Mark of the Wicked by Georgia Bowers (ARC Review)

Title: Mark of the Wicked
Author: Georgia Bowers
Type: Fiction
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal
Publisher: Swoon Reads
Date published: August 10, 2021

A complimentary digital copy of this book was kindly provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Magic always leaves its mark.

All her life, Matilda has been told one thing about her magic: You use only when necessary. But Matilda isn’t interested in being a good witch. She wants revenge and popularity, and to live her life free of consequences, free of the scars that dark magic leaves on her face as a reminder of her misdeeds.

When a spell goes awry and the new boy at school catches her in the act, Matilda thinks her secret might be out. But far from being afraid, Oliver already knows about her magic – and he wants to learn more. As Oliver and Matilda grow closer, bizarre things begin to happen: Animals show up with their throats slashed and odd markings carved into their bodies, a young girl dies mysteriously, and everyone blames Matilda. But she isn’t responsible — at least, not that she can remember. As her magic begins to spin out of control, Matilda must decide for herself what makes a good witch, and discover the truth…before anyone else turns up dead.

⤖ My Review ⬻

The fact that witches are at the centre of the story is definitely what pulled me in about Mark of the Wicked. That, and the cover! The font is really eye-catching, and the face of the person on the cover is startled, or frightened…and it made me want to find out what it was that put that expression on her face!

When first diving into Mark of the Wicked, the writing and atmosphere gave me a slightly different vibe from the rest of the book. This was fine…I just wanted to note that. Once things picked up a bit, I was pulled into the drama and also liked the concept about magic leaving scars on the witches who use magic with bad intentions.

Mark of the Wicked was well-written, and I liked that the plot kept me guessing––I was unable to predict most of the things that ended up happening, which kept me engaged when other parts of the book lost my attention.

While I didn’t click with any of the characters, I was able to note and appreciate the character development that took place! It was satisfying and realistic. I also really liked the atmosphere in Mark of the Wicked, especially around Matilda, the main character’s, family home. Mark of the Wicked was an entertaining read.

⤖ About the Author ⬻

Georgia Bowers lives in Bedford, a small market town in England. When she got to the age where she had to decide what to do with her life, she was obsessed with two things: books and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It seemed sensible to follow in the brogued footsteps of Rupert Giles, so she became a librarian, though sadly not the demon fighting kind. But there’s still time. Ever since her mum told her that witches used to meet in the woods near their village she has been obsessed with witchcraft and the paranormal.