A review by winter_is_reading
Three Meant To Be by M.N. Bennet

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

I didn’t expect to love this book so much, and I CANNOT wait for the sequel!!! 

There’s so much that I loved, starting with the clever framing. MN Bennet takes the current struggles of American teachers and applies it to a magic academy, then tells the struggles of a jaded psychic teacher, who is outwardly surly and inwardly desperate to save his students. 

We’ve seen so many middle-age/YA magic school books centered on the kids’ experiences, so seeing an adult book telling the story through a teacher was so refreshing! It gives a glimpse of the barriers to quality education for everyone, and makes me (once again) want American teachers to be treated better. 

Dorian (Mr. Frost to the students) is able to read minds, which helps readers follow along his students’ trials and sets him up to try to prevent potential tragedies. It gives you just enough clues to follow the mysteries (while keeping the future a secret).

Speaking of future, Milo Evergreen as an oracle and love interest is *chef’s kiss*. 

Thank you Bennet for having a magic school romance starring a teacher NOT be a teacher x student. Instead we have lovely Milo, Dorian’s former classmate and exboyfriend/current FWB. 

Milo’s dynamic with Dorian feels very Adora and Catra from She-Ra (my favorite show, so I LOVE that). Milo is in the public eye as the golden optimistic boy (very Adora), looking for a second-chance romance with prickly reluctant Dorian (very Catra). But these two also feel very unique as characters, and I’m excited to see their journey!

AND DON’T GET ME STARTED ON FINN, WHO READERS WILL HAVE TO DISCOVER. (sobbing noise) 

In conclusion, MN Bennet take all my money, I will be preordering the sequel as soon as it drops.

Spice: 3/5
Angst: 4/5 (maybe 5/5 tbh, can’t decide)