A review by literaryintersections
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches, by Sangu Mandanna
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
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
This is the most wonderful, cozy, lovely, magical romantic story. I specifically say romantic story because I wouldn't categorize it as solely romance or solely women's fiction. It's a mix of the two: with a beautiful romance building on the side of a woman finding herself.
Mika Moon is a witch, but witches are still in hiding - only meeting with the small group they are aware of in the UK a few times a year. Witches have to stay alone and apart, something Mika is used to, in order to stay in hiding and not attract attention. But when Mika ends up teaching magic to three young witches to help them learn their powers, she becomes involved with a beautiful found family that changes the course of her life.
Mika is amazing. She is so sweet and kind. She loves with her whole heart but leaves before she can get hurt. She is at her best when she is vulnerable and witchy. Her relationship to the rest of the household is wonderful to read because you know it's a family that she never had and always wanted. The three girls: Rosetta, Terracotta, Altamira I ADORED. They each had their own little personality and their own relationship with Mika. Lastly, you can't review this book and not write about Jamie: surly, growly, grumpy Jamie. Seeing him open his heart to Mika, and then get her back when he messed up, was perfect romance goodness. This book is a MUST READ and the highest of reviews come from me.
Lastly, I will say that Sangu added so much great diversity in this book: racial and sexual orientation. There are queer characters (and old queers which LOVED!!!), the three girls are all different races and ethnicities, and Mika is Indian. But the best part was that Sangu made it not just an add on. They were fully fleshed out, not there just for diversity but clear identities. I especially loved when Rosetta meets another Black witch ("Mika didn't know what it must feel like to be ten years old and to discover the existence of a beautiful Black with like Belinda, but she imagined it was quite possibly one of the top three experiences of Rosetta's life") and when Mika talks about how she wouldn't teach the girls how to be a woman of color "just because she was a witch and just because she had brown skin, it did not mean she had answers to all the questions the girls would inevitably have about their own identities."
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna will be one of my top reads of this year. It's witchy, cozy, the perfect fall read.
Mika Moon is a witch, but witches are still in hiding - only meeting with the small group they are aware of in the UK a few times a year. Witches have to stay alone and apart, something Mika is used to, in order to stay in hiding and not attract attention. But when Mika ends up teaching magic to three young witches to help them learn their powers, she becomes involved with a beautiful found family that changes the course of her life.
Mika is amazing. She is so sweet and kind. She loves with her whole heart but leaves before she can get hurt. She is at her best when she is vulnerable and witchy. Her relationship to the rest of the household is wonderful to read because you know it's a family that she never had and always wanted. The three girls: Rosetta, Terracotta, Altamira I ADORED. They each had their own little personality and their own relationship with Mika. Lastly, you can't review this book and not write about Jamie: surly, growly, grumpy Jamie. Seeing him open his heart to Mika, and then get her back when he messed up, was perfect romance goodness. This book is a MUST READ and the highest of reviews come from me.
Lastly, I will say that Sangu added so much great diversity in this book: racial and sexual orientation. There are queer characters (and old queers which LOVED!!!), the three girls are all different races and ethnicities, and Mika is Indian. But the best part was that Sangu made it not just an add on. They were fully fleshed out, not there just for diversity but clear identities. I especially loved when Rosetta meets another Black witch ("Mika didn't know what it must feel like to be ten years old and to discover the existence of a beautiful Black with like Belinda, but she imagined it was quite possibly one of the top three experiences of Rosetta's life") and when Mika talks about how she wouldn't teach the girls how to be a woman of color "just because she was a witch and just because she had brown skin, it did not mean she had answers to all the questions the girls would inevitably have about their own identities."
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna will be one of my top reads of this year. It's witchy, cozy, the perfect fall read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment and Death of parent
Moderate: Xenophobia, Child abuse, Racism, and Homophobia