A review by samusc
Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey

dark emotional funny mysterious 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? Yes

5.0

I'm coming to accept that anything by Sarah Gailey is an automatic 5 star read for me.
Magic For Liars contained many of my favorite elements aspects for a book to have:

  • Messy main characters (they excel with this)
  • Complex sibling relationships
  • Unreliable narrator
  • Murder mystery where everyone is sus
  • Urban Fantasy and Dark Academia setting

Other aspects that I really enjoyed were the romance subplot (with casual bi rep!), a chosen one trope where the chosen one isn't the main character, and the authenticity of the aftermath of losing a parent to cancer in high school.
The way interactions between characters are written out, with emphasis on mirroring people, hit really hard as an autistic reader.
The twists were a wild ride, well plotted and hinted at in a satisfying way.

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