VenCo

I enjoyed this story, especially the character of Stella who, in personality reminded me of my mother, but her alzheimers/dementia symptoms brought to mind my grandmother. The story itself is very well researched when it comes to the history and regional magical practices, respecting multiple forms of spirituality and bringing it all together into a whole. It was a fun read, but the author still has a bit of room to grow as a storyteller. I look forward to seeing more from her in the future. I definitely recommend this book, though I don't think it quite deserves four stars.

Lucky St. James is just trying to keep herself and her grandmother (who has dementia) fed, sheltered, and safe in Toronto when she is pulled into a centuries-old conflict between witches and the men who hunt them down in Cherie Dimaline’s tense novel, VenCo. We never really learn a lot about this world’s explanation for witch-hunting, which is a little frustrating, nor do we get much more than a series of backstories about the members of the coven Lucky is fated to join. The best parts of this book are the sections focused on Lucky herself, who stands out in an otherwise thin story...

Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley, for review consideration.

I enjoyed Dimaline’s Empire of Wild, so I wanted to give this one a try. I was a little skeptical because it sounded kind of goofy, and unfortunately it did come off that way to me upon reading some of it. But that’s ok! I would still try more from her in the future.