Pj Ausdenmore's Reviews > Witch of Wild Things

This is an interesting story about coming home, dysfunctional family, forgiveness, sisters, romance, and finding one's self. And if that isn't enough, there's a bit of a mystery as well as some very intriguing magical realism.

The characters are well developed, drawing me into the story almost immediately and eliciting a variety of emotions. There are a lot of layers to sift through for more than one of them, especially within Sage's family. It's never easy coming home and the circumstances of Sage's departure and return make it less so. A boring reunion, this is not!

I enjoyed the AOL instant messenger flashbacks between Tenn and Sage. It was a clever and effective way to dig into some of those layers (of both characters) and give readers a more complete understanding of their personalities, motivation, and feelings both past and present.

Overall, the story moves at a steady pace and maintained my interest with a good balance of humor, character evolution, conflict, and emotional depth. Parts of the magical realism are easy to buy into while others require significant suspension of disbelief (I have many questions). It has me wondering if Gilliland is planning more books for this family.

If you enjoy coming of age novels with magical realism, family dysfunction, and a touch of romance, give this one a try. It's an intriguing read.

ARC received from publisher. Fair and unbiased review.