"House of Ivy & Sorrow" by Natalie Whipple

A big THANK YOU for this book goes out to my brother and newest sister-in-law. They have great taste, as this was one of my birthday books from the couple.

House of Ivy & Sorrow (Apr. 15, 2014) by Natalie Whipple.

“They say a witch lives in the old house under the interstate bridge.” Because she really does. Just ask seventeen-year-old Josephine “Jo” Hemlock. The witch is her grandmother, after all: Dorothea Hemlock (a.k.a. Nana). They reside in [fictional] Willow’s End, Iowa. Jo has kept her magical life secret from her non-magical one, mostly because telling others about it would be breaking major witching tradition. She’s about to let others in on the secret, though, and not by choice. Of all people, Nana makes that decision when the Curse that’s killed many witches, including Jo’s own mother, finds them in Willow’s End. Magical barriers are in place, but the shadows are strong, and Jo doesn’t know their source. In theory, if she can discover that, she can figure out who killed her mom, prevent herself from being Cursed and save her friends, a couple of whom don’t go unscathed.

            Outsiders who know nothing of magic may assume that it’s simply a battle of good witch versus bad witch. Light magic versus dark magic. But all magic is dark. It comes down to that some witches are more responsible with their magic than others. In their world, you control magic or go crazy when it consumes you. Which sort of witch would you be? And why?

            I’ll be honest. With all of that ivy, the cover is very busy, and I initially figured I wouldn’t read it for that reason. But after reading two of Whipple’s books and enjoying them, I put this book on my birthday list as one of my “must-haves.” And I’m so glad I did, because it read swiftly. The book is something of a supernatural YA thriller. Despite its title, it’s not the darkest book I’ve read, though there is sorrow and pain. There’s also suspense, but it’s not so scary you want to sleep with the lights on. I enjoyed Whipple’s version of witching tradition, but what I really appreciated was the strong bond, not just between Jo and Nana, but of sisterhood. I’m not only referring to blood relations (Jo doesn’t actually have any sisters), but of the bonds between women, whether they’re related or not. Love is a bond that binds and woe to anyone who tries to break it!