Book Review: Wild and Wicked Things

The cover is giving Tarot card to me, and is so lovely!

Wild and Wicked Things by Francesca May came up in my search for 20th century secondary worlds, even though it technically takes place in our world, just on a fictional island off the coast of England.

The 1920s prohibition in this book isn't against alcohol, but magic. Annie comes to Crow Island to take care of her late father's estate, and doesn't care much for the illegal magic parties at the house next door. However, the witch in residence, Emmeline, catches her eye. As Annie uncovers her father's surprises, she also reconnects with a friend who moved to the island, who happens to owe Emmeline a lot: the life of the husband she enchanted into loving her. However, the debt is costing Emmeline's life, bit by bit, and the husband is not just unwilling to pay, he's willing to fight over it. Annie makes choices that continue to wrap her up in the whole business, and eventually she must come to terms with not only who she's become, but who her father was. 

This book's twist with prohibition was cool, and I liked that the location was confined to the island to limit the amount of worldbuilding required. The story kept a good momentum and never really languished anywhere. It gave Practical Magic vibes in terms of the magic system, very herbal and soft.

Hurdle number one is that I dislike The Great Gatsby, and only after buying this did I learn it's a Gatsby retelling. I thought it was just the 1920s. (Let me have the 20s without Jay Gatsby barging in PLEASE!) I wasn't a fan of the flashbacks purposefully hiding who the flashbacks were about, then resolving that with a character being forced to change her name. I felt the author messing me with there, and I never like to notice the author while reading.

This book is for you if you like The Great Gatsby, if you want a sapphic romance in the 20s, or if you enjoy Practical Magic. It's not for you if you dislike The Great Gatsby or if you aren't in the headspace to read about fertility problems or abusive partners.

​
Have you read Wild and Wicked Things? Let's discuss in the comments!