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karwc'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
5.0
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Child abuse, Death of parent, Racism, and Xenophobia
nerdy_reader_9571'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
Minor: Xenophobia, Racism, and Homophobia
dodecashedron'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? It's complicated
5.0
The magic system is delightful, I loved Mika, Jamie, and everyone else. This is the epitome of found family and it made me all warm and cozy.
I do feel that I have to warn people, I did she'd a few tears during this book, and I had not expected it and was on a train. So be warned. (they were so worth it though).
It's also proof that the chipper protagonist gets with grumpy, mean, seemingly uncaring person with heart of gold is not a bad trope, if you actually make sure the person is just grumpy, does like the protagonist and has a heart of gold! Instead of just being awful to the protagonist all the time and then all of a sudden also being in love???
Graphic: Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Abandonment
Moderate: Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Death, and Gaslighting
Minor: Xenophobia, Body horror, and Racism
skudiklier'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
Original review pasted below:
I absolutely adored this book. I mean, really. It's got witches. It's got found family. It's got enemies to lovers. It's got queer grandpas. It's got cute little kids. It's got plot twists. What more could you ask for from a book, honestly.
Also--you know that feeling you get when you're deep into a good story, or maybe you've already finished it, and you find yourself wanting to go back to that world and those characters? You could be doing anything and then suddenly you have this weird urge that maybe you can't place for a minute, until you go, oh, I just want to go back to reading/watching that.
I get that a lot, but in most cases it's not until I'm a good ways into the story, unless I'm rereading a childhood favorite or something like that. What's weird about The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches is that I started feeling that way almost right from the beginning. I was barely into the book, and still would feel myself drawn to the characters. I didn't have a lot of time to read it at first, so I made my way through the first third the book pretty slowly, and it was surprisingly hard to not just drop everything and read it all so I could stay in the story.
By midway through, I sort of did drop everything to finish it. I couldn't help it. And agh, I just, I loved it so much. I have no idea if the author plans to write sequels, but I hope she does, just because I feel like I could spend so much longer in this world and with these characters, and never have enough.
Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and Netgalley for the chance to read and review this ARC.
Graphic: Xenophobia
Moderate: Cursing, Death, Bullying, Abandonment, Child abuse, Alcohol, Racism, and Sexual content
Minor: Murder, Homophobia, Abortion, and Death of parent
bringmybooks'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
4.75
(that's it. that's the tweet)
✨ 𝗕𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚 ✨ B̷O̷R̷R̷O̷W̷ B̷Y̷P̷A̷S̷S̷
(JK - I, of course, have more to say)
Okay, so last year the sub-genre "Cozy Fantasy" starts getting thrown around a whole lot, and I'm intrigued. I then discover that some of my favorite series as a kid fall into this category, and I'm even more intrigued. I then read Legends & Lattes and I'm HERE. FOR. IT.
So on a whim I buy the hardcover UK edition of L&L and while on the site I snag this adorable UK hardcover of The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches as well. And I debate waiting until October to read it, but then I don't, which I'm glad for because HELLO THIS WAS DELIGHTFUL.
Okay, but seriously. This book was pure magic. The relationships, the magical system, the plot, the characters, the romance, the ending, just ... all of it. I was hooked pretty much immediately and once Mika Moon (also, the name? I mean? are you kidding me?) gets to Nowhere House I didn't want to put this book down until I finished!
(The absolute. only. thing. that gave me pause was the amount of cussing in it. Well, not necessarily the cussing because I don't really care about that, but more so that there were a number of times that it seemed like the three young children would have been in the room with the cussing just flying around and that wasn't my fav)
That aside - I genuinely LOVED this book and I cannot WAIT for the next book to come from Sangu Mandanna!
(according to her IG, it's A WITCH’S GUIDE TO MAGICAL INNKEEPING and it's coming in April 2024!)
Moderate: Cursing and Grief
Minor: Murder, Homophobia, Death, Death of parent, Religious bigotry, and Xenophobia
microbemom'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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Sexual content and Xenophobia
Minor: Death, Child abuse, Grief, Death of parent, and Bullying
ashleycmms'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? It's complicated
5.0
Moderate: Xenophobia, Death of parent, Death, Grief, and Child abuse
morgsreads'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? It's complicated
4.5
Minor: Xenophobia, Physical abuse, and Racism
brontesauruses'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? It's complicated
4.25
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, and Child abuse
Minor: Homophobia, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Racism, Classism, Alcohol, and Xenophobia
wilybooklover's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Sexual content and Abandonment
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, and Grief
Minor: Child abuse, Racism, Homophobia, and Xenophobia