Scan barcode
A review by vel629vet
Fat Witch Summer by Lizzy Ives
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Thrash is a lonely, plus-sized (but not ashamed of it) teenager struggling to connect with her career ambitious mother after the death of her mum. In addition, she’s eagerly waiting for her ‘knack’ - a sign that she has the abilities of a witch like both of her moms.
When her power does arrive, her mother’s superficial desires for Thrash become clear, and she takes off cross-country with a new group of friends who each have something to prove. Along the way they learn to trust each other and discover that the gifts bestowed to witches aren’t what they seem.
I was pleasantly surprised by this fun, road trip-driven story once I got into it. However, I constantly felt like something was missing, and I realized by the end it was a deeper world-building experience. There’s so much going on in this United States/Salem witch inspired universe, but more time needed to be spent building out the country, the government, and the sentiment toward witches. For example, at one point it’s mentioned that 80% of people aren’t witches, but every single person we meet in the story has magic (save 1 or 2). There was a tight focus on what was happening with the girls (with a slightly confusing POV switch here and there), but then we’d get tiny glimpses of the rest of the country and how it functioned. It left me wanting to know more about the native/indigenous people, about each state’s individual laws, about how little things work with and without magic.
Overall, a really enjoyable book! I’m intrigued to see if there are sequels planned!
When her power does arrive, her mother’s superficial desires for Thrash become clear, and she takes off cross-country with a new group of friends who each have something to prove. Along the way they learn to trust each other and discover that the gifts bestowed to witches aren’t what they seem.
I was pleasantly surprised by this fun, road trip-driven story once I got into it. However, I constantly felt like something was missing, and I realized by the end it was a deeper world-building experience. There’s so much going on in this United States/Salem witch inspired universe, but more time needed to be spent building out the country, the government, and the sentiment toward witches. For example, at one point it’s mentioned that 80% of people aren’t witches, but every single person we meet in the story has magic (save 1 or 2). There was a tight focus on what was happening with the girls (with a slightly confusing POV switch here and there), but then we’d get tiny glimpses of the rest of the country and how it functioned. It left me wanting to know more about the native/indigenous people, about each state’s individual laws, about how little things work with and without magic.
Overall, a really enjoyable book! I’m intrigued to see if there are sequels planned!
Content Warnings
Minor: Fatphobia and Death of parent