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elove05 's review for:
An Amateur Witch's Guide to Murder
by K. Valentin
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
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:
Complicated
This is a great book, but an especially impressing debut novel. An Amateur Witch's Guide to Murder is a charmingly funny and shockingly heartfelt mystery/urban fantasy about two down on their magical luck best friends, roommates, and inexperienced witches trying to help (scam) a cursed but very rich guy who's unintentionally killing or maiming everyone around him. This book is exceptionally well-written, with a solid balance of plot and character development, pacing that never once failed me, and such lovable characters.
I really enjoyed both Mateo's character and his narration, especially because he is a complex character with a whole lot going on. We as the reader get to feel very close to him and his inner monologue, but at the same time his thoughts never get in the way of the actual story happening and it all flows very nicely. We get a real sense of how he feels about particularly Ophelia, and this is a strong relationship in the story that is very sweet and touching to read about. Topher is equally sweet and compelling, and the overall plot is both mysterious and grounded enough for the reader to follow along without any unnecessary confusion. The character development/exploration from all three of our main characters is super interesting to follow, though the focus does lean most heavily on Mateo.
My only critique is that I felt that we don't get to become personally close to Ophelia as her own character outside of her relationship with Mateo, even though Mateo talks to and about her quite a lot. Unlike Topher, we don't see much of Mateo considering her motives and inner struggles, and this leaves me with a sense that while I know Mateo loves her, I don't entirely know what is going on in her current life and who she truly is. I don't think this is just because she isn't the main character, because again, I didn't get this same sense with Topher. I just wish we got to see more of who she herself is beyond vague descriptions from Mateo of how much he loves her and what they are to each other, especially because she has a really interesting backstory and I'm sure has so much potential as a character based on what we do know about her.
Overall, this book is so charming and an absolute blast to read. Really hope a lot of people find this when it releases.
I received and ARC of this book for free but my review is my own.
I really enjoyed both Mateo's character and his narration, especially because he is a complex character with a whole lot going on. We as the reader get to feel very close to him and his inner monologue, but at the same time his thoughts never get in the way of the actual story happening and it all flows very nicely. We get a real sense of how he feels about particularly Ophelia, and this is a strong relationship in the story that is very sweet and touching to read about. Topher is equally sweet and compelling, and the overall plot is both mysterious and grounded enough for the reader to follow along without any unnecessary confusion. The character development/exploration from all three of our main characters is super interesting to follow, though the focus does lean most heavily on Mateo.
My only critique is that I felt that we don't get to become personally close to Ophelia as her own character outside of her relationship with Mateo, even though Mateo talks to and about her quite a lot. Unlike Topher, we don't see much of Mateo considering her motives and inner struggles, and this leaves me with a sense that while I know Mateo loves her, I don't entirely know what is going on in her current life and who she truly is. I don't think this is just because she isn't the main character, because again, I didn't get this same sense with Topher. I just wish we got to see more of who she herself is beyond vague descriptions from Mateo of how much he loves her and what they are to each other, especially because she has a really interesting backstory and I'm sure has so much potential as a character based on what we do know about her.
Overall, this book is so charming and an absolute blast to read. Really hope a lot of people find this when it releases.
I received and ARC of this book for free but my review is my own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Minor: Child abuse, Domestic abuse