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Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
303 reviews
witcheep's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
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
5.0
In the acknowledgements, Mandanna reveals that her goal was to work on “a warm, cozy, romantic story about magic and family.” That is exactly what this book offers. The plot revolves around the topic of what one is willing or capable to do for those they love, and while doing so, the book shows a multitude of different ways to love by many different people. The characters are loveable individuals who embrace, amuse, and even hurt each other in turns, but in the end act out of love and kindness.
"Niceness is about what we do when other people are looking. Kindness, on the other hand, runs deep. Kindness is what happens when no one's looking."
The main character Mika Moon is a witch who lives in a world that has forced her to hide her witch identity and live in solitude. Being a witch is belonging in a considerable and secretive minority of the British population. Her being of a minor ethnicity has brought its own hardships to her life as well. She has been exploited in her past by many people she trusted and cared about:
"Because the way I see it, to be a witch is to be exploited when it's convenient and turned against when it isn't. I'd love to be just Mika, but the rest of the world has yet to give me that privilege."
This has lead Mika to not allow herself to love anyone or get attached in order to protect herself from rejection, hurt and other uncomfortable experiences. She tries to make herself likeable by putting on an easygoing and sunshiney facade, masking her true self behind the expected behaviors and appearances. However, deep down she craves for a place to call home, people to love; a sense of connection and belonging by being accepted just the way she is.
“It sounds like you've been alone for a long time."
"Oh, I'm used to that," Mika said, her voice just a little too bright. "That's the way it is."
"Not here, it's not," was all she got in reply.
At the Nowhere House Mika meets an unlikely and warm group of people, who slowly get behind her walls. While living there, Mika begins to process her past trauma. The three young witches of Nowhere House and especially a certain scowling grumpy librarian, Jamie Kelly, bring out new sides of Mika and make her think of whole new possibilities for her future and the future of witches. Tropes:
The representation of different aspects of identity (ethnicity, sexual orientation, occupational…) is vast, and done very respectfully in the book. The multitude of identities is represented as something normal and beautiful, but the ugly parts aren’t brushed under the rug: the book addresses that there are injustice and hardships in the society for the different minorities. The outlook on life is hopeful, though, and the main characters aim to create a safe space for each other and at larger scale for the minorities and everyone supporting them.
"Who said anything about transforming the world?" He shrugged. "What about just making it a little better? And then a little better? And then a little more, until, one day, maybe long after we're gone, it has transformed?"
The overall tone of the book is quite lighthearted even though the themes of the book are profound, such as ontological and moral dilemmas; philosophical pondering over what people live for and what kind of choices are the right ones to make. Mandanna manages the light tone by wrapping the deep and philosophical themes in coziness. These heaver topics offer just the right amount of angst and agony to the plot, but the sense of togetherness is strong in the Nowhere House’s household. The stakes aren’t too high all the time, but the characters need to take some big personal leaps of faith if they want to try to change their current circumstances. There are many laugh-out-loud fun, swoonworthy, and even agonizing moments to devour in the book, and I couldn’t put the book down before the end. Between the pages of the book I found a feeling of home that would welcome anyone in need of a breather from the turmoils of life with open arms; maybe the family in that home can't shelter you from those turmpoils, but they can take your hand and help you face them.
"Home is worth finding," he said quietly. "Even if it takes a while."
Review written 16.3.2024
Content Warnings
Minor: Death of parent, Racism, Homophobia, and Classism
diazona's review against another edition
emotional
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
3.75
I found this book quite enjoyable for a story where not very much actually happens. I mean, of course there are things that happen, there wouldn't be a story to tell otherwise, but it's driven more by developments in the characters' thoughts and feelings rather than the events that occur. You get the feeling that most of the events could have not happened, or been left out of the story, and it wouldn't really make a difference.
There are a couple of pretty neat plot twists toward the end. They definitely make the last quarter or so very interesting indeed, I just don't think it's enough to make me forget about the lack of things happening during the first three quarters.
Normally a story without meaningful events is not one I'm going to be very interested in, but I think what saves this one is the rich character development. All the main characters have distinct and consistent personalities (except for gruff Jamie who shows an unexpectedly soft side at some point in the middle), they feel realistic and relatable, and most of all they're nice. These are the kinds of people I wish I could have as friends and family. So it didn't take very far into the book before I started caring about them and getting invested in their successes and failures. According to the afterword, the author was inspired to write this story as a reaction to the loneliness of the pandemic, and in that sense, mission accomplished.
All in all, it's a good book. I wouldn't put it on my list of all-time favorites, and it's not one that I see myself coming back to read and reread regularly, but any time I'm in the mood for something heartwarming and comforting, I'll be glad to have this on my (virtual) shelf.
There are a couple of pretty neat plot twists toward the end. They definitely make the last quarter or so very interesting indeed, I just don't think it's enough to make me forget about the lack of things happening during the first three quarters.
Normally a story without meaningful events is not one I'm going to be very interested in, but I think what saves this one is the rich character development. All the main characters have distinct and consistent personalities (except for gruff Jamie who shows an unexpectedly soft side at some point in the middle), they feel realistic and relatable, and most of all they're nice. These are the kinds of people I wish I could have as friends and family. So it didn't take very far into the book before I started caring about them and getting invested in their successes and failures. According to the afterword, the author was inspired to write this story as a reaction to the loneliness of the pandemic, and in that sense, mission accomplished.
All in all, it's a good book. I wouldn't put it on my list of all-time favorites, and it's not one that I see myself coming back to read and reread regularly, but any time I'm in the mood for something heartwarming and comforting, I'll be glad to have this on my (virtual) shelf.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Abandonment and Cursing
Minor: Vomit, Murder, Death, Alcohol, Confinement, and Death of parent
moonlitreading_'s review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
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
“She, Mika Moon, would not be the witch who transformed the world, but she was making it a little better, day by day.”
A secret witch making silly witchcraft videos because she doesn’t think anyone will take her seriously suddenly gets hired to teach three witch children about magic. The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches was fun and cozy and I had a really great time reading it. It took me less than a day to finish and that’s saying something because I’ve been an awful reading slump for weeks now.
The characters were funny and their different personalities made for a chaotic bunch. I found myself anticipating what’s going to happen next just because their interactions were really entertaining and heartwarming. Bonus points for the romance in the book<333
A secret witch making silly witchcraft videos because she doesn’t think anyone will take her seriously suddenly gets hired to teach three witch children about magic. The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches was fun and cozy and I had a really great time reading it. It took me less than a day to finish and that’s saying something because I’ve been an awful reading slump for weeks now.
The characters were funny and their different personalities made for a chaotic bunch. I found myself anticipating what’s going to happen next just because their interactions were really entertaining and heartwarming. Bonus points for the romance in the book<333
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent and Death
bronzel's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing and Sexual content
Minor: Racism, Death of parent, Xenophobia, and Death
johannaplatt's review against another edition
emotional
funny
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
3.75
A fun quick standalone fantasy novel with a sprinkling of romance. Found all the characters to be very endearing (would like Iain to be my pal please), story was tight and enjoyed the magic system. It's no epic fantasy, but sometimes you want a single book rather than a 12 volume series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Child abuse
ribbonquest's review against another edition
lighthearted
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
The exploration of magic and witch culture is interesting. Every witch is orphaned soon after they're born and intercountry witch adoptions seem to be very common - there are four in this cast alone! Rich white witches adopting and neglecting dark skinned babies from around the world isn't really explored, which is a shame.
The three children are cute and remind me of the girls from Despicable Me. The oldest is a bookworm, the middle child is rebellious and aggressive, and the youngest is adorable and mimics the swearing of adults around her. The adult cast is varied as well.
I found the romance itself very typical and dull. It's your typical grumpy/sunshine dynamic. Spice level = Yes
The three children are cute and remind me of the girls from Despicable Me. The oldest is a bookworm, the middle child is rebellious and aggressive, and the youngest is adorable and mimics the swearing of adults around her. The adult cast is varied as well.
I found the romance itself very typical and dull. It's your typical grumpy/sunshine dynamic. Spice level = Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death of parent, Alcohol, Abandonment, and Sexual content
Moderate: Child abuse and Racism
Minor: Homophobia
kaylurzz's review
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Abandonment, and Death of parent
Moderate: Racism
grace_b_3's review
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
3.5
If you liked Legends & Lattes, you’ll probably like this. It’s definitely very cozy and slice of life with a plot that kicks into high gear around the last 40 pages or so. The book is mostly focused on the characters living their lives.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Physical abuse and Sexual content
lalita_d's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment, Cursing, and Death of parent
Minor: Racism
horizonous's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
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
4.0
Very whimsical and magical with a cast of loveable characters.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Death of parent, Sexual content, and Bullying
Minor: Blood, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, and Racism