Reviews with content warning for Bullying - Improbable Magic for Cynical Witches

You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.

Reviews tagging 'Bullying'

Improbable Magic for Cynical Witches by Kate Scelsa

32 reviews

dayoldcoffee's review against another edition

Go to review page

Content Warnings

aspring's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

i don’t have a nice thing to say about this book but i’m giving it an extra star for susan and the pretty cover.

maybe add trigger warnings in your book if you’re just gonna throw in an unexpected SA scene? and slurs? i don’t really think that’s too much to ask (yes, it’s small, yes it still matters)

also, just overall, this books plot is boring, the characters are flat and i feel like i’ve wasted my time, really, what was the point? i’m severely disappointed unfortunately </3

Content Warnings

irisestacansado's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I really, really wanted to like this book, and for the most part I did. However, the use of the predatory lesbian trope made me uncomfortable and I found myself having to skip through some parts. I feel like the conflict between Eleanor and Chloe could have been created without Eleanor becoming the predatory lesbian -

Harrison was already spreading that she was an obsessed lesbian, perhaps on her walks she didn't stop at Chloe's house, but he spread the rumor that she did, if the trope was completely necessary

I also didn't enjoy the depiction of Chloe as a kind of discount bisexual and as some other negative interpretations. This story relied on using tired tropes to further characters, including having a manic pixie dream girl (albeit sapphic), which made it feel a little dull. However, the MC has an interesting family life, and I appreciate a relatively healthy non-nuclear family being depicted.

I was drawn into this book, finishing the audiobook in a day, and I enjoyed the shorter chapters about the major arcana framing the themes of the chapter after it. The ideas shown about paganism and witchcraft were also really nice to read about.

Content Warnings

kingrosereads's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

A sapphic YA witchy coming-of-age drama that takes place in Salem during Halloween.

This book contains homophobia/lesbophobia, marijuana use, anxiety/panic disorder, chronic illness, bullying, sexual assault, grief, and toxic relationship/friendship.

I liked this book. I wasn’t aware it wasn’t about magical witches and not at all a fantasy until I started reading it. It is about real witches that practice Wicca/pagan-based witchcraft.

Our story follows 17-year-old high school dropout but recent GED recipient and self-proclaimed most skeptical and cynical person in Salem, Eleanor Anderson. Eleanor skips out on her senior year after being marked as a crazed lesbian stalker of her ex-best friend and popular girl, Chloe, and an accident that occurred on Halloween night. Now Eleanor works full time at her mother’s friend, Susan’s, witchy shop to help pay for their bills. Her mom has Lyme’s disease that she contracted two years prior and what had them move to Salem to be closer to Susan so she can help take care of them. Eleanor’s family believes that her mom is faking her illness.

Things change for Eleanor when she receives a hand written guide on tarot in the mail and meets Pix and Ofira on the same day. Pix and Ofira are cousins and Ofira is new to Salem. They also happen to be witches. They invite Eleanor to join their coven and she’s drawn in by curiosity and her interest in Pix. Eleanor slowly works through her tarot guide and process the trauma of the year prior. She and Pix grow closer together and start dating.

We learn that she and Chloe secretly dated because Chloe, though out as bisexual to her parents, was ashamed of dating Eleanor. She ends up choosing to date resident popular douchebag, Harrison, to increase her own popularity, but the girls try to remain friends. Harrison manipulates Chloe and the student body into thinking that Eleanor is a predatory lesbian obsessed with Chloe and tries to erase Chloe’s bisexuality. This builds until it explodes resulting in an accident and Eleanor dropping out.

Eleanor slowly starts to come to terms with the events of her junior year and learns to heal from it and to trust again.

The setting in Salem and time period being Halloween is all pretty much background things to give a reason why Eleanor is hanging out with Pix and the coven and learning to heal. But it is a nice vibe to the story. There isn’t too much development in most of the coven and even Ofira and Gillian are pretty underdeveloped side characters.

I wasn’t a huge fan of Eleanor becoming the “predatory lesbian” stereotype. Or even just the stereotype of being a crazy obsessed girl in the scenario that Chloe was a boy, this would’ve been problematic. But I also know that people that manipulate our feelings and hurt us and gaslight us do eventually make us feel and act somewhat “crazy”, and when you’re a teenager it’s a million times worse because you have no voice telling you to think it through. Regardless, the book could’ve done without this stereotype. I get the idea of Eleanor being bullied and experiencing lesbophobia, but we didn’t need this to accomplish that.

The excessive use of marijuana is an unhealthy coping mechanism, especially since she’s underage, but at the same time it’s better than abusing Xanax or the like, and she eventually stops using marijuana to manage her anxiety and find other non-substance ways to cope.

But I was happy to read about a different kind of grief (the loss of friendship/relationship), and a grief that occurs regardless of whether or not it was toxic (it was). And I do think the use of marijuana to cope and how Eleanor started using it less as she found herself surrounded by friends and support was done well.

Pix and Eleanor don’t really have chemistry, but I thought they’re very cute together. I’m not sure about the accuracy of the portrayal of Wicca or paganism, but the bit I do know makes me appreciate the book as an introduction to this religion. Even thought it all very surface level, it’s done in a way I think will encourage readers to look information up themselves.

Overall cute, albeit, a little boring story.

Content Warnings

betweentheshelves's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional 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

3.5

This is going to be the perfect October book, honestly! I loved the witchy vibes and the way that the story was framed overall by tarot cards. I learned a lot about tarot cards that I didn't know before, and I loved the setting of Salem. Given what Salem is associated with, seeing Eleanor's perspective and the way it's been made so commercial really gave the book a fall feel. I loved that.

There's a lot of a buildup in this book to something, but not a ton of resolution? A lot of the reviews on here are mad about the excessive marijuana smoking and it not being addressed, but that honestly didn't really bother me. I think I just wanted to see a little more of Eleanor's healing process there at the end; it overall just felt a little rushed to me.

But, if you're looking for a sapphic witchy book to read this fall, I'd definitely recommend this one!

Content Warnings

e_flah's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Eleanor is trying to navigate her relatively new lonely life in Salem after a fallout with her former best friend, Chloe. When she receives a mysterious tarot book at the gift store she works at, it seems like Eleanor's life may be starting to change for the better.

Improbable Magic for Cynical Witches does a great job balancing a lot of interesting storylines. There's Eleanor's relationship with her mom, a very sweet romance, an interrogation of past trauma, and new friendships to navigate. These storylines came together to make Improbable Magic for Cynical Witches feel like a slice-of-life contemporary with a wonderful hint of magic.

I was a bit surprised by how heavy parts of this book are. (view spoiler) The romance between Eleanor and Pix was a nice counter-balance to the heavier parts of the story without attempting to erase them, which was well done.

Improbable Magic for Cynical Witches was an atmospheric slice-of-life contemporary that blurs the lines between reality and magic. If you're looking for a book that addresses a lot of themes well while also being a tightly-plotted story, this is definitely the book for you.

Content Warnings