Mark of the Wicked

by Georgia Bowers

Overview

A young witch tries to unravel the mystery of who is framing her for dark magic in Georgia Bowers' creepy YA debut fantasy, Mark of the Wicked.

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.

"[A] breathlessly told, consuming portrait of a witch’s relationship with loneliness and power... protagonists are elaborately drawn, and the novel’s eerie atmosphere lingers." —Publishers Weekly

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250773906
Publisher:	Feiwel & Friends
Publication date:	08/10/2021
Sold by:	Macmillan
Format:	eBook
Pages:	352
File size:	4 MB
Age Range:	13 - 18 Years

About the Author

Georgia Bowers lives in Bedford, 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. After completing a course in writing YA fiction, she was a winner in the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators Undiscovered Voices. Since then she has dabbled with stories of chosen ones and ghostly best friends until she conjured up the magical ingredients for her debut novel, Mark of the Wicked.

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. When she was a teenager, a weekly habit of Point Horrors satisfied her thirst for chilling tales before she moved on to reading Stephen King. These days she likes to give her nerves a break every now and then with a good YA romance.

After completing a course in writing YA fiction she was a winner in the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators Undiscovered Voices. Since then she has dabbled with stories of chosen ones and ghostly best friends until she conjured up the magical ingredients for her debut novel, Mark of the Wicked.

Editorial Reviews

06/21/2021

Though the human names etched into Matilda Hollowell’s face burn night and day to remind her of the cruel spells she has inflicted, she feels no compunction about using her magic against her Gravewick Academy classmates. A lineage witch with the rare ability to conceal such scars, Matilda shuns her mother’s coven and ignores her largely nonverbal grandmother’s cryptic warnings. But as Halloween approaches and animals in town wind up dead with Matilda’s name scrawled over them, she battles blackouts and hallucinations (and police attention) while seeking the comfort of crush Oliver, a witch in training. And once she turns 17 and receives her family’s grimoire, Matilda learns information about her bloodline’s lore—including more about the legend of Ivy, Matilda’s ancestor who was cast down a well—and questions whom she can trust and whether she can change her ways. In this breathlessly told, consuming portrait of a witch’s relationship with loneliness and power, debut author Bowers crafts an intricate backstory that highlights detailed witchcraft rituals and themes of violence against women. Animal cruelty and gore are prominent, and plot points are easily guessed, but the default-white protagonists are elaborately drawn, and the novel’s eerie atmosphere lingers. Ages 13–up. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

Praise for Mark of the Wicked:

"[A] breathlessly told, consuming portrait of a witch’s relationship with loneliness and power... protagonists are elaborately drawn, and the novel’s eerie atmosphere lingers." —Publishers Weekly

"Buffy the Vampire Slayer enthusiasts will enjoy Bowers’s ability to imagine the tension that might arise when ancient rules and traditions meet the realities of the contemporary world. An especially perfect read for fans of Lily Anderson’s ­Undead Girl Gang." —School Library Journal

"Dramatic and filled with eerie magic, intrigue, and adventure, this page-turner interweaves reflections on what it means to be good or bad, including the necessity of facing one’s flaws and choices to better understand oneself." —Booklist

“Witchy and wonderful! Well written, thoroughly unputdownable and an intriguing love story simmering underneath…you will love it!” —Cynthia Murphy, Swoon reader

“A great read. The twists, the characters, the magic – loved it all.” —yasmin21, Swoon reader

“What a fantastic and gripping read – brilliantly witchy!” —tammy35, Swoon reader

“Couldn’t wait to turn each page to see what was next!” —merlene02, Swoon reader

From the Publisher

08/01/2021

Gr 9 Up—When 16-year-old Matilda says that her hometown is only interesting at Halloween, she's leaving out some details: Gravewick's haunted "witching well," the annual festival that honors the woman who haunts the well; Gravewick's various and active witch families and covens; and the love and revenge spells Matilda has been casting on her unknowing classmates. But even though Matilda is a powerful young witch from a strong witch family, she has a lot to learn, and what she doesn't know, including the unintended consequences of her more mean-spirited spells, have come back to haunt her. As Matilda falls for handsome Oliver, strange things start happening all around her—blackouts, dead animals around town, her old best friend stalking her, and even the murder of a classmate—and Matilda is the top suspect. While the teen works to clear her name, she must navigate her own family's fraught dynamics. It's only when Matilda connects with the past and accepts the power of a coven that balance is restored. Buffy the Vampire Slayer enthusiasts will enjoy Bowers's ability to imagine the tension that might arise when ancient rules and traditions meet the realities of the contemporary world. VERDICT An especially perfect read for fans of Lily Anderson's Undead Girl Gone.—Jennifer Miskec, Longwood Univ., Farmville, VA

School Library Journal