Reviews tagging 'Chronic illness'

Improbable Magic for Cynical Witches by Kate Scelsa

24 reviews

isnt_it_pretty's review against another edition

inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Stalking, Toxic relationship, Drug use, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Outing, Lesbophobia, Chronic illness, Gaslighting, Biphobia, and Alcohol

Minor: Bullying and Sexual assault

bookslucyking's review against another edition

hopeful sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Minor: Sexual assault and Chronic illness

ari_bryce's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny reflective sad fast-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Chronic illness, Homophobia, Emotional abuse, Stalking, Bullying, Lesbophobia, Biphobia, Sexual assault, and Toxic friendship

i_cant_ive_got_rehersal's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful inspiring lighthearted fast-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Chronic illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Bullying

the_lesbrarian's review against another edition

adventurous slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

While working in a witchy shop in Salem, high school outcast and skeptic Eleanor gets invited to join a local coven and quickly falls for one of the other girls, despite her best efforts not to. Eleanor is thrilled for a chance to start over, but as the difficult events of Eleanor’s last year are slowly revealed, she struggles to keep her present and past separate. The story is fun, if not a little uneven both in pacing and characterization. The main character can at times be frustratingly overdramatic, but in some ways her thoughts capture how important and messy everything feels in high school.  “Improbable Magic for Cynical Witches“ is another quick queer book to ring in autumn, with a lesbian mc and multiple established LGBTQ+ characters and relationships. 

Although the premise is cozy and solidly in the YA category, there are several significant triggering events in this book, so be sure to check tws before picking it up. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness

Moderate: Lesbophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Alcohol, and Homophobia

julialudovici's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad 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? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Drug use, Lesbophobia, and Alcohol

Moderate: Sexual assault, Stalking, and Chronic illness

therainbowshelf's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

The author combines chapters from Eleanor's present, past, and explanatory tarot book to tell the story of a teen who lost her confidence in love and life and show how she gets it back. The switches between past and present were a little confusing on the audio, but otherwise I liked this book. The characters are fun and the story engaging throughout. Content warnings for toxic relationship, bi erasure, and chronically ill parent.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Chronic illness, Toxic relationship, Biphobia, Alcohol, Grief, Gaslighting, Lesbophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Drug use, Sexual assault, Toxic friendship, and Stalking

Minor: Vomit

Bi erasure

leorahart's review against another edition

emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

2.5

I know that queer books often address the realities of being queer in the world like homophobia, etc. but I feel like the homophobia, slurs, and sexual assault in this book weren’t necessary in a lot of ways. It’s partially on me for expecting a cute sapphic witch romance. I didn’t feel like we got to know Pix very well and when we did learn about her it wasn’t very compelling to make her a lovable or even complicated love interest. Which maybe wasn’t the point - but I feel like you can go for stability as a character trait without making her boring. I really liked learning about what had happened with Claire(?) and wanting to know what happened the previous October is what kept me reading. Overall, I wanted to love this book and it just fell short of what I’d hoped it would be.

Eta: also the stalking was majorly upsetting for me like Elinor what the fuck

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use

Moderate: Stalking, Chronic illness, and Homophobia

Minor: Sexual assault

maresuju's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Lesbophobia, Homophobia, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Sexual violence, and Stalking

Minor: Biphobia, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Chronic illness

befrazzledenby's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad slow-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

1.0

Eleanor, girlypop, wtf. You are the problem. 

I absolutely went into this for the witchy lesbian Halloween vibes, and it fell so short. The romance between Pix and Eleanor had so much potential, as did her moments in the coven, but wow did this book just not focus on that at all. I love a good bubbly/broody romance trope, but all of it was so overdone and felt fake. I wish this had focused more on the relationship aspect of Eleanor and Pix rather than Eleanor's past. There was so much room for healing and growth to happen in their relationship for both of them, but Eleanor was so hellbent on being in her own mind that the ending felt like a different story altogether. Like girl you stalked somebody and I'm sorry you did it because you couldn't get over her being with somebody else but turning to Jesus and saying you forgive yourself? I just. That's not it for me. Or for her, I thought, but who even knows anymore.

Some things I loved: The format! So original and well done with the major arcana interspersed with the story. The parallels were lovely. And I really loved Pix and Ofira. I wish they had been in the story more. And Susan! Such a stellar cast of characters...once you remove Eleanor.

1 star. Would love to read a whole book about Pix and Ofira and the coven's witchy adventures, though. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Blood, Drug abuse, Drug use, Chronic illness, Lesbophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, and Stalking