katieo156's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Moderate: Drug use, Toxic relationship, Lesbophobia, Biphobia, Bullying, Homophobia, Sexual assault, and Toxic friendship
thecatconstellation'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? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Spoiler
being in a relationship with Pix magically curing her pot addictionGraphic: Drug abuse, Toxic relationship, Drug use, Stalking, Alcohol, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Sexual assault, Bullying, Infidelity, Chronic illness, Vomit, Addiction, Medical content, and Violence
Minor: Biphobia, Panic attacks/disorders, and Religious bigotry
torikate7'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
4.0
Graphic: Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Bullying, and Alcohol
Moderate: Cursing and Emotional abuse
Minor: Blood, Rape, Sexual assault, Biphobia, and Drug use
bi_n_sad'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
3.5
Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Bullying, Alcohol, Homophobia, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, Chronic illness, and Mental illness
Minor: Biphobia and Sexual harassment
chilivanilli28's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Moderate: Homophobia, Biphobia, and Drug use
Minor: Sexual violence and Sexual content
heyitsfrancesca's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Spoiler
Harrison was already spreading that she was an obsessed lesbian, perhaps on her walks she didn't stop at Chloe's house, but he spread the rumor that she did, if the trope was completely necessaryI also didn't enjoy the depiction of Chloe as a kind of discount bisexual and as some other negative interpretations. This story relied on using tired tropes to further characters, including having a manic pixie dream girl (albeit sapphic), which made it feel a little dull. However, the MC has an interesting family life, and I appreciate a relatively healthy non-nuclear family being depicted.
I was drawn into this book, finishing the audiobook in a day, and I enjoyed the shorter chapters about the major arcana framing the themes of the chapter after it. The ideas shown about paganism and witchcraft were also really nice to read about.
Graphic: Drug use, Grief, and Lesbophobia
Moderate: Stalking, Infidelity, Biphobia, Panic attacks/disorders, and Bullying
Minor: Toxic relationship and Sexual assault
kingrosereads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
This book contains homophobia/lesbophobia, marijuana use, anxiety/panic disorder, chronic illness, bullying, sexual assault, grief, and toxic relationship/friendship.
I liked this book. I wasn’t aware it wasn’t about magical witches and not at all a fantasy until I started reading it. It is about real witches that practice Wicca/pagan-based witchcraft.
Our story follows 17-year-old high school dropout but recent GED recipient and self-proclaimed most skeptical and cynical person in Salem, Eleanor Anderson. Eleanor skips out on her senior year after being marked as a crazed lesbian stalker of her ex-best friend and popular girl, Chloe, and an accident that occurred on Halloween night. Now Eleanor works full time at her mother’s friend, Susan’s, witchy shop to help pay for their bills. Her mom has Lyme’s disease that she contracted two years prior and what had them move to Salem to be closer to Susan so she can help take care of them. Eleanor’s family believes that her mom is faking her illness.
Things change for Eleanor when she receives a hand written guide on tarot in the mail and meets Pix and Ofira on the same day. Pix and Ofira are cousins and Ofira is new to Salem. They also happen to be witches. They invite Eleanor to join their coven and she’s drawn in by curiosity and her interest in Pix. Eleanor slowly works through her tarot guide and process the trauma of the year prior. She and Pix grow closer together and start dating.
We learn that she and Chloe secretly dated because Chloe, though out as bisexual to her parents, was ashamed of dating Eleanor. She ends up choosing to date resident popular douchebag, Harrison, to increase her own popularity, but the girls try to remain friends. Harrison manipulates Chloe and the student body into thinking that Eleanor is a predatory lesbian obsessed with Chloe and tries to erase Chloe’s bisexuality. This builds until it explodes resulting in an accident and Eleanor dropping out.
Eleanor slowly starts to come to terms with the events of her junior year and learns to heal from it and to trust again.
The setting in Salem and time period being Halloween is all pretty much background things to give a reason why Eleanor is hanging out with Pix and the coven and learning to heal. But it is a nice vibe to the story. There isn’t too much development in most of the coven and even Ofira and Gillian are pretty underdeveloped side characters.
I wasn’t a huge fan of Eleanor becoming the “predatory lesbian” stereotype. Or even just the stereotype of being a crazy obsessed girl in the scenario that Chloe was a boy, this would’ve been problematic. But I also know that people that manipulate our feelings and hurt us and gaslight us do eventually make us feel and act somewhat “crazy”, and when you’re a teenager it’s a million times worse because you have no voice telling you to think it through. Regardless, the book could’ve done without this stereotype. I get the idea of Eleanor being bullied and experiencing lesbophobia, but we didn’t need this to accomplish that.
The excessive use of marijuana is an unhealthy coping mechanism, especially since she’s underage, but at the same time it’s better than abusing Xanax or the like, and she eventually stops using marijuana to manage her anxiety and find other non-substance ways to cope.
But I was happy to read about a different kind of grief (the loss of friendship/relationship), and a grief that occurs regardless of whether or not it was toxic (it was). And I do think the use of marijuana to cope and how Eleanor started using it less as she found herself surrounded by friends and support was done well.
Pix and Eleanor don’t really have chemistry, but I thought they’re very cute together. I’m not sure about the accuracy of the portrayal of Wicca or paganism, but the bit I do know makes me appreciate the book as an introduction to this religion. Even thought it all very surface level, it’s done in a way I think will encourage readers to look information up themselves.
Overall cute, albeit, a little boring story.
Graphic: Bullying, Drug abuse, Drug use, Toxic relationship, Chronic illness, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Lesbophobia, Sexual assault, Biphobia, Homophobia, and Injury/injury detail
alabiblioheck'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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Gaslighting, and Drug use
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Lesbophobia, Bullying, and Biphobia