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A review by anelya
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
More notes to self than review:
You know, I really, really loved this novel. Except for the end. That kinda sums up the whole thing.
I loved most of the characters, especially the kids, and their relationships, especially the kids with Mika. I really, really loved the world-building, especially the way the magic works. What a delightful description; what a wonderful idea. I find myself jealous that I didn't think of it first.
However, the pacing and emotional tension were a little off.The two big examples are the (inevitable) way everything had to fall apart at the end, and the reveal of Jamie's tragic backstory.
Jamie first: For such a cozy, comfy novel, Jamie's horrific backstory came absolutely out of nowhere and was atrocious. I definitely experienced whiplash, and because of my own history, was immediately triggered, almost thrown into a flashback, and had to take a long break from the book. I don't know, it just came out of nowhere and really didn't match the emotional level of the rest of the book. I also, personally, feel like it wasn't the best approach to talking about that kind of trauma. I've seen other novels approach dark topics like that with more... not nuance, but... like... awareness? More sensitivity? I dunno, it just felt like a weird scene overall, just the way it was handled and the aftermath and how the conversation went down. It made me uncomfortable. *shrugs* Especially since this is like marketed or advertised or categorized as cozy fantasy, I would've needed a much softer approach to that kind of exploration of trauma.
The end: There's actually a lot to unpack here. Firstly, the pacing. So, obviously, due to the whole "five stage structure of storytelling" thing, there was clearly going to be a crisis at the end of the novel. And typically for novels with a romance element, there was going to be some crisis that came between the love interests. Considering how well-written other aspects of the novel felt, the crisis felt so contrived. It felt really weird. Like we see Mika as she grows, learns to trust, and learns to find a home at Nowhere House, and then... I dunno, her whole running away schtick which I thought she had kinda gotten past with, you know, all her supposed growth in the novel, shows up and I was just like... *sigh* Again, it just really felt so contrived, and kinda just... everything was going really well, but not in the way of just the characters being blind to issues that are simmering beneath the surface, like legitimately, things were going well. So when she all of a sudden runs away, it just didn't make sense with where her story had gone so far.
And then the actual end. Oh... Oh... : So the kids animate the bones of their dead guardian, whom they had just found out was dead. They don't cry. They just found out she's dead, they dig up her skeleton, and they animate it and... It's supposed to be this silly scene, but it did not at all match the emotional tension of the rest of the novel, which tried to take mental health and trauma very seriously. I know these kids had a complex relationship with their guardian, but still. She's dead. They should've had some kind of reaction, and for that whole thing to be played for laughs was just... really fucking weird.
I will forever hold this novel in my heart for the magic system. I think I'll honestly read it again, especially with the content warnings I now know (so I'll be better able to protect myself), and since I'll know what to expect from it, I think a reread would be lovely to properly appreciate the magic system. Because, again, it's such a wonderful and lovely idea. Such... It's so amazing. I honestly cannot do it justice, so if you wanna read about a beautiful description of magic and how it works with these witches, honestly, just read it. It's definitely to most enchanting way magic works that I've ever read, and it's honestly such an inspiration.
You know, I really, really loved this novel. Except for the end. That kinda sums up the whole thing.
I loved most of the characters, especially the kids, and their relationships, especially the kids with Mika. I really, really loved the world-building, especially the way the magic works. What a delightful description; what a wonderful idea. I find myself jealous that I didn't think of it first.
However, the pacing and emotional tension were a little off.
Jamie first: For such a cozy, comfy novel, Jamie's horrific backstory came absolutely out of nowhere and was atrocious. I definitely experienced whiplash, and because of my own history, was immediately triggered, almost thrown into a flashback, and had to take a long break from the book. I don't know, it just came out of nowhere and really didn't match the emotional level of the rest of the book. I also, personally, feel like it wasn't the best approach to talking about that kind of trauma. I've seen other novels approach dark topics like that with more... not nuance, but... like... awareness? More sensitivity? I dunno, it just felt like a weird scene overall, just the way it was handled and the aftermath and how the conversation went down. It made me uncomfortable. *shrugs* Especially since this is like marketed or advertised or categorized as cozy fantasy, I would've needed a much softer approach to that kind of exploration of trauma.
The end: There's actually a lot to unpack here. Firstly, the pacing. So, obviously, due to the whole "five stage structure of storytelling" thing, there was clearly going to be a crisis at the end of the novel. And typically for novels with a romance element, there was going to be some crisis that came between the love interests. Considering how well-written other aspects of the novel felt, the crisis felt so contrived. It felt really weird. Like we see Mika as she grows, learns to trust, and learns to find a home at Nowhere House, and then... I dunno, her whole running away schtick which I thought she had kinda gotten past with, you know, all her supposed growth in the novel, shows up and I was just like... *sigh* Again, it just really felt so contrived, and kinda just... everything was going really well, but not in the way of just the characters being blind to issues that are simmering beneath the surface, like legitimately, things were going well. So when she all of a sudden runs away, it just didn't make sense with where her story had gone so far.
And then the actual end. Oh... Oh... : So the kids animate the bones of their dead guardian, whom they had just found out was dead. They don't cry. They just found out she's dead, they dig up her skeleton, and they animate it and... It's supposed to be this silly scene, but it did not at all match the emotional tension of the rest of the novel, which tried to take mental health and trauma very seriously. I know these kids had a complex relationship with their guardian, but still. She's dead. They should've had some kind of reaction, and for that whole thing to be played for laughs was just... really fucking weird.
I will forever hold this novel in my heart for the magic system. I think I'll honestly read it again, especially with the content warnings I now know (so I'll be better able to protect myself), and since I'll know what to expect from it, I think a reread would be lovely to properly appreciate the magic system. Because, again, it's such a wonderful and lovely idea. Such... It's so amazing. I honestly cannot do it justice, so if you wanna read about a beautiful description of magic and how it works with these witches, honestly, just read it. It's definitely to most enchanting way magic works that I've ever read, and it's honestly such an inspiration.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Child abuse