This book was given to me for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Poppy Hooper and Ember Hawkweed couldn’t lead more different lives. Poppy is a troubled teen: moving from school to school, causing chaos wherever she goes, never making friends or lasting connections. Ember is a young witch, struggling to find a place within her coven and prove her worth. Both are outsiders: feeling like they don’t belong and seeking escape.
Poppy and Ember soon become friends, and secretly share knowledge of their two worlds. Little do they know that destiny has brought them together: an ancient prophecy, and a life-changing betrayal. Growing closer, they begin to understand why they’ve never belonged and the reason they are now forever connected to each other.
Switched at birth by the scheming witch Raven Hawkweed, Poppy and Ember must come to terms with their true identities and fight for their own place in the world. Enter Leo, a homeless boy with a painful past who – befriending them both – tests their love and loyalty. Can Poppy and Ember’s friendship survive? And can it withstand the dark forces that are gathering?
“We might not look it but we are the same.” She tapped her heart. “In here.”
When I was first approached to read this book I was intrigued because it had a whole Twitches vibe. Two girls switched at birth due to magic. I was sold.
I began this book with such an open mind and excitement, expecting it to be a story about two girls helping each other through all the trials they were gonna be thrown through. The Hawkweed Prophecy was kinda like that, but as we see Poppy and Ember become friends and face hardships it kinda gets ruined by their obsession with a boy.
The minute, Leo, the leading guy got introduced my excitement for the story slowly started deteriorating. My problem was that boy came out of no where and was claiming his love for Poppy (he just looked at her and “knew”). Then 24 hours after meeting the boy, Poppy is kissing him, inviting him to her house for pizza and thinking:
“…too handsome for her to look at..”
I want to point out that this boy is homeless and looks the part.
Soon the story stoped being about the loving sisterly bond these two girls make and they realize how similar they are, and into an obsession for Leo and constantly being jealous of one another because of the boy.
It is quite disappointing, because from the first page the story starts strong, captivating you into a world of magic, prophecy and betrayal. I was longing to learn more about the way of magic, the witch clans and the importance of the witch queen. I wanted to learn more about all these wonderful characters, but the story kept going back towards Leo.
I felt like the author was forcing the romance and the love triangle into my face and down my throat. It was just unbearable. I don’t mind romances or love triangles if they build upon and are not randomly shoved into your face.
Don’t get me wrong, Leo is an important character, you either find out at the end of the book or figure it along the way. He is key to the lore of the world, but due to him, the story stopped being about Poppy and Ember finding their identities and fighting for their place in the world.
Hawkweed Prophecy has such an amazing plot that I really enjoyed and frankly I am still intrigued about the world, although over the time Leo comes into the picture I feel like gagging and closing the book.
Amazing plot, unnecessary romance.
My Rating: 2.5/5
Check out my interview with Ms. Irena Brignull