A Curse on the Wind

by Joni Sensel

In A CURSE ON THE WIND, a would-be actress, a good-looking gravedigger, and a cemetery haunted by an invisible power collide with the unintended consequences of a curse. This YA historical fantasy features 17-year-old Gethsemane, who gives in during a weak moment and casts a dramatic curse against someone who wronged her. In 1909 Ohio, buzzing with modern machines and inventions, she never expects it to work. When the spirit of the Wind delivers her curse and expects her to marry it in return, she has to somehow escape its unwanted attention or give up the chance to ever be loved. Only by facing her own shadow and trusting an unlikely ally can she outsmart the Wind to find true love instead.

290 pages, Paperback

Published September 19, 2022

About the author

Joni Sensel is the author of more than a dozen non-fiction titles for adults and five novels for young readers from Macmillan imprints, as well as two picture books. Her fiction titles include a Junior Library Guild selection, a Center for Children’s Books “Best Book,” a Henry Bergh Honor title, and a finalist for several other awards. Her adventures have taken her to the corners of 15 countries, the heights of the Cascade Mountains, the length of an Irish marathon, and the depths of love. She lives at the knees of Mt. Rainier in Washington State with a puppy who came into her life as a birthday gift that reflected afterlife influence. Sign up for her creativity newsletter on her website!

Reviews

[Marquise · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lovely story, with an original idea for a female lead that I'd not seen before, and a setting that is just as compelling.

I only wish the curse had unfolded better as regards Geth's deal with the Wind and how she wiggles her way out of it, specifically. Besides that, it's a quick read, not excessively complicated, and the heroine, Gethsemane, is easy to like and root for despite not being a flawless character.

I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Dab · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a quick, easy and pleasant read. Given the premise of a cemetery and a mystery I expected something more spooky but it is all really low angst.

Geth has been left at the altar and in her anger she casts a curse on the Wind to punish her former fiancé. To her surprise the Wind obeys but demands her hand in marriage in return. Now Geth will need help of her bff, a town witch and an old friend to get out of that mess.

What I loved the most about this book was the writing. The story went seamlessly and it was easy to follow. I enjoyed the historical setting and the touch of magic. The idea of the Wind as a sentient being is unique and the Wind ended up being my favorite character in the book; moody and self centered but not entirely evil.

Geth’s love life was quite a whirlwind; three fiancés within a week! Phew! Aaron was an amazing and dedicated friend but the romance felt rushed. I would have loved to see some backstory to understand their relationship better.

I would recommend this book to readers as young as twelve, maybe fourteen. For me it was unfortunately too tame in both magical and romance departments and maybe too short so some parts felt underdeveloped.

3.5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Backlit PR for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Nicki Markus · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Curse of the Wind was a fun story in many ways. I enjoyed the premise greatly and it was a cosy and easy little read. A part of me would have liked it to have been a bit darker at times, since it tended more towards whimsy, but that's simply a personal preference. I also struggled a little bit with the romance element, which felt a bit sudden. But, again, other readers may not feel the same way. Overall, though, this was an entertaining story with an interesting setting and a captivating storyline, and if you are a fan of YA fantasy, it's worth checking out. It gets 4 stars from me.

I received this book as a free eBook ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such an amazing book. The writing was so beautiful and elegant. It flows like the wind. The story had just the right amount of friendship, romance, and mystery. Such a fun and lighthearted read. I loved how the Wind became personalized and just the character itself.I absolutely adored it!

[jay! · Rating 3 out of 5]

thank you netgalley and backlit PR for providing a digital ARC of this book!

a curse on the wind follows geth, a young aspiring actress in turn-of-the-century ohio, who makes an ill-advised bargain with the wind after her betrothed abandons their engagement. geth pleads with the wind to curse her former beau, but in the end finds she may have spoken in the heat of her anger and seeks a way to take back her curse and slip out of the trouble she’s gotten into, as well as a promise she’s expected to keep to the wind.

i ended up enjoying this book very much. it’s the perfect cozy, slightly spooky read to pick up this october. the story is whimsical and fun and the author does a wonderful job of building atmosphere, while the minor mystery element of the graverobbers combined with how much of the book takes place in a cemetery gives it a nice spooky feel. the prose was also really enjoyable, i loved the warmth of it and the slightly lyrical quality.

that said, i have to say that my favourite part of this book has to be the characters. geth is so sneaky and ambitious and such a fun protagonist to follow through the story, and i loved the relationships between her and the other characters, particularly her best friend sarah and the adorable love interest, aaron.

if you’re looking for something quick and easy and enjoyable to read this fall, i’d definitely recommend giving this one a try!

[Isabella Whytcross · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to BackLit PR and NetGalley for allowing me to read a e-ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review! 😊

This novel was fun but that was mostly all it was. As would-be actress Geth copes with the abandonment of her fiancé she turns to the occult of the town’s cemetery and decides to make a curse upon the wind. As it turns out, the Wind is sentient and requires something in exchange for Geth’s curse.

Thoughts:
I wanted to give this novel a higher rating but as I said before it was fun but just that. There was something lacklustre of the characters that prevented me from fully immersing myself into the story.

This was not for a lack of trying with the cheeky nature of the Wind to the real life ambitions of a woman in the early 1900’s provides good food for an interesting story, however it somewhat fell flat. And that may just be a personal lacking on my part but it just wasn’t my favourite

Something I did not care for the main characters description of the one black character in the book. Geth used derogatory language against the character, whom might I add was someone Geth respected as she was in a high position of the local acting guild. I understand immersing an audience into the time and setting of a book but it was completely unnecessary and even pulled me out of book. The racism was something I do not stand for or enjoy in any book I read and for that my review lands on a rating far lower than most.

I give ‘A Curse on the Wind’ 2 stars.

[Katlyn Marshall · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley for providing an ARC of A Curse in the Wind by Joni Sensel.

The story follows Geth who was recently stood up by her fiancé and in an act of vengeance crused her ex. She didn't expect the cruse to work, but she begins to hear a voice carried by the wind and her exes building is caught on fire shortly after.

In order to repay the debt for the cruse Geth has to marry Wind or risk harm coming to her family and those she cares about.

Overall I did enjoy the book, I really like Joni's writing style. And it was a different take on a historical fiction, which was a welcome change. I liked that the majority of the book was spent with Geth and realizing she deserves more than what she is given.

I did enjoy the background characters as they added more depth to the story.

I would recommend reading this book for a short cozy read and would look forward to reading other books by them.

[Mackenzi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Curse on the Wind, was an interesting book with an amazing plot!
Our story’s main character is Geth, her finance has abandoned her so what does she do? She curses him and to her surprise it works! Her curse is carried out by the wind and what the wind does in return wants her hand of marriage. Geth doesn’t want this so she has to find a way out of the deal.
The story was super unique, the entire plotline with Geth trying to get out of the marriage with the Wind I loved. It's not everyday the Wind is trying to marry you! I love Geths character, ( I didn’t at first ). I’m glad she realized she deserves to be happy and to not be sad about her finance. I’m a huge fan of her best friend Sarah, the scenes with her were absolutely wonderful. The description of the town, it made the book feel super cozy. This is definitely a wonderful fall read!
Thank you Netgalley and The Wild Rose Press,Inc for an e-arc copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[RE · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a quick, entertaining read. I enjoyed watching the ways Geth and the Wind tried to outsmart each other. I almost wish there was more of that, actually.

I also wished there was more of Aaron. I would love to see what his life is like and how he feels about things. It probably would have made for a spookier story too.

The book lost points for Geth's moment of subtle racism never being addressed. It also lost points for a character's abusive, manipulative behavior that gets ignored or forgotten by Geth later on.

It was fun to watch their adventures in the graveyard and the game of wits though. This book would be good for someone looking for a light, entertaining read.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Backlit PR in exchange for an honest review.

[Bella Toric · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a great read, the characters were loveable and the storyline was one that kept me constantly on the edge of my seat. Both the main character and the premise were new concepts and really had a magic al element to them that had me thoroughly enjoying the book.

The book itself was quick, fun and overall the plot was enjoyable. It moves fast and had me smiling a lot of the time. This is an awesome read come spooky season!

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

[J.S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to read an early draft of this fabulous book. I love a good curse, especially when it’s in a story where family and societal expectations and a voicey antagonist come together in an unexpected twist.

[fredrayburn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Curse on the Wind by Joni Sensel is a good read. An interesting story that keeps the reader focused, wondering what is about to happen next. I recommend this book.

[Piper · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Wind, a moody and self-centered but not entirely evil sentient being, ended up being my favourite character in the book.

Geth's love life was a whirlwind, with three fiancés in a week! Phew! Aaron was a wonderful and dedicated friend, but the romance was rushed. I would have liked to have seen some backstory to better understand their relationship.

I would recommend this book to readers as young as twelve, possibly as young as fourteen. Unfortunately, it was too docile for me both in the magical and romance departments, and it was perhaps too short, and that some parts felt underdeveloped.

3.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Backlit PR for providing me with the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Page Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Wild Rose Press Inc!

What an interesting ride! If you like the unlikely or love an out of the box story, then this is the book for you!

From the set scene, to the lovable characters and the not so likable characters one thing is certain this book is impossible to not love.

No triggers to mention.