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Reviews tagging 'Xenophobia'
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
42 reviews
nerdy_reader_9571's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Xenophobia, Racism, and Homophobia
dodecashedron's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
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
This book was so cozy!! The characters were so loveable, the stakes low but high enough to be deeply invested.
The magic system is delightful, I loved Mika, Jamie, and everyone else. This is the epitome of found family and it made me all warm and cozy.
I do feel that I have to warn people, I did she'd a few tears during this book, and I had not expected it and was on a train. So be warned. (they were so worth it though).
It's also proof that the chipper protagonist gets with grumpy, mean, seemingly uncaring person with heart of gold is not a bad trope, if you actually make sure the person is just grumpy, does like the protagonist and has a heart of gold! Instead of just being awful to the protagonist all the time and then all of a sudden also being in love???
The magic system is delightful, I loved Mika, Jamie, and everyone else. This is the epitome of found family and it made me all warm and cozy.
I do feel that I have to warn people, I did she'd a few tears during this book, and I had not expected it and was on a train. So be warned. (they were so worth it though).
It's also proof that the chipper protagonist gets with grumpy, mean, seemingly uncaring person with heart of gold is not a bad trope, if you actually make sure the person is just grumpy, does like the protagonist and has a heart of gold! Instead of just being awful to the protagonist all the time and then all of a sudden also being in love???
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Abandonment
Moderate: Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Death, and Gaslighting
Minor: Xenophobia, Body horror, and Racism
skudiklier's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
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
5.0
This book was just as cozy and good and magical the second time around! I reread this because we're reading it for my book club, and I'm so excited to have people to talk about it with, because the first time I read it it hadn't come out yet and I was trying so hard to convince anyone I could to read it. I love this book.
Original review pasted below:
I absolutely adored this book. I mean, really. It's got witches. It's got found family. It's got enemies to lovers. It's got queer grandpas. It's got cute little kids. It's got plot twists. What more could you ask for from a book, honestly.
Also--you know that feeling you get when you're deep into a good story, or maybe you've already finished it, and you find yourself wanting to go back to that world and those characters? You could be doing anything and then suddenly you have this weird urge that maybe you can't place for a minute, until you go, oh, I just want to go back to reading/watching that.
I get that a lot, but in most cases it's not until I'm a good ways into the story, unless I'm rereading a childhood favorite or something like that. What's weird about The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches is that I started feeling that way almost right from the beginning. I was barely into the book, and still would feel myself drawn to the characters. I didn't have a lot of time to read it at first, so I made my way through the first third the book pretty slowly, and it was surprisingly hard to not just drop everything and read it all so I could stay in the story.
By midway through, I sort of did drop everything to finish it. I couldn't help it. And agh, I just, I loved it so much. I have no idea if the author plans to write sequels, but I hope she does, just because I feel like I could spend so much longer in this world and with these characters, and never have enough.
Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and Netgalley for the chance to read and review this ARC.
Original review pasted below:
I absolutely adored this book. I mean, really. It's got witches. It's got found family. It's got enemies to lovers. It's got queer grandpas. It's got cute little kids. It's got plot twists. What more could you ask for from a book, honestly.
Also--you know that feeling you get when you're deep into a good story, or maybe you've already finished it, and you find yourself wanting to go back to that world and those characters? You could be doing anything and then suddenly you have this weird urge that maybe you can't place for a minute, until you go, oh, I just want to go back to reading/watching that.
I get that a lot, but in most cases it's not until I'm a good ways into the story, unless I'm rereading a childhood favorite or something like that. What's weird about The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches is that I started feeling that way almost right from the beginning. I was barely into the book, and still would feel myself drawn to the characters. I didn't have a lot of time to read it at first, so I made my way through the first third the book pretty slowly, and it was surprisingly hard to not just drop everything and read it all so I could stay in the story.
By midway through, I sort of did drop everything to finish it. I couldn't help it. And agh, I just, I loved it so much. I have no idea if the author plans to write sequels, but I hope she does, just because I feel like I could spend so much longer in this world and with these characters, and never have enough.
Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and Netgalley for the chance to read and review this ARC.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia
Moderate: Cursing, Death, Bullying, Abandonment, Child abuse, Alcohol, Racism, and Sexual content
Minor: Murder, Homophobia, Abortion, and Death of parent
bringmybooks's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
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
<<<<<<<<< cozy fantasy
(that's it. that's the tweet)
(that's it. that's the tweet)
✨ 𝗕𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚 ✨ B̷O̷R̷R̷O̷W̷ B̷Y̷P̷A̷S̷S̷
(JK - I, of course, have more to say)
Okay, so last year the sub-genre "Cozy Fantasy" starts getting thrown around a whole lot, and I'm intrigued. I then discover that some of my favorite series as a kid fall into this category, and I'm even more intrigued. I then read Legends & Lattes and I'm HERE. FOR. IT.
So on a whim I buy the hardcover UK edition of L&L and while on the site I snag this adorable UK hardcover of The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches as well. And I debate waiting until October to read it, but then I don't, which I'm glad for because HELLO THIS WAS DELIGHTFUL.
Okay, but seriously. This book was pure magic. The relationships, the magical system, the plot, the characters, the romance, the ending, just ... all of it. I was hooked pretty much immediately and once Mika Moon (also, the name? I mean? are you kidding me?) gets to Nowhere House I didn't want to put this book down until I finished!
(The absolute. only. thing. that gave me pause was the amount of cussing in it. Well, not necessarily the cussing because I don't really care about that, but more so that there were a number of times that it seemed like the three young children would have been in the room with the cussing just flying around and that wasn't my fav)
That aside - I genuinely LOVED this book and I cannot WAIT for the next book to come from Sangu Mandanna!
(according to her IG, it's A WITCH’S GUIDE TO MAGICAL INNKEEPING and it's coming in April 2024!)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing and Grief
Minor: Murder, Homophobia, Death, Death of parent, Religious bigotry, and Xenophobia
microbemom's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
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? It's complicated
5.0
Adorable!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Xenophobia
Minor: Death, Child abuse, Grief, Death of parent, and Bullying
ashleycmms's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Xenophobia, Death of parent, Death, Grief, and Child abuse
morgsreads's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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? It's complicated
4.5
This book was the biggest warmest most wonderful hug full of magic and found family and the most adorable golden retriever sidekick. I fell so in love with all of the characters, and especially in love with the dynamic between Jamie and Mika . My only complaint (and reason for -.5 stars) is that it flew by too fast! Some of the dialogue and especially the scenes at the end was very quick-paced with little descriptive narration. Since it comes in at 316 pages I think there could have been room for more scene-building in those faster moments. Overall though it was a delightful, easy read — a good palette cleanser and sort of like a slightly more adult version of The House in the Cerulean Sea (but witchier, of course).
Content Warnings
Minor: Xenophobia, Physical abuse, and Racism
brontesauruses's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, and Child abuse
Minor: Homophobia, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Racism, Classism, Alcohol, and Xenophobia
wilybooklover's review
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
4.5
This book is simply delightful. A lonely witch finds love and acceptance when she agrees to tutor three children in all things witchcraft.
I absolutely loved this story. Mika uses her sunshine-y nature as a mask to keep the world – and her loneliness – at bay. Jamie, the librarian she falls in love with, similarly uses grumpiness as his mask. Ultimately, though, this was a story about found family. As the book progresses Mika becomes intertwined with this quirky, endearing family and it was so wonderful to see her walls come down and accept all of these wonderful people into her heart. I’m not always a fan of children in books, but I really enjoyed their inclusion in this story. They were maybe a little precociously funny but they had some lovely moments of connection with Mika. The whimsical way that the witchcraft was written was the cherry on top and really fit the vibe of the story.
Just a beautifully written cosy and romantic story that made me smile as I read it. I really needed something uplifting when I picked this up and it fit the bill perfectly. This is one for the comfort re-read pile.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Abandonment
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, and Grief
Minor: Child abuse, Racism, Homophobia, and Xenophobia
thecatconstellation's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
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
5.0
This was so cute and warm. I spent the last chapter happy sobbing. Found family, magic, and learning that you are enough.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Bullying
Moderate: Cursing, Death, Abandonment, and Sexual content
Minor: Classism, Xenophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Homophobia, and Racism