Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

La Sociedad Secreta de Brujas Rebeldes by Sangu Mandanna

159 reviews

anelya's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring lighthearted 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

4.0

More notes to self than review:

You know, I really, really loved this novel. Except for the end. That kinda sums up the whole thing.

I loved most of the characters, especially the kids, and their relationships, especially the kids with Mika. I really, really loved the world-building, especially the way the magic works. What a delightful description; what a wonderful idea. I find myself jealous that I didn't think of it first.

However, the pacing and emotional tension were a little off.
The two big examples are the (inevitable) way everything had to fall apart at the end, and the reveal of Jamie's tragic backstory.

Jamie first: For such a cozy, comfy novel, Jamie's horrific backstory came absolutely out of nowhere and was atrocious. I definitely experienced whiplash, and because of my own history, was immediately triggered, almost thrown into a flashback, and had to take a long break from the book. I don't know, it just came out of nowhere and really didn't match the emotional level of the rest of the book. I also, personally, feel like it wasn't the best approach to talking about that kind of trauma. I've seen other novels approach dark topics like that with more... not nuance, but... like... awareness? More sensitivity? I dunno, it just felt like a weird scene overall, just the way it was handled and the aftermath and how the conversation went down. It made me uncomfortable. *shrugs* Especially since this is like marketed or advertised or categorized as cozy fantasy, I would've needed a much softer approach to that kind of exploration of trauma.

The end: There's actually a lot to unpack here. Firstly, the pacing. So, obviously, due to the whole "five stage structure of storytelling" thing, there was clearly going to be a crisis at the end of the novel. And typically for novels with a romance element, there was going to be some crisis that came between the love interests. Considering how well-written other aspects of the novel felt, the crisis felt so contrived. It felt really weird. Like we see Mika as she grows, learns to trust, and learns to find a home at Nowhere House, and then... I dunno, her whole running away schtick which I thought she had kinda gotten past with, you know, all her supposed growth in the novel, shows up and I was just like... *sigh* Again, it just really felt so contrived, and kinda just... everything was going really well, but not in the way of just the characters being blind to issues that are simmering beneath the surface, like legitimately, things were going well. So when she all of a sudden runs away, it just didn't make sense with where her story had gone so far.

And then the actual end. Oh... Oh... : So the kids animate the bones of their dead guardian, whom they had just found out was dead. They don't cry. They just found out she's dead, they dig up her skeleton, and they animate it and... It's supposed to be this silly scene, but it did not at all match the emotional tension of the rest of the novel, which tried to take mental health and trauma very seriously. I know these kids had a complex relationship with their guardian, but still. She's dead. They should've had some kind of reaction, and for that whole thing to be played for laughs was just... really fucking weird.


I will forever hold this novel in my heart for the magic system. I think I'll honestly read it again, especially with the content warnings I now know (so I'll be better able to protect myself), and since I'll know what to expect from it, I think a reread would be lovely to properly appreciate the magic system. Because, again, it's such a wonderful and lovely idea. Such... It's so amazing. I honestly cannot do it justice, so if you wanna read about a beautiful description of magic and how it works with these witches, honestly, just read it. It's definitely to most enchanting way magic works that I've ever read, and it's honestly such an inspiration.

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meremeth's review against another edition

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lighthearted relaxing fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

Very light hearted easy read, would recommend to anyone looking for something cosy and low stakes. 
The romance was a bit whatever for me personally, but the found family aspect was really sweet :-) 
Read like a YA book almost? Even though the lead characters are over 30. Because of that the main characters felt much younger, like early 20s almost? Not a bad thing, just something to note 

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creative_cactus's review against another edition

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adventurous hopeful lighthearted relaxing medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5


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daenerystargaryen's review against another edition

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emotional funny 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

4.75


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lady_smith's review against another edition

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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

4.25


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irreverent_reader's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful 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


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shannahtan's review against another edition

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funny hopeful fast-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? It's complicated

4.25

I thought this book was cute, funny & heartwarming. I loved Mika Moon and the three witch children - Terracotta, Altamira, and Rosetta. I think all their personalities were distinct and endearing. I didn’t remember whether there was a love story, and
I was pleasantly surprised by Jamie and Mika although you know pretty early on that they’re gonna fall in love. Primrose turning out to be Peony, Lillian’s sister, was a small twist but not shocking. The magic potions were creative and fun. I love that all the witches are women from different countries around the world. I also really like that the first and last chapter started with the same line.

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sarahthescrivnr's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious relaxing 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

Absolutely loved this. A cross between Practical Magic and the House by the Cerulean Sea. Feels like drinking the perfect warm cuppa on a chilly day.

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moonytoast's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0


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bookscatcoffee's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful 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

What a lovely, cozy, gut-punch, heart-warming read!  I had all the emotions, but I kept coming back to this wonderful world the author created.  
“Danger rarely wore a monstrous face and wielded a pitchfork. No, danger came most often in the form of people like Edward, the nice people whose niceness only went so deep, who saved their niceness for people exactly like them, who believed they were more deserving of power and respect than anyone who was a little bit different.”  Very good writing and delightful characters!  More books please!  5 stars

Cozy fantasy with diverse characters and lgbtqia+ side characters

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