"I used to be one of those girls. The kind who loved to deliver bad news. When I colored my hair, I imagined it seeping into my scalp, black dye pooling into my veins.But that was the old Lacy. Now, when I cast spells, they are always for good."
16-year-old Lacy believes that magic and science can work side by side. She's a botanist who knows how to harness the healing power of plants. So when her father dies, Lacy tries to stay with her step-mother in Chico, where her magic is good and healing. She fears the darkness that her real mother, Cheyenne, brings out, stripping away everything that is light and kind.
Yet Cheyenne never stays away for long. Beautiful, bewitching, unstable Cheyenne who will stop at nothing, not even black magic, to keep control of her daughter's heart. She forces Lacy to accompany her to Sacramento, and before long, the "old" Lacy starts to resurface.
But when Lacy survives a traumatic encounter, she finds herself faced with a choice. Will she use her powers to exact revenge and spiral into the darkness forever? Or will she find the strength to embrace the light?
The first thing that drew me to this book was the cover. Like many other beautiful cover in the YA genre, this one had me wondering what type of story lies behind it. Once I read what the book was about, I decided there was no way I could pass up at a chance to read it. I had very high hopes for When My Heart Was Wicked, and more so because it was coming from a new debut author. I'll tell you honestly, I DEVOURED this book in less than 5 hours! I was half tempted to re-read it again right after finishing. Yes, IT WAS THAT GOOD! Going into the book like I said my hopes were high in finding a excellent read but boy oh boy they definitely exceeding by leaps and bounds. So let me tell you why...
As the story begins you learn 16 year old Lacy has recently lost her Father. She continues to live with her Stepmother, Anna who she has developed a close relationship with over the years. Lacy and Anna now live alone with their cat Mr. Murm. Lacy receives a sudden and very unexpected visit from her real Mother, Cheyenne. With this also comes an evil Lacy knows all too well. Cheyenne demands that "her daughter" leaves with her at once, moving away from Anna, her friends, the city she loves and even her cat. Having no other choice legally, Lacy goes with her Mom to live in Sacramento. A dark past with her Mother has lead Lacy to hate Cheyenne. There always has been darkness within her Mother, and Lacy knows better to trust her Mother again.
Both Lacy and her Mother are witches. Lacy is and needs to be a good witch. She uses plants for spells, adores science and botany and tries hard to help others. Her Mother is the total opposite, only doing things for the good of herself, and more so hiding the evil that lies within her.
As Lacy spend more and more time with her Mother things around are beginning to feel "off". Little things really, a tea her Mother gives her that makes Lacy sleepy, a garden that kills everything that Lacy plants, all except her Mother's flowers. Now starting out at a new school Lacy finds herself being tormented right away. Mean girl, Olive finds things to pick on Lacy about, being the new girl and a witch is never easy. The unexpected happens and a really hot guy from her school begins to flirt with her and even asks her out. Deciding to give it a go, Lacy finds herself really falling for this guy until "something" bad happens to ruin it all.
Lacy decided enough is enough, leading her to tap into the "darker side" of herself. With one simple spell Lacy begins turning out more like her Mother than she cares to admit. But there's something her Mother is hiding from her, something dark and wicked, something that may hold Lacy to her forever....
....but to find out what, read the book!
Of course there is a LOT more to the story than that but I don't want to spoil it for everyone (I hope I haven't already). One of the many things I loved about this book was LACY herself. I really loved her character, everything thing about her. She's edgy, strong-willed, smart, loyalty, and more than anything she's a witch. She's had such a hard life but fights to stay afloat. The way she "handled" all of the tough decisions she was forced to make in the book and decided how she wanted to live her life was what made Lacy kick-a$$ witch she is.
The whole story while short, a mere 184 pages, really packed a "epic" punch! I was hooked from page one. There was magic, betrayal, good vs evil, and a frenzy of excitement. I couldn't flip the pages fast enough to find out what would happen next. I fell instantly in love with When My Heart Was Wicked and I can't wait to find out what other books author Tricia Stirling has coming out next!
Trust me guys, this book is one not to miss! If you like books about witches, magic, and good vs. evil with a twist of a mystery then When My Heart Was Wicked is a sure fire winner. I know it was for me! ❤
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