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corsetedfeminist's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This book is a magical murder mystery novel, featuring 3 best friends- a tall bi girl with chronic pain and fatigue, a nonbinary bug nerd, and a short, fat lesbian who gets all the girls and wears heels that unsheathe to reveal knives. (Yes, I am obsessed with that last member. I love all of them, but I would instantly marry Diana.)
Rounding out the group is a semi-corporal ghost of a forensic scientist who died wearing costume cat ears and is the sweetest, out of pocket gay ghost one could ever imagine, and who mentors our three girls throughout their investigation.
I loved this book. The mystery itself took repeated turns that I couldn’t predict, and the worldbuilding is complex but revealed as needed. The author also does a good job of using interviews for the case to give us back story without it being boring.
The plot is also interwoven with the developing and realistic friendship between our main characters and the struggle of a girl to accept being disabled while still saving the day.
This book is if Nancy Drew books were a little older, openly magic, and a lot gayer. What else do you need to know
Moderate: Death, Medical content, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
morganewg's review
- 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: Chronic illness, Death, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Ableism, Toxic relationship, Blood, Medical content, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Stellar book - complex plot that was enjoyable to puzzle out, and loveable characters. The magic system and Occulture at large was complex and not thoroughly explained, which I enjoyed unlike some other readers. It lends a sense of realism to the environment, since it's not like the average person could explain physics in detail to you in our world and likewise the average witch should not be able to explain magic. I would gladly read more in this universe and eagerly await more books from Smyth.fionamclary's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
However, I found the lore to be frustratingly thin. It didn't make sense to me how many seemingly basic aspects of magic were unknown to Occulture before the events of the story
Also, I really want a movie version now just so that Nathan Foad can play Theodore. I think that would go so hard.
Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Kidnapping, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Ableism, Animal death, Body horror, Cursing, Toxic relationship, Blood, and Murder
Minor: Infidelity, Violence, Medical content, Stalking, and Fire/Fire injury
madamenovelist's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Body horror, Chronic illness, Cursing, Gore, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement
se_wigget'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: Cursing, Death, Medical content, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
lbelow's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, and Alcohol
fromjuliereads'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
4.0
Let's get the minor notes out of the way first. I think that this definitely had a slower pace than I expected as a fantasy mystery. There are a few spots in the middle that lagged - but the characters do keep you interested! I think this might be more a debut thing since the author has written more short stories previously. And nothing against the book, but I did guess the villain earlier than the characters.
But my list of good far outweighs those notes!!
- I really loved these characters! They are quirky, badass, and relatable! Mallory is taller than average, Cornelia wears glasses and is blunt, and Diana is plus-size and THEY ARE ALL SMART IN THEIR OWN WAYS. They have their strengths and distinct personalities and they all love each other for who they are. It's honestly one of my favourite friendships I've read.
- queernormative characters - like, lots of them. And there are multiple nonbinary characters with they/them pronouns on page.
- chronic illness rep. Mallory has fibromyalgia and it is part of her character and the plot in a realistic way. It was great to see it part of the story and how it affects her, both physically and mentally. While I don't have chronic illness, I have migraine and pain days and Mallory felt really relatable to me in a lot of ways. Which is amazing to see in a fantasy novel!
- while I did see who the villain was going to be, the backstory and WHY, how it's revealed, were all a surprise to me and well done! I didn't see that route coming honestly.
- Theodore.
While I don't think everyone will LOVE this book, there are definitely people who will appreciate everything I listed above with the mix of magic, witches, and the occult.
Moderate: Body horror, Chronic illness, Death, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Confinement, Toxic relationship, Blood, Stalking, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Bugs, room full of bugspurplepenning's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
I picked it up for the tagline: "Be Gay. Solve crimes. Take naps." The writing didn't immediately click for me because I couldn't quite get a feel for the setting and characters, but I stuck with it for the absurdly endearing character of Theodore (an irrepressible ghost stuck in the ridiculous cat costume he died in on Halloween), the excellently portrayed chronic pain rep, and the Gen Z voice of it all. By the end, I found myself hoping that this is going to be the first in a series.
Graphic: Body horror, Chronic illness, Death, and Murder
Moderate: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Confinement, Cursing, Gore, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Alcohol