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thequiltyreader's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
slow-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
2.0
I normally enjoy a YA book but this just felt slow and also a bit immature for the topic that happens at the end which I felt it just skirted over and didn't address properly.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Body shaming, Suicide attempt, Violence, Death, Hate crime, Outing, Kidnapping, and Homophobia
nylamaii's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
slow-paced
- 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
4.5
A very nice read. I wasn’t aware for a long time in the book that we were in fact not in America. But it didn’t make it difficult to read which was good in my opinion. It’s crazy I’ve had this book for almost 3 years and I was just know reading it. It took me sometime to finish but that was mostly because I couldn’t find time to read it due to always being tired. But I finished it at work and I’ve been reading it on shift instead of being on my phone. Anywho back to the book, I give it an 8/10 because I loved Maeve’s character development as well as Roe’s and Fiona’s. Also since the main time the book takes place in is about a month so we really get to know our characters. I also like that the book made way for more relationship development between Maeve and Lily, seeing has how Lily wasn’t immediately forgiving of Maeve’s previous action but is allowing her to atone for said actions. I may get the 2nd book just to see how exactly Aaron the asshole gets his ass kicked.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Blood, and Hate crime
misswitch's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I desperately wanted to like this book, but between a slow, rambling plot, a main character that only thought about themselves and a rushed ending that didn’t really tie up any of the plot threads, I’m actually angry I wasted time reading this
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia
missuec's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia and Hate crime
lucyyaga's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
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
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dysphoria, Hate crime, Biphobia, Homophobia, Transphobia, Deadnaming, and Religious bigotry
applejuiceinabox's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
started out very strong, but plot got very messy and grating
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Child abuse, Death, Self harm, Injury/Injury detail, Hate crime, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, and Suicide attempt
veggiestrawenjoyer13's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Overall, this book was an enjoyable read and I will definitely be reading the second one. The plot twists were unpredictable and I liked the mystery/suspense. The modern media references threw me off a lot, but they were funny. Some of the dialogue was awkward, but teens are going to be awkward so I can get over that. The romance was cute, I like that it wasn’t the main plot but added more emotional depth to the characters. The diversity and inclusion felt authentic, not forced. The witchy vibes were cool and I leaned a lot about Wiccan traditions. The supernatural aspect was also cool, and it all tied together very well. The only major issue I had was the pacing at the end. It felt rushed after the main conflict was resolved. The concepts of everyone’s gifts were really interesting, I just wish it didn’t seem so sudden. I would recommend this book for anyone looking for a casual read who likes modern magical books.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Transphobia, Homophobia, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Death and Cursing
Minor: Toxic friendship, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Suicide, and Domestic abuse
zias's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Religious bigotry, and Hate crime
Moderate: Self harm
Minor: Suicide
I enjoyed this story and found it easy to read. I loved that the story used tarot cards and magic. I found Maeve to be a bit juvenile at times for being 16, but I also thought she had decent growth through the book, partly due to the events happening in the story and her learning to use tarot and magic as means of self reflection - ie herbs representing positive attributes and her recognizing when she feels episodes of rage or jealousy. I would have liked to read more about where Lily went because it felt both rushed and vague for the end of the book. I’ll definitely pick up the second book in this series.runes_reads's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
mysterious
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
I ADORED this read! This is the first book I've read of the authors, but I'm definitely going to get the rest of the series and look into other works by her. Make sure you check the content warnings for this one, there's a lot of heavy ones near the end of the book. The protagonist was so alive, her anger and frustration and messiness were all perfect in context. I remember being 16 and thinking that everything wrong in the world was my fault, too. The pacing was great, I really struggled to put this book down. I started it three days ago, but the bulk of reading (over 300 pages of it) I did today. Luckily for me, there's a preview of the next one in the back.
I would consider this dark-academia adjacent, vibe wise. There's mystery, discussions of privilege, and it of course takes place at a Catholic private school. The main cast is high school age, with the main girls being around the protagonists age (16) and in the same school year. The love interest is a year above them, so around 17. There is sexual content, so keep that in mind. Nothing very graphic, and the scenes are pretty short.
There is cursing throughout the book, and there's a bit of claustrophobia right at the beginning to be aware of.
I definitely recommend this story! The character flaws were a major part of it, and the characters changed and evolved so much throughout. It's creepy, suspenseful, but with lighter moments and a cute romance. The queer rep is lovely as always, with drag performers and the not-cis love interest. (I'm not sure what label he used)
5/5
I would consider this dark-academia adjacent, vibe wise. There's mystery, discussions of privilege, and it of course takes place at a Catholic private school. The main cast is high school age, with the main girls being around the protagonists age (16) and in the same school year. The love interest is a year above them, so around 17. There is sexual content, so keep that in mind. Nothing very graphic, and the scenes are pretty short.
There is cursing throughout the book, and there's a bit of claustrophobia right at the beginning to be aware of.
I definitely recommend this story! The character flaws were a major part of it, and the characters changed and evolved so much throughout. It's creepy, suspenseful, but with lighter moments and a cute romance. The queer rep is lovely as always, with drag performers and the not-cis love interest. (I'm not sure what label he used)
5/5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Religious bigotry, and Homophobia
Moderate: Bullying and Sexual content
Minor: Misogyny
erin_lusk's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
tense
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? No
5.0
This magical, tarot-driven, coming of age queer witch novel is everything I wish I had as a teenager beginning to understand who they were. Now I’m a 36 year old nonbinary witch obsessed with grief (I’m also a widow), tarot, self-acceptance and compassion towards others - and this book made me cry with its graceful portrayal of queer people.
While that isn’t the main focus of the story, it plays an incredibly important role. One that many like me needed to have put on paper. For that, I am incredibly grateful to Caroline O’Donoghue.
As for the meat of this story…it was so deliciously written. Powerful and beautiful and dangerous are the words that come to mind to sum-up the plot. Maeve, with her lack of book smarts, instinctively drawn to the tarot after finding a mysterious deck in her schools basement/storage area, begins to give readings to her fellow classmates at the all-girls catholic school she attends. In the process, she gives a reading to her ex-best friend who ends up disappearing.
What follows is Maeve’s attempts to find her as well as Maeve’s own self-discovery about who she is and what it means to love those around you. She falls for ex-BFFs brother only to find out the boy she knew isn’t a boy at all but a generous and beautiful nonbinary person trying to make their way in a world turning more violent and dark. Maeve also makes friends with Fiona, an aspiring actress who is fighting her cultural connection to healing and caring for others in order to be her own person.
This diverse and stunning cast of characters have left an imprint on my soul. Thank god the next two books are already available.
While that isn’t the main focus of the story, it plays an incredibly important role. One that many like me needed to have put on paper. For that, I am incredibly grateful to Caroline O’Donoghue.
As for the meat of this story…it was so deliciously written. Powerful and beautiful and dangerous are the words that come to mind to sum-up the plot. Maeve, with her lack of book smarts, instinctively drawn to the tarot after finding a mysterious deck in her schools basement/storage area, begins to give readings to her fellow classmates at the all-girls catholic school she attends. In the process, she gives a reading to her ex-best friend who ends up disappearing.
What follows is Maeve’s attempts to find her as well as Maeve’s own self-discovery about who she is and what it means to love those around you. She falls for ex-BFFs brother only to find out the boy she knew isn’t a boy at all but a generous and beautiful nonbinary person trying to make their way in a world turning more violent and dark. Maeve also makes friends with Fiona, an aspiring actress who is fighting her cultural connection to healing and caring for others in order to be her own person.
This diverse and stunning cast of characters have left an imprint on my soul. Thank god the next two books are already available.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, and Transphobia