Reviews

All Our Hidden Gifts by Caroline O'Donoghue

ajlovesx's review against another edition

5.0

All Our Hidden Gifts is exactly what I want from a YA book. It's inclusive, fun, easy to read, well-paced, and treats magic with respect.
I thought it was a stand-alone- and honestly, it could work as one but thank the goddess it is part one of a series because I want more. I want to explore Roe more, I want to see what happens when the powder keg lit by Aaron explodes, I want to see how the hidden gifts manifest in the future. I will say it reads a little younger than you would expect (if you took out the sex talk this could easily be middle grade) but I assume that the series will age as it goes on.

coliesreadthat's review

4.0

3.5 rounded up to 4 bc i love the cover! Cute magical YA if only I had this in middle school!!! On to book 2!!

lightofsomekind's review against another edition

4.0

Maeve discovers a deck of tarot cards. At first, it's all innocent fun, but soon Maeve and her friends are dealing with hate crimes, nightmares, and the occult.

This book teleported me back to the heavy feelings of teen years: social stress, impression management, guilt, guilt, guilt, emotional disregulation, ignorance around white privilege, and oppression, all tucked into a spooky mystery.

I spent the book wondering: is Maeve ACTUALLY learning occult magic OR is she using a fantasy world to cope with loss. I found myself STRESS reading the final few chapters, desperately needing a resolution!

I LOVE the characters and representation. Fi is a beautiful, talented, Filipino, theater kid. Fi's family feels cozy, safe, and wise. Lily is an awkward, nerdy artist, and other characters identify as LGBTQ+.

Overall, I enjoyed the book! I like the characters a lot and plan to continue the series!

alyssamello's review against another edition

5.0

This. Book.

Where do I start? I inhaled this book in one day. Tbh going in, I really didn’t know what to expect and I didn’t go in with the highest of hopes. I am so glad that this book showed out. Obsessed. I wanna read it again already.

annabell_johnson's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

alexaabbott's review against another edition

5.0

If you’re looking for a book with a morally grey protagonist that talks about serious issues in the real world, this is it. Most fantasy novels that attempt to include contemporary issues fall very flat in my eyes, but this book successfully gave a story about queer liberation, feminism, and xenophobia while still clearly explaining all of the complex magical components. I was worried I wouldn’t understand anything about the spirituality presented in this book, but everything was explained in a way that made perfect sense (which rarely happens in fantasy books). Maeve was a fantastic character to read about as she explored her own identity and her own flaws. I loved this book, and I’m so glad it was a Monthly Pick at Barnes & Noble, so hopefully, more people will read it.

smaxdilweed's review

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious 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

4.5

4.5 | I stumbled upon this in the YA section at the book store and was drawn in by the gorgeous cover art. When I noticed Caroline O’Donoghue is the author, I immediately grabbed it, since I absolutely loved her novel, The Rachel Incident. Happy to say that I also loved this. I love the characters and story she set up and can’t wait to read the next one.

mikkieandherbooks's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

bookatarian97's review against another edition

challenging 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

4.5

margaretwilson's review against another edition

4.0

This is a solid YA novel that addresses a lot of current issues while still having a pretty riveting story throughout. The mysticism, tarot cards, Irish folklore, and thriller aspect of the book is very gripping, and somehow the author was still able to tie in differently abled kids, non-binary & gender fluid issues, gay and civil rights in Ireland, and every character had some kind of flaw. It is so refreshing to read well rounded characters! I’m not