I've been looking forward to this book for a long time and I was not disappointed! It's a fastastical and emotional story of a family born with specific types of magic. Aster, one of 12 grandchildren who live in a large rambling house on a rural property, is supposed to grow up into a shapeshifter like his male cousins, his father and his uncles. His sister is training to be a witch like their mother, aunts, and grandmother- the formidable ruler of their clan. But Aster is more interested in the girl's magic, and what's more he seems to have a knack for it. Unfortunately it is forbidden. When he starts trying to learn witchcraft in secret, he learns the terrible fate of someone who tried the same thing in the past. Will he be able to heal a horrible family wound? Will he be able to live as his true self? Ostertag has beautifully woven queer themes into this all-ages fantasy tale.