Witch Of the Black Circle by Maria DeVivo

Josephine (Joephie) is a teenager who was cursed by a witch before she was born. Her mother has moved the two of them often. They never really stay anywhere long enough for them to set down roots, and thus Joephie expects that this town will be no different than any other location where they have lived so far. In each town, her mother sends Joephie to a private school and a church youth group, hoping that evil influences can be kept away from her daughter. But in the 1980s, during the height of the “Satanic Panic” and the “sex, drugs, and rock & roll” era, that’s all but an impossible task, when one was already cursed.

I received a review copy of this book and enjoyed reading it. I was in high school during this time period. And as someone who played Dungeons & Dragons at the time, I can’t tell you how often I had to explain to people that it was just a game; it wasn't going to influence me to go out & kill anyone. Having lived through that time period as a teenager, I couldn't resist seeing this author's representation of a group of teenagers in the 1980s.

I enjoyed reading this book. While I was a little disappointed that there was no mention of the game Dungeons & Dragons, MTV, or a myriad of other 1980s specific items, this story was focused primarily on other aspects of the 1980s Satanic Panic. So I do understand why such things were not included in this book, though I would have like to have seen them mentioned. There was still more than enough of the other parental fears and teenage activities that were common back then; some of which went much farther than most teens did back then when it came to exploring the occult. These teenagers sought to actually open a portal and summon Satan

This is a horror novel with all the sex, drugs, and rock & roll that one might expect from a book set during that time period. Throw in some teenagers learning about the occult, the forces of Satan, and some graphic sex, violence, death, and gore, and you've described this book. Be warned that it is not a book meant for younger readers as it does contain some very graphic sex and a fair amount of violence and bloodshed. But for those who enjoy horror novels set in the 1980s, you should enjoy this one. I certainly did.

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