Witchcraft Couture

BEAUTIFUL NEW COVER 7/15!

West, K. (2014). Witchcraft Couture. Self-published.

Adult / Fiction / Supernatural? / Magic?

I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars.

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Witchcraft Couture spins the tale of artist "Oscar" Federico Pellegrini, who has lost his confidence and creativity. When he faces his former love, who has now become a major player in the fashion world, the stress to succeed becomes too much for Federico, who goes into a panic of self-doubt, fleeing the country and drinking himself into oblivion. As he vacillates between reality and hallucinations, Federico gains possession of a machine - either divine or devilish -- which converts plain clothing into designs which have otherworldly qualities. In the process, Federico becomes obsessed with the machine as the public becomes obsessed with his pieces. Rather than feeling better about himself as he becomes a fashion world sensation, Federico suffers debilitating depression, paranoia, and guilt, as the voices in his head call him an imposter and the few people who love him are forced to distance themselves from his erratic and destructive behaviors.  Does something supernatural power the machine, or is it Federico's mind that creates via the crutch of the machine?

Katarina West has created a truly unique premise that will have readers drawing their own conclusions as to what is real and what is imagined, and no conclusion will be final. I found myself feeling strongly that Federico was simply a delusional, brilliant artist suffering from mental illness, but then West would provide some evidence that would taint my theories with doubt.  West built her characters so richly that we could feel they were going through the same struggles as the readers with what to believe. Conflicted friend Ben and designer Dante seem to be the only people who are clearly sane, but even they get swept away with the magic and success of Federico's designs. Federico's mother seems intentionally blurry for the reader, adding to the mystery of what is truly unfolding. Readers know only what Federico tells them through his journal, which is the format for most of the book, and we can't know for sure if its truth or only Federico's version of it.  When Dante asks, "Why can't you do ordinary things in an extraordinary way," Federico, in striving to do something extraordinary, can't grasp the possibility of escape from his self-imposed chains.  An epilogue written by Ben clears-up some issues, but muddles others so that the reader is left with MUCH to ponder. 

Clearly, author Katarina West has been deliberate in her word choices, creating beautifully descriptive scenes and characters, for a well-edited, cohesive, and captivating story. Witchcraft Couture explores the power of the mind and how experiences and expectations can drive people to extreme behaviors. 

Thank you to the author for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review -- the only kind I give. 

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Learn more about the delightful author KATARINA WEST on her website, and follow her on Twitter, Facebook, or Goodreads.

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Circle Nine

Heltzel, A. (2011). Circle nine. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press.
YA Mystery / Contemporary /Psychological Thriller

QuickNEasy*, 260 pages, ages15+

I gave this one 4 out of 5 stars on Goodreads.

It is hard for me to say this is a good story, as it's really pretty disturbing what the mind will allow when it is traumatized.  The brain will allow and accept alternate truths and delusions so that it doesn't have to deal with reality and repress anything disturbing. 

But it is a good story, intelligently written with good characterization where it was important. I pretty much read it straight through because the pieces of the puzzle were enticing me to want to see the whole, completed picture.  There were enough hints that I knew the complete picture was going to be ugly, but I had to know.  I desperately needed an explanation.

Our main character, seventeen-year-old Abby, lives in utter bliss.  She doesn't remember anything except Sam, and Sam is everything to her and she everything to him.  Their life seems like a fairy tale, but there is blurring at the edges to signal something's terribly off.  Abby's reality is richly descriptive, and like Abby, the reader wants to believe in the decadent life Abby is living.

Abby's complete and utter dependence on Sam is frustrating, and Sam's complete and utter control over Abby even more so; but there is so much below the surface and neither is truly completely in control or completely controlled. Again, running beneath the surface was this NEED for me to find out why Abby was so passive and easily manipulated. . . I kept on reading.

Recently, the books I've been reading haven't had satisfactory resolutions at the end, but that is not the case for Circle Nine.  Though we don't have all the answers, and we don't know exactly what happens around the bend, the direction the story leads makes sense.  There is some hope for Abby, even after the dire and depressing life she's lived.

I could definitely see this being made into a movie. . . 

So, the Clean-O-Meter is tough on this one.  There is abuse -- serious, ongoing psychological and sexual abuse.  The sex isn't graphic or detailed, but it's there and the context makes it sickening.  There is some mild vulgar language -- though a day later, I can't remember specifically which ones, indicating they were apropos for the situations.  There are references to underage drinking and drug use, and drug addiction is a major component of the story though not blatantly so.  So, maybe a 6.5 because it's done so well.

*I initially read this because due to the length, I thought it might appeal to reader who has little patience for lengthy stories; however, this isn't written at a low-level. The vocabulary is better than I'd expected, and there are plenty of literary references that the average reader may not know. Having said that, I don't think the vocab or references are show-stoppers to those who don't understand them, and they definitely enrich the story.