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Willow Born
Years ago, witch hunters came to Carolina and devoured the Willows. Sixteen-year-old Collette, a powerful empath, was one of them. A part of a long line of witches that stretches back as far as the slave auctions of Charleston, she was especially gifted.
Decades later, a series of strange kidnappings prompts a member of her secret coven to make a plea for help and Collette is chosen to answer the call. But things have changed. Angels have come out of the divine closet and everyone is on the lookout for the supernatural.
Snatched from the Void, she has to choose between a normal life and following the warrior path of the Willows, a coven she didn't know she belonged to. Soon, problems pile sky-high as she struggles to keep the boy who could blow her cover at arm's length and her sanity as family secrets come to light in the midst of a serial killer.
In the end it all comes down to destiny, death and the grey places between good and evil. But then again, when you're Willow Born death can be just the beginning.
Decades later, a series of strange kidnappings prompts a member of her secret coven to make a plea for help and Collette is chosen to answer the call. But things have changed. Angels have come out of the divine closet and everyone is on the lookout for the supernatural.
Snatched from the Void, she has to choose between a normal life and following the warrior path of the Willows, a coven she didn't know she belonged to. Soon, problems pile sky-high as she struggles to keep the boy who could blow her cover at arm's length and her sanity as family secrets come to light in the midst of a serial killer.
In the end it all comes down to destiny, death and the grey places between good and evil. But then again, when you're Willow Born death can be just the beginning.
- GenresScience Fiction Fantasy
280 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2017
2 people are currently reading
451 people want to read
About the author
Shanna Miles
4 books169 followersShanna Miles is an author, reviewer and librarian who lives in Georgia with her two daughters, and educator husband and advocates tirelessly for appropriate representation for marginalized people in children’s fiction. Her passion is Paranormal Romance, but she also has a deep affinity for diverse Science Fiction like that of Octavia Butler and Sherri L. Smith. “Willow Born” is Shanna Miles’ latest work.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
April 19, 2017
If you love stories about witches, magic, and the past and present clashing, this is the one for you! I was hooked from the beginning when we learned Collette died and came back to life. Her journey to understand what happened to her by using a school project to investigate her death, as well as watching her navigate high school, friends, and her crush was interesting.
Miles’s strengths are clearly in writing and descriptions, such as her use of color and movement to describe the emotions Collette sees in others. For example: “a milky-green anxiety is buzzing around him.” In addition, each character was fully developed with strengths, weaknesses, motivations, and unique voices. And she did not disappoint when it came to secondary characters.
Although I loved each piece of this story – the Willows, Collette coming back and learning how to fight the demon, and the murder mysteries – there may have been too many pieces for one story. Possibly because of word count limitations, the more pieces to the plot, the less they can be developed. Although they did tie together at the end, some explanations were breezed over when they warranted something deeper.
Miles’s strengths are clearly in writing and descriptions, such as her use of color and movement to describe the emotions Collette sees in others. For example: “a milky-green anxiety is buzzing around him.” In addition, each character was fully developed with strengths, weaknesses, motivations, and unique voices. And she did not disappoint when it came to secondary characters.
Although I loved each piece of this story – the Willows, Collette coming back and learning how to fight the demon, and the murder mysteries – there may have been too many pieces for one story. Possibly because of word count limitations, the more pieces to the plot, the less they can be developed. Although they did tie together at the end, some explanations were breezed over when they warranted something deeper.
June 10, 2017
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for approving my request for a free digital copy in exchange for a review.
Let's start with "Willow Born is a mash-up of "The Craft, Gossip Girl and Rebel Belle." Now that that's out of the way let's get into the details.
I enjoyed this book less than I thought I would. I follow the author and twitter and her posting of the summary definitely intrigued me. I was extremely happy to have found it on NetGalley. The plot of Willow Born is definitely an attention grabber "coven? black girl magic?" Count me in. However, I found that the plot got lost in the romance and I did not think was going to be a romance novel. In fact, I feel that the book would have been vastly improved if the romance aspect had been removed from the story-line. The romance starts on the first page. It was slightly ambiguous of this is a case of insta-love or not. The pacing was steady and I did find myself wanting to go back to reading this. I think this is indicative of a captivating writing style and I applaud the author for that.
The setting was definitely under-utilised in this. Religion and Christianity are central to this story-line, and for a book placed in the South I believe that the importance of religion and superstitions within the Southern U.S. was definitely worth exploring.
With respect to the characters, Ms. Collins is the clear stand-out. Her personality seemed fully fleshed out and her character was easily relatable. In contrast, a lot of the side characters were uni-dimensional and very unappealing. I found that all the characters started to bleed together at one point. The MC was interesting, in theory, but I found that she was not fully fleshed out for a main character. Notwithstanding, I appreciate the bit that spoke of her as a girl out of time but I do feel that the author could have pushed the envelope a whole lot more.
The LI was horrible, Edward Cullen level of emotionally manipulative and abuse. I don't think this a good depiction of healthy relationship and this one of the issues that really bothered me about this book. I'm nor sure what the target age group is but it is not the type of relationship I would want a teen to emulate. This is not the only thing that bothered me, sexual representation is treated as problematic.
As one reviewer noted before, the villain's sexuality (though unclear if it is bisexual or pansexual) is treated as a means to an end. The other character on the LGBT spectrum has his sexuality implied in a throwaway sentence. This is not representation and should not be treated as such. This is not okay and again, not the type of book that I would recommend.
In summary, Willow Born promised a lot and could not deliver. While I did enjoy the writing style and the idea of the plot, I found the romance (and the abuse nature thereof) made this a very uncomfortable read and I would not be comfortable recommending this.
Let's start with "Willow Born is a mash-up of "The Craft, Gossip Girl and Rebel Belle." Now that that's out of the way let's get into the details.
I enjoyed this book less than I thought I would. I follow the author and twitter and her posting of the summary definitely intrigued me. I was extremely happy to have found it on NetGalley. The plot of Willow Born is definitely an attention grabber "coven? black girl magic?" Count me in. However, I found that the plot got lost in the romance and I did not think was going to be a romance novel. In fact, I feel that the book would have been vastly improved if the romance aspect had been removed from the story-line. The romance starts on the first page. It was slightly ambiguous of this is a case of insta-love or not. The pacing was steady and I did find myself wanting to go back to reading this. I think this is indicative of a captivating writing style and I applaud the author for that.
The setting was definitely under-utilised in this. Religion and Christianity are central to this story-line, and for a book placed in the South I believe that the importance of religion and superstitions within the Southern U.S. was definitely worth exploring.
With respect to the characters, Ms. Collins is the clear stand-out. Her personality seemed fully fleshed out and her character was easily relatable. In contrast, a lot of the side characters were uni-dimensional and very unappealing. I found that all the characters started to bleed together at one point. The MC was interesting, in theory, but I found that she was not fully fleshed out for a main character. Notwithstanding, I appreciate the bit that spoke of her as a girl out of time but I do feel that the author could have pushed the envelope a whole lot more.
The LI was horrible, Edward Cullen level of emotionally manipulative and abuse. I don't think this a good depiction of healthy relationship and this one of the issues that really bothered me about this book. I'm nor sure what the target age group is but it is not the type of relationship I would want a teen to emulate. This is not the only thing that bothered me, sexual representation is treated as problematic.
As one reviewer noted before, the villain's sexuality (though unclear if it is bisexual or pansexual) is treated as a means to an end. The other character on the LGBT spectrum has his sexuality implied in a throwaway sentence. This is not representation and should not be treated as such. This is not okay and again, not the type of book that I would recommend.
In summary, Willow Born promised a lot and could not deliver. While I did enjoy the writing style and the idea of the plot, I found the romance (and the abuse nature thereof) made this a very uncomfortable read and I would not be comfortable recommending this.
June 22, 2017
**2.75 stars....
Did you say witches?! And Magic?! Sign me up!!
So.....where are all the witches?! And what do you mean there's no such thing as magic?! I was so let down, but yet I finished it so there's that.
Willow Born is about a girl who is brought back for unknown reasons. She slowly discovers how she died, secrets about herself and her mother, and there's some supernatural things going on. This had so much potential, but I was so confused in the beginning. I didn't quit know what was going on and as the story played out it didn't really become any clearer. I really wish there was more time spent on Colette and her discovering herself and her powers, but it soon became a high school romance/popular girl drama. And then there was this weird section that really made no sense to me on how it was even relevant. I was just confused a lot of the time, but there was enough to keep me going. I just wish the story was more developed and had a clearer picture. there was potential for it to be good, but between the confusion, lack of witches and actual magic, and plot holes with no explanation or follow through it fell flat for me. There were also a lot of grammatical errors and a whole section that I think was just cut and pasted from the beginning of the book.
I was really rooting for this one and was hoping to be pleasantly surprised, but it just didn't work out all that well.
Did you say witches?! And Magic?! Sign me up!!
So.....where are all the witches?! And what do you mean there's no such thing as magic?! I was so let down, but yet I finished it so there's that.
Willow Born is about a girl who is brought back for unknown reasons. She slowly discovers how she died, secrets about herself and her mother, and there's some supernatural things going on. This had so much potential, but I was so confused in the beginning. I didn't quit know what was going on and as the story played out it didn't really become any clearer. I really wish there was more time spent on Colette and her discovering herself and her powers, but it soon became a high school romance/popular girl drama. And then there was this weird section that really made no sense to me on how it was even relevant. I was just confused a lot of the time, but there was enough to keep me going. I just wish the story was more developed and had a clearer picture. there was potential for it to be good, but between the confusion, lack of witches and actual magic, and plot holes with no explanation or follow through it fell flat for me. There were also a lot of grammatical errors and a whole section that I think was just cut and pasted from the beginning of the book.
I was really rooting for this one and was hoping to be pleasantly surprised, but it just didn't work out all that well.
December 18, 2017
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I received an ARC of Willow Born through NetGalley. I requested this ARC because the blurb was awesome and I was quite in love with the cover as well. But seriously, mostly because of the blurb, because it totally won me.
Willow is catapulted into the present time, and realises that she comes from a long line of witches. She tries to solve a serial killer mystery, while sorting out her feelings for a guy and finding out more about her family.
This book is #ownvoices.
__
I really wanted to enjoy this book because the premise is excellent. However, there were some things I just couldn’t ignore.
I’m a huge badminton player, I’ve been playing since I was 10, with some breaks (I’m taking a break at the moment). So you can imagine my excitement, when I realised that badminton would be featured in this book. However, I was really really really disappointed. Most of the badminton players I know get knee injuries on the long-term because of badminton is NOT low-impact for knees - the sports teacher in this story says it's not low-impact. Also, no sports teacher would let people play with huge pearl necklaces because the badminton racquet or the person’s hand could get caught in the necklace, which is dangerous!
I thought that the love interest was really creepy, like seriously, sending guys to escort Collete everywhere, to make sure that she is safe. In real life, this wouldn’t be romantic, and in real life, I don’t think she’d have dealt with it the way she did in the book.
I felt like the curse made sense, however not the reasoning behind it.
The only bisexual character is this book is the evil one, and she dies in the end. Other than that, there aren’t any queer characters. The only character with a disability has magical powers that are directly linked to his disability. The ableist word “spaz” is used.
All of the characters weren’t nuanced at all but read more like stereotypes to me. From the beginning of the story, Collette can already tell who is awful and the novel is mainly just about her bringing that person down. I thought I would be getting a story that would discuss the Willow witches in detail, and also clear up what had been happening in the past (the past is mentioned a bit but not in much detail, so the reader is left not knowing exactly what was going on). I guess this will be discussed in the next book but this novel felt unfinished to me since several questions I had were not answered.
I also found the writing was lacking in structure and that it made for a confusing read. The ideas were excellent but it wasn’t excecuted properly, so I as a reader, was sometimes confused about who certain characters were and what was going on.
The worldbuilding was also lacking. I felt that it was inconsistent and I didn’t understand why some magical things were happening and how they were happening.
__
I didn’t enjoy Willow Born as much as I thought I would, which I was quite sad about because I really wanted to enjoy this book. I truly liked the main plotline and thought it was a fascinating story, and really quite interesting. I just wish the rest of the book would have been better.
Trigger warnings: rape, physical abuse.
I received an ARC of Willow Born through NetGalley. I requested this ARC because the blurb was awesome and I was quite in love with the cover as well. But seriously, mostly because of the blurb, because it totally won me.
Willow is catapulted into the present time, and realises that she comes from a long line of witches. She tries to solve a serial killer mystery, while sorting out her feelings for a guy and finding out more about her family.
This book is #ownvoices.
__
I really wanted to enjoy this book because the premise is excellent. However, there were some things I just couldn’t ignore.
I’m a huge badminton player, I’ve been playing since I was 10, with some breaks (I’m taking a break at the moment). So you can imagine my excitement, when I realised that badminton would be featured in this book. However, I was really really really disappointed. Most of the badminton players I know get knee injuries on the long-term because of badminton is NOT low-impact for knees - the sports teacher in this story says it's not low-impact. Also, no sports teacher would let people play with huge pearl necklaces because the badminton racquet or the person’s hand could get caught in the necklace, which is dangerous!
I thought that the love interest was really creepy, like seriously, sending guys to escort Collete everywhere, to make sure that she is safe. In real life, this wouldn’t be romantic, and in real life, I don’t think she’d have dealt with it the way she did in the book.
I felt like the curse made sense, however not the reasoning behind it.
The only bisexual character is this book is the evil one, and she dies in the end. Other than that, there aren’t any queer characters. The only character with a disability has magical powers that are directly linked to his disability. The ableist word “spaz” is used.
All of the characters weren’t nuanced at all but read more like stereotypes to me. From the beginning of the story, Collette can already tell who is awful and the novel is mainly just about her bringing that person down. I thought I would be getting a story that would discuss the Willow witches in detail, and also clear up what had been happening in the past (the past is mentioned a bit but not in much detail, so the reader is left not knowing exactly what was going on). I guess this will be discussed in the next book but this novel felt unfinished to me since several questions I had were not answered.
I also found the writing was lacking in structure and that it made for a confusing read. The ideas were excellent but it wasn’t excecuted properly, so I as a reader, was sometimes confused about who certain characters were and what was going on.
The worldbuilding was also lacking. I felt that it was inconsistent and I didn’t understand why some magical things were happening and how they were happening.
__
I didn’t enjoy Willow Born as much as I thought I would, which I was quite sad about because I really wanted to enjoy this book. I truly liked the main plotline and thought it was a fascinating story, and really quite interesting. I just wish the rest of the book would have been better.
Trigger warnings: rape, physical abuse.
February 5, 2018
I loved, and I mean loved, the concept of this book. I mean, it’s awesome. It somehow packed angles, witches, garden trolls, nymphs and succubi all into one book AND when you read it, you don't just think to yourself "this just doesn't make sense". The story flows with all of these elements and I didn't find myself put off by it at all.
What I was put off by however was the lack of interest the main character has in mostly anything but this boy that she can't decide if she wants to spend time with or send away. She has come back from the dead (more than 50 years later), is told that she is a witch, that angels are now popping up all over, that things like nymphs and kitchen elf's are real, that there is a murderous (possibly supernatural) something running around abducting and killing girls in the community, that there is a war building and that her life is basically in danger if she doesn't figure out how to be a proper witch, and here this chick is, making cinnamon buns.
She makes no effort whatsoever to get to know the decade she finds herself in. Somehow the other 16 year old's she finds herself friends with don't make fun of her or at least find it very, very weird that she has no idea what the heck google is.
By the end of the book she’s been back for months and she’s still reluctant to take much of what Miss Collins says as serious. Miss Collins, by the way is a wonderful old Willow that Colette was lucky enough to stumble upon and who is willing to help this teenage angst out. She recites lists of supernatural creatures, and verses from the bible, but aside from that she’s not taking anything seriously. Never mind that there is a girl at school that is more than suspicious almost from the moment Colette meets her. At least one person is acting like they are under a spell that makes them a tranced out zombie whenever they are in line of sight of this girl. No. Colette needs a part time job! That's what she needs!
So by the end of the book you find yourself with a lead character that is of course out of time and finally hit with the idea that yeah, she might have to be useful to save herself as well as half the town. Go figure, she’s not ready. Yet, as they always do, somehow in the last jumble of chapters the main character blunders her way clueless to the end and manages to claim victory. Now she has help obviously, but still. For a girl that didn't even have the common sense to tell Miss Collins about the weird shit the other girl was doing at school and experienced at the coffee shop, WHEN THEY WERE ACTUALLY HAVING A CONVERSATION ABOUT THE WEIRDNESS OF THIS GIRL ANYWAY, .... its just amazing the girl even lives to be the victor at the end.
“I tried, but there is no way that I’m going to be able to deal with or defeat whatever Lilah is on my own. I don’t have the skills, I don’t have any help…”
BS. You did have help, and you know what else you had Colette? TIME. You may not have had an abundance of time, but you had enough to take everything seriously before you decided to throw down for the final battle.
I didn't expect anything more from the end of this book but for Colette to just drown in the pool because she wasted all of her time taking Valium and being an idiot.
Okay, to be reasonable, whenever Colette does manage to care enough to ask a question everyone who knows the answer decides to be all elusive and mysteriously cryptic about the it. WHY??? If every one of these supernatural allies knows whats about to happen, and they know this girl is not ready, why are we playing the 'she'll figure it out just in time' game? This is almost more frustrating than the girl at the middle of all of this spending almost all of her free time in a vintage clothing store.
Random other things I have issues with:
• Just by the way, the Valium, what the hell is all of that about? Does Colette now have a pill problem? She talks about Summer’s magic little pills. Summer is the one that just casually handed this girl a Valium in the car before school. Like really, what is going on here, it’s just mentioned a few times casually and the reader isn't supposed to care? THIS is probably why this girl is so damn apathetic about everything. She doesn't know she’s high off her ass.
• The writing mistakes. Oh my goodness. I hope after publishing they cleaned this book up a bit, because it needed it. "…lighter than I can I ever remember feeling and when the song is over my toes tingle with excitement." There are a few of these little things all over. There is also a place in chapter 28 where the exact scene with Miss Collins and her fountain books is used again. Colette either has a very bad memory or it’s a reused scene because for the second time now she thinks this book is her mother’s book and Ms. Collins has to explain the exact same thing that she's already gone through a few chapters before.
• The Angel thing. What is going on there? This could be a whole book of its own but it’s only brought up a few times and nobody has explained why or even offered a theory except that good ole stand by “It’s the end of the world!” But also, WHY DOESN’T COLETTE CARE?! I know what I would do if someone just broke the news to me that angels were now playing peek-a-boo all over the world. I would start with “Say again?!” And then I would find out what on earth was going on. At least as far as what anybody else knew. Honestly this book really needed to be at least another 200 pages longer just to world and character build a little better.
• OH YEAH and the fact that this girl doesn’t care at all that she’s come back from the dead! She mentions it sure. She’s aware of what happened. But that has not stopped her one bit from getting tied up in the nonsense that typical teenagers get caught up in. Now I know that, not everyone sees this as unacceptable, but when people are getting kidnapped and killed around you, and you KNOW you are special, maybe give less of a crap about the tingles in your elbow.
I'm mad at this book because it could have been so much better. Colette could have been so much better. Instead she’s so frustrating that I nearly put this book down never to pick it up again, nearly every other chapter. The whole book you’re yelling "Oh my god girl, clue in already!"
What I was put off by however was the lack of interest the main character has in mostly anything but this boy that she can't decide if she wants to spend time with or send away. She has come back from the dead (more than 50 years later), is told that she is a witch, that angels are now popping up all over, that things like nymphs and kitchen elf's are real, that there is a murderous (possibly supernatural) something running around abducting and killing girls in the community, that there is a war building and that her life is basically in danger if she doesn't figure out how to be a proper witch, and here this chick is, making cinnamon buns.
She makes no effort whatsoever to get to know the decade she finds herself in. Somehow the other 16 year old's she finds herself friends with don't make fun of her or at least find it very, very weird that she has no idea what the heck google is.
By the end of the book she’s been back for months and she’s still reluctant to take much of what Miss Collins says as serious. Miss Collins, by the way is a wonderful old Willow that Colette was lucky enough to stumble upon and who is willing to help this teenage angst out. She recites lists of supernatural creatures, and verses from the bible, but aside from that she’s not taking anything seriously. Never mind that there is a girl at school that is more than suspicious almost from the moment Colette meets her. At least one person is acting like they are under a spell that makes them a tranced out zombie whenever they are in line of sight of this girl. No. Colette needs a part time job! That's what she needs!
So by the end of the book you find yourself with a lead character that is of course out of time and finally hit with the idea that yeah, she might have to be useful to save herself as well as half the town. Go figure, she’s not ready. Yet, as they always do, somehow in the last jumble of chapters the main character blunders her way clueless to the end and manages to claim victory. Now she has help obviously, but still. For a girl that didn't even have the common sense to tell Miss Collins about the weird shit the other girl was doing at school and experienced at the coffee shop, WHEN THEY WERE ACTUALLY HAVING A CONVERSATION ABOUT THE WEIRDNESS OF THIS GIRL ANYWAY, .... its just amazing the girl even lives to be the victor at the end.
“I tried, but there is no way that I’m going to be able to deal with or defeat whatever Lilah is on my own. I don’t have the skills, I don’t have any help…”
BS. You did have help, and you know what else you had Colette? TIME. You may not have had an abundance of time, but you had enough to take everything seriously before you decided to throw down for the final battle.
I didn't expect anything more from the end of this book but for Colette to just drown in the pool because she wasted all of her time taking Valium and being an idiot.
Okay, to be reasonable, whenever Colette does manage to care enough to ask a question everyone who knows the answer decides to be all elusive and mysteriously cryptic about the it. WHY??? If every one of these supernatural allies knows whats about to happen, and they know this girl is not ready, why are we playing the 'she'll figure it out just in time' game? This is almost more frustrating than the girl at the middle of all of this spending almost all of her free time in a vintage clothing store.
Random other things I have issues with:
• Just by the way, the Valium, what the hell is all of that about? Does Colette now have a pill problem? She talks about Summer’s magic little pills. Summer is the one that just casually handed this girl a Valium in the car before school. Like really, what is going on here, it’s just mentioned a few times casually and the reader isn't supposed to care? THIS is probably why this girl is so damn apathetic about everything. She doesn't know she’s high off her ass.
• The writing mistakes. Oh my goodness. I hope after publishing they cleaned this book up a bit, because it needed it. "…lighter than I can I ever remember feeling and when the song is over my toes tingle with excitement." There are a few of these little things all over. There is also a place in chapter 28 where the exact scene with Miss Collins and her fountain books is used again. Colette either has a very bad memory or it’s a reused scene because for the second time now she thinks this book is her mother’s book and Ms. Collins has to explain the exact same thing that she's already gone through a few chapters before.
• The Angel thing. What is going on there? This could be a whole book of its own but it’s only brought up a few times and nobody has explained why or even offered a theory except that good ole stand by “It’s the end of the world!” But also, WHY DOESN’T COLETTE CARE?! I know what I would do if someone just broke the news to me that angels were now playing peek-a-boo all over the world. I would start with “Say again?!” And then I would find out what on earth was going on. At least as far as what anybody else knew. Honestly this book really needed to be at least another 200 pages longer just to world and character build a little better.
• OH YEAH and the fact that this girl doesn’t care at all that she’s come back from the dead! She mentions it sure. She’s aware of what happened. But that has not stopped her one bit from getting tied up in the nonsense that typical teenagers get caught up in. Now I know that, not everyone sees this as unacceptable, but when people are getting kidnapped and killed around you, and you KNOW you are special, maybe give less of a crap about the tingles in your elbow.
I'm mad at this book because it could have been so much better. Colette could have been so much better. Instead she’s so frustrating that I nearly put this book down never to pick it up again, nearly every other chapter. The whole book you’re yelling "Oh my god girl, clue in already!"
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 16, 2017
I was provided access to an ARC of Willow Born through NetGalley. The book is expected to be published in ebook format on June 1, 2017 by Rochelle and Reed publishing. It is marketed as a “stand alone Paranormal Fantasy.”
The description of Willow Born immediately grabbed my attention because I’m a sucker for Southern gothics and fantasy steeped in Southern culture. I’m also a sucker for witchy books that promise covens (usually a sign of a whole lot of powerful female characters). Unfortunately, the book didn’t live up to my excitement and left me feeling pretty “meh.”
Summary (some potential mild spoilers)
Willow Born opens with the main character, sixteen-year-old Collette Hognose (though, honestly, I think I was a solid third of the way through the book before I learned her last name) being plucked from a lake. We quickly learn that Collette is an empath who died fifty years previously and has somehow been resurrected (returned from “the Void”) for reasons that are never really explained and through magic that is similarly vague.
Though Collette is surprised to find herself returned, her guardian/imp/imaginary friend, Raphael, is expecting her and places her in the hands of an attorney (”Uncle Silas”) who, with the help of his niece, “Summer,” is tasked with helping Collette re-assimilate into society.
Through a school project investigating her own murder, Collette meets Miss Collins, who reveals that Collette is part of a long line of Willows, a coven of witches descended from slave women brought to the Carolinas. The book then focuses on Collette learning to use and accept her powers, falling in love with the boy who plucked her from the lake who has secrets of his own, and myriad Stereotpyical Teen scenes (shopping with friends, flirting with boys, etc.) However, as more and more girls in the area go missing, it’s clear there is evil afoot and Collette may be the only one able to stop it.
Thoughts on Willow Born
I really wanted to like this book, and I spent a lot of time wondering if the reason I didn’t enjoy reading it was that I’m probably older than the target audience. Ultimately, though, I decided that the book had good ideas but was poorly executed.
The actual experience of reading Willow Born was similar to when someone tries to explain a very elaborate dream they had once. While you can tell the person obviously though the dream was incredibly detailed, incredibly real, and so so cool, you’re inevitably left confused because the details just don’t come through. It’s obvious that Shanna Miles could envision these characters, places, and plot points, but her vision never really stands out through the page, and it leaves the reader somewhat lost and confused.
By the end 300+ pages, I felt like I really cared about only one of the characters (Miss Collins), and honestly, I’m not even sure I understood even the basics of who each character was supposed to be. Each character seems to be more of a stand in for a role/trope (e.g.the Reluctant Protagonist, the Best Friend, the Love Interest, the Pretty Mean Girl, the Responsible Adult), and beyond that one-note casting, no character develops into something more nuanced or three-dimensional.
The plot is similarly hazy and undeveloped. Transitions between places and times were unclear, and I frequently found myself flipping between pages to figure out when and how we got to a new place or time. The flow of the story is strangely interrupted by scenes that seem totally out of place--a random surprise karaoke session, a visit to a haunted house, etc. And by the time we reached the end of the book, there were vastly more questions left open than answered. This might be fine for the start of a series, but for a “stand alone” book, it’s highly unsatisfying.
The strongest point of Willow Born is its mythos/magic. Magic in this world is firmly rooted in judeo christian history. Willow witches mark themselves with crosses, their spell books include the Bible, and angels have been sighted and recorded by local news. However, even on this point, Willow Born sends mixed messages. The universe is clearly one in which angels, and the Christian God are real and powerful, but so are water nymphs and trolls. While there is clearly great power at work, Collette is explicitly told time and time again that there is no magic, only science. While the world-building is Willow Born’s strongest point, it is still lacking the necessary development to feel fully believable and realized.
The “romance” piece (because, remember, this is marketed as a paranormal romance) feels shoe-horned into a world that doesn’t need it. There’s little chemistry between the two characters, and the “development” of the relationship mostly involves an overprotective high school boy assigning Collette bodyguards (because reasons?) to walk her between class and ignoring her when she tells him to leave her alone.
I can’t touch on some of the other unbelievable parts of the book without giving spoilers. Unfortunately, while Willow Born had some ambitious potential, it falls flat, and I can’t recommend it.
The description of Willow Born immediately grabbed my attention because I’m a sucker for Southern gothics and fantasy steeped in Southern culture. I’m also a sucker for witchy books that promise covens (usually a sign of a whole lot of powerful female characters). Unfortunately, the book didn’t live up to my excitement and left me feeling pretty “meh.”
Summary (some potential mild spoilers)
Willow Born opens with the main character, sixteen-year-old Collette Hognose (though, honestly, I think I was a solid third of the way through the book before I learned her last name) being plucked from a lake. We quickly learn that Collette is an empath who died fifty years previously and has somehow been resurrected (returned from “the Void”) for reasons that are never really explained and through magic that is similarly vague.
Though Collette is surprised to find herself returned, her guardian/imp/imaginary friend, Raphael, is expecting her and places her in the hands of an attorney (”Uncle Silas”) who, with the help of his niece, “Summer,” is tasked with helping Collette re-assimilate into society.
Through a school project investigating her own murder, Collette meets Miss Collins, who reveals that Collette is part of a long line of Willows, a coven of witches descended from slave women brought to the Carolinas. The book then focuses on Collette learning to use and accept her powers, falling in love with the boy who plucked her from the lake who has secrets of his own, and myriad Stereotpyical Teen scenes (shopping with friends, flirting with boys, etc.) However, as more and more girls in the area go missing, it’s clear there is evil afoot and Collette may be the only one able to stop it.
Thoughts on Willow Born
I really wanted to like this book, and I spent a lot of time wondering if the reason I didn’t enjoy reading it was that I’m probably older than the target audience. Ultimately, though, I decided that the book had good ideas but was poorly executed.
The actual experience of reading Willow Born was similar to when someone tries to explain a very elaborate dream they had once. While you can tell the person obviously though the dream was incredibly detailed, incredibly real, and so so cool, you’re inevitably left confused because the details just don’t come through. It’s obvious that Shanna Miles could envision these characters, places, and plot points, but her vision never really stands out through the page, and it leaves the reader somewhat lost and confused.
By the end 300+ pages, I felt like I really cared about only one of the characters (Miss Collins), and honestly, I’m not even sure I understood even the basics of who each character was supposed to be. Each character seems to be more of a stand in for a role/trope (e.g.the Reluctant Protagonist, the Best Friend, the Love Interest, the Pretty Mean Girl, the Responsible Adult), and beyond that one-note casting, no character develops into something more nuanced or three-dimensional.
The plot is similarly hazy and undeveloped. Transitions between places and times were unclear, and I frequently found myself flipping between pages to figure out when and how we got to a new place or time. The flow of the story is strangely interrupted by scenes that seem totally out of place--a random surprise karaoke session, a visit to a haunted house, etc. And by the time we reached the end of the book, there were vastly more questions left open than answered. This might be fine for the start of a series, but for a “stand alone” book, it’s highly unsatisfying.
The strongest point of Willow Born is its mythos/magic. Magic in this world is firmly rooted in judeo christian history. Willow witches mark themselves with crosses, their spell books include the Bible, and angels have been sighted and recorded by local news. However, even on this point, Willow Born sends mixed messages. The universe is clearly one in which angels, and the Christian God are real and powerful, but so are water nymphs and trolls. While there is clearly great power at work, Collette is explicitly told time and time again that there is no magic, only science. While the world-building is Willow Born’s strongest point, it is still lacking the necessary development to feel fully believable and realized.
The “romance” piece (because, remember, this is marketed as a paranormal romance) feels shoe-horned into a world that doesn’t need it. There’s little chemistry between the two characters, and the “development” of the relationship mostly involves an overprotective high school boy assigning Collette bodyguards (because reasons?) to walk her between class and ignoring her when she tells him to leave her alone.
I can’t touch on some of the other unbelievable parts of the book without giving spoilers. Unfortunately, while Willow Born had some ambitious potential, it falls flat, and I can’t recommend it.
February 15, 2018
// I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a review.
Willow Born by Shanna Miles is a YA fantasy/romance novel about Collette who after having died 50 years ago wakes up and finds out she’s part of a family line of witches. The author knows how to keep you curious and writes with flare, which fits the story elements. Overall I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to readers who like YA fantasy/romance.
The story starts with a prologue which throws the reader right smack in the middle of the supernatural and the action. It brings in the mystery of what’s going on and gives a taste of the magic system. Afterward, most of the first half of the book reads like YA romance where she goes to school, meets new people and interacts with her love interest. Her situation isn’t glossed over, but it feels like it is pushed a bit aside by how much focus the romance receives. As the story continues, the focus shifts more towards the supernatural and the pace picks up, especially towards the end where it felt rushed.
The writing style fits the age category and genre well, although personally, I do wish comparisons had been used more sparingly for descriptions and there’d be no food descriptors (sounded like describing desserts). There were some typos and a paragraph which appeared twice which I hope will be edited out. There were also times where it felt like the writing repeated itself (in the beginning with Collette’s shields, and almost every time Matt appears).
Characters
I liked Collette as a character. She was somewhat of a serious girl while she clearly remained a teenager in her choices and reactions. Although she died 50 years earlier, she didn’t seem to be all that different from the other teen characters in the novel, except for being unfamiliar with certain technology. She was a very introverted person, which wasn’t all that weird with her being an empath.
Which was also one of the reasons I liked this book. Her powers were balanced with strengths and weaknesses and influenced the way she lived her life. The clouds of emotions often overwhelmed her and she would get overstimulated by direct skin touch. These details also made her related to me since the way she reacted and how she disliked crowds resembled the way I experience being autistic. Emotion would also from time to time seem unbearably strong, which is a feeling I recognize all too well as well.
As for the other characters, I like Miss Collins a lot. Her character seemed more developed than the other characters and felt like she had her own story and life. She left a clear impression on me, which I missed in the other characters, which felt more like plot devices and character roles than people.
Diversity [this section contain spoilers]
In terms of diversity, there were many non-white characters, which I loved. The representation felt casual, which was pleasant, while racism did play a small part in the story and was treated without downplaying what happened.
Aside from that, there were some tropes which I wish had not been there. There was no queer representation amongst any of the characters except for an evil demon who appeared to not discriminate between gender for assaulting their victims. The implication here is problematic and would be better if it were removed, even if queer representation amongst the normal characters were to be added. Especially with the way Christianity plays a role in the story and having evil demons being implied as bi/pansexual.
Another trope here is where the only disabled character has his disability linked to their superpowers. The disability is mentioned in the novel but doesn’t really seem to impact the character much except for their giving them superpowers. Added on with the instances where characters use ableist language and mental illness as insults, and the way the character becomes disabled leaves me with a bad taste in my mouth.
Romance
There was lots of chemistry going on between Collette and Matt, but other than it being described in her feeling his presence and their physical sparks when they touched, I missed a reason WHY they fell for each other so hard. I found no connection between the two which made the romance seem superficial.
World-Building
As for the fantasy aspects, I liked the world-building where the magic was linked to religion (Christianity) and performed through chanting, herbs, teas, and potions. It gave a very down-to-earth kind of impression of the magical aspects until the supernatural characters entered and made it feel more like classical fantasy. I would have really like seeing these supernatural creatures getting the same approach as the magic, but it didn’t impact my reading experience in a negative way.
In summary:
I really like the premise of the book and the world-building, but improvements can be made concerning the characters, so overall I’m giving this book 3/5 stars. There were aspects to the book which did not fit my personal taste or made me uneasy, but I would give a sequel a chance to see how the story progresses and to have a bit more of a taste of the world of the Willow witches and their magic.
Willow Born by Shanna Miles is a YA fantasy/romance novel about Collette who after having died 50 years ago wakes up and finds out she’s part of a family line of witches. The author knows how to keep you curious and writes with flare, which fits the story elements. Overall I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to readers who like YA fantasy/romance.
The story starts with a prologue which throws the reader right smack in the middle of the supernatural and the action. It brings in the mystery of what’s going on and gives a taste of the magic system. Afterward, most of the first half of the book reads like YA romance where she goes to school, meets new people and interacts with her love interest. Her situation isn’t glossed over, but it feels like it is pushed a bit aside by how much focus the romance receives. As the story continues, the focus shifts more towards the supernatural and the pace picks up, especially towards the end where it felt rushed.
The writing style fits the age category and genre well, although personally, I do wish comparisons had been used more sparingly for descriptions and there’d be no food descriptors (sounded like describing desserts). There were some typos and a paragraph which appeared twice which I hope will be edited out. There were also times where it felt like the writing repeated itself (in the beginning with Collette’s shields, and almost every time Matt appears).
Characters
I liked Collette as a character. She was somewhat of a serious girl while she clearly remained a teenager in her choices and reactions. Although she died 50 years earlier, she didn’t seem to be all that different from the other teen characters in the novel, except for being unfamiliar with certain technology. She was a very introverted person, which wasn’t all that weird with her being an empath.
Which was also one of the reasons I liked this book. Her powers were balanced with strengths and weaknesses and influenced the way she lived her life. The clouds of emotions often overwhelmed her and she would get overstimulated by direct skin touch. These details also made her related to me since the way she reacted and how she disliked crowds resembled the way I experience being autistic. Emotion would also from time to time seem unbearably strong, which is a feeling I recognize all too well as well.
As for the other characters, I like Miss Collins a lot. Her character seemed more developed than the other characters and felt like she had her own story and life. She left a clear impression on me, which I missed in the other characters, which felt more like plot devices and character roles than people.
Diversity [this section contain spoilers]
In terms of diversity, there were many non-white characters, which I loved. The representation felt casual, which was pleasant, while racism did play a small part in the story and was treated without downplaying what happened.
Aside from that, there were some tropes which I wish had not been there. There was no queer representation amongst any of the characters except for an evil demon who appeared to not discriminate between gender for assaulting their victims. The implication here is problematic and would be better if it were removed, even if queer representation amongst the normal characters were to be added. Especially with the way Christianity plays a role in the story and having evil demons being implied as bi/pansexual.
Another trope here is where the only disabled character has his disability linked to their superpowers. The disability is mentioned in the novel but doesn’t really seem to impact the character much except for their giving them superpowers. Added on with the instances where characters use ableist language and mental illness as insults, and the way the character becomes disabled leaves me with a bad taste in my mouth.
Romance
There was lots of chemistry going on between Collette and Matt, but other than it being described in her feeling his presence and their physical sparks when they touched, I missed a reason WHY they fell for each other so hard. I found no connection between the two which made the romance seem superficial.
World-Building
As for the fantasy aspects, I liked the world-building where the magic was linked to religion (Christianity) and performed through chanting, herbs, teas, and potions. It gave a very down-to-earth kind of impression of the magical aspects until the supernatural characters entered and made it feel more like classical fantasy. I would have really like seeing these supernatural creatures getting the same approach as the magic, but it didn’t impact my reading experience in a negative way.
In summary:
I really like the premise of the book and the world-building, but improvements can be made concerning the characters, so overall I’m giving this book 3/5 stars. There were aspects to the book which did not fit my personal taste or made me uneasy, but I would give a sequel a chance to see how the story progresses and to have a bit more of a taste of the world of the Willow witches and their magic.
March 21, 2017
Disclaimer: I received an e-copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book has a really interesting premise, but it never really lived up to my standards (except in some short moments). What really bothers me is that is marketed as a stand alone Paranormal Fantasy. It doesn't feel like a stand alone. The ending reads much more like the first book in a series and I have to admit that I would like to book more if it has a sequel. More on that later.
Anyway, there used to be a powerful Coven. The Order of the Willows. It had been founded by slave women who wanted to be able to protect themselves. One day somebody started killing them, one by one, until somehow the murderer is stopped. By then nearly half of the Order is dead. Now the murders have started again and Willow is revived to help stop whatever is doing this. The only problem? She has never heard from the Order and she definitely does not know any magic.
Willow could be a really fascinating character since she has empathic powers, but sadly this part of her powers is only very rarely makes use of them. It is said that she is the Blessed Willow, which means she is all-powerful like the founder of the Order, but this is never fully shown. We are actually only told right in the end and then bam, it's over? All of this would make much more sense if the story was set up to have a sequel.
The same thing happens with the Order in general and its history. I wish there had been some more explanation about the Coven of Witches, even though in this story we actually only had two witches who are still alive at the beginning of the book and barely any explanation about how the Coven worked except a few hints and there. (Why is there no sequel?!)
Most of the side-characters are just boring sadly. A lot of them feel like flat stereotypes and they fall into a lot of tropes. "The beautiful mean-girl", "the best friend", "the mysterious Love Interest", "the wants-to-be-famous-but-is-laughable High School Girl" and so on. Like this, I couldn't fall in love with any of them. The only side character I did care about was Ms. Collins and I wish we had gotten to see even more of her. She is a great teacher to help Willow with her powers.
Another huge disappointment for me was the Romance? They meet when Matt saves Willow from drowning. Throughout the novel they meet again and again, but already after having talked two times, Willow feels this weird connection between them (her empathy acts up and she feels really good when she's with him, I mean seriously looking at him is described as if the sun comes up after they have talked three times (one time was just a sentence or two)). Now either this is Insta-Love (bleh) or some magical connection thing that is never explained. Both are bad. In another scene Willow is angry at Matt and he just ?!? grabs her and kisses her mid-sentence. Stuff like that is not cute. And of course, afterwards all her anger was -poof- gone. I don't know why such scenes always have to be in YA novels. For me, it really cheapens the romance because if they can't talk about small things without trying to fix it, than how will they deal with bigger problems later on in their relationship? Idk, it's a huge pet peeve of mine. Otherwise, their romance is interesting, but also underdeveloped.
Now I really liked the mythology. It was mostly judeo-christian inspired, with reciting the Psalms for certain spells, but there were also chinese kitchen-elves (which honestly felt really gross for me?!? I mean?? the elf was invisible cleaning personnel that had been sold with some pottery??? eww) and trolls and greek goddesses. But witchcraft was also just science? I don't really know what to make from this concept. I liked the idea, but some parts of it didn't make sense, while others were quite lovely. But like many other things in the novel it felt... hazy and not fleshed out enough.
There is also a scene in the book where whole paragraphs repeat, but since I only have an arc I'm guessing it will be fixed before the publication.
All in all, I once more have to repeat that this story has a really interesting idea, but it lacks development in pretty much all stages, so I can't rate it higher.
But I also want to mention that I just have an arc, and for some weird reason the page count on goodreads is much higher (over 140 pages more) than the page count on my e-reader, so it might be that the arc copy I have has already been edited and expanded.
This book has a really interesting premise, but it never really lived up to my standards (except in some short moments). What really bothers me is that is marketed as a stand alone Paranormal Fantasy. It doesn't feel like a stand alone. The ending reads much more like the first book in a series and I have to admit that I would like to book more if it has a sequel. More on that later.
Anyway, there used to be a powerful Coven. The Order of the Willows. It had been founded by slave women who wanted to be able to protect themselves. One day somebody started killing them, one by one, until somehow the murderer is stopped. By then nearly half of the Order is dead. Now the murders have started again and Willow is revived to help stop whatever is doing this. The only problem? She has never heard from the Order and she definitely does not know any magic.
Willow could be a really fascinating character since she has empathic powers, but sadly this part of her powers is only very rarely makes use of them. It is said that she is the Blessed Willow, which means she is all-powerful like the founder of the Order, but this is never fully shown. We are actually only told right in the end and then bam, it's over? All of this would make much more sense if the story was set up to have a sequel.
The same thing happens with the Order in general and its history. I wish there had been some more explanation about the Coven of Witches, even though in this story we actually only had two witches who are still alive at the beginning of the book and barely any explanation about how the Coven worked except a few hints and there. (Why is there no sequel?!)
Most of the side-characters are just boring sadly. A lot of them feel like flat stereotypes and they fall into a lot of tropes. "The beautiful mean-girl", "the best friend", "the mysterious Love Interest", "the wants-to-be-famous-but-is-laughable High School Girl" and so on. Like this, I couldn't fall in love with any of them. The only side character I did care about was Ms. Collins and I wish we had gotten to see even more of her. She is a great teacher to help Willow with her powers.
Another huge disappointment for me was the Romance? They meet when Matt saves Willow from drowning. Throughout the novel they meet again and again, but already after having talked two times, Willow feels this weird connection between them (her empathy acts up and she feels really good when she's with him, I mean seriously looking at him is described as if the sun comes up after they have talked three times (one time was just a sentence or two)). Now either this is Insta-Love (bleh) or some magical connection thing that is never explained. Both are bad. In another scene Willow is angry at Matt and he just ?!? grabs her and kisses her mid-sentence. Stuff like that is not cute. And of course, afterwards all her anger was -poof- gone. I don't know why such scenes always have to be in YA novels. For me, it really cheapens the romance because if they can't talk about small things without trying to fix it, than how will they deal with bigger problems later on in their relationship? Idk, it's a huge pet peeve of mine. Otherwise, their romance is interesting, but also underdeveloped.
Now I really liked the mythology. It was mostly judeo-christian inspired, with reciting the Psalms for certain spells, but there were also chinese kitchen-elves (which honestly felt really gross for me?!? I mean?? the elf was invisible cleaning personnel that had been sold with some pottery??? eww) and trolls and greek goddesses. But witchcraft was also just science? I don't really know what to make from this concept. I liked the idea, but some parts of it didn't make sense, while others were quite lovely. But like many other things in the novel it felt... hazy and not fleshed out enough.
There is also a scene in the book where whole paragraphs repeat, but since I only have an arc I'm guessing it will be fixed before the publication.
All in all, I once more have to repeat that this story has a really interesting idea, but it lacks development in pretty much all stages, so I can't rate it higher.
But I also want to mention that I just have an arc, and for some weird reason the page count on goodreads is much higher (over 140 pages more) than the page count on my e-reader, so it might be that the arc copy I have has already been edited and expanded.
June 11, 2017
Collette is sure she died . There was a fire and she could feel life and her soul slipping away. Then the urge to breath hit her. And connects brain and lungs to mouth to swallow cold and dirty water and realizes she is drowning. Electricity rages in her chest, throat and scrapes at her brain. Then Collette realizes she is too exhausted to put her shields up.Collette is an Empath. All Collette’s life she could see emotions and she could also feel them. Then Collette realizes she will run out of time before she reaches land. Then Collette feels someone close and hears “ hold on”. Then Collette gets knocked in the face with a life preserver and the man yells for her to hold on to the life preserver and he will pull her in. Once in a house the man she feels calm with and nicknames “ Mr. Familiar” grazes her arm when he hands her some black tea with lemon and a shock of electricity Then the man says his name is Matt Collette had been almost eight years old before she had learned to create a mental block that shielded her from people’s emotions. Then a door slams and Matt tells her to stay there no matter what she heard not to go upstairs. Then Collette hears Raphael in her head. Then Matt says he almost shot Colette’s cousin. Then Collette asked Matt if he could see Raphael as most of the time he appears to Collette as a shifty eyed tabby cat and all the time she is the only one that can see Raphael. Then Raphael gave Collette an excuse and says “dad knows you have were in his special liquor cabinet after bible study”. Raphael is Colette’s imaginary friend at least she thought he was imaginary. Then Raphael has cleaned Matt’s memory but said he did let Matt remember Collette Then Raphael gets one of the guys to drive them and cleared his mind also. The Raphael said they were going to Collette’s new home. Raphael agreed Collette had in fact died. Then he told Collette her mother was dead she had been for a long time. The Raphael said it was his job to get Collette settled again. Raphael said he had always been and that some called him a familiar but her mom called him friend. When Collette asked what was wrong with her Raphael said she had been apart from her body for quite awhile that there will be things she knows nut has no memory of learning and others that will just be new to her. Then they come to a grand house and they sat on the steps. Raphael said Collette had always known she was special. Her mom knew it and it scared her . She had styled Collette . Then Raphael said to go in the house he wanted to give Collette a tour of the house before he left and reminded Collette he could not stay. Raphael was never in human form very long . Then Raphael said it was not his place to tell her who she was that there were others who were better equipped for it then he was and then he handed her a folded and yellow envelope with her mother’s handwriting on it. On the inside of the envelope it said “ Get thee to church - Mama” . Then Raphael was gone. Then Summer who was the niece of her lawyer came to pick Collette up and introduce her her uncle Silas who was counsel to the supernatural . Raphael had left the gloves which were Collette’s armor. Skin to skin contact was too intense for Collette. The next day Summer came to take Collette to school and Matt comes up to Summer and asked for an introduction to Collette. Then Collette gets a peer adviser. Named Qutey. Collette shadows Qutey and ended up assigned to a project with Carlos. Qutey and Carlos and Collette and they had to investigate a local mystery.
I didn’t really care for this book. It dragged for me. I just didn’t find it very interesting and had a problem with it keeping my attention. I also found this a little confusing, this just wasn’t for me.
I didn’t really care for this book. It dragged for me. I just didn’t find it very interesting and had a problem with it keeping my attention. I also found this a little confusing, this just wasn’t for me.
May 22, 2017
I received a free ARC copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
This was a very interesting concept and not what I was expecting at all. I really liked how the witches' magic was rooted in Christian-elements simply because that isn't something I've seen before. I mean usually witches and Christians are completely on the opposite ends of the spectrum, but I think it was a really great idea. For instance, the witches recited Psalms like spells and their familiars are actually guardian angels and even the villain reveal at the end was rooted in Christian mythology. There were also some of the more 'standard' witchy things like trolls and fairies and spells using herbs, but it was all blended together in a way that you don't usually see.
I also enjoyed the diverse cast of characters and the coven's background. A coven of black southern witches descended from slaves and rooted in Christianity is something that just makes so much sense I'm almost surprised I haven't seen it before this. Ultimately the reason I gave this only 3 stars was because it did veer a little bit too much into standard YA territory for me - under-developed romance and high school drama and all that. But even though a lot of adults read YA it isn't really meant for us, and I think that this would be an excellent book for high schoolers.
This was a very interesting concept and not what I was expecting at all. I really liked how the witches' magic was rooted in Christian-elements simply because that isn't something I've seen before. I mean usually witches and Christians are completely on the opposite ends of the spectrum, but I think it was a really great idea. For instance, the witches recited Psalms like spells and their familiars are actually guardian angels and even the villain reveal at the end was rooted in Christian mythology. There were also some of the more 'standard' witchy things like trolls and fairies and spells using herbs, but it was all blended together in a way that you don't usually see.
I also enjoyed the diverse cast of characters and the coven's background. A coven of black southern witches descended from slaves and rooted in Christianity is something that just makes so much sense I'm almost surprised I haven't seen it before this. Ultimately the reason I gave this only 3 stars was because it did veer a little bit too much into standard YA territory for me - under-developed romance and high school drama and all that. But even though a lot of adults read YA it isn't really meant for us, and I think that this would be an excellent book for high schoolers.
May 9, 2017
I got this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks!
An interesting magic system based on the Bible and herb teas, plus a bit of a murder mystery with a black/mixed girl main character in the South- sign me up! Unfortunately, this book did have pacing issues, with a slow start and a rushed climax. I also noticed several typos and grammar errors, which will hopefully be ironed out before publishing. I would definitely recommend this book to fans of YA fantasy, with the warning that there is some disturbing imagery so probably not for readers under 15 or so.
An interesting magic system based on the Bible and herb teas, plus a bit of a murder mystery with a black/mixed girl main character in the South- sign me up! Unfortunately, this book did have pacing issues, with a slow start and a rushed climax. I also noticed several typos and grammar errors, which will hopefully be ironed out before publishing. I would definitely recommend this book to fans of YA fantasy, with the warning that there is some disturbing imagery so probably not for readers under 15 or so.
Did Not Finish
January 24, 2026I DNF'd a little after 30 pages.
The story was difficult to follow, and I wish there was a bit more focus.
Within the first 30 pages, there was a transphobic line about a deep timbre being scary behind painted lips. There was also an ableist term by one of her friend characters. The only Hispanic character introduced himself in Spanish but never spoke Spanish again, so it was only used to drill in that he was, in fact, Hispanic. I had to put the book down soon after that.
While I don't believe any of that was intentional, this needed a lot of editing work and some beta readers to maybe catch these lines that could turn people off, especially for a book that brings up other important social issues.
The story was difficult to follow, and I wish there was a bit more focus.
Within the first 30 pages, there was a transphobic line about a deep timbre being scary behind painted lips. There was also an ableist term by one of her friend characters. The only Hispanic character introduced himself in Spanish but never spoke Spanish again, so it was only used to drill in that he was, in fact, Hispanic. I had to put the book down soon after that.
While I don't believe any of that was intentional, this needed a lot of editing work and some beta readers to maybe catch these lines that could turn people off, especially for a book that brings up other important social issues.
June 13, 2017
Rich in imaginative plot twists! This novel hooked me in with a story that delves into the supernatural, amidst racial tension and scandalous secrets galore! An ever timely narrative!
April 4, 2017
Review originally published here: https://chaininteraction.wordpress.co...
I came this close to giving up on this one. I have yet to add anything to any kind of 'did not finish' pile and I'm too proud to give up now, so I persevered. Here's what I discovered:
Willow Born very much has the feel of a debut novel. It also has the feel of a novel that would have benefited from a lot of editing or perhaps just putting it aside and coming back to it in a year or so and then cutting bits and adding bits in. Does that make any sense? What I mean is that Willow Born has some really great ideas and most of the actual writing is pretty decent but there are so many loose ends or just unnecessary threads that I spent the first 60% of the book utterly confused. In the last 40% I just decided that the things I had thought were important and plot relevant and about to be explained probably weren't any of those things and I should just read the book like none of the plot mattered.
In terms of subject/story...this kind of reads like an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer crossed with old school Dr Who crossed with some kind of teen high school drama. There's paranormal activity, there's time travel (of sorts) and there's romance for the sake of romance. None of this is overtly a 'bad' thing it just doesn't make for particularly compelling reading.
If you think you might give this book a go you won't have a terrible time of it, the last 40% of the book actually got quite interesting and exciting. But you have to be willing to commit to the confusion of the earliest phase of the book first.
By the way: I received a digital copy of this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I came this close to giving up on this one. I have yet to add anything to any kind of 'did not finish' pile and I'm too proud to give up now, so I persevered. Here's what I discovered:
Willow Born very much has the feel of a debut novel. It also has the feel of a novel that would have benefited from a lot of editing or perhaps just putting it aside and coming back to it in a year or so and then cutting bits and adding bits in. Does that make any sense? What I mean is that Willow Born has some really great ideas and most of the actual writing is pretty decent but there are so many loose ends or just unnecessary threads that I spent the first 60% of the book utterly confused. In the last 40% I just decided that the things I had thought were important and plot relevant and about to be explained probably weren't any of those things and I should just read the book like none of the plot mattered.
In terms of subject/story...this kind of reads like an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer crossed with old school Dr Who crossed with some kind of teen high school drama. There's paranormal activity, there's time travel (of sorts) and there's romance for the sake of romance. None of this is overtly a 'bad' thing it just doesn't make for particularly compelling reading.
If you think you might give this book a go you won't have a terrible time of it, the last 40% of the book actually got quite interesting and exciting. But you have to be willing to commit to the confusion of the earliest phase of the book first.
By the way: I received a digital copy of this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
April 11, 2017
I received this e-book through NetGalley in return for an honest review. Willow Born, by Shanna Miles comes out June 1, 2017, from Rochelle and Reed Publishing.
Stumbling through its foreword and first few chapters, Willow Born hits its stride once our leading lady, Colette, starts attending high school. With that structure, however minute, suddenly the storytelling shifts from barreling to merely rushing, and the reader’s confusion is paralleled and assuaged at the same rate as Colette’s.
The story follows a young black girl as she wakes up in a lake, having been recently resurrected, is rescued from near-death by a young man, is possibly kidnapped by her imaginary friend who is possessing the body of an ill-clad co-ed, and then meets with her lawyer. Colette knows something’s up (read: she probably shouldn’t be alive) and when an inconceivable school Mega Project combining her Forensics class and her Journalism class (two subjects I never took in public high school) require her to dig up a cold case that just happens to be her own, she starts to learn about her past, and her self. On top of that, young girls keep disappearing, and some of them are lucky enough to be found dead. Oh, and also, there’s been some angel-sightings.
It’s confusing, yes. There are a ton of different elements, yes. You definitely have to suspend your disbelief. But I was only seven pages in when I first said, “Okay, I love this,” aloud. Miles has done something that absolutely fascinates me. She has created a network of women, the Willows, who have effortlessly combined two seemingly irreconcilable belief systems: the Gospel, and old magic. Old as in lets you see kitchen fairies keeping your floors scrubbed and trolls helping your garden protect you, old. And, in fact, Willow philosophy folds in the modern sciences as well. Trolls and fairies are God’s creatures, and magic is just energy obeying the laws of physics in ways most of us plebeians don’t understand.
I swear, this book feels like someone took all those tumblr prompts that don’t seem like they should go together but they JUST DO and made something lovely.
Along with the beauty of Willow philosophy, this book does something else that I love and deeply respect and that I, personally, haven’t seen a lot in the YA Paranormal or Fantasy genres. Willow Born operates with Black As Default. Unless otherwise specified, all characters are black as default, and that’s wonderful.
The main factors contributing to my rating are how confusing the beginning was, and how forced the ending felt. Miles seems to be gearing up for a sequel that I don’t feel she earned. Several story points were introduced and never followed up with (i.e. THE GUN), and while Colette is very interesting, Matt’s story really needed some filling out (WHY did he feel compelled to protect her, WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THAT?), and all the side characters seemed to blend together. In a movie remake, Summer, Qutey, and Brianna would probably be recast as one character and there would be next to no story alterations. Carlos is fantastic, though. Keep Carlos. Protect him.
Now, I know that the book-to-e-book transition often exacerbates the typo issue, and that ARCs are not finished copies, but this version had way more than it’s far share of misspellings, misquotations, and missed punctuation. It’s not affecting my rating, but it was super distracting!
So overall, I give this book a 3 out of 5 star rating. Incredible premise, but the execution could use some love.
~dustmotesandvellichor
Stumbling through its foreword and first few chapters, Willow Born hits its stride once our leading lady, Colette, starts attending high school. With that structure, however minute, suddenly the storytelling shifts from barreling to merely rushing, and the reader’s confusion is paralleled and assuaged at the same rate as Colette’s.
The story follows a young black girl as she wakes up in a lake, having been recently resurrected, is rescued from near-death by a young man, is possibly kidnapped by her imaginary friend who is possessing the body of an ill-clad co-ed, and then meets with her lawyer. Colette knows something’s up (read: she probably shouldn’t be alive) and when an inconceivable school Mega Project combining her Forensics class and her Journalism class (two subjects I never took in public high school) require her to dig up a cold case that just happens to be her own, she starts to learn about her past, and her self. On top of that, young girls keep disappearing, and some of them are lucky enough to be found dead. Oh, and also, there’s been some angel-sightings.
It’s confusing, yes. There are a ton of different elements, yes. You definitely have to suspend your disbelief. But I was only seven pages in when I first said, “Okay, I love this,” aloud. Miles has done something that absolutely fascinates me. She has created a network of women, the Willows, who have effortlessly combined two seemingly irreconcilable belief systems: the Gospel, and old magic. Old as in lets you see kitchen fairies keeping your floors scrubbed and trolls helping your garden protect you, old. And, in fact, Willow philosophy folds in the modern sciences as well. Trolls and fairies are God’s creatures, and magic is just energy obeying the laws of physics in ways most of us plebeians don’t understand.
I swear, this book feels like someone took all those tumblr prompts that don’t seem like they should go together but they JUST DO and made something lovely.
Along with the beauty of Willow philosophy, this book does something else that I love and deeply respect and that I, personally, haven’t seen a lot in the YA Paranormal or Fantasy genres. Willow Born operates with Black As Default. Unless otherwise specified, all characters are black as default, and that’s wonderful.
The main factors contributing to my rating are how confusing the beginning was, and how forced the ending felt. Miles seems to be gearing up for a sequel that I don’t feel she earned. Several story points were introduced and never followed up with (i.e. THE GUN), and while Colette is very interesting, Matt’s story really needed some filling out (WHY did he feel compelled to protect her, WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THAT?), and all the side characters seemed to blend together. In a movie remake, Summer, Qutey, and Brianna would probably be recast as one character and there would be next to no story alterations. Carlos is fantastic, though. Keep Carlos. Protect him.
Now, I know that the book-to-e-book transition often exacerbates the typo issue, and that ARCs are not finished copies, but this version had way more than it’s far share of misspellings, misquotations, and missed punctuation. It’s not affecting my rating, but it was super distracting!
So overall, I give this book a 3 out of 5 star rating. Incredible premise, but the execution could use some love.
~dustmotesandvellichor
September 5, 2017
Murder, magic, energy, and religion is all connected in this interesting YA fantasy. The dark writing tempts and teases; Enjoyed the characters though I'd like to delve deeper into personalities and history. The story/plot itself was intriguing: women of color disappearing past and present; these women linked with a magical, secret society. It was at times confusing. All in all a good first effort for the author.
I'd like to read a follow-up story of Matt and his powers and supporting characters.
Voluntarily read ARC for honest review.
I'd like to read a follow-up story of Matt and his powers and supporting characters.
Voluntarily read ARC for honest review.
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