Reviews tagging 'Stalking'

Improbable Magic for Cynical Witches by Kate Scelsa

27 reviews

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

marigold82's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted tense 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? It's complicated

4.75

This is a younger YA. I saw the cover on a display in my library and picked it up with no hesitation.  Witches and queerness ahh yes please. It didn't disappoint. Adorable, warm and fuzzy but with real life strife. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship

Moderate: Stalking and Bullying

Minor: Injury/Injury detail

mxcaswell's review against another edition

adventurous reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Lesbophobia, Stalking, and Biphobia

Moderate: Rape

katjacatbeans's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful reflective slow-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

3.75

This is a cute book. I appreciate the unflinching appraisal of small town high school life, but I also found the central conflict between Eleanor & Chloe increasingly difficult to believe/parse until the end. I do appreciate the tongue-in-cheek use of

Pix as a quasi manic pixie dream girl, but I also am thankful that she isn't completely pigeon-holed there

I think it was pretty good overall; as an adult reader of a lot of YA, however, it didn't really wow me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Stalking, and Alcohol

beavivi's review against another edition

medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Stalking, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Chronic illness, Death, Drug use, Addiction, Drug abuse, Terminal illness, Homophobia, and Cursing

Minor: Gaslighting, Bullying, and Abandonment

powellki's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad tense slow-paced

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

4.5

This book offers a strong perspective of how our negative thinking can warp our reality.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Medical content, Cursing, Violence, Medical trauma, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Alcohol, Biphobia, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Rape, Panic attacks/disorders, Lesbophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Bullying, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Grief, Alcoholism, Blood, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Stalking

thecatconstellation's review against another edition

emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

3.0

I have really mixed feelings about this book. I like the set up with the tarot card chapters interspersed throughout the story. But I hate the main character. I don’t know if it’s because she’s a teenager or what, but her view on relationships and

being in a relationship with Pix magically curing her pot addiction

feels so toxic.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Toxic relationship, Drug use, Stalking, Alcohol, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Sexual assault, Bullying, Infidelity, Chronic illness, Vomit, Addiction, Medical content, and Violence

Minor: Biphobia, Panic attacks/disorders, and Religious bigotry

tjazz's review against another edition

challenging emotional mysterious tense 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? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Grief

Moderate: Homophobia, Stalking, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Sexual assault

saelrod's review against another edition

emotional hopeful mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

3.0

Queer representation + witches painted in a positive light? Lessons from tarot? Yes please!

Except it fell flat. The self-medicating drug use felt like an important part of the story except it was glossed over and never fleshed out. While I have empathy for the MC, I found her tremendously unlikeable and her character development was lacking. I don’t know if it was due to it being YA but this story had so much unmet potential.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Bullying, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Sexual assault and Stalking

nittiotvaan's review against another edition

emotional sad tense 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use

Moderate: Alcohol, Chronic illness, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Stalking and Sexual assault