The Wicked Deep is a YA Gothic novel by Shea Ernshaw. In it, Ernshaw expertly weaves the tale of the Swan sisters: three sisters who were drowned for witchcraft centuries ago and return every summer to wreck havoc on the town of Sparrow. Seventeen year-old Penny Talbot lives on an island not far from the town, and her family acts as the keepers of the lighthouse. When a mysterious boy named Bo Carter arrives just for the Swan season, Penny tries to warn him off. Residents of Sparrow, especially boy residents, have a habit of drowning during the summer and rumor has it that the drownings are done by the ghosts of the Swan sisters.
Every year, they return, and inhabit the bodies of young girls, luring boys to their deaths. When Bo refuses to leave, Penny and him try to unravel the mystery that has plagued their town for centuries. With unexpected and possibly deadly consequences.
The book is similar to The Accident Season by Moira Fowley. It’s got twists and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat, a dash of romance, and enough weirdness that you might feel a chill go up your spine while reading it. It alters between past and present, and we come to understand not only the locals point of view—that the Swan sisters are dangerous—-but also the point of view of the Swan sisters.
It is the perfect way to waste a summer afternoon, or even a fall one.
