Scan barcode
moonytoast's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Minor: Grief, Child abuse, Toxic relationship, Confinement, Death, and Death of parent
teabrewer'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
3.0
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: Death, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Xenophobia, Racism, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, and Emotional abuse
jadehusdanhicks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Found family is certainly at the heart of this, with nowhere house being a magnet for strays who need a family of sorts.
Although the general premise of the trying to break witchy societal norms was intriguing and engaging, for me it lacked wider plot and worldbuilding that would’ve helped me engage with the story more.
I will admit I would’ve never seen the plot twists and the links between Mikas lives coming but unfortunately this wasn’t enough to keep me engaged. This is a great shelf filler, and a great entryway to fantasy but just doesn’t meet my personal standards I prefer my witchy/fantasy books to stand up to.
Graphic: Death
peasandpancakes'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
4.5
The only thing I do not get [spoilers ahead]
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Cursing and Death
wardenred'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
It’s a leap of faith to love people and let yourself be loved.
An absolutely lovely read. It reminded me strongly of The House in the Cerulean Sea without the certain problematic parts. I loved the found family dynamic, the kids with their different personalities, the inclusive and diverse world of this story, the magical house and the locations around it, the magic—really, just about everything! And the balance of sweet coziness and serious feelings was just right, too.
The absolute strength here is the assortment of relationships: all the connections inside the Nowhere House, the grumpy/sunshine romance between Mika and Jamie, Mika’s complex relationship with her mentor Primrose, and more. I loved seeing all of those connections develop and strengthen. There’s so much positivity here, but it never turns saccharine; on the contrary, the story very much affirms that good things can still be complicated. Being good for each other and hurting each other aren’t mutually exclusive; it’s what you choose to do with the results that matters.
I’ve definitely got a lot of snippets from this story stuck in my head now. The whole interginerational trauma plotline/arc. Small bits of conversations characters have had: good vs nice, living vs surviving, taking the risk to let yourself be loved, making the world just a little bit better even if it can’t be all fixed in one go. And that twist in the final act??? OMG, I was so lulled into the overall sense of security, I did not see that coming and I loved how it played out. Also, there’s something absolutely haunting about the image of
Very much recommended to anyone looking for some witchy coziness with lovable characters.
Graphic: Abandonment
Minor: Death
eitrlund's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Death and Abandonment
Minor: Racism
kds247'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
Minor: Cursing and Child abuse
diazona'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
3.75
There are a couple of pretty neat plot twists toward the end. They definitely make the last quarter or so very interesting indeed, I just don't think it's enough to make me forget about the lack of things happening during the first three quarters.
Normally a story without meaningful events is not one I'm going to be very interested in, but I think what saves this one is the rich character development. All the main characters have distinct and consistent personalities (except for gruff Jamie who shows an unexpectedly soft side at some point in the middle), they feel realistic and relatable, and most of all they're nice. These are the kinds of people I wish I could have as friends and family. So it didn't take very far into the book before I started caring about them and getting invested in their successes and failures. According to the afterword, the author was inspired to write this story as a reaction to the loneliness of the pandemic, and in that sense, mission accomplished.
All in all, it's a good book. I wouldn't put it on my list of all-time favorites, and it's not one that I see myself coming back to read and reread regularly, but any time I'm in the mood for something heartwarming and comforting, I'll be glad to have this on my (virtual) shelf.
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Abandonment and Cursing
Minor: Vomit, Murder, Death, Alcohol, Confinement, and Death of parent
moonlitreading_'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
A secret witch making silly witchcraft videos because she doesn’t think anyone will take her seriously suddenly gets hired to teach three witch children about magic. The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches was fun and cozy and I had a really great time reading it. It took me less than a day to finish and that’s saying something because I’ve been an awful reading slump for weeks now.
The characters were funny and their different personalities made for a chaotic bunch. I found myself anticipating what’s going to happen next just because their interactions were really entertaining and heartwarming. Bonus points for the romance in the book<333
Moderate: Death of parent and Death
bronzel'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
4.25
Moderate: Cursing and Sexual content
Minor: Racism, Death of parent, Xenophobia, and Death