward any of them, which is what matters. They affect me and make me feel, be it irritation, frustration, sympathy, or disdain. That in itself is a testament to how well-developed these characters are. The minor ones are all interesting and Elijah himself is conflicted and struggling enough to be a relatable main character, but I’m most drawn to Victoria. She’s a woman of bravery, ferocity, cunning, and determination— the ideal heroine. But she’s also loving and loyal and selfless when it comes to her family.
The romance isn’t as strong as one would expect from the blurb. There isn’t much of the fiery interactions between the main characters that we see a lot of in most enemies-to-lovers romances. But nonetheless, what the book has in terms of romance is more than enough to turn me on, make me swoon and root for Victoria and Elijah’s relationship.
The plot is just the right combination of predictability and surprise. When there’s romance in a story, most of the time the main characters end up together in the end. For that to happen the plot must be accommodating, and that’s where the predictability comes from. The surprises are due to the many new things that come into play in the revenge part of the plot, the plans for which are clever enough that I’m always excited how they’re going to unfold and satisfied when they do.
All in all, I enjoy reading Heart of the Witch and recommend it to those who like a badass heroine, a challenging romance, and a gripping plot of revenge.
Quotes
“That’s because plans that work take time, organization, and a slow but steady rise.”
“Besides, I figure if you can give me a headache within only a few minutes, then hearing yourself all the time must be a constant migraine.”
Having a strong imagination was both a blessing and a curse.
“It’s called fiction, and I like it. The stories feel so real. They connect me to something deeper than I have in real life.”
Every family had its black sheep, I supposed, though my family was full of them.
“Memories have a way of holding onto us, don’t they?”
“They think I’m weird.” “You are weird,” I said, in an attempt to lighten the mood. “The best people are, sister.”
“Darkness recognizes darkness.”
“We’ve all made mistakes , but that’s the great thing. We can always change ourselves for the better.”
Grief never went away, not really. It just felt less and less suffocating with each passing week.
The ARC was provided by Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op via NetGalley in exchange for an honest and critical review.
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Writing: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Character: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Romance: ⭐⭐⭐ | Plot: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Final rating: 4 Stars
Review
At first, a few poor writing choices result in the narrative getting a bit clunky and less fluid than I prefer, but the writing style very quickly improves so much. The dialogues are quick, fluid, and sharp, with the occasional wit. I really love the conversations, especially the ones between Victoria and her siblings. I have an issue with a handful of excessive expositions, some of which ruin the tension and anticipation during the rise to the peak of the plot.
The POVs of the main characters aren’t as present on the page as I’d like, considering that the story is told in dual first-person narration. There are instances where I’m left wondering, “How exactly does she feel during this scene? What exactly is he thinking?” But there are also times when the POV is so stark I can easily gauge the character’s emotions and clearly hear their introspections in my head. So the issue actually lies on the point of views lacking in terms of quantity and not quality.
I have almost nothing bad to say about the character development. I only like some of them, but I’m never indifferent toward any of them, which is what matters. They affect me and make me feel, be it irritation, frustration, sympathy, or disdain. That in itself is a testament to how well-developed these characters are. The minor ones are all interesting and Elijah himself is conflicted and struggling enough to be a relatable main character, but I’m most drawn to Victoria. She’s a woman of bravery, ferocity, cunning, and determination— the ideal heroine. But she’s also loving and loyal and selfless when it comes to her family.
The romance isn’t as strong as one would expect from the blurb. There isn’t much of the fiery interactions between the main characters that we see a lot of in most enemies-to-lovers romances. But nonetheless, what the book has in terms of romance is more than enough to turn me on, make me swoon and root for Victoria and Elijah’s relationship.
The plot is just the right combination of predictability and surprise. When there’s romance in a story, most of the time the main characters end up together in the end. For that to happen the plot must be accommodating, and that’s where the predictability comes from. The surprises are due to the many new things that come into play in the revenge part of the plot, the plans for which are clever enough that I’m always excited how they’re going to unfold and satisfied when they do.
All in all, I enjoy reading Heart of the Witch and recommend it to those who like a badass heroine, a challenging romance, and a gripping plot of revenge.
Quotes
“That’s because plans that work take time, organization, and a slow but steady rise.”
“Besides, I figure if you can give me a headache within only a few minutes, then hearing yourself all the time must be a constant migraine.”
Having a strong imagination was both a blessing and a curse.
“It’s called fiction, and I like it. The stories feel so real. They connect me to something deeper than I have in real life.”
Every family had its black sheep, I supposed, though my family was full of them.
“Memories have a way of holding onto us, don’t they?”
“They think I’m weird.” “You are weird,” I said, in an attempt to lighten the mood. “The best people are, sister.”
“Darkness recognizes darkness.”
“We’ve all made mistakes , but that’s the great thing. We can always change ourselves for the better.”
Grief never went away, not really. It just felt less and less suffocating with each passing week.
The ARC was provided by Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op via NetGalley in exchange for an honest and critical review.
Follow me: Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Wordpress