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A review by buffy87
The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic by Breanne Randall
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I'm just glad it's over.
This is a book for someone who reads for vibes and not for the writing. If you like reading "cozy" witch/wiccan fiction then this may be up your alley. It has romance (no spice), family, magic, curses, spirits, murder, cafe, baking and cooking, coffee and an abundance of recipes. The recipes at the end of every chapter were extremely cool, and though I won't be making any (way too much sugar for me!) they do sound good. It was marketed on TikTok as Practical Magic x Gilmoe Girls. I'd say both elements are there.
However, DAMN. This book is a hot mess express. Literally an everything but the kitchen sink. There is so much happening in this book. Almost every cliche W Network plot line is evident. It's definitely way too much. The pacing of this book is very much one foot in front of the other, things just keep happening and you just keep reading.
And my god the main character is just as likeable as Rory Gilmore LOOOOL. You forget she's an adult and not a whiny teen.
I also found it extremely irritating that EVERY ingredient used also had it's magical benefit listed. After a while it grew extremely tiresome and I found cluttered the entire novel. How many times do we need to know what cinnamon does?? But that's what happens when you have nothing to say and need to fulfill a word count. And on top of that every outfit needed to be described - I find this makes the text feel extremely juvenile.
And also, this is the whitest book I've read. LMFAO. It was SO CLEARLY written by a liberal white womxn. You should make a bingo of how many ethnicities you see represented. When I want inclusion, I mean do your research of you're going to add something. Any South Asian in a SMALL NOSY TOWN would know Gigi is their Nani... they would NOT call her "Dadee." If you know you know. I was shocked there was no disability representation...why stop there if you're gonna throw everything in there anyways?
This is a book for someone who reads for vibes and not for the writing. If you like reading "cozy" witch/wiccan fiction then this may be up your alley. It has romance (no spice), family, magic, curses, spirits, murder, cafe, baking and cooking, coffee and an abundance of recipes. The recipes at the end of every chapter were extremely cool, and though I won't be making any (way too much sugar for me!) they do sound good. It was marketed on TikTok as Practical Magic x Gilmoe Girls. I'd say both elements are there.
However, DAMN. This book is a hot mess express. Literally an everything but the kitchen sink. There is so much happening in this book. Almost every cliche W Network plot line is evident. It's definitely way too much. The pacing of this book is very much one foot in front of the other, things just keep happening and you just keep reading.
And my god the main character is just as likeable as Rory Gilmore LOOOOL. You forget she's an adult and not a whiny teen.
I also found it extremely irritating that EVERY ingredient used also had it's magical benefit listed. After a while it grew extremely tiresome and I found cluttered the entire novel. How many times do we need to know what cinnamon does?? But that's what happens when you have nothing to say and need to fulfill a word count. And on top of that every outfit needed to be described - I find this makes the text feel extremely juvenile.
And also, this is the whitest book I've read. LMFAO. It was SO CLEARLY written by a liberal white womxn. You should make a bingo of how many ethnicities you see represented. When I want inclusion, I mean do your research of you're going to add something. Any South Asian in a SMALL NOSY TOWN would know Gigi is their Nani... they would NOT call her "Dadee." If you know you know. I was shocked there was no disability representation...why stop there if you're gonna throw everything in there anyways?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Terminal illness, Grief, and Suicide attempt