2020 book 35

Sarah Gailey’s When We Were Magic
I looooove books about queer teen witches (there's a growing number of books in this genre), so was excited for Gailey's YA debut. But this is a bit grimmer/more disturbing than the usual YA fare. We start at a prom afterparty, where our protagonist is planning on sleeping with a (male) classmate she barely knows, even though she isn’t really into him, but then he explodes. So she calls in her crew of gal pals, because they’re all MAGIC, and they have to figure out what to do about this magical crime scene and this dead kid. I loved all their friendships and abilities, and was kind of rooting for the protagonist and her love interest, but this book has a real melancholy vibe. I also had mixed feelings about the end. Also, if you’re gonna have a protagonist who can TALK TO ANIMALS, there needs to be more animals around! I needed more cute animal chats! I mean, that’s not at all the point of this book. It’s about building relationships and friendships and learning to deal with mistakes etc. Just a bit too much disposing of body parts for my personal taste. B+.

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A review copy was provided by the publisher. This book will be released on March 3rd.