Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna

58 reviews

periwinkle_flora's review

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

3.25

The novel felt like a fast-medium paced, simple indie film. 

I agree with 2 things 2 others have said. The book is conversational and the book didn't feel like a warm hug.

but rather... a simple, light, and casual read. 

Mika Moon has a rough life. Her family she finds, Ian, Ken, Lucie, Jamie, and the sisters, had rough lives too. Personality and backgrounds appear frequently throughout the chats between the cast. 

We read what's happening to the characters. but we don't really feel what's happening to the characters.

We are told what's happened in their pasts, but we don't get transferred back in time, to see what it was like. 

Personally, I would've preferred if the book showcased more emotional depth to make me feel something… versus briefly glowing over key relationships that make them who they are. 

Another aspect that felt less cosy were the swearing – which in any other book *works*, but not here – and the shift in the main romance/ conflict towards the end. 

Would I read it again? Likely not. Did it keep me engaged? Yes. 

Overall:
A strong 3. (3|5).

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emfass's review against another edition

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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


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bodagirl's review

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emotional lighthearted fast-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? It's complicated

4.0

Very cute. I don't think this story is finished though, it felt much more like an introduction to a world rather than a complete story. The plot point I'm most concerned about is the curse that witches dies shortly after they give birth - doesn't give me a lot of hope for Mika and Jamie, unless they decide not to have biological children (which is totally valid).

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cassielaj's review

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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? Yes

5.0

I finished this book with a literal tear in my eye. It is perfect, and I have nothing to say about it beyond that. 

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britwalsh16's review

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emotional 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

4.5

I’m only giving it 4 & a half stars because there are a couple things I wish they had figured out. Like I was seriously hoping they would somehow break the curse that orphaned young witches in the end! Like come on!!! But honestly, besides that, I absolutely LOOOVED this book! It was a great book, especially for the month of October & all my witchy wants! 

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sustainably_lucia's review

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

This is a story of human connection and how we are stronger together. It is about the search for belonging in a world that doesn't accept us as we are. It is about embracing and expressing who we are, having the courage to love and be loved, finding friends who become family, and learning to trust yourself after being hurt. It is a story about unconditional love and how the truth sets you free on the path toward healing.

The only thing that bothered me was all the swearing. It felt unnecessary and jarring. It took away from the coziness and heartfelt vibe of the book.

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olivia918's review

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funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing slow-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

4.0

A big hug in book form. Very sweet story. 

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spacestarberry's review

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing 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

4.25

A wonderfully cozy book, the prose is light and funny, and the characters are a very loveable cast. A tale of finding your own belonging and family in the face of loneliness.

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lucystolethesky's review

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted 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

5.0


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emily_mh's review against another edition

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lighthearted relaxing 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? No

4.25

I thought I had written down my thoughts for this after reading it but apparently not! So here goes nothing. 

If people are looking for a cosy, found family romance with a fantasy backdrop and DON’T want to support the harmful book that is The House in the Cerulean Sea, I would point them in this book’s direction. Reading it makes you feel safe and loved, just like the MC Mika who is finally finding a place to belong. The little family at Nowhere House is quirky and incredibly tight-knit. Ian and Ken’s relationship dynamic was darling in particular. While Mandanna does include sweet, casual moments (which are key to the found family trope), I do wish there had been more of these, spread out so we could see every character interact with every other character. I also wish we had seen Jamie as a father figure to all the girls like the book says he is - we are only really shown his interaction with Terracotta. I also wish Lucie and her story featured more. 

Mika has some real depth to her as the MC. Her journey is all about feeling safe enough, loved enough, and valued enough to feel like she belongs. She’s dealing with childhood trauma stemming from exploitative carers, but also from the way the witching society is set up in the UK; that is, according to the mantra “divided we are safer.” Mika really questions this structure, seeing how the three kids she meets are thriving together, and so asks the question: is happiness together worth the risk of danger? I really liked the journey she went on. 

The romance was pretty good. I don’t have the same issues some reviewers did where they couldn’t see the chemistry between Mika and Jamie - I personally did, and could definitely see the ways in which they fitted together. Hurt/comfort as a trope is employed, paired with the-LI-goes-feral-when-the-MC-is-hurt, which is a fave combo of mine and was done really well here. An issue I did have was that Jamie felt a little half-baked as a character sometimes. His POV is occasionally included, but not enough to get a real sense of him - given an element of the plot, I can understand why Mandanna didn’t commit to dual POV, but it did have that unfortunate effect. Also, the complication with his backstory (which gave him dynamism) is introduced and resolved within a couple of chapters, so the rest of the time he lacked the depth as a character that I wanted. 

The non-romantic subplot was also enjoyable - I thought it was cleverly done and tied in well with the world-building and romance, only adding to the story. And the world-building itself was great. Mandanna really focussed in on the social element of witches, which as aforementioned, heavily plays into the characters and plot. But also the history she builds and how magic is personified was so cool. Don’t even get me started on the potion magic, which is my JAM. I lovedddd seeing Mika explain ingredients and their interactions, and mix up brews. 

I thought this was a standalone but to my delight it seems that a companion novel is coming out next year. I’m looking forward to it! 

Rep: British-Indian MC, Achillean SC, Achillean British-Japanese SC, Black SC, British-Vietnamese SC, British-Palestinian SC 

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