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Wise Creatures by Deirdre Sullivan: Review

Wise Creatures
Deirdre Sullivan
Hot Key Books, September 2023
Paperback, £8.99
ISBN 9781471411205

There were multiple points in my initial reading of Wise Creatures that I assumed I knew what was going to happen next. Not once was I correct. Deirdre Sullivan’s latest novel is full of moments that had me flipping back through the pages to re-read brilliant foreshadowing that I had previously overlooked. In this darkly thrilling tale of the otherworldly, she expertly evokes a growing sense of wrongness and paranoia while exploring the residual impact of repressed childhood trauma.

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Review: Perfectly Preventable Deaths by Deirdre Sullivan

Perfectly Preventable Deaths
Deirdre Sullivan
Hot Key Books, 2019
Paperback, £7.99
ISBN 9781471408236

Perfectly Preventable Deaths hooks you from the very first pages, drawing you into a story filled with magic, witchcraft and sisterhood. The book follows Maddy and her twin Catlin, who have just moved to the secluded town of Ballyfrann in Galway with their new stepfather. Catlin is eager to meet new people and find her perfect match.

Maddy, however, has a harder time trusting anyone in Ballyfrann. She is worried for her sister. She grows suspicious when she learns of not-entirely-explainable-or-natural things going on in Ballyfrann. Soon, Maddy is fearing for a lot more than just her life. I instantly loved Maddy, and though she annoyed me on occasion, I also became attached to Catlin. The plot was slow in the beginning, mainly focusing on building the atmosphere, which definitely paid off in the end.

Though I loved many things about this book, the writing has to be my favourite. Something about the way Deirdre Sullivan has written this story makes it beautiful, eerie and utterly unique at the same time. Sullivan’s writing is reminiscent of the likes of Erin Morgenstern and Stephanie Garber. The entire layout of the book was also expertly done and you can’t help but admire the finished product. With the constant mystery and plot twists, this book is hard to put down and even harder to forget.

Sara Kwiatkowska, 13

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Review: Precious Catastrophe by Deirdre Sullivan

Precious Catastrophe
Deirdre Sullivan
Hot Key Books, September 2021
Paperback, £7.99
ISBN 9781471410680

After Maddy sacrifices her soul in order to save her sister Catlin’s life during a traumatic incident, the two sisters continue their lives in Ballyfrann, a town where people who are not quite human have lived. Catlin is still haunted by the memory of the person she thought she loved, and what he did to her. Maddy is learning magic from Mamo, an old woman in Ballyfrann. After the traumatic incident the sisters endured, Madeline is left worrying about what else could go wrong if she doesn’t stay alert. And before long, things do start to happen.

I really enjoyed reading this book. I love that it is narrated by both sisters, I think that multiple narratives are so interesting. Though each sister’s style of storytelling is different, both are extremely captivating, and it doesn’t take long to become immersed in this fascinating tale.

One of my favourite things about this book was that it included a number of currently topical issues, including the trauma Catlin experiences. As a young adult, I think it’s important that we are able to read about this kind of thing, in order to create awareness and change. I would recommend this book to all young adults, I’m sure you will all love it.

Rebecca Downey, 15