Witchcraft Couture Book Review

Hey Beauty Bees,

I just finished reading this awesome book that I wanted to share with you. It is called "Witchcraft Couture" by Katarina West. With one of the themes of the book being fashion I figured it would fit well to talk about on my blog.

I absolutely love to read so if there are ever any books you would like for me to review, just let me know!

About the Author: 

Katarina West was born in Helsinki, Finland, into a bilingual family. She spent time travelling in Africa, Asia and Latin America, and went on to study at Queen Mary and Westfield College in London and the European University Institute in Florence, where she completed a PhD in political science. During those student years she started work as a journalist, and continued writing for various Finnish magazines and newspapers for over ten years, writing on various topics from current events and humanitarian issues to celebrity interviews and short stories. She also briefly worked as a university lecturer on humanitarian issues in Northern Italy.

You can visit her website at http://www.katarinawest.com

Summary:

Is there such a thing as stolen genius, and if there is, can it turn against the very person who stole it?

Oscar Pellegrini is a talented fashion designer with a deadly enemy: his own critical mind. He destroys much of what he designs and has been drifting for years. A chance encounter with a former girlfriend triggers a creative crisis so deep that he escapes to Russia. Just when he thinks he has lost everything, he discovers a magical machine, called the Sampo, that can turn ordinary outfits into irresistible shining triumphs. Oscar takes the machine back to Italy - and before he knows it, he has become a fashion messiah Celebrities and socialites are fighting to wear his gorgeous garments. But the happily-ever-after ending turns into a nightmare, as he is haunted by his creations. Drawing inspiration from Finnish mythology and the epic Kalevala, Katarina West has spun a story on madness, guilt and cumbersome art.

My Thoughts: 

I will admit it took me a couple of tries to really get into it but after about 40 pages I really got hooked. The author used diary style entries to write the book in the main characters point of view and it worked very well in helping the reader look deep into the troubled soul and mind of Oscar Pelligrini.  It definitely started out very weird and some parts got very dark and oppressive at times so I would not suggest this book for a younger reader but a great book for all adults. The main character and the story line reminded me alot of Holden Caulfield in The Catcher in the Rye. By the end of the book it all ties together well and explains alot of the questions you have about Oscar.

I absolutely love books that have an aspect of fashion in them and this one had that while still maintaining an interesting story line. I also really happy that the setting of the book was based in Italy and other European areas because it definitely worked well with the magical and weirdness aspects of the book, whereas I feel it would have been lost if the setting was in America.

Another reason I really enjoyed this book was how relatable Oscar was to me. I myself have experienced extreme creative blocks to the point where I just wanted to escape it all.

Get your kindle edition of Witchcraft Couture here. Coming out in print soon.