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missuec's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Moderate: Hate crime and Homophobia
lucyyaga's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia, Deadnaming, Hate crime, Homophobia, Transphobia, Religious bigotry, and Dysphoria
applejuiceinabox's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
started out very strong, but plot got very messy and grating
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Self harm, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail
veggiestrawenjoyer13's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Overall, this book was an enjoyable read and I will definitely be reading the second one. The plot twists were unpredictable and I liked the mystery/suspense. The modern media references threw me off a lot, but they were funny. Some of the dialogue was awkward, but teens are going to be awkward so I can get over that. The romance was cute, I like that it wasn’t the main plot but added more emotional depth to the characters. The diversity and inclusion felt authentic, not forced. The witchy vibes were cool and I leaned a lot about Wiccan traditions. The supernatural aspect was also cool, and it all tied together very well. The only major issue I had was the pacing at the end. It felt rushed after the main conflict was resolved. The concepts of everyone’s gifts were really interesting, I just wish it didn’t seem so sudden. I would recommend this book for anyone looking for a casual read who likes modern magical books.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Homophobia, Transphobia, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Cursing and Death
Minor: Domestic abuse, Racism, Suicide, Toxic friendship, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail
zias's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Homophobia, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Self harm
Minor: Suicide
I enjoyed this story and found it easy to read. I loved that the story used tarot cards and magic. I found Maeve to be a bit juvenile at times for being 16, but I also thought she had decent growth through the book, partly due to the events happening in the story and her learning to use tarot and magic as means of self reflection - ie herbs representing positive attributes and her recognizing when she feels episodes of rage or jealousy. I would have liked to read more about where Lily went because it felt both rushed and vague for the end of the book. I’ll definitely pick up the second book in this series.runes_reads's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I ADORED this read! This is the first book I've read of the authors, but I'm definitely going to get the rest of the series and look into other works by her. Make sure you check the content warnings for this one, there's a lot of heavy ones near the end of the book. The protagonist was so alive, her anger and frustration and messiness were all perfect in context. I remember being 16 and thinking that everything wrong in the world was my fault, too. The pacing was great, I really struggled to put this book down. I started it three days ago, but the bulk of reading (over 300 pages of it) I did today. Luckily for me, there's a preview of the next one in the back.
I would consider this dark-academia adjacent, vibe wise. There's mystery, discussions of privilege, and it of course takes place at a Catholic private school. The main cast is high school age, with the main girls being around the protagonists age (16) and in the same school year. The love interest is a year above them, so around 17. There is sexual content, so keep that in mind. Nothing very graphic, and the scenes are pretty short.
There is cursing throughout the book, and there's a bit of claustrophobia right at the beginning to be aware of.
I definitely recommend this story! The character flaws were a major part of it, and the characters changed and evolved so much throughout. It's creepy, suspenseful, but with lighter moments and a cute romance. The queer rep is lovely as always, with drag performers and the not-cis love interest. (I'm not sure what label he used)
5/5
I would consider this dark-academia adjacent, vibe wise. There's mystery, discussions of privilege, and it of course takes place at a Catholic private school. The main cast is high school age, with the main girls being around the protagonists age (16) and in the same school year. The love interest is a year above them, so around 17. There is sexual content, so keep that in mind. Nothing very graphic, and the scenes are pretty short.
There is cursing throughout the book, and there's a bit of claustrophobia right at the beginning to be aware of.
I definitely recommend this story! The character flaws were a major part of it, and the characters changed and evolved so much throughout. It's creepy, suspenseful, but with lighter moments and a cute romance. The queer rep is lovely as always, with drag performers and the not-cis love interest. (I'm not sure what label he used)
5/5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Bullying and Sexual content
Minor: Misogyny
thethanatologywitch's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This magical, tarot-driven, coming of age queer witch novel is everything I wish I had as a teenager beginning to understand who they were. Now I’m a 36 year old nonbinary witch obsessed with grief (I’m also a widow), tarot, self-acceptance and compassion towards others - and this book made me cry with its graceful portrayal of queer people.
While that isn’t the main focus of the story, it plays an incredibly important role. One that many like me needed to have put on paper. For that, I am incredibly grateful to Caroline O’Donoghue.
As for the meat of this story…it was so deliciously written. Powerful and beautiful and dangerous are the words that come to mind to sum-up the plot. Maeve, with her lack of book smarts, instinctively drawn to the tarot after finding a mysterious deck in her schools basement/storage area, begins to give readings to her fellow classmates at the all-girls catholic school she attends. In the process, she gives a reading to her ex-best friend who ends up disappearing.
What follows is Maeve’s attempts to find her as well as Maeve’s own self-discovery about who she is and what it means to love those around you. She falls for ex-BFFs brother only to find out the boy she knew isn’t a boy at all but a generous and beautiful nonbinary person trying to make their way in a world turning more violent and dark. Maeve also makes friends with Fiona, an aspiring actress who is fighting her cultural connection to healing and caring for others in order to be her own person.
This diverse and stunning cast of characters have left an imprint on my soul. Thank god the next two books are already available.
While that isn’t the main focus of the story, it plays an incredibly important role. One that many like me needed to have put on paper. For that, I am incredibly grateful to Caroline O’Donoghue.
As for the meat of this story…it was so deliciously written. Powerful and beautiful and dangerous are the words that come to mind to sum-up the plot. Maeve, with her lack of book smarts, instinctively drawn to the tarot after finding a mysterious deck in her schools basement/storage area, begins to give readings to her fellow classmates at the all-girls catholic school she attends. In the process, she gives a reading to her ex-best friend who ends up disappearing.
What follows is Maeve’s attempts to find her as well as Maeve’s own self-discovery about who she is and what it means to love those around you. She falls for ex-BFFs brother only to find out the boy she knew isn’t a boy at all but a generous and beautiful nonbinary person trying to make their way in a world turning more violent and dark. Maeve also makes friends with Fiona, an aspiring actress who is fighting her cultural connection to healing and caring for others in order to be her own person.
This diverse and stunning cast of characters have left an imprint on my soul. Thank god the next two books are already available.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Hate crime, Homophobia, Transphobia, and Violence
klee1317's review against another edition
emotional
funny
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- 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
4.25
Content Warnings
Minor: Hate crime and Homophobia
claireclimbstrees's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- 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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia and Self harm
Moderate: Racism
se_wigget's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- 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
5.0
This was wonderful and hard to put down--though the anti-queer Christofascists pissed me off. They need to be hexed.
44%: Wow--a sea monkeys reference... about an hour after I finished listening to an American Hysteria podcast episode about Sea Monkeys!
44%: Wow--a sea monkeys reference... about an hour after I finished listening to an American Hysteria podcast episode about Sea Monkeys!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia, Bullying, Hate crime, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, Lesbophobia, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death and Grief