What do you think?
Rate this book
Witch Way
"Evil isn't something you are, it's something you become."
Jessica O'Rourke is learning the dangers that young witches face when dabbling in not-so-good magic for personal gain. All of the women in Jessie's family are witches. Not the kind of witches that fly on brooms or cast spells with pointed sticks. They're the kind of witches that Jessie's mother called practical witches-that is, until she got killed. The worst part about her mother's death is that her father was the one who did it and now Jessie has to live in a house full of witchy aunts who remind her way too much of how sad she is inside. Jessie's father has gone missing but she knows he'll back to take down the rest of her family. After an encounter with a group of girls, who Jessie's Aunt Abby describes as "bad news," Jessie finds herself in a heated battle with the warlocks that threaten to destroy her entire bloodline. In time, she unveils an unimaginable secret about herself that will surely alter her future. Jessie has to decide which way she will turn and how she will use her new powers to stop her father from hurting anyone else. Can she prevent herself from becoming evil in the process?
Jessica O'Rourke is learning the dangers that young witches face when dabbling in not-so-good magic for personal gain. All of the women in Jessie's family are witches. Not the kind of witches that fly on brooms or cast spells with pointed sticks. They're the kind of witches that Jessie's mother called practical witches-that is, until she got killed. The worst part about her mother's death is that her father was the one who did it and now Jessie has to live in a house full of witchy aunts who remind her way too much of how sad she is inside. Jessie's father has gone missing but she knows he'll back to take down the rest of her family. After an encounter with a group of girls, who Jessie's Aunt Abby describes as "bad news," Jessie finds herself in a heated battle with the warlocks that threaten to destroy her entire bloodline. In time, she unveils an unimaginable secret about herself that will surely alter her future. Jessie has to decide which way she will turn and how she will use her new powers to stop her father from hurting anyone else. Can she prevent herself from becoming evil in the process?
186 pages, Paperback
First published April 15, 2014
4 people are currently reading
2709 people want to read
About the author
M.A. Marino
9 books44 followersM.A. Marino grew up just outside of New York City, spending most of her formative years outdoors creating wild ghost hunts with neighborhood kids, setting booby-traps to capture unwitting family members, and building clubhouses on top of ten-foot walls. She wrote her first story at the age of twelve and titled it Circles of Friendship. Through the years, M.A. Marino wrote several short-stories and poems, all of which met the wrath of the "Not Good Enough" monster and ended in fiery demise.
She regained her confidence when she began writing scholarly articles and research theses on her first trip through graduate school. It took several years for her to break the habit of the formal writing that marred her creativity. An additional Master of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing was her biggest support in this. M.A. Marino writes primarily sci-fi/fantasy, paranormal romance, and Young Adult stories
She regained her confidence when she began writing scholarly articles and research theses on her first trip through graduate school. It took several years for her to break the habit of the formal writing that marred her creativity. An additional Master of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing was her biggest support in this. M.A. Marino writes primarily sci-fi/fantasy, paranormal romance, and Young Adult stories
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
August 9, 2014
Jessica O'Rourke is an orphan. She watched her father kill her mother. Now her father is on the run and Jessica is living at an orphanage. When her mother's sister comes to claim Jessie and she goes to live with them, the family secrets begin to unravel. Jessie and her aunts are practical witches, which means they use their power for good. Jessie notices that her abilities are developing. When her father threatens her family once more, she battles the desire to use her powers for revenge.
This book was a very cute and quick read. Jessica deals with so much guilt and anger for such a young girl. I was happy to see that her bond with her aunts grows very strong once she gets to know them better. I loved seeing how her aunts had taken her in and immediately adopted her as their own. They protect her but also give her the space she needs to sort through all of her emotions. You can see how Jessie goes from not wanting to let anyone in her life to opening up completely to her family and friends. I enjoyed this book!
I received a copy of this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
This book was a very cute and quick read. Jessica deals with so much guilt and anger for such a young girl. I was happy to see that her bond with her aunts grows very strong once she gets to know them better. I loved seeing how her aunts had taken her in and immediately adopted her as their own. They protect her but also give her the space she needs to sort through all of her emotions. You can see how Jessie goes from not wanting to let anyone in her life to opening up completely to her family and friends. I enjoyed this book!
I received a copy of this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
June 30, 2016
I won Witch Way by M.A. Marino through Goodreads First Reads. I'd like to thank M.A. Marino for sending it to me and I enjoyed it a great deal. I couldn't put it down.
I was literally bouncing off the walls when I got this in the mail. I was so excited to read it. I think I squealed when I opened the mailbox and found it there. That is how much I wanted to read this book.
It didn't disappoint. I loved watching Jessie, the main character, grow. She starts out mad at the world after her mother was killed by her father, and she hardly talks to anyone. If she does it's only a few words. By the end she's smiling and happy and she is talking a lot more. She even have has friends. I love watching character development. If the character development is horrible I don't like it. But M.A. Marino didn't have a problem with it.
There was one thing that I did have a problem with. I thought the story was a little short. I felt like she could have expanded some of the scenes better. Some felt to short and lacking something. It would be better if she could delve deeper into Jessie's world. I would have liked to have known more about her life before her mother was killed, and maybe a little more about her mother and her mother's relationship with her sisters.
Overall though I did enjoy the book. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes witches. I will definitely be recommending this book to my friends.
~Emma
I was literally bouncing off the walls when I got this in the mail. I was so excited to read it. I think I squealed when I opened the mailbox and found it there. That is how much I wanted to read this book.
It didn't disappoint. I loved watching Jessie, the main character, grow. She starts out mad at the world after her mother was killed by her father, and she hardly talks to anyone. If she does it's only a few words. By the end she's smiling and happy and she is talking a lot more. She even have has friends. I love watching character development. If the character development is horrible I don't like it. But M.A. Marino didn't have a problem with it.
There was one thing that I did have a problem with. I thought the story was a little short. I felt like she could have expanded some of the scenes better. Some felt to short and lacking something. It would be better if she could delve deeper into Jessie's world. I would have liked to have known more about her life before her mother was killed, and maybe a little more about her mother and her mother's relationship with her sisters.
Overall though I did enjoy the book. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes witches. I will definitely be recommending this book to my friends.
~Emma
August 9, 2014
I won my signed copy of Witch Way by M. A. Marino through GoodReads FirstReads and I LOVED it!!! It starts off with 15 year old Jessie in a group home after she witnesses her mother's murder by Jessie's own father. While Jessie waits for social services to figure out where to put her Jessie's aunt Rhiannon comes to offer Jessie the option to come live with her and her sisters, Maeve and Abby, who are all Jessie's mom's sisters, and witches. Jessie, who is also a witch, decides to live with her aunts, and after settling into her new home she begins to learn to trust again. Jessie also learns to manage her powers as an empath as well as hone her Practical Magic skills with the guidance of her aunts, as well as learning some shocking revelations about herself and her family. When Jessie and her aunts discover that some dark witches, or warlocks, are helping Jessie's father regain his bound powers they stop at nothing to to protect their family and the general population from dark magic. Jessie starts out as a moody, rude and troubled girl, which is completely understandable since she witnessed her dad murder her mom and she has to deal with feeling everyone else's emotions as well as her own, but then she evolves into a fiercely loyal and caring person and witch, even saving an adorable kitten she names Poe from the dark witches! She goes from hating the world to wanting to protect it and those she loves. The story was so engrossing and interesting I had a hard time putting the book down!!
September 23, 2014
This review appears here: http://www.guyvestal.com/home/2014/09... as well as Amazon.
From the publisher:
"Evil isn't something you are, it's something you become."
Jessica O'Rourke is learning the dangers that young witches face when dabbling in not-so-good magic for personal gain. All of the women in Jessie's family are witches. Not the kind of witches that fly on brooms or cast spells with pointed sticks. They're the kind of witches that Jessie's mother called practical witches-that is, until she got killed.
This book is a lesson in book cover importance.
I came into this with average expectations. I liked the cover, and so did just about anyone I had exposed it to around the internet, and here in memes.
If you liked the television series "Charmed", you will recognize a lot of the character, plot, and world building.
The star of the show, "Jesse" is a teen who goes through the normal trials and tribulations of having to mature much too quickly, having her father brutally murder her mother, then to find herself a ward within the system in California, to eventually be allowed to have herself placed under the guardianship of her aunt Rhiannon, who resides with her younger sisters, and a small child of one of them.
Jesse befriends the small child in particular, and the relationship progresses to being more intimate than the older aunts, which is plausible, seeing as "Maybelly" is the only one with an existing Mother, ergo she is drawn to her.
The Charmed theme rings loud and clear here.
-Dead Mother
-Dead Grandmother
-Sisters
-Sister Commercial Business Interest
-Sisters Fighting Warlocks
-House and Sacred Space focus
-Law Enforcement Privy to Secrets
-Good vs. Evil overfocus
Don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoyed reading it, and being a fan of Charmed, it did bring about quite a bit of comfortable familiarity.
Problem is that it is slow to start, but picks up quickly enough, then paces naturally until the end, where the character, plot, and world building come to a painfully screeching halt, and a few small chapters are used to lightning fast bring everything to an unsatisfying close, with an attempt of using some remaining page space, and an epilogue to tie up the many loose ends left behind from a chaotically short, "wrap-up".
I was doing fine, and the book was moving at a four star pace until the end, then it dropped to three stars, and I really stopped giving a damn about the final pages afterwards, that really never accomplished the job of closure.
I paid $11.69 at Amazon, and the material itself was of average quality, nothing spectacular in quality, a bit overpriced when I purchased it, and quite overpriced in retrospect. The type is clear, the ink is dark, and there were maybe 3-4 editing errors at most. The cover was enticing, and looked very well when seen in person. The book folded and read well, the binding held up nicely.
From the publisher:
"Evil isn't something you are, it's something you become."
Jessica O'Rourke is learning the dangers that young witches face when dabbling in not-so-good magic for personal gain. All of the women in Jessie's family are witches. Not the kind of witches that fly on brooms or cast spells with pointed sticks. They're the kind of witches that Jessie's mother called practical witches-that is, until she got killed.
This book is a lesson in book cover importance.
I came into this with average expectations. I liked the cover, and so did just about anyone I had exposed it to around the internet, and here in memes.
If you liked the television series "Charmed", you will recognize a lot of the character, plot, and world building.
The star of the show, "Jesse" is a teen who goes through the normal trials and tribulations of having to mature much too quickly, having her father brutally murder her mother, then to find herself a ward within the system in California, to eventually be allowed to have herself placed under the guardianship of her aunt Rhiannon, who resides with her younger sisters, and a small child of one of them.
Jesse befriends the small child in particular, and the relationship progresses to being more intimate than the older aunts, which is plausible, seeing as "Maybelly" is the only one with an existing Mother, ergo she is drawn to her.
The Charmed theme rings loud and clear here.
-Dead Mother
-Dead Grandmother
-Sisters
-Sister Commercial Business Interest
-Sisters Fighting Warlocks
-House and Sacred Space focus
-Law Enforcement Privy to Secrets
-Good vs. Evil overfocus
Don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoyed reading it, and being a fan of Charmed, it did bring about quite a bit of comfortable familiarity.
Problem is that it is slow to start, but picks up quickly enough, then paces naturally until the end, where the character, plot, and world building come to a painfully screeching halt, and a few small chapters are used to lightning fast bring everything to an unsatisfying close, with an attempt of using some remaining page space, and an epilogue to tie up the many loose ends left behind from a chaotically short, "wrap-up".
I was doing fine, and the book was moving at a four star pace until the end, then it dropped to three stars, and I really stopped giving a damn about the final pages afterwards, that really never accomplished the job of closure.
I paid $11.69 at Amazon, and the material itself was of average quality, nothing spectacular in quality, a bit overpriced when I purchased it, and quite overpriced in retrospect. The type is clear, the ink is dark, and there were maybe 3-4 editing errors at most. The cover was enticing, and looked very well when seen in person. The book folded and read well, the binding held up nicely.
March 20, 2017
Dealing with loosing you mom is a hard enough battle when your a teenager in high school, add the fact of being a witch with warlocks after you and it's war.
I won an autograph copy of this book off the Goodreads giveaways. I'm super thankful to the author, publisher and Goodreads for the opportunity.
This story reads like a typical coming of age story with some magical twist, dealing with first love, bully's and and evil warlock for a dad. I'm truly enjoyed reading the story of Jesse, however, I did get the three sister witches tv vibe from it. This seemed even more apparent when discussing how Jesse's mom put a binding spell on her dad... if he would have been a demon I would have called him Cole.
With that being said, I found the story to be very entertaining. I loved being able to watch as Jesse find herself as a young woman and a young witch. I appreciated the family commitment to each other, and the connection Jesse had to her younger cousin. I found the book to be well written and appropriate for the expected reader. Over all, a great story that worth the read.
I won an autograph copy of this book off the Goodreads giveaways. I'm super thankful to the author, publisher and Goodreads for the opportunity.
This story reads like a typical coming of age story with some magical twist, dealing with first love, bully's and and evil warlock for a dad. I'm truly enjoyed reading the story of Jesse, however, I did get the three sister witches tv vibe from it. This seemed even more apparent when discussing how Jesse's mom put a binding spell on her dad... if he would have been a demon I would have called him Cole.
With that being said, I found the story to be very entertaining. I loved being able to watch as Jesse find herself as a young woman and a young witch. I appreciated the family commitment to each other, and the connection Jesse had to her younger cousin. I found the book to be well written and appropriate for the expected reader. Over all, a great story that worth the read.
July 6, 2018
A little detail I thought I would note: The cover of the book is beautiful, and completely goes with the story. I hate it when some book covers look nothing like they should. but I had no such problem here. :)
This book was fantastic! I was waiting very patiently for the book to arrive at my door, because I was so excited.
The Character's:
Main Character Jessica O'Rourke is a fabulous heroine. I thought she grew and matured a lot through out the book. and In my opinion, that is a really good quality a character can have.
Michael, ohmigod Michael. He is a cute, sensitive, and a protective guy. I love him. His willingness toward Jessie is very endearing.
Like my review? Check out my blog!
http://www.reading-rambler.com/
This book was fantastic! I was waiting very patiently for the book to arrive at my door, because I was so excited.
The Character's:
Main Character Jessica O'Rourke is a fabulous heroine. I thought she grew and matured a lot through out the book. and In my opinion, that is a really good quality a character can have.
Michael, ohmigod Michael. He is a cute, sensitive, and a protective guy. I love him. His willingness toward Jessie is very endearing.
The plot was great. I really liked how M.A. Marino brought characters from Jessica's past,(like Mikey, and his cousin) into the book.
The romance between Jessica and Mikey is adorable, I loved it. but I also liked how the author kept to the story and didn't over do it with the romance part of it.
The only problem I really had with it was, that it was WAY to short. I just wanted to read it forever.
Over all, it was a fantastic read, and don't regret a single minute of it. it kept me on the edge of my seat, and reading through the night.
(I really hope there will be a sequel!!!)
Like my review? Check out my blog!
http://www.reading-rambler.com/
December 21, 2014
I won a signed copy of Witch Way from Goodreads' Giveaways.
This book was absolutely adorable and fantastic! It took me a little while to get used to reading Jess's thoughts in 1st person and the rest of the story in 3rd person but it was so great.
Jess is a very strong heroine and I love how I saw her mature and grow throughout the whole book.
Mable is absolutely adorable!! Definitely one of my favorite characters and such a powerful witch for her age.
I also love how there was romance included in the story, but it wasn't overwhelming and did not take away from the story.
I just wish the book was longer!
This book was absolutely adorable and fantastic! It took me a little while to get used to reading Jess's thoughts in 1st person and the rest of the story in 3rd person but it was so great.
Jess is a very strong heroine and I love how I saw her mature and grow throughout the whole book.
Mable is absolutely adorable!! Definitely one of my favorite characters and such a powerful witch for her age.
I also love how there was romance included in the story, but it wasn't overwhelming and did not take away from the story.
I just wish the book was longer!
February 14, 2015
Awesome book!
The story was exciting and fun to read!!! (who doesn't love a cool witch story?!!!) It flowed effortlessly from one chapter to the next and it's addicting.... very hard to put it down!!!
The characters ..let me tell you.. their awesome! And a lot of fun! One witch is so cool but add 3 more and you have awesomeness!!! Other than Jessie .. Mable was my other favorite (what a cute kid)!! I hope there's another book to come because I'm not ready to let this story and the characters go yet.. there's more I have to find out!
The story was exciting and fun to read!!! (who doesn't love a cool witch story?!!!) It flowed effortlessly from one chapter to the next and it's addicting.... very hard to put it down!!!
The characters ..let me tell you.. their awesome! And a lot of fun! One witch is so cool but add 3 more and you have awesomeness!!! Other than Jessie .. Mable was my other favorite (what a cute kid)!! I hope there's another book to come because I'm not ready to let this story and the characters go yet.. there's more I have to find out!
Read
October 19, 2016Teen angst at his best
Jess watches her father murder her mother and stops speaking. In a group home, she is consumed by her anger. Her aunts are finally reached and she finds a sanctuary with them. The angst of high school and being a witch meld perfectly. The author found the perfect tone for an angry teenager.
Jess watches her father murder her mother and stops speaking. In a group home, she is consumed by her anger. Her aunts are finally reached and she finds a sanctuary with them. The angst of high school and being a witch meld perfectly. The author found the perfect tone for an angry teenager.
January 7, 2015
Great Book!! I feel in love with all the Characters and really felt sorry for the main character Jesse. Its a real page turner with real emotions packed into it. Everyone who loves supernatural genre should read this.
Read
February 28, 2015BEWITCHING read
Great characters and an amazing coming of age for Jessie. I loved the values placed on family, the magic itself and the mystery left me holding my breath, turning pages so fast that I am wanting more from this author!!
Great characters and an amazing coming of age for Jessie. I loved the values placed on family, the magic itself and the mystery left me holding my breath, turning pages so fast that I am wanting more from this author!!
August 13, 2015
This was a very enjoyable read. The plot was entertaining and the characters were well-developed. The two combined to create a story that seemed to end too soon.
July 31, 2020
Amazing growing up story
I would recommend this book to anyone that is young at heart. The girl in this book learns what it means to be happy after her mother is murdered. Good book!
I would recommend this book to anyone that is young at heart. The girl in this book learns what it means to be happy after her mother is murdered. Good book!
June 23, 2017
I liked this story of a young girl learning about herself and her powers in a modern setting. She didn't bounce back unrealistically from the trauma she suffered.
January 24, 2019
Great Read
It was a very good book,the characters were very realistic,the witchcraft was very accurate,the book has a great storyline and great ending.I really enjoyed this book.
It was a very good book,the characters were very realistic,the witchcraft was very accurate,the book has a great storyline and great ending.I really enjoyed this book.
May 13, 2018
Witch Way
PLOT: We meet orphan Jessie, who comes from a family of witches, and we learn that her mother (Liz) was murdered by her father. Thus she has a chip on her shoulder to the others at the orphanage. One of her aunts comes to take her home (Rhiannon) and she meets the rest of her aunts (Abby Maeve,) and her little cousin (Mabel). She hooks up with some old friends (Michael) and his cousin (Dawn) and meets some new enemies (Storm and her crew). As she gets used to her growing powers of fire manipulation and gets closer to Michael she also realizes the truth of her heritage and finds out that Storm and her crew aren't the only ones out to get her. It turns out her father wasn't only a threat to her mother but her mother may have left the key to defeating her father and his evil once and for all.
MY THOUGHTS:
*While I was reading this and it came to the part where Storm, Deliah, and Tandora invited Jessie to be their fourth and the part in the woods with calling out the corners of the circle and invoking the spirit (Mano?) I couldn't help but think of the movie the Craft and I was kind of glad Jessa didn't go in that direction.
* I felt like Jessie as a character was strong because she resisted the darkness inside her and I knew how much restraint it took for her to do that when it came down to paying her Dad back. And also she could have light Storm up in flames if she wanted.
*I thought the Coraline and Wyby costume ideas were so cute because I love that movie!
*When it came to Michael though Jessie frustrated me because she fought off her affections so hard. I was thinking could you PLEASE just KISS HIM ALREADY! He obviously doesn't care that you’re a Gothy, introverted, witch.
*And I disagree with Jessie. Being an empath is a cool power to have. Again here I reference Phoebe from Charmed and how her powers grew.
*I really wanted to hear Askel out. Is there a sequel to this? He said him killing Liz was an accident, but then he went dark and that was the end of that explanation. I kinda wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt.
RATING: 8 This wasn't a bad witch book. I liked it. It was easy to read. It was the typical light magic verses dark magic storyline. With the main character being typically dark and tragic just like you'd expect. Nothing new there. I think it's strongest point isn't really it's magical enhancement because while yes there were some impressive magical moments, they weren't the thing that made the book stand out. I think that was the message of love. The love of Jessie for her mother. The love of Rhianna and her sisters for Jessie. The love of Jessie for the gratitude and acceptance from her "new" family. The love of the sisters for the loss of their parents and Liz. The love of Michael for Jessie. All the love in this book practically knocked you upside the head. But it wasn't sickeningly sweet enough to make you groan. It was kinda more like a heart-warming touching kind of love you associate with family.
PLOT: We meet orphan Jessie, who comes from a family of witches, and we learn that her mother (Liz) was murdered by her father. Thus she has a chip on her shoulder to the others at the orphanage. One of her aunts comes to take her home (Rhiannon) and she meets the rest of her aunts (Abby Maeve,) and her little cousin (Mabel). She hooks up with some old friends (Michael) and his cousin (Dawn) and meets some new enemies (Storm and her crew). As she gets used to her growing powers of fire manipulation and gets closer to Michael she also realizes the truth of her heritage and finds out that Storm and her crew aren't the only ones out to get her. It turns out her father wasn't only a threat to her mother but her mother may have left the key to defeating her father and his evil once and for all.
MY THOUGHTS:
*While I was reading this and it came to the part where Storm, Deliah, and Tandora invited Jessie to be their fourth and the part in the woods with calling out the corners of the circle and invoking the spirit (Mano?) I couldn't help but think of the movie the Craft and I was kind of glad Jessa didn't go in that direction.
* I felt like Jessie as a character was strong because she resisted the darkness inside her and I knew how much restraint it took for her to do that when it came down to paying her Dad back. And also she could have light Storm up in flames if she wanted.
*I thought the Coraline and Wyby costume ideas were so cute because I love that movie!
*When it came to Michael though Jessie frustrated me because she fought off her affections so hard. I was thinking could you PLEASE just KISS HIM ALREADY! He obviously doesn't care that you’re a Gothy, introverted, witch.
*And I disagree with Jessie. Being an empath is a cool power to have. Again here I reference Phoebe from Charmed and how her powers grew.
*I really wanted to hear Askel out. Is there a sequel to this? He said him killing Liz was an accident, but then he went dark and that was the end of that explanation. I kinda wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt.
RATING: 8 This wasn't a bad witch book. I liked it. It was easy to read. It was the typical light magic verses dark magic storyline. With the main character being typically dark and tragic just like you'd expect. Nothing new there. I think it's strongest point isn't really it's magical enhancement because while yes there were some impressive magical moments, they weren't the thing that made the book stand out. I think that was the message of love. The love of Jessie for her mother. The love of Rhianna and her sisters for Jessie. The love of Jessie for the gratitude and acceptance from her "new" family. The love of the sisters for the loss of their parents and Liz. The love of Michael for Jessie. All the love in this book practically knocked you upside the head. But it wasn't sickeningly sweet enough to make you groan. It was kinda more like a heart-warming touching kind of love you associate with family.
November 3, 2015
I love when the story is about more than just the star. When it involves family, the bond of sisterhood, friendship, and love. This portrays perfectly the teenage emotions, trying to handle adult problems alone when they should have asked for help. I hope for either a sequel or a book#2 very soon.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews