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emily_mh's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
I really liked that instead of getting a super-charged MC who was born special and destined to save the world, we got Eva: an MC who has to work for whatever capabilities she has. It made for a much more satisfying story. Nothing was convenient, and so Eva’s achievements actually FELT like achievements; the payoff was rewarding. It also enabled Abe to showcase the magic system much more naturally and fully, as Eva has to try all kinds of spells and their combinations to compensate for her smaller supply of magic. Abe thoroughly impressed me with her creativity in this!
Eva Evergreen gets comped with Kiki’s Delivery Service and it is clear why. Both share great similarity in both premise and plot. But this is to this book’s credit, as it takes all the best parts of Kiki’s Delivery Service and makes them its own. Witch’s quest? Yes, but add in another layer of difficulty in Eva’s limited powers. Cute animal companion? Check, but now we have an adorable flamefox whose tail can ignite. Wholesome friendships? Sure thing, but let’s make sure all of Eva’s friends are well-rounded characters with compelling motivations. Gutsy, driven MC? Of course, but let’s show her character journey from a timid girl with no self-confidence to an assured semi-magical witch.
I loved how cosy this book was. Granted, you have the studio Ghibli vibes, but this book also nailed the balance between high stakes for the characters, low stakes for the reader. The slow-paced, almost slice-of-life plot helped the cosiness along, too.
There were some downsides here. The writing could have been improved somewhat, as it was sometimes repetitive, and the rhyming spells read like first drafts instead of final copies. Also, Eva’s capabilities with magic sometimes came off as inconsistent. But none of this would stop me from recommending this book to you. I am thoroughly looking forward to the sequel.
Rep: Japanese-coded MC and SCs
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief and Death of parent
Minor: Ableism, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Death, and Child abuse
Moderate: family estrangement, fainting, missing loved one Minor: earthquake, tornado, adverse weather, loss of a loved one, disownmentjcakelover's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief
foreverinastory's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Well this was so heartwarming and the ending definitely made me cry a little bit. Where's book 2!?!
Rep: Japanese inspired cast and setting.
CWs: Bullying and intimidation, natural disasters specifically storms and flooding. Moderate: Grief, presumed death of parent (they are missing), medical content (healing a deep gash with magic), injury/injury detail, fainting (from overworking herself).
Rep: Japanese inspired cast and setting.
CWs: Bullying and intimidation, natural disasters specifically storms and flooding. Moderate: Grief, presumed death of parent (they are missing), medical content (healing a deep gash with magic), injury/injury detail, fainting (from overworking herself).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Medical content, and Grief
literarypenguin's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
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
Eva Evergreen, Semi-Magical Witch focuses on a young girl named Evalithimus Evergreen and her quest to pass her Novice Witch Test and become a Novice Witch. Despite only having a pinch of magic, falling asleep when using too much magic & her spells not working properly Eva is determined to become a witch and follow in her mother Nelaithmus Evergreen’s footsteps. For her dream to become a reality, she must travel to a town in need of help and stay to do good for the town. Will Eva and her pinch of magic be able to do good and become a Novice Witch?
The plot was utterly magical and something straight out of a Studio Ghibli film! It gave off Kiki’s Delivery Service vibes. The Culling was presented as a clear and present danger to this realm and it was a major driving force for the story and our main character. Without giving anything away I will say that you learn more about The Culling and what it may be. Eva’s journey of learning her magic and the limitations it gives is something all of us can relate to at some point in our life.
The world is so vibrant, from Okayama a town that houses the last few remaining witches and wizards to Auteri a beautiful seaside town that holds a Festival of Lights every year. Auteri sounded like such a lovely town to live in and the food felt like it could be eaten right off the pages. The animals felt like they belonged in this world, The Flamefoxes were my favorite. If they were real I would want one for sure! The locations that we did see were both unique and didn't feel too similar to each other.
The characters are very well written and interesting! They were the best part of the book for me! Eva was a young soon to be witch who wanted to make her family proud and achieve her dream but she felt like she never would because of her magic’s limitations and her accidental spells. She was a heroine that not only kids could relate to but adults as well. The fear of not being good enough and the anxieties that come along with it are more relatable now than ever. Eva’s friends Charlotte and Davy were great characters too. They balanced Eva and were there for her in their own ways. Charlotte with her slightly serious, hardworking exterior and Davy with his optimistic and imaginative view of the world. Rin was another of my favorites because of her unwavering belief in Eva and always being by her side no matter what. The side characters even got time to shine.
Eva Evergreen was such a joy and pleasure to read. A book that will give you a warm and cozy feeling as you are reading it. A book about overcoming self-doubt and becoming the person you want to be. 100% recommend this to kids and adults alike! You won't regret going on this magical journey!
The plot was utterly magical and something straight out of a Studio Ghibli film! It gave off Kiki’s Delivery Service vibes. The Culling was presented as a clear and present danger to this realm and it was a major driving force for the story and our main character. Without giving anything away I will say that you learn more about The Culling and what it may be. Eva’s journey of learning her magic and the limitations it gives is something all of us can relate to at some point in our life.
The world is so vibrant, from Okayama a town that houses the last few remaining witches and wizards to Auteri a beautiful seaside town that holds a Festival of Lights every year. Auteri sounded like such a lovely town to live in and the food felt like it could be eaten right off the pages. The animals felt like they belonged in this world, The Flamefoxes were my favorite. If they were real I would want one for sure! The locations that we did see were both unique and didn't feel too similar to each other.
The characters are very well written and interesting! They were the best part of the book for me! Eva was a young soon to be witch who wanted to make her family proud and achieve her dream but she felt like she never would because of her magic’s limitations and her accidental spells. She was a heroine that not only kids could relate to but adults as well. The fear of not being good enough and the anxieties that come along with it are more relatable now than ever. Eva’s friends Charlotte and Davy were great characters too. They balanced Eva and were there for her in their own ways. Charlotte with her slightly serious, hardworking exterior and Davy with his optimistic and imaginative view of the world. Rin was another of my favorites because of her unwavering belief in Eva and always being by her side no matter what. The side characters even got time to shine.
Eva Evergreen was such a joy and pleasure to read. A book that will give you a warm and cozy feeling as you are reading it. A book about overcoming self-doubt and becoming the person you want to be. 100% recommend this to kids and adults alike! You won't regret going on this magical journey!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, and Bullying
Moderate: Medical content
Minor: Injury/Injury detail
karlee_fries's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying and Grief
spaghettireads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
If you are looking for cozy, fun, feel-good witchy vibes in your reading this fall, I would definitely recommend this series.
It’s a middle grade novel about Eva, a witch who hasn’t quite mastered her magical powers yet. She is setting off on her novice witch quest, where she has to prove to everyone (including herself) why she deserves to be a witch.
The story is adventurous, about friendship, about working with your talents, and about family. The characters in the story are all so loveable. I’m glad I have the second book to pick up right away!
It’s a middle grade novel about Eva, a witch who hasn’t quite mastered her magical powers yet. She is setting off on her novice witch quest, where she has to prove to everyone (including herself) why she deserves to be a witch.
The story is adventurous, about friendship, about working with your talents, and about family. The characters in the story are all so loveable. I’m glad I have the second book to pick up right away!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Grief
Moderate: Bullying and Medical content
mandkips's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying and Grief
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