Reviews with content warning for Grief - Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches

I am a PUDDLE. This was one of the most wholesome, precious things I have read in my entire life. If you enjoy cozy fantasy tales with a bit of romance, a cast of very lovable characters, cottagecore vibes, and a heaping dose of found family, you absolutely need this on your radar because it includes all of that and more, and depicts it all brilliantly. I know I'm not the first to say this, but this book is absolutely a warm hug in the form of a book and I loved it.

“We’ve talked about this,” said Jamie mildly. “Murder can’t be your first choice every time you don’t like something.”

First of all, the dialogue in this book had me in giggles constantly. Between the kids' shenanigans, Ian's wildness, and Jamie's dry snark, I smiled so much reading this! But there's also a ton of sweetness and even some really delightful swoon-worthy moments, and I'm certainly able to admit I had tears in my eyes a few times near the end over how simply precious it all was.

It’s a leap of faith to love people and let yourself be loved.

Despite its warmth and cheer, this isn't only a happy tale; there's also a ton of time spent discussing trauma and how difficult it can make everyday life, much less learning to trust and care for people when you've developed a fear of abandonment or being used. I absolutely adored watching Mika heal from her past and learn to truly live despite her fears.

Cover to cover, I adored this sweet little fantasy book and I'm so incredibly happy that I picked it up (thank you to Misty for inviting me to buddy read it with you!). It's one of the sweetest and best things I've read this year and I can't wait for the next cozy fantasy release of Mandanna's!

Buddy read with Misty! ♥

✨ Representation: Mika is Indian, Rosetta is Black, Terracotta is Vietnamese, Altamira is Palestinian, Ian is gay, and Ken is Japanese and gay

Content Warnings

eni_iilorak's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

Content Warnings

amberinpieces's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted 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

5.0

Content Warnings

annorabrady's review against another edition

Go to review page

hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing 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

4.75

I loved the relationships formed in this book and that magic took more of an "every day" role than one usually sees in fantasy books. I also love that the development of relationships in this book was realistic. It didn't happen all at once and the interruptions to advancements were rooted in the characters' arcs rather than nonsense reasonings like "someone burst into the room and they never went back to their conversation" or whatever.

Also, I love that characters talked through their problems instead of just apologizing and moving on or deciding that "it didn't matter if they'd been hurt." There were real consequences to behaviors, words, and beliefs. And the characters had to face the consequences to move forward.

Content Warnings

thereadinghammock's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional funny lighthearted mysterious 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 an excellent mix of magical realism, wacky hijinks, emotional honesty, and found family I would love to be a part of. I was hooked with Mika's sense of humor in chapter one; her millennial humor was perfect and so, so relatable. Once you add into the mix the delightfully eccentric residents of Nowhere House? You would have needed to pry it from my cold dead hands. This checks so may of my wheelhouse boxes. Witches? Check. Adorable, snarky, sassy, and smart women (and a few men too)? So many checks. A fiercely protective found family? Big ol' check! A not insignificant romantic grumpy/sunshine subplot? A sneaky lil check there too! Diverse cast of characters? Present and accounted for!

I don't know if I could pick any favorite character in the book. I loved them all for different reasons. Ian for his enthusiasm for everything. Ken's calm, solid presence in the household. Mika for her willingness to think outside the box and question the status quo. Lucie's amazing kindness and love. Rosetta for her passion for learning. Terracotta for her fierceness--both loyalty and stubbornness! Altamira for her innocent wonder and the comedic timing that children can effortlessly nail. And Jamie for his loyalty to the people he loves (and a sexy Irish accent to boot, thank you audiobook narrator!)

I loved the characterization of magic in this book as well. While a mostly silent "character", the fact that it had characterization at all was a nice touch the author added. That it was mischievous by nature; that the more witches around, the more magic was attracted to them; and that intrinsically it wants to be utilized. That it truly is an extension of the witches themselves. But that left unchecked or ignored, can get destructive in it's pursuit of attention.

Content Warnings

ophycore's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted 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

5.0

Content Warnings

More...