Fantastic writing, a captivating story and well formed characters made this book unputdownable. The historical significance of witch trials and senseless killing, of women outside the 'norm' of their times being crucified and judged and often times murdered. A simple mark could mean your death. This book brought to light the emotions, the turmoil and the tragedy that the past has wrought on the people living in the present. I loved the details sprinkled throughout of the past and how it has affected the present. I also liked the spacers between the chapters that highlighted parts of the sisters lives, that revealed their dark history and what happened to cause the curse. It was a wonderful change of pace and broke up the flow of the main storyline perfectly, causing crashes and waves and moments of "oh, I see". I felt immediately connected to Penny, the main protagonist, as soon as she boarded her boat and sailed from her home on Lumiere Island (with just her mother, who is suffering mentally since the disappearance of her husband, Penny's father) to the harbour of Sparrow, where she attends high school. She is spunky, strange, wild, independent, caring, smart and a very, very good friend to Rose. She is the strongest and weakest character in the book (when you read you will understand this meaning) and her story, her parent's story, is so intriguing. Penny meets Bo and a bond is formed immediately between the two. Immense, consuming, unstoppable. Bo is another very strong character, with hidden depth and secrets yet to be revealed. He is strong, silent, protective and capable of immense love and intense hatred. I love how interwoven he becomes in Penny's life, the tale of the swan sisters, and how the tragedy of their deaths enfolds him and sparks a new path. He also has suffered, and will suffer again throughout the book. The three swan sisters stories are tragic, and they slayed me. Their love for one another, their ability to brush off hate and prejudice, their determination to be better and do better than the life they were dealt. This book exposes the reader to how much hate, fear and jealousy can destroy the lives of innocent people. But also, how revenge can turn those seeking justice in to monsters. The books message is all bound up in love; the power of love to bring about anger, hurt, pain, and vengeance. But also, the power love has to heal and mend and forgive. One of the main messages of the novel is forgiveness. Specifically learning how to forgive, how to change your path from rage to acceptance. The ability to let go of the past, say goodbye to the pain and move forward, even if it means an end or death. By the end I was in tears, and it has been a long time since a book has so moved me. But I was sad, sad for Hazel, Aurora and Marguerite and the very brief and horrible life they endured. Really, I was sad for all those women that suffered throughout history for being different, independent, mentally unfit or just accused for stupid reasons. Sad that there are injustices to women even now, that sometimes the past remains the same and women continue to suffer. But there was hope in there too, sisterly affection, and hope for something better. Suffice it to say, the ending touched my heart. There were some repetitive moments, repetitive imagery, but I loved how everything reverted back to the sea. The ebb and flow, the draw of the crisp sea air, it all immersed me in a bustling harbour town that was entrenched in darkness. I cannot recommend this book enough, I am so glad I purchased it (to be honest, it was a cover buy). I knew that I enjoyed the premise, but was pleasantly surprised by the power of the story within the pages.
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