Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Improbable Magic for Cynical Witches by Kate Scelsa

8 reviews

caitlyn_drago_1226's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Homophobia, Grief, Lesbophobia, Stalking, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Sexual assault, Blood, and Addiction

therainbowshelf's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The author combines chapters from Eleanor's present, past, and explanatory tarot book to tell the story of a teen who lost her confidence in love and life and show how she gets it back. The switches between past and present were a little confusing on the audio, but otherwise I liked this book. The characters are fun and the story engaging throughout. Content warnings for toxic relationship, bi erasure, and chronically ill parent.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Chronic illness, Toxic relationship, Biphobia, Alcohol, Grief, Gaslighting, Lesbophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Drug use, Sexual assault, Toxic friendship, and Stalking

Minor: Vomit

Bi erasure

beavivi's review against another edition

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Stalking, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Chronic illness, Death, Drug use, Addiction, Drug abuse, Terminal illness, Homophobia, and Cursing

Minor: Gaslighting, Bullying, and Abandonment

powellki's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This book offers a strong perspective of how our negative thinking can warp our reality.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Medical content, Cursing, Violence, Medical trauma, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Alcohol, Biphobia, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Rape, Panic attacks/disorders, Lesbophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Bullying, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Grief, Alcoholism, Blood, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Stalking

bi_n_large's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad 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? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Bullying, Alcohol, Homophobia, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, Chronic illness, and Mental illness

Minor: Biphobia and Sexual harassment

tjazz's review against another edition

challenging emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Grief

Moderate: Homophobia, Stalking, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Sexual assault

irisestacansado's review against another edition

challenging emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I really, really wanted to like this book, and for the most part I did. However, the use of the predatory lesbian trope made me uncomfortable and I found myself having to skip through some parts. I feel like the conflict between Eleanor and Chloe could have been created without Eleanor becoming the predatory lesbian -

Harrison was already spreading that she was an obsessed lesbian, perhaps on her walks she didn't stop at Chloe's house, but he spread the rumor that she did, if the trope was completely necessary

I also didn't enjoy the depiction of Chloe as a kind of discount bisexual and as some other negative interpretations. This story relied on using tired tropes to further characters, including having a manic pixie dream girl (albeit sapphic), which made it feel a little dull. However, the MC has an interesting family life, and I appreciate a relatively healthy non-nuclear family being depicted.

I was drawn into this book, finishing the audiobook in a day, and I enjoyed the shorter chapters about the major arcana framing the themes of the chapter after it. The ideas shown about paganism and witchcraft were also really nice to read about.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Grief, and Lesbophobia

Moderate: Stalking, Infidelity, Biphobia, Panic attacks/disorders, and Bullying

Minor: Toxic relationship and Sexual assault

lizlogan's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This book is unashamedly queer and shows great representations of witchcraft.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug use, Abandonment, Grief, Stalking, Bullying, and Emotional abuse