Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna

226 reviews

bookwormdystopian2's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful lighthearted mysterious medium-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? No

3.5


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emilywemily6's review against another edition

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hopeful 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 everything that it wanted to be- it was cozy, witchy, and wholesome. I love all these characters and their dynamics, especially with Mika as the newcomer. I adored the little girls too and liked seeing the progression of the relationship subplot. I appreciated how race and diversity were mentioned and felt like Mika was a really well-adjusted character, albeit with some understandable trauma that shaped her viewpoints but didn’t stop her from being the sunshine. The third act conflict felt very realistic (as far as a witchy fantasy could be) and understandable and took a little effort to resolve, which I liked. The ending wrapped up really nicely which is expected with a cozy book. The writing quality and characters were very well written though! I am so excited to read the next one.

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bookscatcoffee's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring 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

What a lovely, cozy, gut-punch, heart-warming read!  I had all the emotions, but I kept coming back to this wonderful world the author created.  
“Danger rarely wore a monstrous face and wielded a pitchfork. No, danger came most often in the form of people like Edward, the nice people whose niceness only went so deep, who saved their niceness for people exactly like them, who believed they were more deserving of power and respect than anyone who was a little bit different.”  Very good writing and delightful characters!  More books please!  5 stars

Cozy fantasy with diverse characters and lgbtqia+ side characters

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vaguelyredhead's review against another edition

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funny hopeful 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

4.0


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willyzita's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing 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


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hkroska's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.25


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wardenred's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring 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

5.0

It’s a leap of faith to love people and let yourself be loved.

An absolutely lovely read. It reminded me strongly of The House in the Cerulean Sea without the certain problematic parts. I loved the found family dynamic, the kids with their different personalities, the inclusive and diverse world of this story, the magical house and the locations around it, the magic—really, just about everything! And the balance of sweet coziness and serious feelings was just right, too.

The absolute strength here is the assortment of relationships: all the connections inside the Nowhere House, the grumpy/sunshine romance between Mika and Jamie, Mika’s complex relationship with her mentor Primrose, and more. I loved seeing all of those connections develop and strengthen. There’s so much positivity here, but it never turns saccharine; on the contrary, the story very much affirms that good things can still be complicated. Being good for each other and hurting each other aren’t mutually exclusive; it’s what you choose to do with the results that matters.

I’ve definitely got a lot of snippets from this story stuck in my head now. The whole interginerational trauma plotline/arc. Small bits of conversations characters have had: good vs nice, living vs surviving, taking the risk to let yourself be loved, making the world just a little bit better even if it can’t be all fixed in one go. And that twist in the final act??? OMG, I was so lulled into the overall sense of security, I did not see that coming and I loved how it played out. Also, there’s something absolutely haunting about the image of
bones amidst sunflowers
.

Very much recommended to anyone looking for some witchy coziness with lovable characters.

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eitrlund's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

4.5


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tereoleneva's review against another edition

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emotional lighthearted slow-paced

2.25


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jenny_bean_reads's review against another edition

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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
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

A very cozy, sweet, witchy story about found family and the different ways trauma shapes us.

The author did a wonderful job fleshing out all of the characters and showing the relationships within the found family at the center of this book. I love the immediate feeling of belonging that Mike feels at Nowhere House, though I legit want her YouTube channel to be real!

If you enjoy witchy stories with a touch of spice, you need to read this book. 

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