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The Witch of Blackbird Pond is a novel written by Elizabeth George Speare. It is set in 1687 in the Puritan colony of Connecticut and tells the story of sixteen-year-old Kit Tyler, a young girl who moves from her home in Barbados to live with her aunt and uncle in Connecticut. Kit faces a series of challenges and hardships as she tries to adjust to her new life. She struggles with the strict rules and regulations of Puritan society and is accused of being a witch by her classmates. Despite the adversity she faces, Kit finds solace and friendship in the town outcast, Hannah Tupper, who is believed to be a witch. The novel explores themes of tolerance, friendship, and the importance of staying true to oneself.

The novel explores themes of tolerance, friendship, and the importance of staying true to oneself. It also portrays the struggle between conformity and individuality, as Kit is torn between following the expectations of society and following her own desires and passions. In the end, Kit must make difficult choices and learn to accept herself and others for who they truly are.

Belladonna Book Review

What's a Dark Academia theme without a gothic manor, a poison-filled mystery, and literal brushes with Death? This week, we're reviewing Belladonna by Adalyn Grace, the much-anticipated book about a girl who's been surrounded by death and spirits her whole life—and who might be falling for Death himself. Ah, yes, we did say we. Because this is Jordan and Kori's first buddy read and joint review! And away we go 😉

Genre: YA Dark Romantasy

Category: Cozy Read

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RATING: 3/5 Stars

Characters: 3/5 stars

Orphaned as a baby, nineteen-year-old Signa has been raised by a string of guardians, each more interested in her wealth than her well-being—and each has met an untimely end. Her remaining relatives are the elusive Hawthornes, an eccentric family living at Thorn Grove, an estate both glittering and gloomy. Its patriarch mourns his late wife through wild parties, while his son grapples for control of the family’s waning reputation and his daughter suffers from a mysterious illness. But when their mother’s restless spirit appears claiming she was poisoned, Signa realizes that the family she depends on could be in grave danger and enlists the help of a surly stable boy to hunt down the killer.

However, Signa’s best chance of uncovering the murderer is an alliance with Death himself, a fascinating, dangerous shadow who has never been far from her side. Though he’s made her life a living hell, Death shows Signa that their growing connection may be more powerful—and more irresistible—than she ever dared imagine.

Signa Farrow is no stranger to the world of spirits, having been able to see them her entire life. She views them as a nuisance, but it's Death she really has a bone to pick with. In her mind, he's a threat to her stability, wreaking havoc on her life by taking every relative so she's bounced from one home to another.

Signa cannot die and any wound or illness does not linger for long. So she's only able to contact Death by "killing" herself temporarily—and her favorite method is ingesting belladonna berries, which allow her to hover in the space between life and death.

The plot kicks off with Signa doing this so she can demand to know why Death torments her. The mysterious, shadowy entity claims he has done nothing but his job and only comes to Signa when called—meaning when she dies.

To put her mind at ease, Death assures Signa she'll be well cared for after Signa accidentally kills her vindictive Aunt Marigold by touching her. Yep, it would appear Signa has the death-touch when she's. well, dead.

So Signa is shipped off to yet another relative at Thorn Grove estate. She's escorted by a handsome and grouchy stable boy, Sylas, whose connection to the family is hazy at best. Only when Signa arrives at her new home, she finds Death already hovering over it—literally and figuratively.

The lady of the manor, Lillian Hawthorne, died of a wasting illness shortly before, and now her daughter Blythe is sick with the same symptoms. After Signa meets Lillian's vengeful spirit who hints that her death was no accident, she ropes Sylas into a secret mission: find the murderer and save Blythe before it's too late.

J: Sounds like an awesome concept, right? It was! It is! But no! The book yanks the reader from one red herring to the next: Sylas's whole situation is suspicious, but no one really cares. Elijah Hawthorne doesn't want his family business yet refuses to hand it over to his brother Byron or his son Percy, and they're all pissed about it. But no one will talk to each other? No one directly asks why. It's infuriating.

The governess, Marjorie, is in cahoots with Byron and has a thing for Elijah. Love triangle between Marjorie, Lillian, and Elijah? It would appear so, but that's too obvious. Signa's old friend Charlotte, whose life was ruined when her mother had an affair with Signa's uncle and they all lost social standing, knows her way around a garden and poisons. But no one thinks twice about her.

K: Then there's the fact that pretty much every clue leading to the big reveal is either handed to Signa, or she falls bass-ackwards into discovery. When she did find evidence that gave her cause to suspect one of the characters, she RAN with it, instantly accusing and not analyzing the clues further.

Sure, this could have been an honest mistake, but her sleuthing skills are lacking at best. And her constant use of the puzzle analogy was grating.

J: Yes. Practically every page after the mystery began was "must solve the puzzle" and "she could not make the puzzle fit." Of course you can't, Signa, you aren't doing any puzzling *shakes book*.

What's a Dark Academia theme without a gothic manor, a poison-filled mystery, and literal brushes with Death? This week, we're reviewing Belladonna by Adalyn Grace, the much-anticipated book about a girl who's been surrounded by death and spirits her whole life—and who might be falling for Death himself. Ah, yes, we did say we. Because this is Jordan and Kori's first buddy read and joint review! And away we go 😉

She discovers that true happiness comes from being true to oneself and finding acceptance in unlikely places. Overall, The Witch of Blackbird Pond is a compelling and thought-provoking novel that explores themes of identity, conformity, and acceptance. It is a timeless story that encourages readers to embrace their individuality and celebrate diversity..

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