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slaywithsteph's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
The main character is a HBIC, and she means business. Once she finds herself casting magic without meaning to and discovers her memories have been altered, Emerson — Em — takes the task of saving her town in stride. And why would she stumble anyways? Wildes always rise.
This was a fun, lighthearted tale of magic and witches and a mysterious imbalance to the natural order of things. I plan to read the sequel, too.
Graphic: Misogyny and Sexism
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Death and Terminal illness
emilywemily6's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Cursing and Gaslighting
Moderate: Bullying, Sexism, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Stalking, and Abandonment
Minor: Death and Grief
theespressoedition's review
3.0
Graphic: Bullying, Sexism, and Classism
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Sexual harassment
chelseylb1988's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Bullying, Chronic illness, Sexual content, Grief, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
juffnstuff's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Violence and Abandonment
Minor: Sexual content
cassielaj's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Side note: An excellent example of fade-to-black romance that still captures the significance of the moment. Also has some thought-provoking comments on womanhood and society.
Moderate: Bullying, Violence, Blood, Grief, and Gaslighting
Minor: Sexual content
purplepenning's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.5
If only the execution had been as good as that plot. But let me say that I feel like this book is going to get dinged because of its very confident, type-A protagonist who is a proud, loud, somewhat insufferable feminist in a small Midwestern town. And, I mean, I get it, because I can't say I thoroughly enjoyed spending this entire narrative journey in her head, but I also reject it, because, yes, she's a little intense but she's not wrong. I do think she could've been written and rounded out a little more skillfully so her whole personality wasn't a string of stereotypes and mini-lectures. But even more than that, I think a ruthlessly good edit to the first few chapters would've helped this whole book tremendously. And I'm still confused about the town's timeline. Is this contemporary fantasy based on alt history or is the timeline supposed to make sense in actual history? It was supposedly settled by witches after the Salem Witch trial in the late 1600s, when really the earliest "towns" in the area were little more than French and Spanish trading posts set up in the mid-to-late 1700s.
So yeah — a great idea, an enjoyable read, that could've been much more so with a tighter edit.
Moderate: Body horror, Blood, Grief, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexual content and Medical content
Magic includes the following non-consensual applications