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How To Succeed in Witchcraft
An overachieving teen witch vies for a prestigious scholarship at her elite high school in this contemporary YA fantasy for fans of Never Have I Ever and Sabrina the Teen Witch!
Magically brilliant, academically perfect, chronically overcommitted...
Shay Johnson has all the makings of a successful witch. Now that she's a junior at T.K. Anderson Magical Magnet School, she's one step closer to winning the full-ride Brockton Scholarship--her ticket into the university of her dreams. Her main competition? Ana freaking Alvarez. The key to victory? Impressing Mr. B, drama teacher and head of the scholarship committee.
When Mr. B persuades Shay to star in this year's aggressively inclusive, racially diverse musical--at their not-quite-diverse school--she agrees, wearily, even though she'll have to put up with Ana playing the other lead. But with rehearsals underway, Shay realizes Ana is...not the despicable witch she'd thought. Perhaps she could even be a friend--or more. And Shay could use someone in her corner once she finds herself on the receiving end of Mr. B's unpleasant and unwanted attention. When Shay learns she's not the first witch to experience his inappropriate behavior, she must decide if she'll come forward. But how can she speak out when the scholarship--and her future--are on the line?
An unforgettable debut, How to Succeed in Witchcraft conjures up searing social commentary, delightfully awkward high school theater, and magical proclamations of love.
Magically brilliant, academically perfect, chronically overcommitted...
Shay Johnson has all the makings of a successful witch. Now that she's a junior at T.K. Anderson Magical Magnet School, she's one step closer to winning the full-ride Brockton Scholarship--her ticket into the university of her dreams. Her main competition? Ana freaking Alvarez. The key to victory? Impressing Mr. B, drama teacher and head of the scholarship committee.
When Mr. B persuades Shay to star in this year's aggressively inclusive, racially diverse musical--at their not-quite-diverse school--she agrees, wearily, even though she'll have to put up with Ana playing the other lead. But with rehearsals underway, Shay realizes Ana is...not the despicable witch she'd thought. Perhaps she could even be a friend--or more. And Shay could use someone in her corner once she finds herself on the receiving end of Mr. B's unpleasant and unwanted attention. When Shay learns she's not the first witch to experience his inappropriate behavior, she must decide if she'll come forward. But how can she speak out when the scholarship--and her future--are on the line?
An unforgettable debut, How to Succeed in Witchcraft conjures up searing social commentary, delightfully awkward high school theater, and magical proclamations of love.
416 pages, Hardcover
First published September 27, 2022
51 people are currently reading
14112 people want to read
About the author
Aislinn Brophy
2 books156 followersAislinn Brophy (they/she) is an actor, writer and arts administrator based in the Atlanta area. She was born and raised in South Florida, but made her way up to the frigid northeast for college. Their hobbies include pawning off their baking on anybody nearby, doing funny voices, and dismantling the patriarchy.
Aislinn has a degree in Theater, Dance & Media, and her experiences as a performer consistently wiggle their way into her writing. In all aspects of her work as an artist, she is passionate about exploring identity and social justice issues. Their debut YA novel, HOW TO SUCCEED IN WITCHCRAFT, will be published fall 2022, with a second untitled novel to follow.
Aislinn has a degree in Theater, Dance & Media, and her experiences as a performer consistently wiggle their way into her writing. In all aspects of her work as an artist, she is passionate about exploring identity and social justice issues. Their debut YA novel, HOW TO SUCCEED IN WITCHCRAFT, will be published fall 2022, with a second untitled novel to follow.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 324 reviews
January 3, 2023
Aislinn Brophy has brought a fresh new voice to YA fantasy! HOW TO SUCCEED IN WITCHCRAFT delivers a killer plot packed with meaty metaphor and soul-warming sapphic romance. This book is captivating, romantic and deeply powerful — it left me wanting more!
June 1, 2023
I thoroughly enjoyed this diverse, witchy, sapphic YA story set in a fascinating parallel universe where brooms and cars fly, but academic rivalry remains the same. That said, it has a pretty grim and serious grooming subplot running through it that literally takes until the last moments to resolve.
Shay Johnson is a young Black witch, adorably overachieving and with the specific interest and talent in potion-making. Students at her magic academy are ranked according to two things: GPA and magic level. While Shay has the top ranking for the latter, her rival, Ana Alvarez, claims top in the former. They're both going for the same big scholarship. Thus the stage is set - pun intended - for an academic rivals to lovers romance amid their stormy school musical rehearsals, which are complicated by various student body dramatics and a problematic teacher.
The first thing I want to address is that yeah, giant TW for grooming. Shay is alternately subjected to handsy overtures, "private" practice sessions, pitted against other students, emotionally manipulated and blackmailed. And it goes on past the ninety percent mark. There's another student whose situation was even more squicky for me, so take care of yourself if you want to read!
So besides the fact that subplot went on for so long, and then was tidily wrapped up with a bow in like 5 paragraphs, the book was great. I really loved the magical world, where cars and brooms fly, but Starbucks and phones are a thing and the kids are still very relatable with their college app and parental woes. The "theater kids" vibe wasn't overbearing, to my relief, and instead allowed for a ton of comedy when spells went awry and stuff during rehearsals.
The writing was great when it came to confronting racial issues, family moments, humorous lines, and featuring strangely endearing background characters like Ed the Illicit Potion Dealer. Shay's best friend Lex was my absolute favorite character, a real firecracker and hilarious too. Shay and Ana's romance could've easily read like a platonic friendship apart from some kisses, so I didn't feel a lot of sizzle or investment in that part of the plot.
Narrator Tashi Thomas was great, using nicely distinctive voices and really lending the funny moments maximum humor. I have a copy of the book but I'm so glad I did the audiobook instead. This was a very fun book that still managed to fit in a ton of apt social commentary.
Shay Johnson is a young Black witch, adorably overachieving and with the specific interest and talent in potion-making. Students at her magic academy are ranked according to two things: GPA and magic level. While Shay has the top ranking for the latter, her rival, Ana Alvarez, claims top in the former. They're both going for the same big scholarship. Thus the stage is set - pun intended - for an academic rivals to lovers romance amid their stormy school musical rehearsals, which are complicated by various student body dramatics and a problematic teacher.
The first thing I want to address is that yeah, giant TW for grooming. Shay is alternately subjected to handsy overtures, "private" practice sessions, pitted against other students, emotionally manipulated and blackmailed. And it goes on past the ninety percent mark. There's another student whose situation was even more squicky for me, so take care of yourself if you want to read!
So besides the fact that subplot went on for so long, and then was tidily wrapped up with a bow in like 5 paragraphs, the book was great. I really loved the magical world, where cars and brooms fly, but Starbucks and phones are a thing and the kids are still very relatable with their college app and parental woes. The "theater kids" vibe wasn't overbearing, to my relief, and instead allowed for a ton of comedy when spells went awry and stuff during rehearsals.
The writing was great when it came to confronting racial issues, family moments, humorous lines, and featuring strangely endearing background characters like Ed the Illicit Potion Dealer. Shay's best friend Lex was my absolute favorite character, a real firecracker and hilarious too. Shay and Ana's romance could've easily read like a platonic friendship apart from some kisses, so I didn't feel a lot of sizzle or investment in that part of the plot.
Narrator Tashi Thomas was great, using nicely distinctive voices and really lending the funny moments maximum humor. I have a copy of the book but I'm so glad I did the audiobook instead. This was a very fun book that still managed to fit in a ton of apt social commentary.
November 5, 2022
I thought the world created in this story is a great one. It’s like our world but with some magical twists that worked pretty well for me. I thought the book over all tried to do too much. It made the serious issues tackled feel slightly forced and cheesy instead of the serious focus they should have each had. The story is about Shay, a young witch student who is desperate to win a full ride scholarship and full admission into the magical college of her dreams. When the head of the selection committee and drama teacher pressures her to apply for the musical she goes along with it. There is a huge grooming/abuse of power plot line that pretty much takes over the other pieces of the story, and I’m not saying that’s not worth a book because it is, but the other issues were also worthy of focus. It is a cute rivals to lovers story which was all the more important for it’s queer focus that just didn’t seem to be fleshed out enough for me. There were also diversity issues that I felt like were worthy for more story as well. The characters had a lot of potential and I truly liked the world.
October 11, 2022
low fantasy, magic school with Sapphic rivals-to-lovers...need I say more?
CW: racism, micro aggressions, grooming, icky power imbalance, abuse of authority
CW: racism, micro aggressions, grooming, icky power imbalance, abuse of authority
September 14, 2022
This was a fine time. I appreciated that Shay's parents were as involved as they were. I thought that the academic rivals to lovers was played in a way that was cute to read about. Shay and Lex's friendship was cute on the side.
The book really is about this drama teacher trying to manipulate his students into inappropriate relationships due to his connection to a lucrative scholarship opportunity... And was that well handled? Yeah, I'd say that it was for the most part.
It's really just that the book was doing a lot. You had this very serious grooming plot happening, trying to immerse the reader in a world that was like our own but still had some differences, and give the reader this rivals to lovers moment. It was a lot to juggle, and really the grooming plot took over. I wouldn't even say that was a bad thing.
For me it was just a slight disconnect for me because it made the fantasy feel like we could have left it by the wayside. It's not a book that really feels the need to have a sequel, everything ties up rather nicely, I just feel like I want one so that we can further flush out the world that Brophy was able to craft.
I do think that for the target age demo this will be a bigger hit. I think for them it'll be more of an edge of your seat situation trying to figure out how this storyline is gonna play out, for me it just wasn't as immersive as I might have wanted.
More thoughts found in my reading vlog.
The book really is about this drama teacher trying to manipulate his students into inappropriate relationships due to his connection to a lucrative scholarship opportunity... And was that well handled? Yeah, I'd say that it was for the most part.
It's really just that the book was doing a lot. You had this very serious grooming plot happening, trying to immerse the reader in a world that was like our own but still had some differences, and give the reader this rivals to lovers moment. It was a lot to juggle, and really the grooming plot took over. I wouldn't even say that was a bad thing.
For me it was just a slight disconnect for me because it made the fantasy feel like we could have left it by the wayside. It's not a book that really feels the need to have a sequel, everything ties up rather nicely, I just feel like I want one so that we can further flush out the world that Brophy was able to craft.
I do think that for the target age demo this will be a bigger hit. I think for them it'll be more of an edge of your seat situation trying to figure out how this storyline is gonna play out, for me it just wasn't as immersive as I might have wanted.
More thoughts found in my reading vlog.
September 18, 2022
I received an ARC from Edelweiss
TW: themes of racism, themes of predatory behavior (teacher), powerplay & manipulation, homophobia
4.2
If you're looking for a sapphic academic rivals to lovers, you've got the right book. If you're looking for a book about grooming and #MeToo, you've got the right book. If you're looking for diverse witches where the diversity is portrayed casually and yet doesn't shrug off the issues, you've got the right book. If you're interested in seeing rhymes from a hypothetical Pride & Prejudice meets In the Heights, surprisingly you have the right book.
I really love the diversity of this book, because I love how these identities were handled. This is in some ways an issue book, but the issue is not homophobia or racism. These characters being QTBIPOC isn't the point of the book. The identities aren't explained like talking point, nothing feels like it's desperate to prove itself. However, while it's in most ways casual it also lets itself talk about the realities of prejudice as well as the actual culture of those identities. It's weirdly hard to find that balance, where it doesn't feel skimmed over in the name of casual rep and it also doesn't feel beaten in, and Brophy manages!
Less important, I suppose, but Brophy also managed to write a story with theatre central and not make me flinch. It helps that this isn't very technical and neither of the characters want to be there, so details and personalities weren't as prevalent, but this still felt very realistic. This book nailed the realism of the theatre world in good and bad ways, which is impressive.
I also really enjoyed the romance! I'm always a sucker for a one-sided rivalry turning to lovers, it is a somewhat niche trope I'll go to bat for pretty much anytime, but I especially enjoyed it here. Ana is such a cute, interesting character, and the petty way the rivalry started made sense while also making it easy to transition onto more friendly terms without excessive drama. Plus, the chemistry! The build on this was great, and these characters are super sweet together with minimal miscommunication.
For me, this book just felt like something wasn't quite finished. I wanted things to be a bit more tied together or find more of a conclusive resolution. For instance, I expected the communes to be relevant to the story after all the references to them, and so it felt like a loose thread. This book just felt like it could have been tighter.
I also just expected a bit more witchiness and magic in general. It's definitely a part of the story, but it isn't as inherent to it as I expected. I forgot they were witches a few times while reading.
All in all an important and well written story, with a cute romance to boot.
TW: themes of racism, themes of predatory behavior (teacher), powerplay & manipulation, homophobia
4.2
If you're looking for a sapphic academic rivals to lovers, you've got the right book. If you're looking for a book about grooming and #MeToo, you've got the right book. If you're looking for diverse witches where the diversity is portrayed casually and yet doesn't shrug off the issues, you've got the right book. If you're interested in seeing rhymes from a hypothetical Pride & Prejudice meets In the Heights, surprisingly you have the right book.
I really love the diversity of this book, because I love how these identities were handled. This is in some ways an issue book, but the issue is not homophobia or racism. These characters being QTBIPOC isn't the point of the book. The identities aren't explained like talking point, nothing feels like it's desperate to prove itself. However, while it's in most ways casual it also lets itself talk about the realities of prejudice as well as the actual culture of those identities. It's weirdly hard to find that balance, where it doesn't feel skimmed over in the name of casual rep and it also doesn't feel beaten in, and Brophy manages!
Less important, I suppose, but Brophy also managed to write a story with theatre central and not make me flinch. It helps that this isn't very technical and neither of the characters want to be there, so details and personalities weren't as prevalent, but this still felt very realistic. This book nailed the realism of the theatre world in good and bad ways, which is impressive.
I also really enjoyed the romance! I'm always a sucker for a one-sided rivalry turning to lovers, it is a somewhat niche trope I'll go to bat for pretty much anytime, but I especially enjoyed it here. Ana is such a cute, interesting character, and the petty way the rivalry started made sense while also making it easy to transition onto more friendly terms without excessive drama. Plus, the chemistry! The build on this was great, and these characters are super sweet together with minimal miscommunication.
For me, this book just felt like something wasn't quite finished. I wanted things to be a bit more tied together or find more of a conclusive resolution. For instance, I expected the communes to be relevant to the story after all the references to them, and so it felt like a loose thread. This book just felt like it could have been tighter.
I also just expected a bit more witchiness and magic in general. It's definitely a part of the story, but it isn't as inherent to it as I expected. I forgot they were witches a few times while reading.
All in all an important and well written story, with a cute romance to boot.
October 20, 2023
“i lean over to press a kiss against her lips. then I sit there with Ana, our fingers entwined in her lap. it’s nice, for once, to just exist.”
shay is a girl who is talented in both magic and academics. she’s after a prestigious scholarship that could land her some big paying jobs - but there’s more to it than meets the eye. enter mr b. a drama teacher who sees potential in shay - but is it really just potential he sees? becoming his favourite isn’t everything it’s cracked up to be as shay soon finds out. but when she discovers that other young women have experienced his odd and downright creepy acts of affection, will she be able to speak up - or will mr b and the patriarchy that rules over the school win once again?
i liked this book. it was decent. i felt like more could have been done with the ending, but that’s a personal gripe i have with this book. for you it may be the perfect ending, who knows? the magic system was cool to learn about and i loved the romance. it was wholesome and sweet, and in general this book showed that all you really need in life is someone who will love and support you unconditionally.
shay is a girl who is talented in both magic and academics. she’s after a prestigious scholarship that could land her some big paying jobs - but there’s more to it than meets the eye. enter mr b. a drama teacher who sees potential in shay - but is it really just potential he sees? becoming his favourite isn’t everything it’s cracked up to be as shay soon finds out. but when she discovers that other young women have experienced his odd and downright creepy acts of affection, will she be able to speak up - or will mr b and the patriarchy that rules over the school win once again?
i liked this book. it was decent. i felt like more could have been done with the ending, but that’s a personal gripe i have with this book. for you it may be the perfect ending, who knows? the magic system was cool to learn about and i loved the romance. it was wholesome and sweet, and in general this book showed that all you really need in life is someone who will love and support you unconditionally.
September 27, 2022
4.5 stars rounded up!
This is a really fantastic coming of age story that combines magic and witches with the real life issues that young people face in high school such as pressure to succeed, predatory adults, and "casual" racism/discrimination.
This story follows Shay Johnson, who wants nothing more than to get the full-ride Brockton scholarship so she can attend any magical university. Shay has to beat out her main competition Ana Alvarez, which she has a chance at when the head of the scholarship committee convinces Shay to join his musical.
Honestly, Shay and Ana made this book. I loved their tension filled exchanges and their drive to make each other better witches by continually testing each other’s magic. There’s so much witty banter between them, and I’m always a sucker for academic rivals.
Now let’s talk Mr. B. He is literally the scum of the Earth, and I wanted to put him in a chokehold way too many times. He preys on young girls for his own needs. He also constantly makes racist comments and microaggressions yet thinks he’s “cool”. Barf.
This book truly was the perfect blend of fantasy and contemporary, and who doesn’t love a sapphic witchy romance?!
Thank you to Penguin Teen for providing a review copy. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.
This is a really fantastic coming of age story that combines magic and witches with the real life issues that young people face in high school such as pressure to succeed, predatory adults, and "casual" racism/discrimination.
This story follows Shay Johnson, who wants nothing more than to get the full-ride Brockton scholarship so she can attend any magical university. Shay has to beat out her main competition Ana Alvarez, which she has a chance at when the head of the scholarship committee convinces Shay to join his musical.
Honestly, Shay and Ana made this book. I loved their tension filled exchanges and their drive to make each other better witches by continually testing each other’s magic. There’s so much witty banter between them, and I’m always a sucker for academic rivals.
Now let’s talk Mr. B. He is literally the scum of the Earth, and I wanted to put him in a chokehold way too many times. He preys on young girls for his own needs. He also constantly makes racist comments and microaggressions yet thinks he’s “cool”. Barf.
This book truly was the perfect blend of fantasy and contemporary, and who doesn’t love a sapphic witchy romance?!
Thank you to Penguin Teen for providing a review copy. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.
July 19, 2023
Actual Rating:
3.5 ✰
☑ brown main character
☑ lesbian main character
☑ bi representation
☑ enemies to frenemies to friends to lovers
I really liked this a lot more than I thought that I would. Any time magic or magic schools are involved, I’m always worried that there is going to very blatant obviousness to “a certain series” that I will not mention. I was so relieved that How to Succeed in Witchcraft was original in its own way. The world building was beautiful, including magic in the modern day real world with modern day real life problems. It really made me think, “just because magic exists, it does not mean that all of our problems are solved”.
Shay is at the top of her class and is always receiving backlash at “cheating” because she shares magic with her family. Her and Ana are always competing against each other, to see who can climb to the top faster. The main course of their competition is a scholarship to the school that Shay has been dreaming about her whole life.
“Sharing magic” is a topic that is frequently discussed and is a very important topic in this book. When you share magic, your emotions can alter that of the person you shared magic with. It can be a positive thing when it is done with the right people (like your family), but it can also have negative effects if not.
When Mr B, the drama teacher and head of the scholarship committee, persuades Shay to star in the upcoming school’s musical play, claiming that she is the “diversity” that her school needs. Even though joining the musical will mean having to deal with Ana more, Shay agrees, seeing this as a chance to impress Mr B in hopes of winning the scholarship.
She soon comes to realize that Ana isn’t all that bad and finds herself becoming friends and undeniably wanting even more. Soon Shay finds herself feeling conflicted between Ana’s friendship and competing with her for the scholarship.
TW: Grooming
There is a teacher that gives Shay unwanted attention. This includes invading personal space and inappropriate touching and remarks. These remarks consists of racism, queerphobia, and comments that lead to manipulation.
I am also going to be including a spoiler that I think is worth reading if you’re concerned about this trigger.
⋆⁺₊⋆⁺₊⋆
• 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐢 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬 •
✰ 3.5 ✰ I enjoyed reading it, but it didn’t have quite the impact that I thought it would.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━☽✰☾━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
3.5 ✰
☑ brown main character
☑ lesbian main character
☑ bi representation
☑ enemies to frenemies to friends to lovers
I really liked this a lot more than I thought that I would. Any time magic or magic schools are involved, I’m always worried that there is going to very blatant obviousness to “a certain series” that I will not mention. I was so relieved that How to Succeed in Witchcraft was original in its own way. The world building was beautiful, including magic in the modern day real world with modern day real life problems. It really made me think, “just because magic exists, it does not mean that all of our problems are solved”.
Shay is at the top of her class and is always receiving backlash at “cheating” because she shares magic with her family. Her and Ana are always competing against each other, to see who can climb to the top faster. The main course of their competition is a scholarship to the school that Shay has been dreaming about her whole life.
“Sharing magic” is a topic that is frequently discussed and is a very important topic in this book. When you share magic, your emotions can alter that of the person you shared magic with. It can be a positive thing when it is done with the right people (like your family), but it can also have negative effects if not.
When Mr B, the drama teacher and head of the scholarship committee, persuades Shay to star in the upcoming school’s musical play, claiming that she is the “diversity” that her school needs. Even though joining the musical will mean having to deal with Ana more, Shay agrees, seeing this as a chance to impress Mr B in hopes of winning the scholarship.
She soon comes to realize that Ana isn’t all that bad and finds herself becoming friends and undeniably wanting even more. Soon Shay finds herself feeling conflicted between Ana’s friendship and competing with her for the scholarship.
TW: Grooming
There is a teacher that gives Shay unwanted attention. This includes invading personal space and inappropriate touching and remarks. These remarks consists of racism, queerphobia, and comments that lead to manipulation.
I am also going to be including a spoiler that I think is worth reading if you’re concerned about this trigger.
⋆⁺₊⋆⁺₊⋆
• 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐢 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬 •
✰ 3.5 ✰ I enjoyed reading it, but it didn’t have quite the impact that I thought it would.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━☽✰☾━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
December 25, 2023
CW: lesbophobia, racism, pedo teacher.
Rep: Shay (MC) is cis, Black, and lesbian. Ana (LI) is cis, POC and bisexual.
This was all kinds of fantastic. I loved the magic system, the 'rivalry' between Shay and Ana, and their sweet romance.
This was just awesome from start to finish.
Rep: Shay (MC) is cis, Black, and lesbian. Ana (LI) is cis, POC and bisexual.
This was all kinds of fantastic. I loved the magic system, the 'rivalry' between Shay and Ana, and their sweet romance.
This was just awesome from start to finish.
September 21, 2025
Rounding up because I felt like I learned some things even if the read was not perfect.
Worldbuilding was great. The author did a good job layering the urban fantasy mechanics on top of our world and was able to build something fairly whimsical.
I liked the characters and the perspective that was provided, as well as the messaging. I can see how the story could frustrate folks, it was much heavier than your classic YA coming of age with a more realistic ending. I also feel like it did a good job presenting how college applications can feel to some high school students, especially from marginalized groups.
The pacing was not perfect, and I was a little disappointed that all the excerpts at the start of each chapter didn't tie into one unified thing. But I do have a soft spot for slice of lifes and this was more a slice of life than anything else.
If you want a sapphic non-white magical high schooler perspective, I you may want to consider giving this a read.
Worldbuilding was great. The author did a good job layering the urban fantasy mechanics on top of our world and was able to build something fairly whimsical.
I liked the characters and the perspective that was provided, as well as the messaging. I can see how the story could frustrate folks, it was much heavier than your classic YA coming of age with a more realistic ending. I also feel like it did a good job presenting how college applications can feel to some high school students, especially from marginalized groups.
The pacing was not perfect, and I was a little disappointed that all the excerpts at the start of each chapter didn't tie into one unified thing. But I do have a soft spot for slice of lifes and this was more a slice of life than anything else.
If you want a sapphic non-white magical high schooler perspective, I you may want to consider giving this a read.
February 9, 2023
I definitely did not expect to love this as much as I did, wow! If you are like me and enjoy low fantasy, read this!
The main character Shay, a teenage witch, joins the school’s musical in hopes of having a better chance at winning a scholarship.
2023 is the year I want to read more fantasy and this was an amazing start with that since it includes two things I love - a sapphic main character and musical theatre<3 Those were honestly the things that drew me into this book in the first place and got me interested but throughout the story I loved so much more about it too - the enemies to lovers relationship, bi rep, incredible writing style, poc rep, and an intriguing magic system. This book was so fun and cute too while also touching on subjects like racism, queer phobia and more. It was so much fun reading about the musical theatre parts and the dancing lessons etc and the potion making, fun banter, the friendships and more.
Overall I LOVED this book and I’m excited to read more by this author in the future<3
The main character Shay, a teenage witch, joins the school’s musical in hopes of having a better chance at winning a scholarship.
2023 is the year I want to read more fantasy and this was an amazing start with that since it includes two things I love - a sapphic main character and musical theatre<3 Those were honestly the things that drew me into this book in the first place and got me interested but throughout the story I loved so much more about it too - the enemies to lovers relationship, bi rep, incredible writing style, poc rep, and an intriguing magic system. This book was so fun and cute too while also touching on subjects like racism, queer phobia and more. It was so much fun reading about the musical theatre parts and the dancing lessons etc and the potion making, fun banter, the friendships and more.
Overall I LOVED this book and I’m excited to read more by this author in the future<3
Want to read
May 20, 2021here to support witchy books and also a fellow Floridian writer
October 17, 2022
I appreciate what this book has portrayed regarding predatory teachers who manipulates and take advantage of their students by gaslighting them into believing they only want the students to “achieve their potential with his help”. I also really like the love interest Ana, she’s probably one of my favorite love interests in books of all time, for the first time in a rival to lovers scenario I read where the “rivalry” is one sided on the protagonist’s side and the rival/love interest is like “??? What do you mean u hate my guts?? I thought we were friends like from the beginning?? Why do I always argue with you?? I thought we were bantering IT WAS OUR THING!” It’s just absolutely adorable and iconic haha.
However, I feel like the pacing of the story really can do with some adjustments. The ending felt rushed and the teacher was taken down after one speech by the protagonist without really showing the ramification and complexity that could come with the society’s tendency to victim blame school girls who are victims of pedophile teachers. The magic “witchcraft” in this book is also largely an allegory instead of an actual feature of the book. If taken out the magic, the story would stay the same if it is a YA contemporary. But that is probably the marketing team’s fault instead of any negative indication on the book’s part.
However, I feel like the pacing of the story really can do with some adjustments. The ending felt rushed and the teacher was taken down after one speech by the protagonist without really showing the ramification and complexity that could come with the society’s tendency to victim blame school girls who are victims of pedophile teachers. The magic “witchcraft” in this book is also largely an allegory instead of an actual feature of the book. If taken out the magic, the story would stay the same if it is a YA contemporary. But that is probably the marketing team’s fault instead of any negative indication on the book’s part.
October 1, 2022
Trigger Warnings: Racism, blood, bullying, coming out, grooming, manipulation, teacher-student relationships, homophobia
Representation: Black, Lesbian, Cuban, Filipino, Adoptee, Afro-Cuban, Bisexual
How to Succeed in Witchcraft is a fantasy novel about Shay, a high school junior who is hoping to win the Brockton scholarship to get into a licensing college and change her parents’ lives. In order to win, Shay hopes to impress Mr. B, the award’s namesake and school drama teacher. To do so, she auditions for the spring musical and is named the lead along with Ana, her enemy. After some weird interactions, Shay has to decide what’s more important, winning or revealing the truth.
This finished copy was provided by Bookishfirst in exchange for an honest review.
This was a great book! I have to admit that I thought it was going to be something different but I was pleasantly pleased with what it is. I do wish Shay liked musicals more but the rest of her cast had such realistic mt student personalities that it was okay. Readers should definitely check the content warnings before starting it though.
I really enjoyed this story and the characters. Shay has such a big heart and I loved learning about this magical world. The author did a great job with world building. I also really loved Lex. She was funny and the best best friend! Ana was so smart and her personality was very beautiful. I also loved how the girls each had their own flaws and difficulties but you still rooted for them the entire time.
I thought the author did a great job with Mr. B. He was creepy the entire book and I just knew there was going to be something weird with him. Brittany’s experience with Mr. B was so believable and I loved how much strength Shay showed.
Representation: Black, Lesbian, Cuban, Filipino, Adoptee, Afro-Cuban, Bisexual
How to Succeed in Witchcraft is a fantasy novel about Shay, a high school junior who is hoping to win the Brockton scholarship to get into a licensing college and change her parents’ lives. In order to win, Shay hopes to impress Mr. B, the award’s namesake and school drama teacher. To do so, she auditions for the spring musical and is named the lead along with Ana, her enemy. After some weird interactions, Shay has to decide what’s more important, winning or revealing the truth.
This finished copy was provided by Bookishfirst in exchange for an honest review.
This was a great book! I have to admit that I thought it was going to be something different but I was pleasantly pleased with what it is. I do wish Shay liked musicals more but the rest of her cast had such realistic mt student personalities that it was okay. Readers should definitely check the content warnings before starting it though.
I really enjoyed this story and the characters. Shay has such a big heart and I loved learning about this magical world. The author did a great job with world building. I also really loved Lex. She was funny and the best best friend! Ana was so smart and her personality was very beautiful. I also loved how the girls each had their own flaws and difficulties but you still rooted for them the entire time.
I thought the author did a great job with Mr. B. He was creepy the entire book and I just knew there was going to be something weird with him. Brittany’s experience with Mr. B was so believable and I loved how much strength Shay showed.
January 16, 2023
This was such a cool book! The worldbuilding surrounding how magic works and the history around it is fascinating, and it strikes the perfect balance between being very well-thought through with lots of details and being straightforward enough that the reader doesn't have to spend a lot of time figuring it out. The story covers a lot of important themes while staying engaging throughout. The ending was a little underwhelming, but still fit the story well. Definitely recommended!
CW: grooming/predatory behavior by a teacher, racism, homophobia, sexism
CW: grooming/predatory behavior by a teacher, racism, homophobia, sexism
November 11, 2024
finished on the plane! was expecting cozy witch vibes but it was not cozy it was academic stress but it was good
October 2, 2022
4.25 ⭐️ rounded down. This book is great, it gives very Sabrina the teenage witch vibes if Sabrina was black, a lesbian, and dealing with how far she’s willing to go to make her dreams come true. This book was surprisingly hard hitting. For some reason I went in expecting a fun witchy story and I did get elements of that, but I also got themes examining homophobia and other things that I don’t want to spoil. There are 100% triggers in this book so if your are sensitive you should definitely look up trigger warnings before diving into this one. But if you are looking for a story about the challenges of being in high school and preparing for what’s coming next, while also dealing with homophobia and other things wrapped in a witchy package then this book is FOR YOU!!
Note: I was provided an arc by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Note: I was provided an arc by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
September 27, 2022
This is author Ailsinn Brophy's debut novel. It is a young adult fantasy book with queer representation. It also takes place at a magic school for witches so it gives those fall vibes. It feels more set in our world than Hogwarts though. This book follows our main character Shay Johnson who is trying very hard to get a scholarship. She starts to get a crush on her rival named Ana. While this is going on the guy in charge of the scholarship ropes her into being the star of the school play. He starts being super touchy and creepy towards her. After Shay learns that she's not the first girl he's done this too, she starts to take a stand even though it's at the risk of her losing the scholarship. I really liked the important themes and subjects this book tackled while having good representation. This book is long but didn't feel too long, I read it in two sittings.
February 6, 2023
I loved this book so much. I’ve had this on my tbr for a few months and I’m so happy I finally got to it. This story focuses on Shayna who is a biracial witch who dreams of winning a scholarship at her school so she can get into a good college. Her dream is to work with potions and she has the highest potion level in her entire grade. Her family is poor and she knows that is the only way for her to have a good future. She works, volunteers, plays sports, tutors and does AP classes so they look good on her scholarship resume. Her biggest competition is Ana, who is as beautiful as she is dismissive. They’ve been fighting since freshman year and both want to win. When Mr. B, the teacher in charge of the scholarship tells Shayna that being in the school musical will help her chances of winning, she feels forced to participate even though she hates acting. As Mr.B starts acting weird around her and making her uncomfortable and secrets come to light, she questions what’s right and wrong in the name of her future.
I loved Shayna as our main character. She’s driven and focused and determined to do what’s best for her and her family. With her being biracial, I saw a lot of myself in her. Her issues with her hair, her issues with feeling like people see her as token, the issues with people thinking she’s just good at something because she’s Black. She’s so hard on herself I wanted to grab her and shake her. We see a real struggle in her as she isn’t sure what is right because she’s scared of how it’ll look for her. That’s a real fear. Especially for women in color. There are a lot of references here about how different it looks for Shayna and for her peers because she is one of the only black people that are there and Ana is Cuban.
The enemies to lovers here was so cute. I was shipping Ana and Shay from the beginning. I knew they would be a good couple once they both stopped being dummies around each other. And I loved Lex as a best friend. She was cute and I wished there had been more about her and her family. We saw that they were hard on her and she wanted to be her own person and I loved her for that.
I liked how this book dealt with grooming and how adults shouldn’t make you feel a certain way in a position of power. The end was both satisfying and sad because you know that white people in power get special treatment. Shayna did the damn thing and did what she had to do and I applaud her for it. I was so impressed with this book and glad I finally got to it after so long. I love girls of color in magic and I hope in the end everyone had a happy ever after.
I loved Shayna as our main character. She’s driven and focused and determined to do what’s best for her and her family. With her being biracial, I saw a lot of myself in her. Her issues with her hair, her issues with feeling like people see her as token, the issues with people thinking she’s just good at something because she’s Black. She’s so hard on herself I wanted to grab her and shake her. We see a real struggle in her as she isn’t sure what is right because she’s scared of how it’ll look for her. That’s a real fear. Especially for women in color. There are a lot of references here about how different it looks for Shayna and for her peers because she is one of the only black people that are there and Ana is Cuban.
The enemies to lovers here was so cute. I was shipping Ana and Shay from the beginning. I knew they would be a good couple once they both stopped being dummies around each other. And I loved Lex as a best friend. She was cute and I wished there had been more about her and her family. We saw that they were hard on her and she wanted to be her own person and I loved her for that.
I liked how this book dealt with grooming and how adults shouldn’t make you feel a certain way in a position of power. The end was both satisfying and sad because you know that white people in power get special treatment. Shayna did the damn thing and did what she had to do and I applaud her for it. I was so impressed with this book and glad I finally got to it after so long. I love girls of color in magic and I hope in the end everyone had a happy ever after.
June 19, 2023
Thank you to Penguin Teen for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Bookish First for my raffle copy of a finished hardcover in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
I loved this one! This one has an overachieving MC with anxiety who is 200% burnt out but still trying her very damn best. As a fellow overachiever, I felt Shay's struggle with my whole being. She was incredibly realistic and I wish I could've given her a vacation. I loved how witchcraft was included in the world. It was such a fun addition to the story.
The majority of this book is about a school theatre production and how the teacher in charge is a groomer and predator, but no one believes the girls he does it to. When Shay becomes his next victim, she refuses to let him do this to anyone else and is determined to stop him. This book tackles hard topics in a caring way. Too often queer girls of color are survivors who are never given voices. I hope books like this one will start to change that.
I loved this one! This one has an overachieving MC with anxiety who is 200% burnt out but still trying her very damn best. As a fellow overachiever, I felt Shay's struggle with my whole being. She was incredibly realistic and I wish I could've given her a vacation. I loved how witchcraft was included in the world. It was such a fun addition to the story.
The majority of this book is about a school theatre production and how the teacher in charge is a groomer and predator, but no one believes the girls he does it to. When Shay becomes his next victim, she refuses to let him do this to anyone else and is determined to stop him. This book tackles hard topics in a caring way. Too often queer girls of color are survivors who are never given voices. I hope books like this one will start to change that.
June 19, 2022
Really loved this book!! It is the perfect blend of contemporary and fantasy, and I really loved the sapphic relationship and the real-world topics. I felt intense dread and fury whenever a certain character was on the page and y'all know who I'm talking about >:( For a book to make me feel so strongly is the mark of a great book. Definitely read this one!!
November 21, 2022
THIS WAS SO GOOD!!! I loved everything about it from the characters to the social commentary to the romance to the world building, highly HIGHLY recommend!!
May 17, 2024
I got an arc of Aislinn Brophy’s upcoming Spells to Forget Us so being me, I decided to read her debut first, and this was phenomenal. Shay is in her junior year and burning the candle at both ends in the hopes of wining the Brockton scholarship, a scholarship for her school that would pay for college tuition and basically ensures she’d be able to go to a licensing college. There is so much good commentary on access and privilege and the American dream through a magical lens, and I really loved Shay as a narrator. The teacher most in charge of the scholarship, Mr B, dangles the scholarship in front of Shay to manipulate her into auditioning for the school play, especially as it’s a play with primarily Latine characters but most of the cast is white. For whatever reason (racism, the answer is racism) he was under the impression Shay was Latina rather than Black (there is even an acknowledgment of Afro-Latine people, but she’s pretty sure that’s not an identity even on Mr B’s radar), and she ends getting cast as one of the leads, even though by her own admission she’s more of a singer than an actor. Over the course of the play, Mr B further manipulates Shay and also pushes her boundaries with touch and makes all kinds of inappropriate comments (also SO MANY RACIST MICROAGGRESSIONS!), but Shay worries she’s making a bigger deal out of the situation than is truly the case, especially when comparing her reactions and thoughts to the things she heard and saw from other cast members. I really liked how the power dynamics and manipulation was explored and Shay’s own journey of recognizing what was happening and harnessing her rage to change things, for herself and for future witches.
The romance between Shay and Ana was also really cute, especially the whole academic enemies but it’s all in Shay’s mind part of their dynamic. Lex is also a fantastic friend, and I love the elements of their friendship where they have to contend with the differences in their socioeconomic status and experience with academics. Shay is forced to confront internalized elitism about the need to go to a licensed college, especially because her parents aren’t licensed so even though they’re high skilled and capable, they’re limited in the jobs they’re able to get, which has created financial insecurities and stress.
This book tackles many complex topics, and I thought it was all handled really well with a lot of care. I liked how things resolved, even if it isn’t an “everything is resolved and perfect” kind of ending, it was hopeful and positive. I also really enjoyed little ways reality was woven into the story, such as Madam CJ Walker Beauty company for hair care potions and history textbook discussing the ways enslaved people had their power stolen and it fed into the fallacy that Black people are naturally stronger and have a higher capacity for magic. I thought the world development and the character’s journey were all so well executed, and I’m so excited to see what Brophy will write in the future!
The romance between Shay and Ana was also really cute, especially the whole academic enemies but it’s all in Shay’s mind part of their dynamic. Lex is also a fantastic friend, and I love the elements of their friendship where they have to contend with the differences in their socioeconomic status and experience with academics. Shay is forced to confront internalized elitism about the need to go to a licensed college, especially because her parents aren’t licensed so even though they’re high skilled and capable, they’re limited in the jobs they’re able to get, which has created financial insecurities and stress.
This book tackles many complex topics, and I thought it was all handled really well with a lot of care. I liked how things resolved, even if it isn’t an “everything is resolved and perfect” kind of ending, it was hopeful and positive. I also really enjoyed little ways reality was woven into the story, such as Madam CJ Walker Beauty company for hair care potions and history textbook discussing the ways enslaved people had their power stolen and it fed into the fallacy that Black people are naturally stronger and have a higher capacity for magic. I thought the world development and the character’s journey were all so well executed, and I’m so excited to see what Brophy will write in the future!
September 15, 2023
4.5 I'm so mad that I didn't read this as soon as I bought myself a copy, but I'm really glad that I finally gave into temptation and picked it up!
This is another great example of peak YA fiction for me. It has the perfect balance of entertaining and witty banter between the characters, a narrative voice that is fun and easy to follow, as well as some deep, rich, complex conversations about abuse, manipulation, racism, classism, and homophobia.
The main character is genuinely so funny, and it was so incredibly easy to relate to her right from the get-go. I felt almost like I was a big sister watching my sibling go through all the mistakes I made at her age. It was endearing and such a great experience to follow her through all the highs and lows of her story. I found her extremely realistic, and I loved that when she recognized her mistakes, people didn't automatically completely forgive her for them. Brophy always included a lot of nuance in the conversations and all throughout their book, which made it that much interesting to read.
I also thought it was fascinating the way that Brophy melded the magic so seamlessly into our modern-day world. Fantasy authors have a tendency to do a lot of magic world-building that is set in some real-world human setting, while simultaneously being completely blind to the tragedies and realities of our history. This book feels really contemporary, in that the magic bleeds into our societies exactly as they have been built, including the systems of oppression that exist in our world. Brophy uses witching and magic not to "escape" humanity as we know it, but specifically to address issues of racism, of class disparity, of abuse of power. It gave the book some true depth, without necessarily becoming overly-complex or inaccessible to its intended young adult audience.
And of course, I adored the romance in this. I was rooting for them so hard, and it was so entertaining to watch our main character be so foolishly oblivious, in a way that is extremely realistic for a young, teenage lesbian. I was screaming at the pages and giggling along with her, I was so invested in their relationship arc, I really had blast with it.
I definitely recommend this if you're looking for an easy read, that is at times fun and light, but that nonetheless packs a punch when it comes to the actual themes being explored in the story and its ultimate message.
This is another great example of peak YA fiction for me. It has the perfect balance of entertaining and witty banter between the characters, a narrative voice that is fun and easy to follow, as well as some deep, rich, complex conversations about abuse, manipulation, racism, classism, and homophobia.
The main character is genuinely so funny, and it was so incredibly easy to relate to her right from the get-go. I felt almost like I was a big sister watching my sibling go through all the mistakes I made at her age. It was endearing and such a great experience to follow her through all the highs and lows of her story. I found her extremely realistic, and I loved that when she recognized her mistakes, people didn't automatically completely forgive her for them. Brophy always included a lot of nuance in the conversations and all throughout their book, which made it that much interesting to read.
I also thought it was fascinating the way that Brophy melded the magic so seamlessly into our modern-day world. Fantasy authors have a tendency to do a lot of magic world-building that is set in some real-world human setting, while simultaneously being completely blind to the tragedies and realities of our history. This book feels really contemporary, in that the magic bleeds into our societies exactly as they have been built, including the systems of oppression that exist in our world. Brophy uses witching and magic not to "escape" humanity as we know it, but specifically to address issues of racism, of class disparity, of abuse of power. It gave the book some true depth, without necessarily becoming overly-complex or inaccessible to its intended young adult audience.
And of course, I adored the romance in this. I was rooting for them so hard, and it was so entertaining to watch our main character be so foolishly oblivious, in a way that is extremely realistic for a young, teenage lesbian. I was screaming at the pages and giggling along with her, I was so invested in their relationship arc, I really had blast with it.
I definitely recommend this if you're looking for an easy read, that is at times fun and light, but that nonetheless packs a punch when it comes to the actual themes being explored in the story and its ultimate message.
October 20, 2022
thank you to penguin young readers group and g.p. putnam's sons books for young readers for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
i’m not really sure where i want to start with this one.
i guess, first, is that i highly appreciate how it handle some specific sensitive discussions specifically surrounding power dynamics in relationships. while it took a while to see certain realizations and outcomes, i’m glad they weren’t pushed under the rug. well, rather, it had a realistic outcome. either way, it was handled well.
as for the magic system. let’s just say it took a while for me to get used to the concept that name brands were dropped in conjunction with magic and witches/wizards and whatnot. definitely and interesting concept.
overall though, i found this all to be alright. shay was so stubborn and oblivious, but she grew on me. i wanted to give lex a hug and tell her “i understand. it’ll all work out”. and while i enjoyed watching ava and shay’s relationship grow, i found their interactions to feel a bit stilted. it just kinda felt like their humor did not mesh?? but that’s probably just me not translating the dry humor into my brain all that well.
i’m not really sure where i want to start with this one.
i guess, first, is that i highly appreciate how it handle some specific sensitive discussions specifically surrounding power dynamics in relationships. while it took a while to see certain realizations and outcomes, i’m glad they weren’t pushed under the rug. well, rather, it had a realistic outcome. either way, it was handled well.
as for the magic system. let’s just say it took a while for me to get used to the concept that name brands were dropped in conjunction with magic and witches/wizards and whatnot. definitely and interesting concept.
overall though, i found this all to be alright. shay was so stubborn and oblivious, but she grew on me. i wanted to give lex a hug and tell her “i understand. it’ll all work out”. and while i enjoyed watching ava and shay’s relationship grow, i found their interactions to feel a bit stilted. it just kinda felt like their humor did not mesh?? but that’s probably just me not translating the dry humor into my brain all that well.
October 28, 2022
Rating: 5 Stars!!
Review:
Thank you to BookishFirst for picking me to win this FREE ARC COPY in a Raffle Giveaway on their website last month!!
This was my first time reading a book by Debut YA Author Aislinn Brophy so i wasnt sure what to expect but i have to say i did enjoy parts of this book tho i do admit i have read better books about Witchcraft.
The Characters were fun and interesting to read about. My favorites were definately Shay and Lex i loved their witty banter which reminded me alot of OG Charmed and Sabrina the Teenage Witch Sitcom. I wish there had been more descriptiveness of their backgrounds.
The Setting was interesting as well. i really felt like i was actually in the book with the characters at times.
I could of did without the High School Childish Drama cause i always feel like YA books concentrate on that too much opposed to telling the story of what the book is about. Also i wish this book was part of a series cause i'd LOVE to see where Shay, Lex and the other characters would be in the coming year.
Overall a Good YA Fantasy about 3 Teen Girls entering Witch School!! i will probably read more by Aislinn in the future pending on what her other books will be about.
Review:
Thank you to BookishFirst for picking me to win this FREE ARC COPY in a Raffle Giveaway on their website last month!!
This was my first time reading a book by Debut YA Author Aislinn Brophy so i wasnt sure what to expect but i have to say i did enjoy parts of this book tho i do admit i have read better books about Witchcraft.
The Characters were fun and interesting to read about. My favorites were definately Shay and Lex i loved their witty banter which reminded me alot of OG Charmed and Sabrina the Teenage Witch Sitcom. I wish there had been more descriptiveness of their backgrounds.
The Setting was interesting as well. i really felt like i was actually in the book with the characters at times.
I could of did without the High School Childish Drama cause i always feel like YA books concentrate on that too much opposed to telling the story of what the book is about. Also i wish this book was part of a series cause i'd LOVE to see where Shay, Lex and the other characters would be in the coming year.
Overall a Good YA Fantasy about 3 Teen Girls entering Witch School!! i will probably read more by Aislinn in the future pending on what her other books will be about.
November 25, 2022
In addition to being an adorable rivals-to-lovers romance between two huge nerds who struggle to find their footing and had me squeeing incoherently, this story also has an incredible depiction of emotional manipulation from an authority figure. How predators like that can get you so twisted up in knots making excuses for their boundary-crossing, how it happens in such tiny steps that enable plausible deniability, how much icky shit one learns to put up with as a multiply marginalized person in order to attain any kind of success. It was so so hard to read but at the very same time I'm in awe of how accurate and complex it was, and grateful this book exists.
I also loved the seamless blend of the magical and mundane, the reflections on supposed 'meritocracy' and the inaccessibility of our society's ideas of success, and the hints at bigger world concerns happening in the background. There are seeds for a 'teens revolutionize dystopian fantasy society' type of story here, in the scare stories of disaffected youth running away to communes. But the author zooms in on a much more personal kind of revolution.
I could totally see more stories set in this universe, and the writing was so good I will definitely be watching out for whatever Brophy publishes in the future!
I also loved the seamless blend of the magical and mundane, the reflections on supposed 'meritocracy' and the inaccessibility of our society's ideas of success, and the hints at bigger world concerns happening in the background. There are seeds for a 'teens revolutionize dystopian fantasy society' type of story here, in the scare stories of disaffected youth running away to communes. But the author zooms in on a much more personal kind of revolution.
I could totally see more stories set in this universe, and the writing was so good I will definitely be watching out for whatever Brophy publishes in the future!
September 12, 2022
Firstly, thank you so much penguin teen for providing me with the opportunity to read and review.
This story was arguably one of my favorite reads so far for 2022 and just in time for spooky season.
If you are looking for a Sapphic ya witch story that includes enemies to lovers, discussions of racism and racial stereotypes with magic weaved into the real world you will love this.
Also, whilr the story is not technically dark academia it has a wonderful academia setting. Where we have two witches "fighting" for the chance to attend a top college. Something I haven't read in quite sometime.
This story was a ride for sure and the characters were both easy to love and hate. The story invokes a wide variety of emotions which is just what I needed at the time. It was medium/fast paced and deeply character focused.
This story was arguably one of my favorite reads so far for 2022 and just in time for spooky season.
If you are looking for a Sapphic ya witch story that includes enemies to lovers, discussions of racism and racial stereotypes with magic weaved into the real world you will love this.
Also, whilr the story is not technically dark academia it has a wonderful academia setting. Where we have two witches "fighting" for the chance to attend a top college. Something I haven't read in quite sometime.
This story was a ride for sure and the characters were both easy to love and hate. The story invokes a wide variety of emotions which is just what I needed at the time. It was medium/fast paced and deeply character focused.
October 14, 2022
ONE SIDED ACADEMIC RIVALS TO LOVERS!!! I repeat, ONE SIDED ACADMEIC RIVALS TO LOVERS!!!
I am so weak for rivals to lovers, it's not even funny. 10/10 for the relationship.
I really enjoyed the story as a whole. Shay was a fantastic main character; I loved the dynamic she had with Ana and Lex. I didn't know much about this book going into it, besides the fact that it was about gay witches, so the predatory teacher plot caught me off guard, but I thought it was handled well (though maybe a tad rushed by the end). The world building and magic system was fabulous as well! I really loved how the author wove in magic into world history and built an entire alternate history because of that.
This was a great read!
I am so weak for rivals to lovers, it's not even funny. 10/10 for the relationship.
I really enjoyed the story as a whole. Shay was a fantastic main character; I loved the dynamic she had with Ana and Lex. I didn't know much about this book going into it, besides the fact that it was about gay witches, so the predatory teacher plot caught me off guard, but I thought it was handled well (though maybe a tad rushed by the end). The world building and magic system was fabulous as well! I really loved how the author wove in magic into world history and built an entire alternate history because of that.
This was a great read!
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