Star Cursed by Jessica Spotswood Review

Star Cursed by Jessica Spotswood
(The Cahill Witch Chronicles, #2)
Release Date: June 18, 2013
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile; 384 pages

With the Brotherhood persecuting witches like never before, a divided Sisterhood desperately needs Cate to come into her Prophesied powers. And after Cate's friend Sachi is arrested for using magic, a war-thirsty Sister offers to help her find answers—if Cate is willing to endanger everyone she loves.

Cate doesn't want to be a weapon, and she doesn't want to involve her friends and Finn in the Sisterhood's schemes. But when Maura and Tess join the Sisterhood, Maura makes it clear that she'll do whatever it takes to lead the witches to victory. Even if it means sacrifices. Even if it means overthrowing Cate. Even if it means all-out war.

In the highly anticipated sequel to Born Wicked, the Cahill Witch Chronicles continue Cate, Maura and Tess's quest to find love, protect family, and explore their magic against all odds in an alternate history of New England.

If you have NOT read Born Wicked please read with caution. There are some spoilers that were unavoidable. Proceed with caution . . .

I have been putting this book off, not because I didn't want to read it but because of all I heard about the torturous ending. I came in to this book with fair warning but even with the warning it still hurt. It hurts so much. I've had to sit on my feelings for this book for a few days before I could put them in to coherent words.

I read Born Wicked on a whim mainly because I was going to meet Jessica at the Breathless Reads tour right after her book came out. It wasn't really on my radar but I thought, what the hell - I might as well. Let me tell you that was one of the best 'what the hell' moves, ever. I read that book in like a day or two and loved every bit of it, especially the time period. I have been eagerly awaiting the release of the second book like most other fans of the first book. I needed more of these witches, I needed more of Cate and I especially needed more of Finn. Star Cursed does not disappoint in any of those factors. I was weary because I didn't know how it would work with Cate now being a Sister but have no fear, it works out wonderfully!

I was skeptical about not enough Finn in this book because of Cate being a sister and no longer living in the area but that is not the case. He's a Brother now and they have a big counsel so there are plenty of scenes between the two of them. So many scenes that were filled with kissing and cuteness and I never wanted them to stop. I am so in love with Finn and even moreso I'm so in love of the idea of Finn and Cate - they are PERFECT for each other. Perfect. In fact, I need more - I needed more.

Maura . . . I don't think there's anything nice to say about this girl. I hate her. HATE HER. I didn't like her in Born Wicked but I tolerated her because she was Cate's sister. I wanted to strangle her throughout this book; she is so selfish so damn set on being the prophesied sister that she didn't care about her other sisters, Cate and Tess, and their feelings. What she did at the end of Star Cursed, I wish her dead. I truly do. One of them must die and I am begging it be her. I also hope it's not a fast, easy death but one she would suffer from; it's what she deserves.

Tess, on the other hand, I LOVE. She was cute and adorable through Born Wicked but we see how much she's grown up and how mature she's become over such a short period of time. She has quickly become a favorite character of mine. She's too sweet and so incredibly innocent, you can't help but love her. She's got an astonishingly strong mind and will for someone so young (I think she's thirteen?). I'm afraid for her, though - as the peace keeper of the family but also because someone in her position usually ends up getting hurt. With one sister destined to be murdered by another I fear Tess will end up with the short end of the stick.

The story itself was perfect. There was lots of planning, lots of scheming and lots of preparing for the epic war that is coming. It's going to be a showdown between the Brothers and the Sisters and I cannot wait to read all about it. There will be loss, there will be heartache but it's all for the better. Freedom is worth it and it's what these characters deserve. I've become a big fan of second books in a trilogy because of how much it's gearing up for the epic finale. Some might call them filler books but I think they're so incredibly important because of everything that's done to prepare, to make the finale come to a happily ever after.

There was plenty of action, plenty of back stabbing, plenty of suspense and not to mention the extreme amount of romance in this book. But we also have to consider the killer ending which left most of us wanting, terribly, to send our books flying out the closest window. I still do; I look at my book and know how badly it hurt me and I want to hurt it, too. But I love my books too much to do such a thing so I just imagine it going out the window and it helps.