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brigid_reads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Abandonment and Classism
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Physical abuse, Racism, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Homophobia and Murder
chrisljm's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Sexual content, and Alcohol
Moderate: Bullying, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Racism, Murder, and Classism
fromthefoxhole'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
5.0
The story - Mika Moon is a witch, and she is part of a smallish society of witches. This society is led by Primrose, a very strict and rule-focused witch, who also happens to be the woman who raised her and isolated her for the majority of her life.
After viewing one of Mika's videos, a man forms an idea, and shortly thereafter Mika receives a dm, WITCH WANTED. Upon reading further, she finds it is a request for a tutor, as he has 3 young witches who require assistance. As Mika had been raised that witches should not congregate (except for short amounts of time a few times a year), she accepted immediately.
What follows is a delightful romp, wherein Mika teaches these young witches and allows herself to learn alongside them.
The review - Yes. Read it, it's just a wonderful time, truly. Mika is a sunshine-y FMC that will bowl you over with sweetness, countered directly by Jamie, the grumpy love interest, hell bent on protecting his girls at any cost. The supporting cast is no less excellent, each given their moment to shine and charm the reader, so that by the end, each of the 7 of them have their hooks in you as much as Jamie and Mika. Add to that a heaping spoonful of whimsy, a dash of mystery, and a pinch of spice, and you've got the recipe for a 5 star read. I'm gonna recommend it to everyone I know.
Graphic: Death of parent and Murder
Moderate: Sexual content
skudiklier'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
5.0
Original review pasted below:
I absolutely adored this book. I mean, really. It's got witches. It's got found family. It's got enemies to lovers. It's got queer grandpas. It's got cute little kids. It's got plot twists. What more could you ask for from a book, honestly.
Also--you know that feeling you get when you're deep into a good story, or maybe you've already finished it, and you find yourself wanting to go back to that world and those characters? You could be doing anything and then suddenly you have this weird urge that maybe you can't place for a minute, until you go, oh, I just want to go back to reading/watching that.
I get that a lot, but in most cases it's not until I'm a good ways into the story, unless I'm rereading a childhood favorite or something like that. What's weird about The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches is that I started feeling that way almost right from the beginning. I was barely into the book, and still would feel myself drawn to the characters. I didn't have a lot of time to read it at first, so I made my way through the first third the book pretty slowly, and it was surprisingly hard to not just drop everything and read it all so I could stay in the story.
By midway through, I sort of did drop everything to finish it. I couldn't help it. And agh, I just, I loved it so much. I have no idea if the author plans to write sequels, but I hope she does, just because I feel like I could spend so much longer in this world and with these characters, and never have enough.
Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and Netgalley for the chance to read and review this ARC.
Graphic: Xenophobia
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Racism, Sexual content, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Minor: Homophobia, Abortion, Death of parent, and Murder
jencolumb0'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
4.75
Graphic: Death of parent and Abandonment
Moderate: Death
Minor: Physical abuse and Murder
bringmybooks'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
4.75
(that's it. that's the tweet)
✨ 𝗕𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚 ✨ B̷O̷R̷R̷O̷W̷ B̷Y̷P̷A̷S̷S̷
(JK - I, of course, have more to say)
Okay, so last year the sub-genre "Cozy Fantasy" starts getting thrown around a whole lot, and I'm intrigued. I then discover that some of my favorite series as a kid fall into this category, and I'm even more intrigued. I then read Legends & Lattes and I'm HERE. FOR. IT.
So on a whim I buy the hardcover UK edition of L&L and while on the site I snag this adorable UK hardcover of The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches as well. And I debate waiting until October to read it, but then I don't, which I'm glad for because HELLO THIS WAS DELIGHTFUL.
Okay, but seriously. This book was pure magic. The relationships, the magical system, the plot, the characters, the romance, the ending, just ... all of it. I was hooked pretty much immediately and once Mika Moon (also, the name? I mean? are you kidding me?) gets to Nowhere House I didn't want to put this book down until I finished!
(The absolute. only. thing. that gave me pause was the amount of cussing in it. Well, not necessarily the cussing because I don't really care about that, but more so that there were a number of times that it seemed like the three young children would have been in the room with the cussing just flying around and that wasn't my fav)
That aside - I genuinely LOVED this book and I cannot WAIT for the next book to come from Sangu Mandanna!
(according to her IG, it's A WITCH’S GUIDE TO MAGICAL INNKEEPING and it's coming in April 2024!)
Moderate: Cursing and Grief
Minor: Death, Homophobia, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and Murder
redefiningrachel'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
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Murder, and Abandonment
Moderate: Body horror, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Pregnancy
Minor: Alcoholism, Homophobia, Racism, and Sexual content
modernmatilda'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? It's complicated
5.0
Minor: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, and Alcohol
skudiklier's review against another edition
- 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
Also--you know that feeling you get when you're deep into a good story, or maybe you've already finished it, and you find yourself wanting to go back to that world and those characters? You could be doing anything and then suddenly you have this weird urge that maybe you can't place for a minute, until you go, oh, I just want to go back to reading/watching that.
I get that a lot, but in most cases it's not until I'm a good ways into the story, unless I'm rereading a childhood favorite or something like that. What's weird about The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches is that I started feeling that way almost right from the beginning. I was barely into the book, and still would feel myself drawn to the characters. I didn't have a lot of time to read it at first, so I made my way through the first third the book pretty slowly, and it was surprisingly hard to not just drop everything and read it all so I could stay in the story.
By midway through, I sort of did drop everything to finish it. I couldn't help it. And agh, I just, I loved it so much. I have no idea if the author plans to write sequels, but I hope she does, just because I feel like I could spend so much longer in this world and with these characters, and never have enough.
Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and Netgalley for the chance to read and review this ARC.
Graphic: Xenophobia
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Racism, Sexual content, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Minor: Homophobia, Abortion, Death of parent, and Murder