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20sidedbi's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Abandonment, Ableism, Child abuse, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Murder, Blood, and Body horror
Moderate: Homophobia, Gun violence, and Torture
amandadevoursbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
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? Yes
3.75
I enjoyed this book. It's definitely more of a beach read for me than I typically read. That said it was a fun urban fantasy and I'm excited to finish out the series.
Adam is a warlock who has very tenuous relationships with his family. He's looking for his dad who left the family a long time ago and he's pretty certain is now making objects from magical people's bones. Get the text from his brother that his sister-in-law is ill and he goes to Denver to try to figure out what's going on.
His family is never really accepted him for who he is both as a warlock and as a gay man. His brother has done everything he can in his power to exercise the white trashness from his personality and his public image.
In this world we've got Fey, leprechauns, dragons, and much more. It feels like a lived in world.
There's a love triangle. Adam's ex-boyfriend who dumped him without telling him and Adam's new love interest who is a cop that Adam saved.
All in all, it was a fun read that touched on growing up gay in rural America, family Dynamics and family secrets, and becoming who you were meant to be.
Adam is a warlock who has very tenuous relationships with his family. He's looking for his dad who left the family a long time ago and he's pretty certain is now making objects from magical people's bones. Get the text from his brother that his sister-in-law is ill and he goes to Denver to try to figure out what's going on.
His family is never really accepted him for who he is both as a warlock and as a gay man. His brother has done everything he can in his power to exercise the white trashness from his personality and his public image.
In this world we've got Fey, leprechauns, dragons, and much more. It feels like a lived in world.
There's a love triangle. Adam's ex-boyfriend who dumped him without telling him and Adam's new love interest who is a cop that Adam saved.
All in all, it was a fun read that touched on growing up gay in rural America, family Dynamics and family secrets, and becoming who you were meant to be.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Homophobia and Abandonment
tifftastic87's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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? Yes
4.5
I really enjoyed this! I chose it based on the title, which got a laugh from me. But what I found was surprisingly excellent.
Adam was born in a trailer and being gay in OK was rough on him, but then add in that he is descended from witches and has a touch of magic unlike theirs. He has a rocky relationship with his family, both due to his sexual orientation and his magical one, who had him committed in high school.
This book focuses on Adam's relationships, his romantic ones, his familial ones, and his magical one. This is a story of a traumatized youth healing and finding his path in life while fighting monsters.
Adam is amazingly well adjusted. He communicates his feelings, even if he struggles to do so, asks for help when he needs it and doesn't do the typical chosen one nonsense, even though he was literally chosen by not one but two powerfu magical beings. He also is aware that his use of his magical abilities creates a power imbalance between him and the love interest and is careful not to abuse that.
This was a fun and sad listen, and I am definitely going to be reading or listening to the rest.
There were a few things I wasn't a fan of, such as that Adam's first teenage relationship was an ancient elf who was supposed to be teaching him and that wasnt addressed as problematic. But it could have been worse.
Adam was born in a trailer and being gay in OK was rough on him, but then add in that he is descended from witches and has a touch of magic unlike theirs. He has a rocky relationship with his family, both due to his sexual orientation and his magical one, who had him committed in high school.
This book focuses on Adam's relationships, his romantic ones, his familial ones, and his magical one. This is a story of a traumatized youth healing and finding his path in life while fighting monsters.
Adam is amazingly well adjusted. He communicates his feelings, even if he struggles to do so, asks for help when he needs it and doesn't do the typical chosen one nonsense, even though he was literally chosen by not one but two powerfu magical beings. He also is aware that his use of his magical abilities creates a power imbalance between him and the love interest and is careful not to abuse that.
This was a fun and sad listen, and I am definitely going to be reading or listening to the rest.
There were a few things I wasn't a fan of,
Content Warnings
Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Infertility, Violence, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Body horror, Miscarriage, Cursing, Abandonment, Blood, Confinement, Gore, Physical abuse, Death, and Death of parent
Moderate: Classism, Homophobia, Bullying, Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Car accident
booksthatburn's review against another edition
The way the love interest is handled started to feel like copaganda. It sucks, because otherwise I was enjoying the story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Gore
Moderate: Murder, Alcoholism, Gun violence, Violence, Death, Abandonment, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Miscarriage, and Suicide
Minor: Excrement, Torture, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Ableism, Cursing, Misogyny, Homophobia, Child abuse, and Drug use
jareadforfilth's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
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? No
4.5
I loved this book, the plot was great, the twists were good, the characters were so lovable and the pace was awesome! I’m excited to continue reading this series!! Narration wasn’t my fave but the story still shines
Content Warnings
Graphic: Forced institutionalization and Abandonment
Moderate: Child abuse
therainbowshelf's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
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? It's complicated
4.25
An absolutely fun urban fantasy, and it takes place in Denver! I really enjoyed the characters in this book, and the plot is a ton of fun. I love the magic, the spirit realm, and the overlaps between normal life and Adam’s magic one. This book has an excellent pace, an adorable romance, and perfectly placed hilarity to break up the serious. My husband stumbled on this Colorado local book and we both loved it.
📘The Gist 📘: One man’s hunt for a magical poacher is postponed when he is called to Denver to deal with an ancient spirit that’s causing havoc and killing his sister in law.
📒Representation📒: mlm mc, bi mc, Hispanic mc, poverty
💕 For readers looking for 💕: urban fantasy, queer romance, magic, charming all around good guy main character, Colorado setting, well-timed hilarity
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Blood, Medical trauma, Medical content, Child abuse, Miscarriage, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Infertility, Homophobia, Grief, Forced institutionalization, Confinement, and Abandonment
frantic_vampire's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
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? It's complicated
5.0
Don’t mind my puddle of tears, because this book had my emotions in a vice grip the entire time I was reading it 😭. Like, dear lord. I don’t think I’ve ever had this many feelings over a book in a while.
Honestly, White Trash Warlock had me in tears from so many different things. But I think it was Adam’s abuse in the school/institution that really got to me. He was treated with such cruelty and yet he made it through and is still one of the sweetest and most caring people in this book! I also really liked the different layers to the family drama. It was so intense and real and just…so good.
The characters are so amazing in this book! Adam is just a sweetheart that deserves all the hugs in the world. Bobby might be a bit of an ass, but his heart is in the right spot. And Vic! I love him already. The world building in this book is also really great! I loved the switching between the spirit world and the real world. It’s a little triply and reminds me a little bit of Spirited Away.
I really loved White Trash Warlock. It was emotional in ways I didn’t expect. And honestly? I think I’ve found a new favorite series. This one is getting a solid five stars. I can’t wait to see what’s next. But first I have to go cry some more over this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Grief, Gun violence, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, and Child abuse
Moderate: Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Homophobia, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, and Miscarriage
Flashbacks to abuse in a mental institution, flashbacks to physical and emotional abuse, internalized homophobia,blynecessity's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Huh. This was actually pretty good. I didn't realize it was the first installment in a series, but I'll probably keep up with the series as the sequels come out.
The writing was a little disorienting because all the POV characters had a really similar tone and I'd sometimes forget who was narrating. Also, the flashbacks were not at all easy to read. I assume the author will improve his writing in time, so no hate on that front.
There were some problematic moments (listed in spoilers at bottom of review), but all in all I pushed through that and managed to still really enjoy the read.
I didn't really looove that there was basically no development or fleshing-out for any of the women in the story, but with such a small cast I'm willing to set that aside as (hopefully) a first-book quirk.
I liked that family was such a big part of the novel! Like, the MC and the plot both treated family as a v important topic, which helped me emotionally invest in the story. I def thoughtthe brother was the warlock for a sec there, but I'm glad the twists and surprises weren't as predictable as all that.
All in all, I'd read the rest of the books and will probably recommend this to some people I think might like it!
So yeahhh, that romanticized pedophilia was hard to get past, but it's mostly glossed over in the story, and the abuser is not making more moves on the MC (now that the MC is an adult?), which is a relief. Still think the abuser should be shot in the head or something, but whatever.
And sure, there was a lot of pro-cop pandering (even though we only meet two cops in the story) but it wasn't as overt as I thought it would get with how the author seemed to be ramping up when the story was still getting started.
And yess, the love interest being magically insta-loved without his consent wasn't great and was def unethical, but the mind-control part lessens towards the end of the book which made it less squicky.
And okay, the main woman in the story was shown for, like, one chapter being defined by her ability to bear children which is reductive, and she then spent the rest of the novel in a coma and just generally being unloved and treated as a literal possession (haha, ghost pun) or property, but I can see how the story would have suffered had the brother been the one in the coma instead.
The writing was a little disorienting because all the POV characters had a really similar tone and I'd sometimes forget who was narrating. Also, the flashbacks were not at all easy to read. I assume the author will improve his writing in time, so no hate on that front.
There were some problematic moments (listed in spoilers at bottom of review), but all in all I pushed through that and managed to still really enjoy the read.
I didn't really looove that there was basically no development or fleshing-out for any of the women in the story, but with such a small cast I'm willing to set that aside as (hopefully) a first-book quirk.
I liked that family was such a big part of the novel! Like, the MC and the plot both treated family as a v important topic, which helped me emotionally invest in the story. I def thought
All in all, I'd read the rest of the books and will probably recommend this to some people I think might like it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Grief, Homophobia, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Murder, Pedophilia, Police brutality, and Toxic relationship
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